The ‘injury ward’ Los Angeles Dodgers used bullpen day, but it didn’t work.
The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to 3-7 on bullpen day against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. The bullpen went 스포츠토토 all out on the day, but struggled, giving up 13 hits and four walks to the Phillies.
Eight different pitchers took the mound for the Dodgers. Caleb Ferguson got the start, followed by Victor Gonzalez, Tyler Scott, Adam Kolek, Yancy Almonte, Alex Vecchia, Nick Robertson, and Bruce DeGraterol.
The bullpen was mobilized for a reason. Several players in the starting rotation were sidelined with injuries. Julio Urias had a sore left hamstring, and Noah Syndergaard had a blister on his right index finger. Dustin May had right forearm soreness and Walker Buehler had Tommy John surgery. Only four starters are healthy: Tony Gonsoli, Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, and Michael Brob.
In fact, if Urias was healthy, he wouldn’t have to pitch on bullpen day. However, Urias re-injured his hamstring while throwing out of the bullpen. With the timetable for Urias’ return unclear, the Dodgers are trying to avoid any additional injuries. Gonsolin was available to start today’s game, but due to his injury history, the team decided to give him an extra day of rest.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, also highlighted the Dodgers’ situation. “Given Urias’ injury and the internal situation, it’s realistic to expect the Dodgers to use a bullpen day every five games,” the site said. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “We’re trying to take care of Gonsolin’s health. We thought a bullpen day would be best,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers have had similar experiences in the past. In the second half of 2021, the Dodgers lost four of their top five starters – Kershaw, Urias, Gonsolos, and May – to injury. “The Dodgers used bullpen arms like Andre Jackson, Mitch White, and David Price as openers or on bullpen days,” the outlet said.
This year, however, the report card is different than it was in 2021. This year, the Dodgers pitching staff has a 4.49 ERA, which ranks 22nd out of 30 major league clubs. Their starting pitching ranks 16th with a 4.29 ERA and their bullpen ranks 27th with a 4.76 ERA. In 2021, they posted a 3.01 ERA. That’s in contrast to the No. 1 ranking.
“The most important thing is that we’re expecting the guys who have been struggling to do better in the future,” Roberts said. It’s my job to put them in the right situations, from the starters to the bullpen. The players have to do their part. All 13 players on the roster are very talented,” he said, adding that he hopes things will get better.
“The Dodgers could improve their pitching staff internally, with players getting healthy or returning to their previous form,” the outlet said. Of course, external options are also worth considering as the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaches.