The Dodgers and right-handers Matt Sauer have agreed to a minor league deal, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reports. The Paragon Sports International customer will also receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Sauer, who was 26 in January, was eligible to make his major league debut in 2024. The Royals used the second pick of the Rule 5 draft to acquire him from the Yankees a year ago. He held a spot on the roster for a time, but allowed 14 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings, resulting in a 7.71 earned run average. He issued 11 walks while recording just nine strikeouts. The Royals traded him back to the Yankees before the end of May.

The Yanks then sent him to Triple-A, a level he had never reached before, but he struggled there too. He allowed 15 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings, so the Yanks sent him to Double-A. He finished the season there on a high note, pitching 24 innings in 17 relief appearances with a 2.63 ERA, a 22.3% strikeout rate, a 3.2% walk rate and a 46 groundball rate. 4%. At the end of the season he was able to opt for free agency.

Before 2024, Sauer was primarily a regular player. In 2023, he pitched 74 innings in 17 minor league appearances with a 3.41 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate. The Royals perhaps thought moving him to the bullpen could help unlock something that wasn’t working at first, although Sauer’s second half in 2024 was encouraging.

It’s unlikely Sauer will make the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster given his limited experience in Triple-A and the majors. But injuries are inevitable and the club will certainly need to go deeper at some point over the course of a long season. If Sauer can continue his strong showing from 2024, he could earn his way back to the majors. If he does this, all options are available to him and the service time is minimal.