The Los Angeles Dodgers left veteran southpaw hurler David Price off the roster for Wednesday's wild-card game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the team announced.
The Dodgers will carry 10 pitchers into action, with Julio Urias and Alex Vesia being the lone left-handers in the group.
Price, 36, spent most of the 2021 season pitching out of the Dodgers' bullpen, though he did make 11 starts. Altogether, he went 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings over 39 games.
The Cardinals feature an almost exclusively right-handed lineup. They also recorded a .798 OPS against lefty pitchers this season, which ranked first in the National League. Paul Goldschmidt, Tyler O'Neill, Nolan Arenado, and switch-hitter Dylan Carlson all dominated southpaws, with each posting an OPS above .900 vs. left-handers.
The five-time All-Star will be eligible to rejoin the roster should the Dodgers defeat the Cardinals and advance to face the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS.
Price was acquired alongside outfielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster trade prior to the 2020 season, though Price opted to sit out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2012 AL Cy Young winner has one year and $32 million (with $16 million covered by Boston) remaining on his contract.