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Dodgers Select Elieser Hernandez

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The Dodgers announced they’ve selected right-hander Elieser Hernández onto the MLB roster. Los Angeles also recalled righty Eduardo Salazar from Triple-A Oklahoma City. In corresponding moves, the Dodgers optioned Gus Varland and designated reliever Nabil Crismatt for assignment.

L.A. adds a pair of fresh arms for what’ll be a bullpen game this evening in San Francisco. Neither Hernández nor Salazar has pitched for OKC in at least four days. They’ve each been working from the rotation in Triple-A and should be available for multiple innings. Hernández will take the ball first tonight.

In doing so, he will pitch in a major league game for the first time since 2022. It’ll also be his first appearance for a team other than the Marlins. Hernández spent parts of five seasons with Miami, where he generally worked in a swing role. He typically posted strong strikeout and walk rates and found some success between 2020-21. Hernández always struggled with the home run ball, though, and he was tagged for a 6.35 ERA while allowing nearly three homers per nine over 20 appearances in 2022.

Miami traded Hernández to the Mets over the 2022-23 offseason. He never pitched at the MLB level for New York. A shoulder strain essentially wiped out his ’23 campaign, leading the Mets to waive him at the end of last year. He joined L.A. on an offseason minor league contract and has gotten out to a strong start with Oklahoma City.

Over six appearances in the Pacific Coast League, the Venezuelan-born hurler carries a 2.83 ERA. He has fanned nearly 30% of batters faced against a 7% walk rate. Hernández has only surrendered a pair of homers in 28 2/3 innings this season, although he remains an extreme fly-ball pitcher.

Hernández has more than five years of major league service time. The Dodgers can’t option him back to Triple-A without his consent. It’s not out of the question that he’ll be taken off the 40-man roster again in fairly short order, but his strong work in OKC at least makes it a possibility they’ll keep him in the majors as a long reliever.

Crismatt also can’t be optioned, so the Dodgers had to designate him for assignment to remove him from the MLB roster. The 29-year-old righty has pitched well in limited action for Los Angeles. Crismatt has tossed seven innings of three-run ball, striking out six against one walk. He has pitched in two of the past three days, though, so he may not have been an option for much work tonight.

The Dodgers will have a week to trade or waive Crismatt. He has cleared waivers a few times in his career, once as recently as last month. He’d have the right to decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency if he again goes unclaimed, although he accepted the minor league assignment in April.

Dodgers Notes: Ohtani, Heyward, Miller

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Dodgers fans were dealt a scare last night when superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani was pulled in the ninth inning of yesterday’s game against San Diego. Fortunately, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the L.A. Times) that while Ohtani departed the game due to a bout of back tightness, the club’s concern over the issue is “minimal” at the moment. Roberts said that he’d see how the 29-year-old phenom is feeling today but was tentatively planning on giving him the day off in order to rest the issue.

All eyes around the baseball world were on Ohtani this past winter as he signed a record-shattering ten-year deal with the Dodgers that guarantees him $700MM, though heavy deferrals limit the net-present value of the pact to “just” $460MM. While Ohtani won’t flash his two-way talents this season after undergoing elbow surgery last year, the early returns on that deal could hardly be better as he’s slashed a staggering .352/.423/.667 in his first 40 games as a Dodger. To this point in the season, Ohtani leads the majors in hits, doubles, slugging percentage, and OPS while also leading the National League in batting average and having clubbed 11 home runs in just 183 trips to the plate.

Given Ohtani’s otherworldly performance with the bat this season, even a brief absence would constitute a major blow to the Dodgers’ lineup. Miguel Rojas or Enrique Hernandez appear to be the most likely options to join the club’s starting lineup should Ohtani require a day or two of rest, and a longer absence could open the door for youngster Miguel Vargas to get a crack at big league action. (UPDATE: Roberts told reporters that Ohtani is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com)

More from the Dodgers…

  • Roberts also told reporters yesterday that outfielder Jason Heyward is making great progress while rehabbing from a bout of lower back tightness. Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that Heyward was slated to continue facing live pitchers today before starting a rehab assignment at Triple-A on Tuesday. MLB.com’s Injury Tracker adds that Heyward is currently feeling healthy and that, according to Roberts, the length of his rehab assignment will be determined by how long it takes for him to feel comfortable with his swing. According to Plunkett, Roberts suggested that the veteran may only need two rehab games before returning to the majors. Heyward enjoyed a breakout season with the Dodgers last year, slashing a solid .269/.340/.473 in 124 games after struggling badly the prior seven seasons, all of which came as a member of the Cubs. Andy Pages has been filling in for Heyward in right field and has impressed across his first 22 games in the majors.
  • Right-hander Bobby Miller is set to throw a bullpen session today, as noted by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Miller has been on the injured list for the past month due to shoulder inflammation but is now ramping up baseball activity, with Ardaya added that he’s expected to face live hitters for the first time in San Francisco on Wednesday. Miller impressed in his rookie season with the Dodgers last year, becoming their most reliably starting pitcher over the course of the season with a 3.76 ERA and 3.51 FIP in 124 1/3 innings of work. Miller began the season in the club’s rotation but ultimately made just three starts before going on the shelf, posting a 5.40 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work in those appearances. The Dodgers rotation has handled Miller’s absence rather well, with righty Gavin Stone currently holding down the fifth starter spot behind Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, James Paxton, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Pleading Guilty To Multiple Charges

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Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, is pleading guilty multiple charges relating to the allegations he stole money from Ohtani to fund his gambling habit. Meghann Cuniff of The Washington Post relays on X (link one and link two) that Mizuhara is pleading guilty to bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return. Further details are also provided by the Associated Press and Paula Lavigne of ESPN while Cuniff links to the full 33-page plea agreement.

The AP relays that the bank fraud charge carries a maximum of 30 years in federal prison and the false tax return charge carries a sentence of up to three years in federal prison. Cuniff reports that Mizuhara will likely be facing 87 to 108 months in federal prison as part of the plea, though “acceptance of responsibility“could drop that to the range of 78 to 97 months. She adds the prosecutors could “recommend a departure from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines that puts Mizuhara’s prison time below the 87-108 month range,” with the sentence ultimately to be determined by the judge. Mizuhara will be arraigned on May 14, per the AP. The plea agreement states that Mizuhara will almost certainly be deported to Japan, per Fabian Ardaya and Sam Blum of The Athletic.

“The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement, per the AP. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.”

Last month, Mizuhara was charged with bank fraud relating to allegations that he transferred more than $16MM from Ohtani’s bank account to an illegal sports book. Cuniff also relayed the full 37-page complaint against Mizuhara at that time.

That document laid out a series of events wherein Mizuhara helped Ohtani set up a bank account when the player first came over from Japan in 2018, to deposit his pay from the Angels. Mizuhara began betting on sports with an illegal bookmaker in 2021, as betting on sports is not legal in California. Over the next few years, Mizuhara wired more than $16MM from Ohtani’s bank account to pay his debts.

Per the allegations of those charges, Mizuhara called Ohtani’s bank and pretended to be the player in order to gain access. As relayed by Lavigne, today’s plea agreement says Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani during phone calls to the bank “at least 24 times.” Ohtani’s agent repeatedly tried to view the account but Mizuhara told him it was “private” and that Ohtani didn’t want them to access it. Ohtani, meanwhile, believed that his accountants and financial advisors were monitoring the accounts. Since Mizuhara handled all translation between Ohtani and his team, each side remained unaware of what was going on.

The complaint against Mizuhara also contained various text messages between him and the bookmakers, as well as between him and Ohtani. The investigators found no evidence that Ohtani knew about Mizuhara’s gambling habits and Ohtani is considered to be a victim in the case. Nor did they find any evidence that Mizuhara bet on baseball. When the story of Mizuhara’s gambling broke in March, he told reporters that the debts were his but that Ohtani agreed to wire the money as his friend. He later retracted that story and said Ohtani knew nothing about either the gambling or the transfers. Ohtani later addressed the media and accused Mizuhara of stealing from him and lying about, saying he knew nothing of what was going on until after the accusations surfaced in the media. Ohtani has been cooperating with the investigation. The complaint against Mizuhara contains a text message where he admits to one of the bookmakers that he stole from Ohtani. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers last month with Will Ireton taking over as Ohtani’s interpreter since then.

MLB’s Department of Investigations had opened an investigation into the matter in March but released the following statement when Mizuhara was charged in April: “We are aware of the charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office against Mr. Mizuhara for bank fraud after a thorough federal investigation. According to that investigation, Shohei Ohtani is considered a victim of fraud and there is no evidence that he authorized betting with an illegal bookmaker. Further, the investigation did not find any betting on baseball by Mr. Mizuhara. Given the information disclosed today, and other information we have already collected, we will wait until resolution of the criminal proceeding to determine whether further investigation is warranted.”

Dodgers Reinstate Walker Buehler, Place Joe Kelly On IL

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May 6: Los Angeles officially activated Buehler, as expected. To clear space on the roster, the Dodgers placed Joe Kelly on the 15-day injured list. The veteran reliever is dealing with a posterior shoulder strain.

Kelly is the fifth Dodger reliever on the shelf, joining Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Ryan Brasier and Connor Brogdon. Kelly has pitched to a 4.73 ERA through 13 1/3 innings on the season. His strikeout rate has dropped from an excellent 35.7% clip to a solid but not elite 24.1% mark in the early going, though he continues to throw exceptionally hard and is still inducing plenty of grounders.

May 2: The Dodgers will activate Walker Buehler from the 15-day injured list on Monday, manager Dave Roberts told the L.A. beat after last night’s win over the Diamondbacks (link via Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). He’ll take the ball to kick off a series against the Marlins.

It’ll be Buehler’s first major league appearance since June 10, 2022. The two-time All-Star went on the injured list 12 starts into the ’22 season with a flexor strain. After an unsuccessful attempt to rehab, he underwent a Tommy John procedure in August. That was the second such surgery of his career. Buehler also underwent Tommy John shortly after the Dodgers selected him out of Vanderbilt back in 2015.

While there was initially some thought that the right-hander could make a return late in 2023, he and the team decided it was better to play things safe and look ahead to ’24. The Dodgers started Buehler on the IL this season to afford him ample time to build back to peak form. He’d very likely have been on some kind of innings limit anyhow, so it’s understandable the Dodgers didn’t want to push him back onto the MLB roster too quickly.

Buehler began a rehab stint right around Opening Day. That stay in the minors probably lasted a little longer than the organization intended. Buehler was knocked out of his third appearance early when a comeback liner hit him in the throwing hand. That didn’t lead to any kind of serious injury but slightly delayed his pitch count build-up. Buehler walked four hitters in 2 2/3 innings in his fourth outing, so the Dodgers gave him two more Triple-A appearances to continue shaking off the rust.

While his cumulative results on the rehab stint — a 4.15 ERA with 21 strikeouts and nine walks in 21 2/3 frames — were middling, Buehler is coming off his cleanest outing. He tossed five innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Buehler punched out five and didn’t issue a walk. He pushed his pitch count to 75, so he should be able to handle something approaching a standard starter’s workload immediately.

Buehler will get a soft landing in his season debut, as he’ll take on a Miami club that ranks 28th in on-base percentage and 29th in slugging. If he’s able to recapture his pre-surgery form, he shouldn’t have any issue taking on more challenging offenses as the season progresses. Buehler was one of the sport’s best pitchers between 2018-21, combining for a 2.82 ERA over 95 outings. He was off to a more pedestrian start to 2022, pitching to a 4.02 ERA through 65 frames with a diminished 21.2% strikeout rate. Buehler’s velocity and swinging strike percentage were in line with their previous levels, though, so he’d likely have turned in his typical top-of-the-rotation results down the stretch if not for the injury.

The Dodgers have gotten solid production out of their rotation thus far. They rank eighth in the majors with a 3.48 earned run average and sit sixth with a 24.1% strikeout rate. It has been a top-heavy group, though. Tyler Glasnow has been excellent. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has rebounded from a nightmare MLB debut to rattle off a 1.64 ERA in the subsequent six starts. The back half of the rotation has been shakier.

James Paxton’s solid 3.51 ERA belies an untenable 22:15 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Gavin Stone has struggled. Bobby Miller landed on the injured list after three starts with shoulder inflammation. Emmet Sheehan, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May have been on the shelf all year. Landon Knack turned in decent results over three starts since Miller’s injury. The Dodgers optioned him back to OKC yesterday.

The 2024 campaign is a crucial one for Buehler personally. He’ll be a first-time free agent next winter. His health history will likely worry some teams regardless of how he performs over the next five months, but he’s one of the higher-ceiling pitchers in the upcoming class. If he stays healthy from here forward, he could position himself well for a long-term deal heading into his age-30 season.

Dodgers Place Evan Phillips On 15-Day Injured List

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The Dodgers announced this afternoon that right-hander Evan Phillips has been place on the 15-day injured list, with veteran righty Blake Treinen being activated off the IL in the corresponding move. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) this afternoon that Phillips suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain when his spike caught in the outfield grass while playing catch yesterday. Roberts added that the club is hoping that Phillips will only require a minimum stint on the shelf due to the issue.

Even if Phillips only requires the 15 day minimum, the news is still a major blow to the Dodgers. The 29-year-old has been among the most dominant relievers in baseball this year with a microscopic 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work to go with eight saves, a 1.32 FIP, and a 30.9% strikeout rate. The righty has been an anchor for the club’s bullpen, which has struggled somewhat despite a decent 3.47 ERA overall.

The group’s collective 4.19 FIP is bottom-ten in the majors and its xFIP, fWAR, and groundball rate are all well below league average. Perhaps most concerning of all is that the club’s relief corps isn’t striking many batters out; only the Giants’, Diamondbacks’, and Rockies’ relievers have struck out batters at a lower clip. Those lackluster metrics are further compounded by the club’s overuse of the bullpen to this point in the season; Dodgers relief arms have thrown a whopping 142 2/3 innings this season, second to only the Marlins in the majors.

Given the state of the club’s bullpen, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Roberts told reporters he wasn’t sure who would close games while Phillips is on the shelf. Daniel Hudson appears to be the most obvious choice, as he’s acted as the club’s primary set-up man this season and sports a solid 3.60 ERA in 15 appearances, but he’s blown back-to-back save opportunities and has already allowed four home runs this year. Joe Kelly has been Hudson’s partner in setting up for Phillips, but the veteran righty has struggled to a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings of work this season.

It’s possible then, that Treinen could find himself thrust into the closer’s role now that he’s back in the big leagues. The right-hander has always been nothing short of excellent for the club when healthy: in 103 innings of work in a Dodgers uniform, Treinen boasts a 2.45 ERA and 3.00 FIP with a 27.6% strikeout rate and a 56.2% groundball rate. He’s certainly found success in the closer’s role before as well, including the 2018 campaign when he posted a 0.78 ERA in 80 1/3 innings of work for the A’s while picking up 38 saves and finish sixth in AL Cy Young award voting.

Despite his excellent resume, however, closing games would be a tall ask for a pitcher who last appeared on a big league mound in 2022 and has just five innings of work to his name since the end of the 2021 season. It’s possible, then, that the club could simply opt for a closer-by-committee situation while Phillips is on the shelf, particularly if the injury ends up being as minor as currently believed. In that case, Treinen could get occasional save opportunities alongside the likes of Hudson, Alex Vesia, and perhaps even Michael Grove.

Dodgers Notes: Treinen, Heyward, Kershaw

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) this evening that veteran right-hander Blake Treinen is “likely” to be activated off the 15-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game against the Braves. A corresponding move will be necessary to add him to the club’s active roster.

Treinen, 36 in June, last pitched in the majors back in 2022 and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2021 due to a number of injuries, including shoulder surgery. That said, the veteran enjoyed four scoreless appearances in Spring Training and appeared set to rejoin the club’s roster before he was struck by the injury bug once again. This time, Treinen was hit in the chest by a comebacker and suffered fractured ribs and a bruised lung, though he’s steadily progressed since then and appears to now be poised to return to a major league mound for the first time in nearly two years.

When healthy enough to take the mound, Treinen has been among the most dominant relievers in the league since a breakout 2019 season with the A’s that saw him finish sixth in AL Cy Young award voting after posting a 0.78 ERA with a 1.82 FIP in 80 1/3 innings of work while striking out 31.7% of batters faced. His work with the Dodgers since joining the club prior to the 2020 season hasn’t been on quite that otherworldly level, but he’s nonetheless been a dominant force at the back of the club’s bullpen when healthy with a 2.45 ERA and 3.00 FIP with a 27.6% strikeout rate and a 56.2% groundball rate in 103 innings of work as a Dodger.

Given those excellent numbers, it’s perhaps not a surprise that DiGiovanna relays that Roberts “won’t hesitate” to use the veteran in high-leverage situations upon his return. While Evan Phillips has locked down the closer’s role in L.A. with a 0.66 ERA and eight saves in 14 appearances this year, the rest of the club’s bullpen has struggled somewhat as the relief corps sports a collective FIP of 4.12, better than only the Rockies and Reds among NL clubs. With veteran set-up men Daniel Hudson and Joe Kelly looking somewhat shaky so far this season, it would hardly be a surprise to see the club turn to Treinen to help strengthen the bridge between the rotation and Phillips.

Elsewhere on the roster, outfielder Jason Heyward is making progress in his rehab from a bout of lower back tightness that sent him to the injured list just four games into the 2024 campaign, with Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reporting that the veteran took batting practice today for the first time since suffering the injury. Heyward struggled badly at the plate for many years during his ill-fated eight-year contract with the Cubs but revived his career in L.A. last year, slashing a respectable .269/.340/.473 in 124 games as the club’s regular right fielder.

Heyward appeared poised to man right field for the club on a regular basis once again this year but his role upon his return to action has become less clear thanks to the breakout of outfield prospect Andy Pages, who had slashed an impressive .333/.354/.567 in 65 trips to the plate entering play this evening. Assuming the Dodgers want to keep Pages’s bat in the lineup, Heyward may be left to compete with the likes of James Outman and Chris Taylor for playing time in the club’s outfield mix.

Another veteran making progress in his rehab is future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who JP Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation notes threw a 15-pitch bullpen off the mound yesterday. It was his first time throwing off a mound since he underwent shoulder surgery this past winter. Hoornstra added that Kershaw’s exact timetable for return is not yet known, though his stated goal of returning to the majors at some point this summer looks very feasible given the progress he’s made to this point. Kershaw is one of a whopping seven starting pitchers currently on the major league injured list with the Dodgers, though the number will drop to six when right-hander Walker Buehler makes his season debut on Monday when he’ll re-enter the rotation alongside Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton, and Gavin Stone.

Julio Urias Pleads No Contest To Domestic Battery Charge

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Former Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge yesterday, per a report from the Los Angeles City News Service. The L.A. City Attorney’s office tells the City News Service that Urias will be placed on 36 months of probation, complete 30 days of community service, complete a year-long domestic violence counseling program, pay a fee to a domestic violence fund, pay restitution to the victim and abide by a protective order. He’s also forbidden from possessing any weapons. A second domestic battery charge, one count of injuring a spouse, one count of assault and one count of false imprisonment were dropped as a contingency of Urias’ no-contest plea to the charge of misdemeanor battery.

Back in 2019, Urias was suspended 20 games under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy but was never criminally charged. He was arrested a second time in Sept. 2023 after another wave of allegations arose when he was allegedly captured on cell phone video in a public altercation with a woman following an LAFC Major League Soccer match. He was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond.

Documents from the District Attorney’s Office back in January indicated that Urias “pushed the victim against a fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders” but ultimately referred Urias to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office for misdemeanor charges rather than felony charges. Last month, the L.A. City Attorney brought five misdemeanor charges: one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving a dating relationship, one count of assault and one count of false imprisonment.

With criminal proceedings drawing to a close, Major League Baseball will now presumably move to conclude its own investigation into the matter. MLB placed Urias on paid administrative leave just two days after the incident took place. That’s standard practice for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy — and administrative leave in and of itself is not considered punitive in nature. However, in the event that criminal charges are brought forth and/or that the league’s own investigation determines that a suspension is warranted, any pay accrued while on leave can be rescinded.

If and when the league follows Urias’ no-contest plea with a suspension, he’ll become the first player in history to receive multiple suspensions under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Urias became a free agent following the 2024 season and remains unsigned.

Dodgers Notes: Brasier, Heyward, Buehler

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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.

Tyler Glasnow Exits Start Due To Cramping In Calf, Hand

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Dodgers right-hander exited today’s game against the Blue Jays after being visited by the team trainer and manager Dave Roberts following the sixth inning. While the circumstances of Glasnow’s departure were surely concerning for fans in Los Angeles, Glasnow told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that he was dealing with cramping in his right calf and right hand when he left the game. Glasnow added that he believed the incident was due to dehydration from unexpectedly humid conditions in Toronto this afternoon. Roberts went on to confirm to reporters (including Jack Harris of the L.A. Times) that the club does not have “any level of concern” regarding Glasnow’s health going forward.

The news surely comes as a relief for Dodgers fans, as Glasnow has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. The righty made a career-high 21 starts with the Rays last year after pitching just 212 2/3 combined innings for the Rays between 2019 and 2022. Aside from his injury history, any injury scare for Glasnow would be particularly unwelcome for the club given the fact that he’s led the club’s rotation to this point in the season. Including today’s start, Glasnow has a 2.72 ERA in 43 innings of work across seven starts for the club this season with a 31.5% strikeout rate.

That dominance has been particularly welcome given the Dodgers’ lengthy list of starting pitching injuries. Each of Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Emmett Sheehan, and Kyle Hurt are currently on the injured list, and of that group only Buehler appears to be particularly close to returning. Fortunately, it appears that Glasnow should be fine to make his next start, remaining the club’s rotation mix alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton, Gavin Stone, and Landon Knack.

Dodgers Select Nabil Crismatt’s Contract

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The Dodgers have selected the contract of right-hander Nabil Crismatt from Triple-A.  Right-hander Nick Ramirez was sent to Triple-A to make room on the active roster, and righty Kyle Hurt was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot.

After signing a minors deal with Los Angeles during the offseason, this is already Crismatt’s second time on the 26-man.  His contract was initially selected at the end of March, and he threw two scoreless relief innings (and earned the win) in the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory over the Cardinals on March 31.  L.A. then designated Crismatt for assignment the next day, and he chose to remain in the Dodgers organization even though he had the right to reject an assignment off the 40-man.

Since Ramirez threw two innings in yesterday’s 12-2 win over the Blue Jays, Crismatt will get another look as a fresh arm in the reliever corps over the weekend.  Ryan Yarbrough is slated to start Sunday’s game, though that could be more of a bullpen game that requires several pitchers available.  It wouldn’t be surprising if Crismatt is DFA’ed again in a few days’ time, though the righty is obviously hoping to bolster his case for an extended stay by throwing more successful innings.

The 29-year-old Crismatt had a 3.39 ERA over 148 2/3 innings with San Diego in 2021-22 before his performance dropped off sharply last season, in the form of an 8.31 ERA in 13 innings with the Padres and Diamondbacks.  A hip strain added to Crismatt’s woes, but the bigger issue was that the grounder specialist ran out of batted-ball luck.  Crismatt’s ungainly .381 BABIP wreaked havoc on a pitcher who has 50.5% career groundball rate, and between his injuries and his lack of time in the majors, it all added up to a rough season.

Hurt was placed on the 15-day IL a week ago, with a backdated placement of April 17.  The move to the 60-man retains that original date, yet the righty’s bout of shoulder inflammation will now keep him out of action until at least mid-June.  Hurt has a 1.35 ERA over 6 2/3 innings and three appearances for Los Angeles this season, after making his MLB debut with two innings of work in 2023.  Regarded as one of the more interesting pitching prospects in the Dodgers’ system, Hurt seems to have at least a future as reliever if he can’t stick as a starter, given his big 36.6% strikeout rate over 188 2/3 career minor league innings.

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