More elbow problems halt Chad Billingsley’s comeback from Tommy John surgery

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As of last week Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley was making steady progress in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but his minor-league rehab assignment has been shut down after he complained of elbow soreness.

Billingsley underwent surgery 14 months ago and had been talking about possibly rejoining the Dodgers in early July, with speculation about what his role would be given their rotation depth. Now that’s a moot point, at least for a while, and the Dodgers will wait to hear if the news is bad enough to derail his comeback.

Before the injury Billingsley was a very solid mid-rotation starter for the Dodgers, posting a 3.66 ERA in 1,163 innings from 2006-2012, but his rehab from Tommy John surgery has now been halted on two different occasions.

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Mariners add depth acquiring IF/OF Nick Solak from Reds

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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SEATTLE – The Mariners acquired infielder/outfielder Nick Solak from the Cincinnati Reds on Friday for cash.

Solak was designated for assignment by the Reds on Thursday. Seattle had an open spot on its 40-man roster and assigned Solak to Triple-A Tacoma.

Before this season, the 28-year-old Solak spent his entire big league career with Texas. He appeared in 253 games over parts of the past four seasons with the Rangers. Solak’s most productive season came in 2021 when he appeared in 127 games and hit .242 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs. Solak spent almost all of that season at second base but also played left field, center field and third base in his time with the Rangers.

Solak was a second-round pick by the New York Yankees in the 2016 amateur draft. His acquisition is likely a depth move for Seattle to stash a player with experience in the majors at Triple-A in case injuries arise.