Will Venable accepts outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Will Venable cleared waivers and has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, the team announced. This allows the club to keep Venable as potential depth, though currently off the 40-man roster.

Venable was designated for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for Nick Tepesch, who started Friday night's series opener on the mound in Pittsburgh.

Tepesch was designed for assignment on Saturday.

Venable, who has just shy of seven years of major league service time, has well more than the requisite three years of service time needed to decline any outright assignment, which would have made him  free agent. But he chose to stay in the organization.

The Dodgers signed Venable to a major league deal on June 14, after he opted out of his minor league contract with the Phillies one week prior.

Venable was 1-for-10 with a double, a hit by pitch, and one game-winning run scored in his six games with the Dodgers, including two starts in right field. The 33-year-old left-hander hit .205/.304/.307 with seven doubles and two home runs in 41 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies' system earlier in the season.