Headlines

  • Royals Trade Carlos Santana To Mariners
  • Bryce Harper Fractures Left Thumb
  • Phillies Select Mark Appel
  • Daniel Hudson Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury
  • Salvador Perez Undergoes Thumb Surgery
  • Cubs Designate Jonathan Villar For Assignment
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Justin Bruihl

Dodgers Activate Clayton Kershaw

By TC Zencka | June 11, 2022 at 2:36pm CDT

As expected, the Dodgers have activated legendary southpaw Clayton Kershaw for his start today. Justin Bruihl was optioned to Triple-A to open the roster spot, per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (via Twitter).

The veteran southpaw was at his best before a balky back sent him to the injured list for 33 days. He returns owning a 1.80 ERA/2.27 FIP over 30 innings with a stunning 32-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Kershaw’s return couldn’t come at a better time, given the current uncertainty over the health of Walker Buehler. The Dodgers are clinging to a one-game lead over the Padres in the division. It’s too early to think about the standings, but given the competition in the NL West recently, there doesn’t figure to be much margin for error. Regardless, the Dodgers’ +109 run differential is the best mark in the National League by a decent margin (the Mets are second at +68). Even without Kershaw, the Dodgers rotation has set the tone with a league-leading 2.71 ERA.

Bruihl, 24, has been a vital cog for manager Dave Roberts’ bullpen since making his debut last season. Over the two seasons, the California native has a 3.34 ERA/4.35 FIP over 35 career innings. This season, Bruihl has a 3.86 ERA/4.79 FIP in 17 appearances totaling 16 1/3 innings. Bruihl has held lefties to a punchless .250/.273/.250 line in 35 plate appearances this season, but he’s given it back to righties, who have hit .269/.394/.539 across 34 plate appearances.

Share 0 Retweet 5 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Clayton Kershaw Justin Bruihl

20 comments

Dodgers Announce Series Of Roster Moves

By Steve Adams | May 17, 2022 at 1:32pm CDT

The Dodgers announced a flurry of roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader against the D-backs. Right-hander Mitch White has been reinstated from the Covid-related injured list, with righty Blake Treinen moving to the 60-day injured list in order to open a roster spot. Los Angeles also optioned lefty Caleb Ferguson in favor of lefty Justin Bruihl, who’s been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers also placed right-hander Tommy Kahnle on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right forearm and brought righty Ryan Pepiot up as the 27th man for today’s twin bill.

Additional moves seem likely to take place between the day’s games, as manager Dave Roberts announced to reporters that lefty David Price will be activated from the Covid IL for the second game against Arizona (Twitter link via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). That’ll require an additional 40-man move.

Treinen’s move to the 60-day injured list further solidifies what Roberts explained earlier in the month when he told reporters that while the right-hander was forgoing an additional visit to a third-party doctor and would instead focus on rehabbing his shoulder with an eye toward returning after the All-Star break. Treinen enjoyed a dominant 2021 season for the Dodgers but pitched just three innings in 2022 before landing on the injured list with the shoulder injury that’ll now officially cost him at least half the season.

Turning to Kahnle, any forearm injury to a pitcher is generally cause for some concern, as they’re often portents to more treacherous diagnoses. In the case of Kahnle, he’s only just returned from Tommy John surgery and has seen his average fastball (95.5 mph) check in a fair bit shy of its pre-surgery levels in 2019 (96.6 mph). The Dodgers signed him to a two-year, $4.75MM deal prior to the 2021 season, knowing he’d miss the first season of the contract while rehabbing that surgery. He’s appeared in just four games for L.A. this season. The team did not provide a timetable for his potential return.

Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Blake Treinen Caleb Ferguson David Price Justin Bruihl Mitch White Ryan Pepiot Tommy Kahnle

13 comments

David Price Replaces Joe Kelly On Dodgers’ NLCS Roster

By Sean Bavazzano | October 22, 2021 at 2:02pm CDT

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts announced that right-hander Joe Kelly has been removed from the team’s playoff roster following a bicep injury that occurred in the first inning of last night’s game. Left-hander David Price has been added to the 26-man roster in his place.

Kelly ran into trouble serving as an opener against the Braves, allowing a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman that ultimately proved inconsequential as the Dodgers stormed back not long after. After facing just four batters Kelly walked off the mound with what is being termed a biceps strain. Even if the Dodgers advance to the World Series this strain will prove season-ending for Kelly. Injury removals of this sort render players ineligible to return for the current or next series, meaning even a speedy recovery wouldn’t enable Kelly to rejoin the pen.

Despite last night’s hardships Kelly had been a reliable weapon out of the bullpen for Roberts, as he allowed just one run in 4 2/3 playoff innings up to that point. That had continued a trend of strong work this year, as the bespectacled reliever finished the season with an impressive 2.86 ERA/3.08 FIP, a 27.5% strikeout rate, and 58.4% roundball rate across 44 innings.

Price meanwhile has served as a utility pitcher of sorts in his first regular season action with Dodgers. Following his opt-out of last year’s shortened season Price has embraced the role of occasional starter, middle reliever, and game finisher. Opposing batters haven’t had much difficulty facing the former Cy Young winner, hitting .272/.339/.428 with just a 17.8% strikeout rate. An above average ability to avoid hard contact and keep the ball out of the air however has allowed the lefty to post a serviceable 4.03 ERA/ 4.23 FIP across 73 2/3 innings this year.

In one more piece of ominous Dodgers news, Roberts also reported that left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl is dealing with arm soreness.  On the year the rookie pitched to a 2.89 ERA/ 3.97 FIP with a strong 50% roundball rate across 18 2/3 innings. While the lefty sported only a 15.1% strikeout rate in his inaugural season he displayed much stronger bat-missing abilities in the minors throughout his career, frequently checking in with strikeout rates north of 30%. A call hasn’t been made on whether or not to replace Bruihl on the roster just yet, though this continues an unwelcome trend of playoff injuries for the team after replacing Justin Turner on the roster yesterday.

Share 0 Retweet 12 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers David Price Joe Kelly Justin Bruihl Justin Turner

63 comments

Dodgers Remove David Price, Billy McKinney For NLCS

By TC Zencka | October 16, 2021 at 10:11am CDT

The Dodgers narrowly survived a five-game tilt with their rival Giants, but now they must quickly turn the page and prepare for a seven-game NLCS rematch with the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately for Dodger fans, the club will continue without star first baseman Max Muncy. The injury the knocked Muncy out of the lineup in game 162 will keep him out at least through the World Series.

Here’s how the rest of the roster breaks down for the NLCS…

Right-Handed Pitchers

  • Phil Bickford
  • Walker Buehler
  • Tony Gonsolin
  • Brusdar Graterol
  • Kenley Jansen
  • Joe Kelly
  • Corey Knebel
  • Evan Phillips
  • Max Scherzer
  • Blake Treinen

Left-Handed Pitchers

  • Justin Bruihl
  • Julio Urias
  • Alex Vesia

Catchers

  • Will Smith
  • Austin Barnes

Infielders

  • Matt Beaty
  • Albert Pujols
  • Gavin Lux
  • Corey Seager
  • Chris Taylor
  • Justin Turner
  • Trea Turner

Outfielders

  • Cody Bellinger
  • Mookie Betts
  • AJ Pollock
  • Steven Souza Jr.

The most notable subtraction from the NLDS roster is southpaw David Price. He’s essentially replaced on the roster by the southpaw Bruihl. Though Price was on the NLDS roster, he did not appear in a game against the Giants. Bruihl provided the Dodgers with a more traditional bullpen lefty while giving up the potential length provided by Price. The veteran Price has plenty of postseason experience, whereas Bruihl is a 24-year-old rookie with just 21 big league games under his belt.

Regardless, it will be Bruihl in the bullpen alongside Vesia preparing for showdowns with Freddie Freeman, Eddie Rosario, or Joc Pederson. Bruihl faced 43 lefties over his 18 1/3 Major League innings, compared to just 30 right-handers. Those same-handed hitters struggled to a .150/.209/.150 mark with just six hits – none for extra bases. Of course, Freeman is usually protected in the lineup by righty Austin Riley, and with the three-batter rule, Bruihl likely won’t escape usage against opposite-handed hitters if he makes an appearance.

They also removed outfielder/first baseman Billy McKinney from the roster. The well-traveled McKinney had mostly been used as a late game replacement at first base. With Beatty, Pujols, and Bellinger on the roster, however, that’s a role the Dodgers should have no trouble filling. Manager Dave Roberts likely trusts both Beatty and Bellinger at first late in games, depending on what the match-ups at the plate dictate.

What is interesting is that the Dodgers chose to add an additional pitcher for this round. Right-hander Evan Phillips will give Roberts another arm with which to mix-and-match. They now have 13 pitchers and 13 position players. Phillips, 27, is a well-traveled righty who has logged innings in his professional career with the Braves, Orioles, Rays, and Dodgers. He made one appearance with Tampa this season before being claimed off waivers by the Dodgers. He appeared seven times down the stretch for the Dodgers, logging more than one inning in five of those seven outings.

The decision to remove McKinney and add Phillips leaves Roberts with a five-man bench. Most days, Pujols, Barnes, Beatty, Souza Jr., and Lux will be available to Roberts off the bench.

As for the rotation, the Dodgers are going with a bullpen game in game one, with Knebel serving as the opener, just as he did in game five against the Giants. Scherzer and Buehler should line up for games two and three.

Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Billy McKinney David Price Evan Phillips Justin Bruihl Max Muncy

108 comments

Dodgers Select Justin Bruihl, Place Garrett Cleavinger On IL

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2021 at 2:11pm CDT

The Dodgers are placing Garrett Cleavinger on the IL with a right oblique strain, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Taking his place on the roster will be Justin Bruihl. The club had an open spot on the 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move is not necessary.

Bruihl, an undrafted free agent out California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, is a 24-year-old lefty. He pitched 15 Double-A innings this year with an ERA of 1.20, earning himself a promotion to Triple-A. In 22 2/3 innings there, he has an ERA of 3.57. He has excellent strikeout and walk rates at both levels.

For Cleavinger, this is yet another bounce in a season full of them. He’s been optioned four times and this will be his second IL stint. In 18 MLB innings this year, he has an ERA of 3.o0, with a decent strikeout rate of 25%, but an elevated walk rate of 14.3%.

In other Dodgers news, Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that Gavin Lux is about to begin a rehab assignment and that Corey Knebel is expected to be activated Tuesday. Lux has been out since mid-July with a hamstring injury. There might not be much room for him in the middle infield once he’s healthy, given that Corey Seager is back and has been joined by newly-acquired Trea Turner. In 313 plate appearances this year, Lux has a slash line of .227/.307/.349, for a wRC+ of 83.

The return of Knebel will be most welcome, since the Dodgers bullpen has been weathering a slew of injuries lately. The righty has only thrown six innings this year on account of a lat strain but can be a potent weapon when healthy. From 2015 to 2018, he threw 214 1/3 innings out of Milwaukee’s ’pen, with an ERA of 3.02 and a massive strikeout rate of 35%. But health has been the big issue in recent years, as he’s only thrown 19 1/3 innings since that time due to various injuries.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Corey Knebel Garrett Cleavinger Gavin Lux Justin Bruihl

17 comments
Show all

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Royals Trade Carlos Santana To Mariners

    Bryce Harper Fractures Left Thumb

    Phillies Select Mark Appel

    Daniel Hudson Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury

    Salvador Perez Undergoes Thumb Surgery

    Cubs Designate Jonathan Villar For Assignment

    Yankees, Aaron Judge Avoid Arbitration

    Giants Acquire Willie Calhoun From Rangers For Steven Duggar

    Angels Option Reid Detmers

    Dodgers Acquire Trayce Thompson From Tigers

    Dodgers Exploring Market For Right-Handed Platoon Bat In Right Field

    Mariners Designate Sergio Romo, Roenis Elias For Assignment

    Brewers Designate Lorenzo Cain For Assignment

    Hyun Jin Ryu To Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery

    Anthony Rendon To Undergo Season-Ending Wrist Surgery

    Recent

    Royals Trade Carlos Santana To Mariners

    Phillies Sign Jace Fry To Minor League Deal

    David Blitzer Purchases Minority Stake Of Guardians Franchise

    Twins Pitching Coach Wes Johnson Hired As LSU Pitching Coach

    Tigers Re-Sign Drew Hutchison

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    Dodgers Notes: Betts, Ferguson, Treinen, Kahnle, Gonzalez, Duffy

    Rockies Notes: Bryant, Schmidt, Pitching, Bard

    AL Central Injury Notes: Moncada, Smith, Staumont, Meadows

    Ronald Acuna Jr. Suffers Foot Injury, Could Be Headed To 10-Day IL

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Trevor Story Rumors
    • Frankie Montas Rumors
    • Michael Conforto Rumors
    • Arbitration Tracker
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • MLB Player Chats
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version