Left-hander Danny Duffy hasn't appeared in a game since being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline. It doesn't appear that fact will change between now and the end of the season, either.
Duffy, who has been sidelined by a strained flexor in his throwing arm, suffered a setback during his latest bullpen session on Friday, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. In response, the Dodgers have shut down Duffy from throwing, all but eliminating his chances of factoring into the stretch run.
"Outside of any type of miracle, for him to impact us this year, it's going to be tough," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told DiGiovanna, among other reporters.
Duffy, 32 years old, will qualify for free agency once the season concludes. As such, he seems likely to finish his Dodgers career without making an official appearance. The Dodgers originally acquired Duffy from the Kansas City Royals on July 29 in exchange for a player to be named later. The quality of said player was reported to be contingent on Duffy's recovery, suggesting the Royals are now likely to receive a lesser prospect.
"Danny is a guy that was very high up on our list coming into July, but obviously he had the injury setback," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters at the time. "Right now we're just excited to get him over here and evaluate where he's at and figure out his progression. We're not sure, but we really like the arm talent and feel like he can slot in in October and really help us in our pursuit to win a championship."
Duffy had made 13 appearances (12 of them starts) with the Royals prior to the trade, in which he accumulated a 2.51 ERA (182 ERA+) and a 2.95 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
If Duffy is indeed done for the year (and for his Dodgers career), then it won't mark the first time Friedman has acquired an injured pitcher only to see them never suit up for his club. Back in 2013, Friedman added all-star reliever Jesse Crain to his Tampa Bay Rays roster. Crain, who was dealing with a strained shoulder at the time of the trade, never threw another pitch at the big-league level.
