Dodgers Place Edwin Uceta On Injured List, Recall Brusdar Graterol
The Dodgers have placed righty Edwin Uceta on the IL with a lumbar strain, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. His roster spot will go to fellow righty Brusdar Graterol.
Uceta has been on-and-off the roster constantly this year, having been optioned and recalled six times. This will also be his second stint on the IL with a back issue. The 23-year-old is well regarded, currently ranked the Dodgers’ #19 prospect by MLB Pipeline. That hasn’t translated to on-field success yet this year. In 17 2/3 MLB innings, he has an ERA of 7.64. Over 17 1/3 Triple-A innings, the ERA is 6.75. Although the advanced metrics like his work better, at both levels.
Graterol has had a very similar season, bouncing between the injured list, Triple-A and big leagues, though he’s been optioned half as many times as Uceta. In 16 2/3 innings at Triple-A, he has an ERA of 6.48. And in nine big league innings, his ERA is an even 6.00. Although, like Uceta, the advanced metrics like him more at both levels. The 22-year-old will be looking to get back into a groove and return to the form that made him a weapon for the Dodgers last year, when he had a 3.09 ERA during the regular season and a 3.52 ERA in the postseason.
In other news from Chavez Ravine, Trea Turner will be flying into Los Angeles on Friday, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com. Friday will be the 10th day after Turner’s positive COVID-19 test, meaning his minimum quarantine period will have elapsed. But at this point, it’s unclear if he will be immediately activated by the club.
Dodgers Place Tony Gonsolin On 10-Day Injured List
The Dodgers have placed right-hander Tony Gonsolin on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, and also sent right-hander Brusdar Graterol and outfielder Luke Raley to Triple-A. The trio of moves clears the way for Max Scherzer to be activated onto the Dodgers’ roster, while righty Edwin Uceta and southpaw Garrett Cleavinger were called up from Triple-A.
It seems likely that Gonsolin’s shoulder issue contributed to his tough start last night, as he lasted only 1 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on a hit and five walks in the Dodgers’ 6-5 loss to the Diamondbacks. Control has been an uncharacteristically major issue for Gonsolin this season, as his 16.5% walk rate is one of the worst of any pitcher with at least 30 innings tossed.
Since Gonsolin didn’t debut this season until June 9 due to shoulder inflammation, the Dodgers have been limiting his workload, but the right-hander has still been posting some quality results. Gonsolin has a 2.78 ERA despite his problem with free passes, as he has an above-average 26.6% strikeout rate and done a good job at limiting hard contact.
Gonsolin joins Clayton Kershaw and the newly-acquired Danny Duffy on the injured list, as Scherzer’s acquisition was intended to help correct the lack of available rotation depth. If everyone is healthy, Los Angeles will have a fearsome array of pitchers available for the playoffs, though even the Dodgers’ depth has been tested by multiple pitching injuries this season.
Dodgers To Place AJ Pollock On 10-Day IL
5:08PM: Roberts confirmed Pollock was headed to the IL, telling reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group) that Pollock will miss “a couple weeks minimum.” Right-hander Edwin Uceta is being called up to take Pollock’s spot on the 26-man roster.
8:18AM: Dodgers outfielder AJ Pollock exited their win over the Marlins on Friday with a left hamstring strain, the team announced. He’ll likely require a stint on the 10-day injured list, manager Dave Roberts told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and other reporters.
Pollock has dealt with a laundry list of injuries throughout his career, though he has largely stayed healthy since missing a significant chunk of the 2019 season because of elbow surgery. He appeared in 55 of the Dodgers’ 60 regular-season games in 2020 and has played in 32 of their 38 contests this year.
As was the case last season, Pollock has put up easily above-average offensive numbers in 2021. Through 102 trips to the plate, Pollock has batted .277/.333/.457 (117 wRC+) with four home runs and a pair of stolen bases. On the defensive side, the 33-year-old has seen time in left field and center (almost exclusively the former).
If Pollock does go on the IL, he’ll join fellow outfielders Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry on the shelf. Both Bellinger and McKinstry have been out since April, but they’re close to embarking on rehab assignments, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com.
Dodgers Suspend Pitching Prospect Edwin Uceta
The Dodgers have suspended right-hander Edwin Uceta for violating the team’s security protocols at its alternate training site, according to reporter Francys Romero (Twitter link). Specifically, Uceta broke the club’s COVID-19 rules, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Uceta is currently back to his native Dominican Republic to await the next step in the disciplinary process.
Originally signed as an international free agent in 2015, Uceta is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 26th-best prospect in the Los Angeles farm system. The 22-year-old has a 3.73 ERA, 3.45 K/BB rate, and 9.8 K/9 over 331 minor league innings, none above the Double-A level. Uceta has started 66 of 76 career games and MLB Pipeline’s scouting report describes him as “a potential No. 4 starter,” though “because he lacks physicality and power stuff, Uceta has to keep proving himself as a starter at each level.”
Between his minor league track record and his inclusion on the Dodgers’ 60-man player pool prior to the start of Summer Camp, Uceta looked to have a good shot at making his MLB debut in 2020. However, Castillo noted that Uceta was placed on the injured list early in camp for undefined reasons. That would seem to hint at some type of coronavirus-related absence, particularly now given the latest circumstances behind Uceta’s suspension.