Dodgers Activate Takashi Saito

The Dodgers reinstated right-handed pitcher Takashi Saito from the 60-day disabled list. To make room for Saito on the 40-man roster, outfielder Andruw Jones was placed on the 60-day disabled list with soreness in his right knee. The announcement was made by Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti.

  Saito, an All-Star in 2007, converted 17 of his 20 save opportunities while posting a 2.18 ERA in 39 appearances during the first half of the season prior to being placed on the 15-day disabled list with an injury to his right elbow.  

In his career, Saito has converted 80 of 89 save opportunities (89 percent), the third-highest percentage in Major League history among all pitchers with 50 or more saves since the save became an official statistic in 1969. Only Eric Gagné (91.7 percent) and John Smoltz (91.1 percent) have fared better.   

This ends Jones' horrible first season with the Dodgers. Jones is expected to play in the Dominican Winter League, where he hopes to jumpstart his career.

"The first thing he has to do is get his knee healthy," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "The second thing is conditioning. And the third thing is starting to play."

After hitting 22 home runs and driving in 94 runs with Atlanta last season, albeit while hitting a career-worst .222, Jones signed a two-year, $36.2 million contract with the Dodgers over the winter. From there, though, he made a series of choices that came back to haunt him, beginning with the fact he reported to camp some 11 pounds above his usual playing weight.

Then, after he got off to a slow start offensively, Jones gave an interview in which he seemed to suggest he wasn't bothered by his lack of production.

"He called attention to himself early on and came across as a person he really isn't," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "I think the people who know him can tell you that."

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late May to repair torn cartilage that at the time was believed to be hindering his swing,Jones pushed club officials to activate him on July 4, two weeks ahead of schedule, after outfielder Juan Pierre went on the shelf with a knee injury.

Jones admitted last week he came back too quickly.

Jones later reinjured his right knee when he stepped in a hole in the outfield while on a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. That came during a second DL stint last month with patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

Both Torre and Colletti said they believe Jones, 31, can return to his previous form, when he was a five-time All-Star during his 11-plus seasons with the Braves. "He is a young man," Colletti said. "A lot of it is going to depend on what he wants to do. A lot of it is up to him. It has never been up to anybody else but him."  

He was reinstated from the DL on July 4 but went back on the DL on Aug. 12 due to a left knee injury. The current injury, for which he is being placed on the disabled list, is to his right knee which he injured while playing in a rehabilitation assignment for Las Vegas.