Dodgers designate Justin Bruihl, Eddys Leonard for assignment in Lance Lynn/Joe Kelly trade

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers finalized their trade for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly, sending Trayce Thompson, Nick Nastrini, and Jordan Leasure to the White Sox. To make room on the 40-man roster for Lynn and Kelly, the Dodgers designated pitcher Justin Bruihl and shortstop Eddys Leonard for assignment.

Bruihl was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday in a bullpen swap for fresh arm Tyson Miller. It was the fifth time this season Bruihl was optioned, the maximum allowed per season according to the collective bargaining agreement. Had Bruihl been called up again, he could not have been sent back down to the minors without first being placed on waivers.

Now, he’s off the 40-man roster.

Bruihl in the majors this season had a 4.07 ERA in 20 games, with 19 strikeouts and eight walks in 24⅓ innings. Left-handers had just four hits in 29 at-bats against Bruihl with eight strikeouts, one walk, and a .366 OPS. But right-handers hit .323/.394/.516 off Bruihl this season in 71 plate appearances.

A non-drafted free agent signed out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2017, Bruihl made his major league debut in 2021 and pitched two scoreless innings in the NLCS that year. In parts of three seasons with the Dodgers, Bruihl has a 3.65 ERA in 65 games with 43 strikeouts and 21 walks in 66⅔ innings.

Leonard was hitting .254/.327/.411 with 11 home runs, 20 doubles, and a 96 wRC+ for Double-A Tulsa. After a hellish start with no extra-base hits in all of April, Leonard hit .289/.349/.482 with 32 extra-base hits in 72 games since the beginning of May.

This is already the second option year used for the 22-year-old Leonard, who was added to the 40-man roster in November 2021 despite just 41 games at High-A to that point.