Jake Reed makes MLB debut as reliever for Los Angeles Dodgers, while wife prepares for Olympics

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Wednesday, July 7, 2021

MIAMI -- Right-hander Jake Reed was called up by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday and made his major league debut as his wife Janie Reed prepares to play outfield for the U.S. softball team at the Olympics.

The Dodgers selected the contract of the 28-year-old pitcher from Triple-A Oklahoma City before Tuesday's game at Miami and designated outfielder Steven Souza Jr. for assignment.

Reed entered in the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead, and the Marlins tied the score when shortstop Gavin Lux committed an error on Jesus Aguilar's two-out grounder. The side-arming reliever allowed two hits, struck out one and walked one in a 2-1, extra-inning loss.

He was 0-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings over nine games with Oklahoma City. He signed with the Dodgers on June 4, two days after he was released by the Los Angeles Angels. He has a 5.57 ERA and one save in 21 innings over 17 games this season.

"He's a guy that gets righties out," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Really cool story. I'm really excited for him. And our guys in the front office sought him out, found him, and he's going to help us win ballgames."

Reed has a $575,000 salary while in the major leagues and $170,000 while in the minors.

He is 19-14 with a 3.73 ERA in eight minor league seasons. Reed was selected by Minnesota in the fifth round of the 2014 amateur draft from the University of Oregon.

Janie Reed, the former Janie Takeda, also is 28, and went to Oregon. She won gold medals at the 2017 and 2019 Pan Am Games.

The top-ranked U.S., seeking its fourth Olympic gold medal, opens on July 21 against No. 9 Italy at Fukushima, Japan. The team said Monday it had arrived in Iwakuni, Japan, for training in conjunction with U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Iwakuni.

Souza, 32, hit .160 with one homer and two RBIs in 25 at-bats. He is a six-season veteran who has played for Washington (2014), Tampa Bay (2015-17), Arizona (2018), the Chicago Cubs (2020) and the Dodgers.

Los Angeles also recalled left-hander Garrett Cleavinger from Oklahoma City and placed left-hander Victor Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list with left plantar fasciitis. Cleavinger was 2-3 with a 2.03 ERA in one start and 14 relief appearances with the Dodgers earlier this season and pitched four scoreless innings over four games with Oklahoma City. He allowed one hit in two-thirds of a scoreless inning Tuesday.

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