Dodgers Shockingly DFA Outfielder, Officially Activate All-Star Kris Bubic for LA Debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a new All-Star pitcher in the bullpen.

Left-hander Kris Bubic, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals ahead of this year's trade deadline, has officially been activated off the 60-day injured list and added to the Dodgers' 28- and 40-man rosters ahead of Wednesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

In order to make room on the active roster, right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase was optioned. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Ryan Ward was shockingly designated for assignment.

The Dodgers have activated LHP Kris Bubic from the injured list and optioned RHP Paul Gervase to Triple-A Oklahoma City. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated OF Ryan Ward for assignment.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 16, 2026

Who is Kris Bubic?

Bubic, 29, has been on the IL since May due to elbow and shoulder injuries.

The left-hander had a 4.11 ERA across nine starts with the Royals this season. He struck out 51 batters while walking 26 over 50.1 innings.

Bubic is coming off an All-Star 2025 campaign in which he had a 2.55 ERA with 116 strikeouts over 20 starts and 116.1 innings. In 2024, he made 27 appearances out of the bullpen, accruing a 2.67 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 30.1 innings of work.

Bubic was drafted by Kansas City in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft and spent his entire career with the Royals.

Overall, across 126 appearances (89 starts) over parts of seven seasons, he has a 4.14 ERA with 495 strikeouts in 522 innings.

Bubic has made four postseason appearances — all in 2024 — allowing one run over 4.2 innings in relief for a 1.93 ERA.

How Will Kris Bubic Help the Dodgers?

Bubic will be auditioning for the Dodgers' postseason roster as a left-handed relief option.

He had six scoreless appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City on his rehab assignment, striking out nine over 5.2 innings.

Bubic is set to hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Thus, he was surprised to be traded at the deadline, but excited for the new opportunity.

“I kind of know where I’m at in my career, the rental status and all that, but obviously I hadn’t pitched in a little over two months when the deadline came,” Bubic said last month.

“So I was a little bit surprised. I knew it was going to be a team having to take a little bit of a flier, given that I haven’t been on a big league mound in a little bit. But thankfully, obviously the Dodgers see some value that we can kind of tinker with here in the next few weeks and then provide any help I can down the stretch.

“It’s exciting. Like I said, seeing the success this organization has had as a whole, especially over the last few years, getting to play against some of these guys in previous years and now getting to be on this side is going to be pretty exciting.”

Dodgers DFA Ryan Ward in Surprise Move, Demote Paul Gervase

As for the corresponding moves, Ward was surprisingly DFA'd after spending the last eight years in the Dodgers organization.

The Dodgers drafted Ward in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He worked his way up the organization and made it to Triple-A in 2023.

He spent all of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons in Triple-A, winning the Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player award in '25.

This year, he finally made his MLB debut, and appeared in 20 big league games across two stints, hitting .218 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and an OPS of .738.

“I've done a lot of work, especially in the last two years, changing the chase rate, getting the walk again, getting on base more, getting myself into better counts, and doing more damage in those counts,” Ward said after his first MLB call-up. “It’s been a lot of work, and honestly, sitting here right now thinking about it, it feels like it went by fast. But when I was down there, it felt like a long time.”

Ward, now 28, has been a trade candidate each of the last few years as he awaited a consistent MLB opportunity. Instead, he's been mostly stuck at Triple-A Oklahoma City, and is now headed to waivers, where another team will be free to pick him up.

As for Gervase, he was called up on Monday but didn't get into a game. He has a 2.35 ERA across 7.2 innings in MLB this year. He owns a 4.56 ERA over 47.1 innings at Triple-A OKC.

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