The Dodgers sent outfielder Alek Thomas outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, relays OKC broadcaster Alex Freedman. Thomas and catcher Ben Rortvedt, who cleared waivers last week, each opted to accept the minor league assignment.

Thomas was acquired from Arizona in a DFA trade back in May. He’s spent most of his Dodger tenure on optional assignment. Thomas was briefly called up for his club debut in late August, stepping in as the center fielder against right-handed pitching after L.A. lost Andy Pages to a broken hand. Thomas only appeared in seven games, going 4-19 before being optioned back down.

A former second-round pick and top prospect, Thomas hasn’t found much success against major league pitching. He’s a career .230/.273/.360 hitter in more than 1500 trips to the plate. Thomas plays a good center field but has been too prone to expanding the strike zone to find consistent offensive success.

Thomas has over three years of service time but hasn’t reached the five-year threshold. That means he’d have forfeited the remaining few weeks of his $1.9625MM arbitration salary to test free agency. It’s sensible both he and Rortvedt opted to remain in the L.A. system as non-roster depth, at least giving them an outside chance to be considered for the playoff roster in the event of any injuries. Both players will be minor league free agents at the beginning of the offseason if not added back to the big league roster.