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James Paxton Planning To Retire

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Red Sox left-hander James Paxton plans to retire after this season, he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. The 11-year big league veteran announced the news on Bradford’s Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast (X link).

“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the postseason and I get an opportunity to pitch again. But I think, after this season, I’m going to be retiring and moving on to the next chapter,” Paxton said. The 35-year-old called it a “tough” decision because he remains confident in his ability but indicated he feels it’s the right time to “settle in at home.” Paxton told Bradford he has already gotten to work on building a company focused on addressing athletes’ mental health.

While there’s a small chance he gets back on the mound this year, it’s likely his playing career is over. Paxton tore his right calf in mid-August and was placed on the 60-day injured list last month. He’s ineligible to return until the middle of October. The Sox would need to erase a four-game deficit in the Wild Card race and likely need to make a run into at least the ALCS for Paxton to be able to get on the mound.

Injuries were an unfortunately frequent occurrence. This season was only the fifth in which he reached 100 MLB innings. Paxton was a very productive pitcher when healthy, highlighted by a four-year peak with the Mariners and Yankees at the end of the 2010s.

The Blue Jays initially drafted Paxton, a British Columbia native who’d eventually earn the “Big Maple” nickname. Toronto selected him 37th overall in the 2009 draft. The sides couldn’t agree to contract terms, however, sending the 6’4″ southpaw back to the draft the following year. Seattle selected him in the fourth round, a move that would pay off a few seasons later.

Paxton was immediately one of the M’s top pitching prospects. He got to the big leagues as a September call-up in 2013, firing 24 innings of 1.50 ERA ball. Paxton battled shoulder and finger injuries, respectively, over the following two seasons. He was limited to 13 starts in each year but managed a sub-4.00 earned run average both times. Paxton topped 100 innings and reached 20 appearances for the first time in 2016, turning in a 3.79 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning.

The following season saw Paxton emerge as an upper mid-rotation starter, at least on a rate basis. He fired 136 frames with a career-best 2.98 ERA while striking out more than 28% of opponents. Paxton continued to miss bats in bunches the following year, when he fanned 32.2% of batters faced with a 3.76 ERA across 160 1/3 innings. Among pitchers with 150+ innings, only Chris Sale, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole had a better strikeout rate that year.

That 2018 campaign saw Paxton log the highest workload of his career and included perhaps his two best performances. Paxton no-hit the Jays at the Rogers Centre in May 2018, becoming the second Canadian pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter. That was one of two complete game victories he posted that month, though those arguably weren’t even his best outings. Paxton also struck out a personal-high 16 A’s hitters over seven scoreless innings in the start preceding his no-hitter. Overall, he struck out 51 hitters with a 1.67 ERA across 43 innings that month.

At the end of that season, the M’s traded Paxton’s final two seasons of arbitration eligibility to the Yankees for a three-player return. The headliner, Justus Sheffield, did not pan out. Erik Swanson, included as the secondary piece, developed into a productive reliever. Paxton had a strong first season in the Bronx, tossing 150 2/3 frames of 3.82 ERA ball while punching out nearly 30% of opposing hitters. He started a trio of postseason games for a Yankee team that lost to the Astros in the ALCS. Barring a surprise run from this year’s Sox, those were the only playoff appearances of his career. Paxton fanned 20 while allowing five runs in 13 innings (3.46 ERA).

That was Paxton’s final full season. He sustained a flexor strain during the shortened 2020 season, limiting him to five starts in his walk year. The Mariners brought him back during his first free agent trip on a buy-low $8.5MM deal. Paxton pitched once before his elbow blew out. He underwent Tommy John surgery and wouldn’t pitch again until 2023.

Paxton made 19 starts and logged 96 innings for the Red Sox last season, the second year of a $10MM free agent deal. He returned to the open market and signed with the Dodgers on a contract that eventually paid him $13MM after he hit certain start bonuses. L.A. squeezed him off the roster just before the trade deadline and flipped him back to Boston. Paxton made three starts for the Sox before suffering the calf injury. He’ll finish the year with a 4.40 ERA across 100 1/3 innings between the two clubs.

While the injuries kept Paxton a bit below 1000 innings, he finishes his career with a solid 3.77 earned run average. Paxton recorded his 1000th strikeout against former teammate Justin Turner on July 30. He made 177 appearances, all starts, and compiled a 73-41 record with a pair of complete games. Paxton’s one shutout was a memorable one — the aforementioned no-hitter in his home country. Baseball Reference credits him with roughly 14 wins above replacement, while he was worth 19 WAR at FanGraphs. B-Ref calculates his earnings at nearly $50MM. MLBTR congratulates Paxton on a fine career and sends our best wishes on his worthwhile endeavor to help athletes with their mental health.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Dodgers Notes: Banda, Gonsolin, Glasnow

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The Dodgers placed left-hander Anthony Banda on the 15-day injured list with a broken hand yesterday — a surprising move given that there was no prior indication of an injury issue that’d been plaguing the southpaw. As it turns out, Banda’s injury was self-inflicted. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed to the Dodgers beat last night that the lefty sustained a hairline fracture after he hit “a solid object” out of frustration following a rough outing wherein he yielded a pair of runs on three hits in one inning of work during a loss to the Cubs (video link via Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain). Banda is hardly the first player to injure himself in such a manner, but that surely doesn’t make the scenario any less frustrating for the Dodgers and their fans.

That’s particularly true given that while the 31-year-old Banda is a journeyman who joined the Dodgers in a minor league trade with the Guardians (in exchange for cash), he’s become an important piece of the team’s relief corps. In 47 1/3 innings this year, the former top prospect has notched a career-low 3.23 earned run average with a 24.8% strikeout rate (another career-best mark) against an 8.9% walk rate that’s right in line with the 9% league average among relievers.

Banda initially worked in low-leverage situations after being selected to the 40-man roster in L.A., but he’s earned more trust from Roberts as the season has worn on. He’s picked up nine holds and a pair of saves, nearly all of which have come in the season’s second half. Michael Kopech has emerged as the Dodgers’ highest-leverage arm since being acquired at the trade deadline, but Banda ranks second on the team in holds since the All-Star break.

The Dodgers can still control Banda via arbitration for another three seasons if they choose, so the injury doesn’t necessarily spell the end of his time with the team. It may not even spell the end of his season. Roberts said that for now, the plan is for several days without throwing, but the skipper did not rule out the possibility that Banda could be built back up in time to rejoin the team at some point. Obviously, if the Dodgers go on a deep postseason run, Banda’s chances of contributing again this season will only increase.

There are also questions about another bullpen option’s ability to contribute this year, though they’ve been well documented and don’t come as a huge surprise. Right-hander Tony Gonsolin underwent Tommy John surgery late last August, which always made him a long shot to contribute this season. The Dodgers still haven’t firmly closed the door on the possibility of Gonsolin returning, but it increasingly looks like a long shot. Roberts, who left the door open for a potential bullpen role for Gonsolin when asked about the possibility last month, told reporters yesterday that it’s “unlikely” Gonsolin will contribute this season (link via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).

General manager Brandon Gomes wouldn’t make a firm declaration, saying Gonsolin’s 2024 status is “TBD” while simultaneously acknowledging that the primary focus at this point is “building a foundation” for next season (X thread via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). That certainly doesn’t sound like a portent for a 2024 return, but Gomes didn’t expressly rule out the possibility, suggesting that if “things line up” they could “have a conversation” about Gonsolin returning.

While things are up in the air regarding Gonsolin’s status, it seems the Dodgers are increasingly optimistic that top starter Tyler Glasnow will return in time for the playoffs. Currently on the injured list with tendinitis in his right elbow, Glasnow threw his full complement of pitches yesterday in his second bullpen session in a week’s time, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. He’ll throw a simulated game on Friday and move to a rehab assignment if that goes well. Via Harris, Roberts said that he liked what he saw in Glasnow’s bullpen session and called it a “priority” to get him back into a big league game before the regular season draws to a close.

If the Dodgers are able to get Glasnow back, they could theoretically head into the playoffs with a rotation including Glasnow, Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who looked excellent in his own return from the injured list this week.

Dodgers Activate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Designate Nick Ramirez

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8:23pm: Los Angeles also activated Brusdar Graterol from the 15-day IL and placed Anthony Banda on the injured list. Banda broke his left hand. That interrupts a solid year for the 31-year-old southpaw. Banda has pitched to a 3.23 ERA while striking out nearly a quarter of opponents in a personal-high 47 1/3 innings.

4:41pm: The Dodgers reinstated Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the 60-day injured list to start tonight’s game against the Cubs. Los Angeles designated lefty reliever Nick Ramirez for assignment to create space on the active and 40-man rosters.

Manager Dave Roberts announced last week that Yamamoto would make his return tonight. It’ll be the Japanese star’s first big league appearance since June 15. Yamamoto missed nearly three months on account of a rotator cuff strain. He should get a few trips through the rotation to continue building his shoulder strength going into the postseason.

Outside of his disastrous first major league start, Yamamoto has pitched like the top-of-the-rotation arm the Dodgers envisioned. He sports a 2.34 earned run average with a 28.1% strikeout rate through 73 innings over his past 13 starts. If he finds that form quickly now that he’s healthy, he could start the first game of a playoff series.

Ramirez loses his roster spot for the second time this season. The Dodgers had DFA him to accommodate their trade deadline pickups. He cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Los Angeles called him back up on Sunday. Ramirez pitched the final two innings of a 10-4 loss last night. He allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits.

Acquired from the Yankees in April, Ramirez has pitched in eight games for the Dodgers. The 35-year-old has surrendered 11 runs with seven walks and five strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. He was an effective middle relief arm for New York skipper Aaron Boone a year ago, when he turned in a 2.66 ERA with a meager 5.2% walk rate over 40 2/3 frames.

The Dodgers will put Ramirez on waivers again this week. He’ll likely clear and would have the right to elect free agency, though he could stick with the organization as non-roster depth if he’s outrighted to OKC. Ramirez would become a minor league free agent in the offseason anyhow if the Dodgers don’t call him back up.

Marlins Claim Michael Petersen, Designate Brett De Geus

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The Marlins announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Michael Petersen off waivers from the Dodgers. Fellow righty Brett de Geus was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Petersen made his big league debut at 30 years old this season, pitching 14 innings for L.A. and recording a 6.43 ERA with a 17.2% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate. He’d joined the Dodgers on a minor league deal after spending the rest of his career in the minor league systems of the Brewers and Rockies.

Though Petersen’s brief big league run didn’t turn heads, he was excellent with the Dodgers’ Triple-A club in Oklahoma City, pitching to a 1.64 ERA with a massive 35.2% strikeout rate and tidy 6.4% walk rate in 33 innings of relief. The towering 6’7″ righty sits 97 mph with his four-seamer and complements that with an upper-80s cutter. He’s in the first of three option years, as the 2024 season marked the first time his contract has been selected to a big league roster.

The 26-year-old de Geus pitched 5 2/3 innings with Miami and was tagged for four earned runs on seven hits and a pair of walks with four strikeouts. He’s also suited up for the Mariners this season (3 1/3 innings, one run) and has previously pitched in the majors with the Rangers and D-backs. Overall, the former Rule 5 pick has 59 big league innings with a 7.17 ERA. 16.9% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate. Now that he’s been designated for assignment, he’ll head to waivers and be made available to the other 29 teams. Because he’s been outrighted in the past, de Geus can reject a minor league assignment if he clears. Even if he accepts, he can become a minor league free agent at season’s end.

Dodgers Select Nick Ramirez

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The Dodgers announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Nick Ramirez. Lefty Justin Wrobleski was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move, and right-hander Michael Petersen was designated for assignment to make room for Ramirez on the 40-man roster.

Ramirez, 35, was acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the Yankees back in April after the southpaw failed to make the Opening Day roster in the Bronx. A fourth-round pick by the Brewers back in 2011, Ramirez didn’t make his big league debut until 2019 as a member of the Tigers. He posted middling results in relief across three seasons with Detroit and San Diego from 2019-21, with a 4.55 ERA (101 ERA+) and 4.60 FIP in 110 2/3 innings of work while striking out 20.4% of opponents.

The lefty signed with the Mariners on a minor league deal headed into the 2022 season and posted impressive results at the Triple-A level, with a 2.93 ERA and a 23.7% strikeout rate in 55 1/3 frames, but was unable to crack the club’s big league roster. That led him to sign with the Yankees on a fresh minors pact for the 2023 season, and he enjoyed the best season of his career in the Bronx as he posted a fantastic 2.66 ERA and 2.94 FIP in 40 2/3 frames after being selected to the Cubs roster in late April, after which point he was shuttled between the majors and minors on a semi-frequent basis.

Unfortunately, Ramirez has not been able to replicate that same success with the Dodgers. He’s pitched 11 1/3 innings in the majors this year but has struggled to a 6.35 ERA with a 4.33 FIP and just four strikeouts. That lackluster production has carried over to his performance at Triple-A Oklahoma City, for whom he’s pitched to a 4.65 ERA in 31 innings of work this year with a lackluster 19.2% strikeout rate. The Dodgers are surely hoping he can improve upon that performance in his latest stint with the club, though he’s buried on the relief depth chart by both Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda in terms of left-handed options, likely leaving him to be used in exclusively low-leverage situations while with the club.

Ramirez takes the spot of Petersen on the 40-man roster. The righty got his first taste of big league action back in June when he was selected to the roster in the aftermath of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s placement on the injured list due to a rotator cuff strain. The right-hander has served as an up-and-down bullpen arm for the Dodgers in the months since then, though his results have left much to be desired. In 14 innings of work across 11 appearances, Petersen has struggled to a 6.43 ERA with a 6.32 FIP in the majors, though he’s been nothing short of dominant at Triple-A with a sparkling 1.64 ERA and a 35.2% strikeout rate in 33 frames. If Petersen goes unclaimed on waivers, the Dodgers will have the opportunity to outright the right-hander to Triple-A where he can act as non-roster depth for the club down the stretch.

Teoscar Hernandez Expected To Avoid Injured List

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5:07pm: Hernandez is not in the lineup today, but told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) that he expects to avoid the injured list after testing on his foot came back clean and he woke up today feeling better. Hernandez added that he hopes to back in the lineup during next week’s series against the Cubs, which begins on Monday.

9:07am: Teoscar Hernandez left Friday’s 3-1 Dodgers loss to the Guardians in the first inning, after the slugger was hit on the left ankle by a pitch from Cleveland starter Matthew Boyd.  Hernandez was in obvious discomfort when leaving the field, though the injury has been termed a foot contusion for now since initial x-rays were negative.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Juan Toribio) that more tests will be done on Hernandez’s ankle, but a trip to the injured list seems unavoidable.  “[Hernandez is] as tough as they come and he could barely move his foot….He doesn’t come out of games,” Roberts said.  “Afterwards, the pain typically subsides for him, but it didn’t.  It’s concerning.”

More will be known about Hernandez’s status later today, yet since it seems like he’ll certainly be going on the IL, the question is now whether or not we’ll see Hernandez on the field again in 2024.  Beyond just the regular season, the Dodgers certainly hope to be playing deep into the playoffs, yet such an extended run would obviously be a lot more difficult if Hernandez isn’t available.  Winning the NL West is also not a foregone conclusion, as the Dodgers hold a four-game lead on the Padres and a 5.5-game lead on the Diamondbacks.

Considering how Hernandez is also a free agent this winter, it is also conceivable that Friday might’ve marked the end of the left fielder’s tenure in Los Angeles altogether.  After a down year with the Mariners in 2023, Hernandez inked a one-year, $23.5MM contract with L.A. last winter with the idea that he could make a quick return to free agency this coming offseason on the heels of a rebound year.  That scenario has played out exactly as Hernandez had intended, as he has hit .266/.331/.488 with 28 homers over 581 plate appearances and earned a spot on the NL All-Star team.

Perhaps the key number in that statline is simply the number of plate appearances, as Hernandez has been one of the Dodgers’ pillars of stability amidst an injury-plagued season.  Almost literally every member of the L.A. pitching staff has spent time on the IL or had their season already ended by injuries, and Mookie Betts (fractured hand) and Max Muncy (oblique strain) also each missed months of time before returning in August.

Just when it seemed as though Los Angeles finally had its first-choice lineup all intact, however, the position-player depth will again be tested if Hernandez misses time as expected.  Any of Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor, Andy Pages, or Tommy Edman could be cycled into left field, though the Dodgers had also been using the right-handed hitting Hernandez and Taylor at second and third base, to shield the lefty-swinging Muncy and Gavin Lux against some southpaw pitching.  James Outman is the most probable Triple-A call-up, as Outman’s presence would further add to the outfield mix while perhaps keeping Lux and Enrique Hernandez more limited to infield duty.

Dodgers Place Gavin Stone On Injured List

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The Dodgers announced they have recalled right-hander Landon Knack and left-hander Justin Wrobleski. In corresponding moves, they have optioned righty Michael Petersen and placed righty Gavin Stone on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

At this point, it’s the path forward for Stone is fairly unclear. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says the young righty will be shut down for about ten days and the plan from there will depend on how he feels at that point, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on X. It’s likely to be a notable development regardless of how that plays out, both due to Stone’s strong performance this year and the other injuries in the club’s rotation.

Stone made his major league debut last year, making eight appearances, including four starts. He didn’t find immediate success, as he allowed 31 earned runs in his 31 innings last year, meaning he came into 2024 with his earned run average at an even 9.00.

But he has taken a significant step forward so far this year. He has made 25 starts for the Dodgers and logged 140 1/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA. His 20% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 44.2% ground ball rate are all fairly close to average for a starting pitcher this year.

Subtracting that kind of solid performance would be unwelcome for any club but it’s especially notable for the Dodgers, who have been suffering through a huge slate of rotation injuries this year and in the past as well.

Stone is actually the only pitcher on the club currently qualified for the ERA title, as he leads the team in both starts and innings pitched. That’s due to just about every other pitcher on the staff spending at least some time on the IL. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan are all currently on the IL. Now that Stone is joining them, that gives the club eight viable starters currently on the shelf.

May, Ryan and Sheehan are done for the year due to major surgeries. Yamamoto is going to be reinstated next week but isn’t fully stretched out, having thrown 53 pitches in his most recent rehab outing. Glasnow is a few steps behind Yamamoto, as he’s playing catch but hasn’t yet taken the mound, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (X link). Kershaw hit the IL a week ago due to a bone spur in his toe and has an uncertain timeline. Gonsolin is trying to come back from last year’s Tommy John surgery but will be limited to relief work, at best.

For now, the rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Knack and Wrobleski. That group will be welcoming back Yamamoto soon but, as mentioned, he isn’t fully ramped up and might need a piggyback. Flaherty has some injury questions of his own, as he had back issues earlier this year with the Tigers, which reportedly scuttled a trade with the Yankees and led to him landing with the Dodgers instead. Buehler has a 5.67 ERA this year and Miller is at 7.79. Knack and Wrobleski each have less than 50 major league innings pitched.

It’s a less than ideal situation for a club that is still playing meaningful games. The club’s 84-56 record is tied with the Phillies for the best in baseball, but the Central-leading Brewers are just three games back, meaning a bye through the Wild Card round is no guarantee. The division isn’t totally sewn up either, as the Padres are just five games back of the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks 5.5.

Even if the Dodgers cruise into the postseason, having a banged-up rotation can cause trouble in a short playoff series, as the Dodgers know well. They won 100 games last year but their rotation was in shambles by the time the postseason rolled around, which led to them being quickly swept by the Diamondbacks.

At this point, it’s still technically possible that the Dodgers could have a postseason rotation consisting of Flaherty, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Stone and Kershaw, but there are question marks with each of them. That could perhaps lead to someone like Buehler, Miller or Knack sliding into the mix simply due to a lack of other options.

Dodgers To Activate Yamamoto Next Week

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return to the Dodgers’ rotation on Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Alden González of ESPN) that the right-hander will get the start for the second game of next week’s set with the Cubs. Yamamoto is on the 60-day injured list and will need to be reinstated onto the 40-man roster.

It’ll likely be a brief appearance. Yamamoto last pitched in the majors on June 15. A rotator cuff strain knocked him out of action for more than two months. The 26-year-old joined Triple-A Oklahoma City on a rehab stint last week. He only pitched there twice, topping out at two innings. He labored through 53 pitches last night, and while his results weren’t good, he built up enough that the Dodgers don’t feel he needs another rehab appearance.

The Dodgers will presumably limit Yamamoto to somewhere in the 60-75 pitch range next week. L.A. has a decent 5.5-game cushion on the Padres in the NL West. They’re a game up on the Phillies for the top seed in the National League and three clear of the Brewers for a first-round bye. They’re still playing meaningful regular season games, but the primary focus is again on October.

Yamamoto should be able to log four turns through the rotation before the regular season concludes. That’d be ample time to build to a typical starter’s pitch count going into the postseason. If his stuff returns to pre-injury levels, he could be Roberts’ choice to start the first game of a playoff series. Yamamoto’s first MLB start was a nightmare, as he allowed four hits and five runs and didn’t make it to the second inning. The former NPB star has been as advertised since then. In the 13 starts since his debut, he sports a 2.34 earned run average with a 28.1% strikeout rate through 73 innings.

While it’s too soon to make definitive judgments about the Dodgers’ $325MM investment, Yamamoto was pitching like the top-of-the-rotation arm that L.A. expected. He’s part of an extremely high-variance rotation. Jack Flaherty and Gavin Stone are leading the group at the moment. Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw are on the IL. The Dodgers seem hopeful that both Glasnow and Kershaw will be back with a couple weeks to spare. If they get each of Yamamoto, Glasnow, Flaherty, Stone and Kershaw firing on all cylinders, they’ll go into the playoffs with an excellent rotation. That’s a big ask with the health uncertainty surrounding most of that group.

Kershaw went on the IL over the weekend with a bone spur in his left big toe. The Dodgers will turn to rookie righty Landon Knack in his place for Friday’s series opener with the Guardians, Roberts said (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Knack has been on and off the MLB roster as an injury replacement throughout the season. He has performed well when called upon, working to an even 3.00 ERA over 48 innings.

Dodgers Select Brent Honeywell

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The Dodgers have selected the contract of right-hander Brent Honeywell, according to a team announcement. Honeywell will take the active roster spot of right-hander Joe Kelly, who the club has placed on the 15-day Injured List due to right shoulder inflammation. A corresponding 40-man roster move was not needed to accommodate Honeywell, who will take the spot vacated by veteran outfielder Jason Heyward last week. The Dodgers have also officially announced the placement of veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw on the IL that was reported earlier this evening.

Honeywell, 29, returns to the big league Dodgers for a second stint after being designated for assignment by the club just two weeks ago. Once a consensus top-15 prospect in the sport with the Rays, Honeywell has faced a number of injury-related struggles throughout his career that caused him to miss three full seasons of action from 2018 to 2020 before being limited to just 103 1/3 innings of work across the 2021 and ’22 seasons.

Those long layoffs cost him several key years of development and robbed him of his ability to start, but he re-emerged as a big league reliever with the Padres last season. He posted decent middle relief numbers in San Diego before being squeezed off the roster and ending up with the White Sox, with whom he was shelled for seven runs in 5 2/3 innings down the stretch. That disastrous end to 2023 cost Honeywell his roster spot in Chicago, but he managed to find a minor league deal with the Pirates over the winter and made his way to the majors in July.

In 23 2/3 innings of work with the Pirates and Dodgers this season, Honeywell has posted strong results despite lackluster peripherals. His 2.28 ERA is nothing short of excellent, but the fact that he’s managing to prevent runs to that degree despite a microscopic 13.8% strikeout rate appears likely to be unsustainable, particularly if his whopping 89.6% strand rate regresses to a more typical figure. Even so, Honeywell figures to be as solid a bet as any to eat innings in a beleaguered Dodgers bullpen that was forced to use seven relievers after Kershaw departed in the second inning of last night’s game due to injury.

Honeywell will be taking the roster spot of one of those seven relievers, as Kelly is headed to the IL with a bout of shoulder inflammation. The 38-year-old hurler has been struggling mightily for the past month as he’s posted a 7.71 ERA with a paltry 18.2% strikeout rate and a hefty 13.6% walk rate. Last night’s outing was particularly difficult for the veteran as he surrendered two runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings of work while striking out just one and hitting two batters.

Kelly’s brutal results over the past month have caused his season numbers to go from solid to well below average, as he entered August with a 3.93 ERA and a sterling 2.41 FIP. Those numbers now sit at 5.20 and 4.83, respectively. It’s unclear how long Kelly is expected to be out of action, but with just a month left in the regular season it’s possible the right-hander won’t be healthy enough to return before then. Kelly could hypothetically return at some point in the postseason even if he isn’t able to make it back before the end of the regular season, though given his deep struggles of late it’s unclear how strongly he would factor into L.A.’s postseason plans even if healthy.

Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List Due To Bone Spur In Toe

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5:37pm: Kershaw is headed to the injured list due to the issue, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Right-hander Ben Casparius has been recalled from the minors to take Kershaw’s roster spot, and Plunkett adds that left-hander Justin Wrobleski is set to be called up when rosters expand tomorrow to start tomorrow’s game. That could leave Wrobleski in position to take over Kershaw’s spot in the rotation relatively seamlessly.

7:55am: Clayton Kershaw threw just 27 pitches in Friday’s start before soreness in his left big toe forced the longtime Dodgers starter out of the game.  Kershaw was charged with three earned runs over one inning of work plus one batter faced in the second frame, as the left-hander left the mound after allowing a home run to Corbin Carroll.

Speaking with reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) after the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained that Kershaw’s toe discomfort was caused by a bone spur that has been lingering for multiple seasons.  “Some starts it feels fine and it’s not impeding. Today certainly it was,” Roberts said.

Given the longstanding nature of the injury, it isn’t necessarily clear whether or not Kershaw will need to be placed on the 15-day injured list.  Kershaw and Roberts both stated that some testing and evaluation will need to happen before a decision is made, and the Dodgers have some extra time to monitor the situation since Kershaw wasn’t scheduled to pitch until next Friday.  L.A. is expected to call up Justin Wrobleski for a spot start on Sunday, and the team has an off-day on Thursday, giving Kershaw more opportunity to rest.

That said, it obviously wouldn’t be surprising if the Dodgers opted to put Kershaw on the IL even as a precautionary measure.  Kershaw’s lengthy injury history is well-documented, and he didn’t make his 2024 debut until July 25 due to a lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery last November.  The southpaw has posted a 4.50 ERA and only an 18% strikeout rate over 30 innings, and while it isn’t a big sample size, Kershaw’s fastball velocity has dropped to 89.9 mph.

Losing Kershaw to the IL would represent yet another blow to the injury-ravaged Los Angeles rotation.  The Dodgers have still posted an 81-54 record despite having to account for multiple injured arms for the entirety of the season.  Roberts said the team is very likely to make some roster moves today to add fresh arms to a bullpen that had to cover eight innings on Friday, and some extra breathing space will come Sunday when teams expand their rosters from 26 to 28 players.

Adding just relief depth, however, might not provide much help to an L.A. team that still has plenty of questions about its starting staff as the postseason approaches.  Considering the Dodgers’ five-game lead in the NL West, it would take quite a collapse for the club to actually miss the playoffs, yet it certainly seems possible that Los Angeles could have another strong regular season undone by a lack of healthy arms in October.  In terms of reinforcements, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has started a Triple-A rehab assignment and could be back within a couple of weeks, though it isn’t yet clear when Tyler Glasnow could return from a bout of right elbow tendinitis.

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