The Dodgers were dealt a minor hit to their bullpen this evening, as they placed Ryan Brasier on the 15-day injured list with a right calf strain. Gus Varland is back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take the open roster spot.
Brasier has gotten out to a bit of a slow start. He has allowed six runs over 11 2/3 innings, largely thanks to a trio of home runs. Brasier’s 12:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio remains solid, although his whiff rate and velocity are down from last season. It’s early enough in the year that the Dodgers presumably aren’t too concerned.
The veteran went from unheralded pickup to high-leverage arm late in 2023 thanks to a brilliant finish. After carrying a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings with the Red Sox, he posted a 0.70 mark over 38 2/3 frames in L.A. The Dodgers re-signed Brasier to a two-year, $9MM pact over the winter.
Manager Dave Roberts provided a couple additional updates before tonight’s game in Arizona. Jason Heyward has still yet to ramp up his activity nearly a month after landing on the injured list (X link via Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Roberts indicated Heyward’s recovery from lower back soreness has taken longer than the organization initially expected.
As with Brasier, Heyward went from buy-low free agent pickup to ket contributor. The veteran outfielder hit 15 homers with a .269/.340/.473 slash in 377 plate appearances as a platoon bat last season. Los Angeles brought him back early in the offseason via a one-year, $9MM deal. Heyward hasn’t had much of a chance to make an impact this year, as the back injury sent him to the IL after four games. The bottom of the order was initially a problem, but the immediate success of top prospect Andy Pages has stabilized right field over the last two weeks.
Dodger fans will also need to wait a little longer for Walker Buehler’s 2024 debut. The right-hander is going to make another start for Oklahoma City tomorrow, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. It’ll be his sixth rehab appearance. Buehler continues to build back after missing all of last season rehabbing his second career Tommy John procedure. He has shown some understandable rust, allowing 12 runs with nine walks in 16 2/3 innings.
Hitters against Buehler this month – .296/.371/.482/.853
I don’t think he’s anywhere close to ready. He was sitting 93-94 in his last start in Albuquerque. Dodgers brass have got to be more than a little concerned.
So concerned that Buehler will likely be back on the roster next week.
If they were not concerned he would already be on the roster today.
Most dudes say the last thing to return after TJ is the command. Will probably take him most of the season to get right.
Yeah, command is pretty much Buehler’s issue at this point.
Didn’t follow his every start before the TJ, but the AAA announcers on that last start were commenting about his drop in velocity. Dodger fans will have to tell me how much less the 93-94 he was throwing in that game in Albuquerque was than what his normal was before.
@Dodger Dog: If command returns at all. It’s not guaranteed.
Buehler ain’t gettin jack in free agency if he doesn’t show out in the next few months….
@BaseballisLife
Why “more than a little concerned”…? He’s coming off his second TJ, and the team made it very clear that he would be held back until all involved felt like he could legitimately contribute, even if that meant he didn’t get back until June.
If he’s back in a week or two, that’s still far quicker than anyone thought would be the case, even at season’s beginning.
And frankly, no LAD fan I know is expecting anything from him, at this point. Buehler will be found money for this rotation/staff, if he manages to get all the way back….
Not really quicker than anyone thought. When he was on his rehab assignment last year, the player said he thought he might be back before by the end of the season. Management downplayed that possibility, but it’s still a little surprising that he wasn’t able to work out the kinks with another nine months of rehab. Second TJ or no, he’s now almost two years down that road without a lot to show for it. Just hoping his career isn’t over.
Its been 22 months since his surgery. They are concerned at this point. If you aren’t, its a clear sign that you don’t understand the situation. All you Dodger fans were trying to say he would be back to start the season and as good as ever. Obviously he is not back and not as good as ever or he would be pitching in Los Angeles instead of Oklahoma City.
Latest word is his most recent rehab start went well and will be the last before he returns. So we’re going to see how concerned.
“went well” still means he didn’t have a health issue, but his velocity was still down. It is possible that he might not be any better than Noah Syndergaard or Matt Harvey were post injury.
Time will tell, naturally. No basis to guess one way or another.
Brasier stinks up the league, goes to Dodgers, unhittable.
Heyward, who nobody wanted to touch has a renaissance in LA.
Pages looks like the real deal.
I hate the Dodgers.
Likewise! At least you have Blake Snell!
braiser overall sucks, but he puts in bursts of stretches to stay in the bigs. Did it with the sox and parlayed that into a 2 year deal with the dodgers. Good for him, I mean that. but the bottom line is he sucks overall, just look at the overall numbers and forget a small sample size or his burst of greatness
drty – Isn’t that pretty much every reliever though?
Staying on the Dodgers, look at Chris Martin …
2019 Atlanta 4.08 ERA
2020 Atlanta 1.00 ERA
2022 Cubs 4.31 ERA
2022 Dodgers 1.46 ERA
2023 Sox 1.05 ERA
2024 Sox 5.56 ERA
Most relievers put up very volatile numbers. The fact they typically don’t exceed 60 IP a season makes the volatility even worse.
I’ve never been a real Brasier Believer. When someone has been playing as long as he has, the performance he’s put up over those years is the performance you should expect going forward. Basically he’s a journeyman reliever. Not terrible, but not great either. He wasn’t my favorite offseason signing, that’s for sure.
Funny, but I took a lot of heat around here a few weeks ago when I argued that the Dodgers should have promoted Andy Pages instead of claiming the useless Taylor Trammell. Looks like I was totally wrong again!
Giants don’t matter enough to hate them.
That must be why you consistently go out of your way to bag them. Hilarious.
I believe in comedy.
Or you are not real smart. One of the two.
You are too kind.
Or both.
That’s Buehlers 2nd TJS, I’d be patient w/em, why rush em back ? Let em build up n get better velo. Need him for second half of season.
Doubt they will push Walker very hard to begin with. Agreed the end game is all important.
Maybe start Buehler in the pen as a right-handed long man a la Yarborough (sp?).
dave will sit Pages the minute Heyward returns
If I was a betting man I wouldn’t take your wagering advice.
Pages isn’t getting paid $9mil to play
Quick recovery my man Brais!!! Checking Dodgers box score to see if you pitched was a nice change of pace in this weary world!!!!
Olm – Did you email Tony yet about his referring to this injury as a “minor” hit to the bullpen? ;O)
the Dodgers need some bullpen pitchers with threatening mound presence, they have Joe Kelly and that’s about it….do better Dodgers.
Better yet, ones who can pitch instead of just threaten to pitch.