The Dodgers kept busy right up to Major League Baseball’s 3 p.m. PT trade deadline, adding another catcher and a right-handed pitcher in a deal with the Rays.
Los Angeles landed Hunter Feduccia and Jacob Kmatz from Tampa Bay, while sending outfielder Jack Suwinski and international bonus pool money the other way.
Feduccia is a familiar name around the Dodgers. The 29-year-old catcher was originally drafted by Los Angeles in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft and spent his entire career in the organization until last year’s deadline, when he was moved to Tampa Bay in a three-team trade involving the Cincinnati Reds.
He has already been back in a Dodgers uniform before, going 4-for-14 (.286) across seven games with the club in 2024 and ’25. In 96 games with the Rays over 2025 and ’26, he hit .203 with two home runs, 20 RBIs and an OPS of .580.
Kmatz, meanwhile, was drafted by the Rays in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. This season, he has worked in 33 games at Double-A and High-A and posted a 2.89 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 53 innings.
The move gives the Dodgers another catcher at a moment when the position is thin. The club also added Ben Rortvedt on Monday, and both catchers are already familiar with the organization. The need is obvious with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing both dealing with injuries.
Smith has been sidelined since early June with an inflamed disc in his neck. Manager Dave Roberts said this weekend that Smith has started baseball activities again, but he’s still not close to a return.
"I know Will is anxious to get back out there," Roberts said this weekend. "But there still has to be a progression and games played. I just don’t see it before three or four weeks."
Rushing was scratched minutes before Sunday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox because of minor arm irritation, and he was not in the lineup Monday against the Chicago Cubs. A stint on the injured list could be next, which helps explain why Los Angeles moved quickly to add depth behind the plate.
Suwinski, 28, heads to Tampa Bay after spending the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hit .291 with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs and an OPS of .947 in 93 games. He has not appeared in the majors this season. The Dodgers claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 2026 season.
His departure also clears a spot in the Triple-A outfield, with top prospect Josue De Paula potentially in line for a promotion.
In Other News...
Rays Added One More Outfielder But His Role Is The Real Story
The Rays added another name to their outfield mix late in the lead-up to the 2026 MLB trade deadline, bringing in Jack Suwinski from the Dodgers in a move that also sent Hunter Fuduccia and Jacob Kmatz out of the organization. Suwinski brings major league experience with him, but most of his time this season has come at the Triple-A level, which fits the kind of depth-and-flexibility approach Tampa Bay has long favored when it starts shopping near the deadline.
What makes the deal interesting for the Rays is less the addition itself than the role Suwinski might fill once he arrives. Tampa Bay has been active in the market, and this was its fourth move before the deadline, a sign the front office is still looking for useful pieces rather than just headline names. The club also added international bonus pool money in the trade, leaving the door open for more maneuvering as the deadline picture keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Catcher Shuffle Created An Opportunity Kevin Piper Wont Forget
The Rays catching depth took another unexpected turn this week, and it opened the door for a moment Kevin Piper is not likely to forget. Tampa Bay had just acquired Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins, only for Hicks to arrive in Denver a day late, and the club had also sent Hunter Feduccia to the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving a temporary void behind the plate as the team settled in at Coors Field.
With the Rays needing coverage in a hurry, Piper was pulled from standby and given the kind of chance players wait around for. He was on the scene but still not officially called up when manager Kevin Cash reached out and got him over to the ballpark, and Piper ended up starting a game in one of baseballs most unpredictable settings. For a catcher caught in a sudden shuffle, it was the sort of assignment that can linger long after the trip ends. [Read more 🡒]