LOS ANGELES — After being released by the San Francisco Giants two weeks ago, Nick Ahmed wasn’t sure when, or even if, he would see his former teammates again.
But there he was Wednesday, playing shortstop against the very team that dropped him after 52 games. The Dodgers signed the veteran infielder just hours before the team was set to face the Giants in the third game of a four-game series, leaving him little time to adjust to his new surroundings.
Ahmed, 34, was signed as a replacement for starter Miguel Rojas, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with tightness in his right forearm retroactive to July 22. Rojas was removed early from Sunday’s game.
Ahmed said he was back home in Arizona when the Dodgers called Tuesday night.
“I was trying to stay ready,” Ahmed said. “I had talked to some teams, but nothing materialized until last night. It’s funny how it all came together like that (facing the Giants). (But) I love how it works out sometimes. God has a funny sense of humor at times.
“I’m excited to compete against these guys.”
Ahmed, a longtime member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, slashed .232/.278/.303 with one home run, six doubles and 15 RBIs in 52 games (155 at-bats) with the Giants this year.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ahmed gives the Dodgers not only a two-time Gold Glove winner in the middle infield, but a player who possesses “a grit, a toughness and (someone who) competes. He’s a veteran ball player who is familiar with certainly the National League, but also the National League West.
“I just like the grind and toughness. I think he will meld really well with our ball club.”
Roberts said Ahmed will serve as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop in Rojas’ absence or until All-Star Mookie Betts returns from his broken hand.
Roberts said a scan showed Rojas has a strained flexor muscle in his throwing arm and didn’t know how long the 11-year veteran would be out.
“I don’t know the timetable, some of it is could be how he’s feeling,” Roberts said. “As I understand it, he’s going to take a handful of days to do non baseball activity to let it subside and then get him back.”
Walker Buehler will begin a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday. It will be his first live game action since going on the injured list last month with a hip injury.
Buehler is expected to make two rehab starts, Roberts said, before rejoining the Dodgers’ rotation next month.
Before going on the IL, Buehler had struggled in his return from a second Tommy John surgery, going 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA in eight starts.
Top pitching prospect Kyle Hurt is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery next Tuesday to repair his ulnar ligament, joining a litany of injured Dodgers pitchers.
Hurt, a USC product who spent time with the Dodgers last year and this season, was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation in April and May. The 26-year-old right-hander, who received the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year award last year while leading all minor-league pitchers with 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings, had been back pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City for a month before leaving a game on July 4 with elbow pain.
“Kyle’s a really good kid,” Roberts said. “He worked hard once he got here with us and then to have to go under the knife at the end of the month is disappointing. I feel for him. It’s a long road back but I still believe that that surgery, the prognosis is really good.”
Recovery time for Tommy John surgery normally is 12 to 16 months, meaning Hurt will be sidelined at least until late into next season.
In other moves, the Dodgers designated right-hander Ricky Vanasco for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Ahmed and optioned rookie right-hander Landon Knack, who threw five innings in the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory on Tuesday night.
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is set to come off the IL and start Thursday afternoon’s series finale. It will be Kershaw’s season debut after not pitching for the Dodgers since last October, as he was recovering from left shoulder surgery.
With Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow, who was activated Wednesday, making their first starts back from the IL on consecutive days, the Dodgers chose to send Knack down and preserve their bullpen depth.
“It was one of those timing situations for Landon,” Roberts said. “I can’t say enough about what he did for our ball club.”
Giants (RHP Logan Webb, 7-8, 3.59 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 2024 debut), Thursday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA 570 AM
