The Los Angeles Dodgers have been stuck in a seemingly never-ending bullpen dilemma this season—whether due to injuries or underperformance, the relief corps simply hasn't met expectations. At one point, the situation looked so bleak, it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
“What happened was the Dodgers’ belief in the recovering health of their bullpen. And, um, yeah, unless you want to bring Bobby Miller up from Oklahoma City to close games (not a bad idea, eh?), it’s not getting fixed anytime soon,” Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke wrote.
As the postseason approaches, the Dodgers have even discussed the unconventional idea of moving Shohei Ohtani into a bullpen role. However, that option comes with a significant caveat.
“The Dodgers are toying with the idea of using Shohei Ohtani in relief during the postseason, but if they do, he would vacate his spot in the lineup when his turn came up to hit. If he’s a starter, he’s permitted to stay in the game as a DH after he’s done pitching,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.
Adding to the bullpen woes, a key piece—Alex Vesia—was recently placed on the injured list with an oblique injury. Manager Dave Roberts offered a somewhat optimistic update.
“I don't think it should be too long," Roberts said. "He's been obviously a leverage guy for us the last few years, so we got to make sure we get him right for the stretch run.”
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Still, there’s growing skepticism about how accurately Roberts assesses injuries, given past inconsistencies.
“Still, Roberts really isn't to be trusted when it comes to assessing the conditions of his players, seeing how wrong he's been on that front so many times this season,” Dodgers Way’s Katrina Stebbins wrote. “Hopefully, Vesia and Roberts are right about the level of severity and he'll be back as soon as he can be, but Dodgers fans are getting used to having to expect the worst.”
Vesia will be a critical part of the Dodgers’ postseason push as they aim for back-to-back World Series titles. With the bullpen already a major concern—and the NL West race heating up—losing their top left-handed arm is a significant blow. While the hope is for Vesia to return on schedule, if the team’s trend of injury mismanagement continues, a delayed return wouldn’t be a surprise.