Dodgers cut struggling veteran Garret Anderson, call up Jay Gibbons from minors

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Veteran outfielder Garret Anderson, who has struggled all season to provide the Dodgers with power off the bench, was effectively cut Sunday and the Dodgers purchased the contract of Jay Gibbons from their triple-A Albuquerque team, the Dodgers said.

Anderson, 38, was batting only .181 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in in his 17th big-league season. He was designated for assignment, meaning the Los Angeles native and former star with the Angels was immediately removed from the team’s 25-man roster.

Gibbons, a 33-year-old outfielder and first baseman who attended Cal State Los Angeles, spent several years with the Baltimore Orioles but had not played in the major leagues since 2007 after the Mitchell Report linked him with using performance-enhancing human growth hormone.

Gibbons was batting .347 for Albuquerque with 19 home runs and 83 RBIs. He arrived in the Dodgers’ clubhouse at Dodger Stadium before their game Sunday afternoon against the Washington Nationals.

[Updated, 3:30 p.m.: Gibbons promptly paid the Dodgers a dividend when his pinch-hit single in the sixth inning drove in a run and widened the Dodgers’ lead to 6-3 against the Washington Nationals on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.]

-- Jim Peltz