The Los Angeles Dodgers just wrapped up their third brutal 13-day stretch playing baseball every single day this season, and while they went 8-5, that record absolutely does not tell the full story. Their pitching staff, which has been in flux all season, got absolutely hammered.
The Snell Factor and Bullpen Crunch
Getting Blake Snell back on the mound? Huge. Massive. He looked like the ace they need, tossing six innings and giving up only one run in each of his first two starts. Oh, and he punched out 15 hitters! That gave them a true six-man rotation again, even if it only lasted five days before Justin Wrobleski hit the injured list with left forearm inflammation. For those five days, the Dodgers ran with only *seven* relievers on the active roster. Seven! Talk about running on fumes. Landon Knack got called up for a day to eat some innings, snagging the final eight outs against the Kansas City Royals last Wednesday for a save. Jonathan Hernández, designated for assignment, signed a new deal and then immediately threw three innings in a loss to the Brewers on Saturday. Dude provided his own gift to the bullpen, stepping up when everyone else was gassed.
Redlining the Relievers
These guys were running on fumes, but it was worse than that. We’re talking about serious workload issues. Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, and Evan Phillips each pitched five times in just an eight-day span. Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer? Four times in six days. All five of those guys,Díaz, Scott, Phillips, Vesia, Dreyer,pitched three times in four days during that 13-day grind. Vesia did it twice, Dreyer three times if you count overlapping stretches! Scott even threw a season-high 27 pitches for a four-out save in Colorado on a Tuesday, then came back the next day for another save with a perfect 10th inning. Manager Dave Roberts knew exactly what was up, saying last Friday, “That’s the hard part, that a lot of people don’t have the information on availability and workload, and redlining guys, trying to keep guys healthy. I don’t have everyone available every single night, and what’s the cost of that night versus the next two or three games and looking also at the rest of the season. Those things I gotta think through, and when you peel that layer back, then your options get a little bit smaller. Then you’re talking about lanes and what’s the best for a particular pitcher. All those things matter.” They used 17 different pitchers over these 13 days! Vesia and Dreyer both pitched seven times in that span, with three of those in the last four days. Seth Halvorsen even got called up for two days and threw a scoreless 10th, making an impression.
The Dodgers might have pulled out more wins than losses, but at what cost? With Snell looking sharp and the bullpen literally on empty, Dave Roberts and his crew have a serious balancing act ahead. Can they keep these arms fresh enough to not burn out before October? Every single outing from here on out is gonna be about managing that bullpen and making sure they don’t hit the wall.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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