Major League Baseball

Dodgers put Beckett and Kemp on DL before opener

Published Mar. 21, 2014 11:23 p.m. ET

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The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Matt Kemp on the 15-day disabled list Friday in paring their active roster to 25 players for the season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia.

Chad Billingsley, still recovering from right elbow surgery, also was put on the DL. Beckett has a bruised thumb and Kemp is rehabbing from ankle surgery.

The moves are retroactive to March 19, so all three players are ineligible to return until April 3. That means they'll miss at least a three-game series in San Diego from March 30 to April 2.

Left fielder Carl Crawford also was inactive. He is on paternity leave.

Arizona optioned pitchers Charles Brewer and Zeke Spruill to the minors.

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks open the Major League Baseball season Saturday (4 a.m. EDT) at Sydney Cricket Ground.

In addition, the Dodgers optioned backup catcher Tim Federowicz and reassigned outfielder Joc Pederson, pitcher Zach Lee and infielder Miguel Rojas to the minors.

The moves left the Dodgers' payroll - including cash transactions in trades - at a record $239.8 million for 34 players. But that probably won't be their opening day payroll, which will be calculated as of the March 30 game against San Diego, when all teams have to be down to 25 active players.

The Diamondbacks were at $112.7 million for 30 players.

Both teams came to Australia with 30 players for the two-game series, which ends Sunday. Beckett, Kemp and Billingsley did not make the trip.

Los Angeles first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who appears to have overcome a stiff back, was included on the 25-man roster for the weekend series.

Gonzalez came out of a 4-2 exhibition win against Team Australia in the fourth inning Thursday, and his status was in doubt.

For the Diamondbacks, top prospect Archie Bradley, the losing pitcher in Arizona's 5-0 defeat against Team Australia on Friday, was among five players in the 30-man traveling party declared ineligible for the weekend. Bradley is among several pitchers trying to win a spot in the rotation following an elbow injury to left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Sydney-born Ryan Rowland-Smith, trying to secure a spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen, was also listed as a non-roster player and won't play before his hometown fans this weekend.

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