Andrew Heaney's return to Dodgers organization matched Pirates fans' worst fears

The Pittsburgh Pirates cut ties with veteran pitcher Andrew Heaney last month in a strategic move that allowed them to make room for young, up-and-coming arms like Bubba Chandler while also giving Heaney the opportunity to land with another team before the postseason eligibility deadline.

After being designated for assignment and ultimately release by the Pirates, Heaney did just that. The 34-year-old left-hander took his services to Oklahoma City – conveniently, where he resides with his family – and joined the Triple-A affiliate of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

It's a homecoming of sorts for Heaney, who previously pitched for the Dodgers during the 2022 season. In 16 appearances (14 starts), he posted a 4-4 record and a 3.10 ERA over 72 2/3 innings pitched. He also pitched in relief during Game 3 of the National League Divisional Series against the San Diego Padres that year, giving up one run in three innings in the Dodgers' 2-1 loss.

In his first start for Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Heaney looked... well, not at all how he looked during his final days with the Pirates. The southpaw tossed three scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A affiliate, retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced and striking out eight. He threw 46 pitches, including 33 for strikes, and he generated 10 whiffs.

Considering his last outing with the Pirates saw him give up five runs on five hits to blow a 4-1 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, maybe all Heaney needed to start pitching well was to get out of Pittsburgh.

Former Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney can get a shot at postseason glory with Dodgers

Heaney signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers, but since he signed it right before the postseason eligibility deadline, the Dodgers now have the option of adding him to their 40-man and active rosters so he can pitch for them in October. But Pirates fans may be asking why Los Angeles would even bother.

The Pirates got a wildly inconsistent version of Heaney, whom they signed to a one-year free agent deal during the offseason. He got off to a solid start, posting a 3.33 ERA over 78 1/3 innings in his first 14 starts, but things took a turn in June when he allowed 43 earned runs over 42 innings pitched – including 13 home runs – for a 9.21 ERA over his last 12 starts.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, got arguably the best version of Heaney three years ago. In addition to posting an ERA of 3.10 in 2022, he also struck out more than 35% of the hitters he faced that season. Clearly, the Dodgers think they can unlock that version of him once more.

Wednesday's start was certainly a step in the right direction. If Heaney continues to be lights-out with Oklahoma City, it's only a matter of time before the Dodgers give him an opportunity to be a postseason game-changer in their Major League bullpen.