Journeyman Pitcher Matt Gage Honing His Game in First Camp With Dodgers
Matt Gage, a veteran of 10 seasons of professional baseball, didn’t need much time to find room for improvement in his 11th.
Early in his first spring training camp with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gage was struggling a little bit with his leg kick.
“We changed it already,” Gage told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain. “I threw a live BP and it went really well. We’re already on the fast track, so already learning stuff. That’s the nice thing when you come to organizations. As soon as you get there, something’s wrong, you have that conversation, fix it right away.”
A veteran of 224 minor league games and 16 in the majors from 2014-23, Gage split the 2023 season between the Houston Astros and their Triple-A affiliate. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees on Jan. 29. Seven days later, he was packaged with Christian Zazueta to the Dodgers in a trade for pitcher Caleb Ferguson.
The whirlwind brought Gage back to the National League West for the first time since 2019, when the left-hander was in the Colorado Rockies’ spring training camp.
Through four Cactus League appearances — including a scoreless eighth inning in the Dodgers’ 4-0 loss to the Angels on Tuesday — Gage has allowed three hits and two runs while striking out four.
“To go from a winning organization to a winning organization truly means a lot, to know I can pitch at the highest level and knowing teams value that,” Gage said. “Going from the Astros to the Yankees to the Dodgers, it’s been a blessing for sure.”
The Dodgers represent Gage’s eighth organization since he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 10th round of the 2014 draft. Gage didn’t make his debut until age 29 with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Now 31, he’s had a cup of coffee in the majors each of the last two seasons. A third could be just around the corner.
The trade of Ferguson leaves Gage as one of two left-handed relief pitchers on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, along with Alex Vesia. Ryan Yarbrough might also work primarily out of the bullpen in 2024 if he does not lock down a spot in the starting rotation.
“It’s pretty amazing to reflect on the journey but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Gage said. “I’ve lived with different people, I’ve lived in different countries, it’s been a lot of fun for sure. I’m just kind of taking whatever I can, trying to apply it, and just trying to get better every single day to help the team and the organization win.”
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Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
