The Los Angeles Dodgers attempted to shore up their only real roster weakness from last season by acquiring All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.
Shortly into his tenure with the team, though, Diaz was sidelined with a significant injury. Initially, it seemed like the other relief options were going to fill in for him without much of a problem, but that effectiveness has suddenly been called into question.
Los Angeles Dodgers Relievers Endure Brutal Stretch After Key Injury
“The bullpen entered Sunday with a 6.71 ERA since ending that scoreless streak on May 25,” the Los Angeles Times’ Maddie Lee noted earlier this week. “Only the (San Francisco) Giants and (Colorado) Rockies produced a worse mark over that stretch. None of the Dodgers’ relievers have been dominant in recent games.”
Though the Dodgers should have several high-leverage arms to fill in for Diaz, virtually all of their relief options have struggled lately.
“Tanner Scott has been credited with three saves but also two losses,” Lee added. “Kyle Hurt’s ERA has risen from 0.60 to 4.22. (Jack) Dreyer, who went 10 straight games without giving up a run before landing on the injured list with left shoulder discomfort, has surrendered five home runs in seven appearances since returning on May 31.”
For a club with championship aspirations, every stumble draws scrutiny. And few areas have drawn more criticism than a relief corps that went from one of baseball’s hottest units to one struggling to protect leads and close out games.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Alex Vesia Offers ‘DFA’ Response Amid Struggles
As the Dodgers bullpen sees its fortunes turn, one key piece has now responded to fans’ growing anxiety.
Calls for the team to take some drastic action with its underperforming pitchers evidently irked veteran reliever Alex Vesia, who decided to send a response through the media.
“We clicked off 40-something (scoreless innings) then we had a couple tough ones and online everybody is supposed to get DFAed,” Vesia said on Wednesday, according to The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. “We believe in our guys in here. I certainly do. We’re going to have ups and downs but I think it helps us grow so at the end of the day that adversity right now will help us in the postseason.”
Though Vesia made a rational point about ignoring the more drastic solutions proposed by some fans during the stretch, it isn’t too hard to imagine the Dodgers’ three-peat championship aspirations being derailed by a struggling bullpen.
Even with a stellar starting rotation and a lineup of superstar hitters, a World Series can be lost if the Dodgers remain liable to cough up leads in the final innings. And if the team can’t fix its bullpen woes sooner or later, some members might be designated for assignment.