Michael Grove

Ben Casparius Replaces Michael Grove On Dodgers’ NLDS Roster

By Mark Polishuk | October 8, 2024 at 5:49pm CDT

The Dodgers and Major League Baseball both announced an injury-related substitution on Los Angeles’ NLDS roster. Right-hander Michael Grove has been removed in favor of fellow righty Ben Casparius. No specifics were given on Grove’s injury within the press release, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including David Vassegh of 570 AM Radio) that Grove is dealing with a shoulder injury.

Grove came out of the bullpen in Sunday’s Game 2, and he allowed a Xander Bogaerts solo homer before striking out Jake Cronenworth to end the top of the eighth inning. These were Grove’s only two batters faced, and while the inning break seemed like the reason for his removal from the game, it could be that his shoulder problem necessitated another pitching change. With the Dodgers down 7-1 after eight innings, a healthy Grove might’ve eaten one more inning of mop-up work.

Working as a starter, reliever, and swingman since his MLB debut in 2022, Grove has a 5.48 ERA over 149 1/3 career innings in the majors, including a 5.12 ERA in 51 frames in 2024. His secondary numbers paints a somewhat more promising picture than his ERA, though Grove has hurt his cause by being a little homer-prone. Injuries have also been a factor, as he has missed time in each of the two seasons with lat-related issues, as well as a groin strain that sidelined him for about six weeks of the 2023 campaign. The Dodgers have also liberally moved Grove up and down between the majors and Triple-A, so he hasn’t had a ton of time to settle into a big league role.

League rules dictate that if a team makes an injury substitution on a series roster, the injured player is also ineligible for the following series. Grove therefore isn’t able to play in the NLCS if the Dodgers advance past the Padres, though his health is the larger concern in general, given the ominous nature of shoulder-related discomfort. Los Angeles has already had to navigate a ton of pitching injuries throughout the season and into October, so Grove’s absence leaves the club short another arm.

It does provide quite the opportunity for Casparius, who only just made his big league debut back on August 31. A fifth-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2021 draft, Casparius has pitched in all of three MLB games, and he has a 2.16 ERA and an impressive 32.4% strikeout rate over 8 1/3 innings. He also has a 10.8% walk rate, which tracks with the rather so-so control Casparius exhibited over four minor league seasons. The Dodgers aren’t likely to use Casparius in any high-leverage situations during the NLDS, and it is possible he doesn’t see any action at all in the series barring another lopsided score.

In other notable injury news for L.A., Freddie Freeman is in tonight’s starting lineup for Game 3. Freeman’s attempts to play through a severe left ankle sprain and bone bruise seemed to take a downturn when he made an early exit from Game 2, but Roberts told reporters (including Sportnet’s Hazel Mae) that Freeman completed his pregame preparations without issue. “It’s a go as of now….unless I hear otherwise, he’s going to be in there,” Roberts said.

Dodgers Select Zach Logue

By Darragh McDonald | September 18, 2024 at 4:45pm CDT

The Dodgers announced that they have reinstated right-hander Joe Kelly from the 15-day injured list and selected the contract of left-hander Zach Logue. Righties Bobby Miller and Michael Grove were optioned in corresponding moves. Righty Tyler Glasnow was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot for Logue.

Logue just signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last week. He had previously been with Atlanta but elected free agency after being designated for assignment. Since he signed after the end of August, Logue isn’t eligible to join the Dodgers for the postseason, but he’ll give them a fresh arm in the bullpen as they look to get through the regular season.

Despite briefly being on Atlanta’s roster, Logue hasn’t yet pitched in the big leagues this season, but his results on the farm have been good. He has made 25 appearances in the minors, 12 of those being starts. In his 97 1/3 innings, he has allowed 2.59 earned runs per nine. He has struck out 23.2% of batters faced while limiting walks to a 7.1% walk rate.

Since signing with the Dodgers, he made one start at Triple-A, lasting three innings. Perhaps he will provide the club with a multi-inning arm out of the bullpen, though Miller’s option also creates a hole in the rotation. The club also gives Yoshinobu Yamamoto more than four days between starts, meaning occasional bullpen games or spot starts are necessary.

Whatever shape it comes in, Logue’s contributions with the Dodgers should allow him to add to a spotty major league résumé. Once a notable prospect with the Jays, he went to the Athletics in the March 2022 trade that sent Matt Chapman north of the border. But Logue put up a 6.79 ERA with the A’s in 2022 and went to the Tigers on waivers. With Detroit, he put up a 7.36 ERA in 2023 and lost his roster spot.

That gives him a career ERA of 6.88 in 68 major league innings but his minor league results have been more encouraging this year. If he manages to hold onto a 40-man roster spot through the winter, he has less than a year of service time and can be retained well into the future but he’ll be out of options next year.

As for Glasnow, he landed on the 15-day IL August 13 due to right elbow tendinitis. It was revealed a few days ago that he has a sprain and is unlikely to return to the team this year. This transfer doesn’t close the door to a return in the playoffs. The 60-day count is retroactive to his initial IL placement, so he could technically be reinstated in the middle of October if he can return to health.

Dodgers Recall Bobby Miller, Activate Ryan Brasier

By Leo Morgenstern | August 17, 2024 at 5:23pm CDT

The Dodgers added a pair of right-handed pitchers to the active roster today, promoting Bobby Miller from Triple-A Oklahoma City and activating Ryan Brasier from the 60-day injured list. To free up space on the 26-man roster, right-hander Michael Grove and left-hander Justin Wrobleski were optioned to Triple-A. The Dodgers already had an open spot on the 40-man after designating Amed Rosario for assignment on Monday.

Miller, 25, has had a rough go of it in his sophomore season. After pitching to a 3.76 ERA and 3.93 SIERA in his rookie campaign, the righty had mixed results over his first three starts in 2024, putting up a 5.40 ERA and 3.22 SIERA in 11 2/3 innings pitched. He then spent the next two months on the IL with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Miller returned to the mound in mid-June but struggled tremendously over his next four outings, giving up 19 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings (9.87 ERA). He struck out only nine, walked 12, and allowed five home runs – and least one in all four starts. His fastball velocity was also significantly slower; his four-seam averaged 99 mph in 2023, 98.3 mph over his first three starts in 2024, and just 96.8 mph in his last four starts before his demotion. Following what was arguably the worst start of his big league career (4 IP, 9 ER against the Phillies on July 9), he was optioned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club.

Unfortunately, Miller hasn’t looked much sharper at Triple-A. In three starts after being sent down, he gave up nine runs (eight earned) on 11 hits, with matching 18.3% strikeout and walk rates. He has not regained any of his missing fastball velocity either; his four-seam averaged 96.5 mph in his latest Triple-A outing on August 9. That being said, the Dodgers might simply have run out of other options for the starting rotation. Earlier this week, the team announced that top prospect River Ryan would undergo Tommy John surgery and ace Tyler Glasnow would hit the 15-day IL with elbow tendinitis. Wrobleski started on Friday, and Landon Knack was optioned after pitching four innings in relief on Tuesday. Miller is the only other healthy starter on the 40-man roster.

Wrobleski collected the win against the Cardinals yesterday, but the 24-year-old didn’t exactly look sharp. He gave up four runs on three homers in five innings of work, striking out three and walking two. The southpaw has a 4.68 ERA and 5.14 SIERA in 25 big league innings this year, to go with a 5.23 ERA and 5.03 FIP in four starts at Triple-A Oklahoma.

Thus, Miller will take the ball in today’s Players’ Weekend contest against the Cardinals. Barring a particularly poor performance, he could remain in the rotation until Glasnow is ready to return. The All-Star right-hander likely won’t miss much time, with Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reporting that Glasnow “feels fine” and did not even want to go on the IL in the first place. His IL placement is retroactive to August 13, so he will be eligible to come back to the team on August 28.

Meanwhile, Brasier will return to pitch out of the Dodgers bullpen for the first time since April. He has been out for nearly four months nursing a right calf strain. Although his early-season performance was uninspiring (4.63 ERA in 12 games), the 36-year-old was dominant for the Dodgers after they acquired him last season (0.70 ERA in 79 games), and the team will hope he can contribute in the late innings down the stretch. Despite his mediocre ERA, he pitched to a 3.21 SIERA in April, almost identical to his 3.29 SIERA with L.A. in 2023. On top of that, he looked sharp against minor league competition during his Triple-A rehab stint, tossing eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts and only one walk. What’s more, his average velocity was up on both his four-seam and sinker compared to his radar gun readings in April.

Grove, 27, has a 5.18 ERA in 33 appearances for the Dodgers this year. However, his 3.20 SIERA is much more promising, and he will head to Triple-A to wait in the wings as additional bullpen depth. Despite his unsightly ERA, he has looked like a solid multi-inning reliever when he’s taken the mound for the Dodgers this year. Yet, considering his mixed results – including a poor outing yesterday – and his optionability, it comes as little surprise that the Dodgers chose to send Grove down to make room for Brasier in the bullpen.

Dodgers Place Brusdar Graterol On IL With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain

By Darragh McDonald | August 7, 2024 at 6:57pm CDT

6:57pm: As relayed by MLB.com’s Juan Toribio, Roberts corrected himself this evening about Graterol’s injury, noting that the right-hander had suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain. A Grade 1 hamstring strain is the most mild form of strain, while a Grade 3 strain constitutes a complete tear of the hamstring. This is, of course, excellent news for Dodgers fans and Roberts went on to suggest that the club “remains hopeful” that the righty can return at some point this season.

5:22pm: The Dodgers announced Graterol’s placement on the injured list this evening and activated Grove to take his roster spot as expected. The club also announced that shortstop Miguel Rojas was being activated from the injured list and optioned outfielder James Outman to make room for him on the active roster.

8:40am: Dodgers right-hander Brusdar Graterol was removed from last night’s game in obvious pain and the club announced that he has a right hamstring strain. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game that the strain was the Grade 3 variety, the most severe type. Roberts stopped short of saying that Graterol is officially done for the year but it seems likely that will be the case. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and Alden González of ESPN were among those to report on the details.

It’s a brutal blow for Graterol personally, as he has already missed the majority of the season. He was sidelined in the spring due to hip tightness and inflammation in his throwing shoulder and began the season on the injured list due to the shoulder issue. The shoulder inflammation lingered long enough that he stayed on the IL until Monday. Last night was his first major league appearance of the year, which lasted eight pitches before he hurt himself. Now it seems likely that those eight pitches will be the totality of his major league work for the 2024 season.

For a frame of reference, the Royals put outfielder Kyle Isbel on the IL on May 5 of last year with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and estimated his recovery timeline to be about six weeks. He was reinstated on June 27, just over seven weeks later. Every injury is a unique situation but it seems fair to expect a longer timeline than that, given that Graterol’s strain is a higher grade. There’s just over six weeks left in the regular season now, so the circumstances seem to be pointing to Graterol being done for the year. Perhaps he can make a quick recovery and be a factor in October if the Dodgers make a long postseason run, but even in that scenario, he would have to convince the club that he’s healthy enough to be an upgrade over someone else already on the roster.

It’s a loss for the Dodger bullpen, as Graterol has been a mainstay of their relief corps prior to this year. He made 171 appearances for the club over the 2020 to 2023 seasons with a 2.69 earned run average. His 18.9% strikeout rate in that time was subpar but he limited walks to a 5.5% rate and got hitters to pound the ball into the ground at a massive 62.5% clip. He was able to earn enough of Roberts’ trust to rack up 11 saves and 38 holds.

The Dodgers already have relievers Ryan Brasier, Connor Brogdon, Blake Treinen and Michael Grove on the injured list. Graterol will be joining that group though Grove is likely to be reinstated to take his roster spot, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times on X. The relief corps has a collective 3.61 ERA that places them fifth in the league, so they should be an effective group even without Graterol, but it’s still not ideal when a serviceable arm goes down like this.

Graterol reached Super Two status after the 2022 season and is therefore in his second of four arbitration seasons. He made $1.225MM last year and is making $2.7MM here in 2024. With this season being almost a total wash, he’ll likely be in line for a similar salary in 2025. He would also be eligible for arbitration going into 2026 and is slated for free agency after that season.

Dodgers Notes: Yamamoto, Rojas, Graterol, Grove

By Nick Deeds | July 21, 2024 at 10:21pm CDT

In his first public comments to reporters since going on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto told reporters (including ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) yesterday that he’s been playing catch as he works his way back toward the mound. He described pitching again this year as his “goal,” noting that he was trying to return as soon as possible. Though Yamamoto did not specify a specific timetable for his return, Gonzalez noted that the Dodgers are “hoping” their star rookie will be back on the mound for them in late August or early September.

At the time of Yamamoto’s injury, manager Dave Roberts suggested that it wasn’t expected to end his season, so it’s not necessarily a surprise that the 25-year-old hurler still hopes to pitch this year. Even so, any source of optimism regarding Yamamoto’s status is surely a welcome one for fans in L.A. given the number of rotation injuries they’ve suffered in recent weeks. Entering the All-Star break, the club was relying on a patchwork rotation of veteran southpaw James Paxton and rookies Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, and Justin Wrobleski. Although both Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw are expected to join the mix later this week, providing the club with a solid front four alongside Stone and Paxton, questions will remain about the club’s lacking rotation depth until either Yamamoto or Walker Buehler returns from the injured list, barring a trade in the days leading up to the deadline.

Even setting aside the Dodgers’ current rotation needs, getting Yamamoto back late in the season figures to provide a huge boost to the club as they look ahead towards the postseason. After all, the $325MM righty was generally regarded as the best pitcher available this winter despite his lack of MLB experience, and in 14 starts with the Dodgers prior to hitting the shelf he flashed that potential. In his 76 innings of work this year, Yamamoto sports an excellent 2.92 ERA (137 ERA+) with an even better 2.68 FIP thanks to a fantastic 27.9% strikeout rate against a measly 5.6% walk rate.

While the club received some positive news about Yamamoto this weekend, they also were dealt something of an injury scare today when veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas exited today’s game due to a bout of tightness in his right forearm. Fortunately, Rojas told reporters following the game (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that he believes the injury, which he suffered over the All-Star break while doing hitting drills, isn’t a particularly serious one. Roberts echoed that sentiment, noting to reporters (including Ardaya) that the club does not currently plan to send Rojas for an MRI, although he won’t play tomorrow and could ultimately be down for a few days due to the issue.

The loss of Rojas would’ve been a brutal blow for the Dodgers, a somewhat surprisingly reality considering his disappointing 2023 campaign. In 206 trips to the plate for the club this year, Rojas has slashed a respectable .272/.317/.408 that registers as 6% better than league average by wRC+. He’s combined that solid work at the plate with strong defense, initially at second base before sliding over to shortstop to take over for Mookie Betts after he went down with a fractured hand last month. Kiké Hernández took over for Rojas at shortstop after he exited tonight and figures to continuing getting reps at the position in Rojas’s absence, perhaps alongside Gavin Lux.

More positive injury news for Dodgers fans comes out of Triple-A Oklahoma City, where (as noted by OKC Broadcaster Alex Freedman) right-handers Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove have both been assigned to begin rehab assignments this evening. Each right-hander struck out one while pitching a single inning of work tonight, with Grove working around a walk to produce a scoreless frame while Graterol allowed a hit and an unearned run in his inning of work. That both righties have reached the highest level of the minors in their rehab process is an exciting development for the Dodgers, as it suggests both will soon be available to contribute to a bullpen that has scuffled badly in recent days with a 5.51 ERA and 5.23 FIP since the calendar flipped to July.

Graterol hasn’t appeared in a big league game this year due to shoulder inflammation but has been one of the club’s most trusted relievers in recent years with a sterling 2.08 ERA and a strong 3.00 FIP in 117 innings of work since the start of the 2022 campaign, Grove, meanwhile, pitched to mixed results earlier this year before going down with a lat strain. The righty’s 5.06 ERA left much to be desired, but some of that lackluster run prevention seems to be due to unfortunate sequencing as demonstrated by his unusually low 62.5% strand rate and strong peripherals, including a 3.16 FIP, a strong 28.7% strikeout rate, and a fantastic 2.94 SIERA. Both hurlers should be welcome additions to the club’s bullpen when ready to return, possible sometime before the end of the month if their respective rehabs continue to go well.

Dodgers Place Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Michael Grove On 15-Day Injured List

By Nick Deeds | June 16, 2024 at 5:49pm CDT

5:49PM: Further tests revealed Yamamoto has a strained rotator cuff, manager Dave Roberts told DiGiovanna and other reporters today. No timeline was given, as Roberts indicated that the injury is “not season ending, but it’s going to be some time.”

2:15PM: The Dodgers announced this afternoon that they’ve placed right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the 15-day injured list with triceps tightness. The club also placed right-hander Michael Grove on the 15-day injured list due to lat tightness. In corresponding moves, the club has recalled right-hander J.P. Feyereisen and selected the contract of right-hander Michael Petersen. To make room for Petersen on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred right-hander Joe Kelly to the 60-day injured list.

That Yamamoto is headed for the injured list is hardly a surprise, as manager David Roberts indicated last night that a trip to the IL was likely for the righty after he exited his start last night after just two innings. Yamamoto’s departure from the rotation won’t require the Dodgers to turn to a spot starter, as right-hander Bobby Miller was already slated to return from the injured list and retake a spot in the starting rotation on Wednesday. That will allow him to seamlessly slide into the starting five alongside Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, Walker Buehler, and Gavin Stone while Yamamoto is on the shelf.

What remains unclear, however, is just how long Yamamoto will be out. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times indicated earlier this afternoon that the Dodgers plan to send Yamamoto for further testing beyond what had already been scheduled for him in the aftermath of his start last night, and it’s possible the specifics of the right-hander’s injury as well as his timetable for return will remain uncertain until the results come back from those tests. Of course, an absence of any length for Yamamoto is a frustrating turn of events for the Dodgers. The club’s $325MM man has been more or less exactly as advertised this year, with a 2.41 ERA and a 28.5% strikeout rate across his past 12 starts.

As for Grove, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that his injury is expected to be a relatively short-term one. The right-hander has served in multi-inning relief for the Dodgers throughout the year to this point and has struggled in terms of results with a 5.06 ERA in 37 1/3 innings of work, although it’s worth noting that the righty sports a strong 28.7% strikeout rate and a 3.14 FIP that suggests some of his struggles could be due to a deflated 62.5% strand rate. Interestngly, Grove struggled badly at the very start of the year with an 11.74 ERA across his first four outings, and has again begun to struggle lately with a 9.00 ERA in his last three appearances. In 21 appearances between April 10 and June 7, however, the right-hander was dominant with a 2.45 ERA, and incredible 37.1% strikeout rate, and a 2.75 FIP in 25 2/3 innings of work. If a trip to the IL allows Grove to rediscover that form going forward, it would surely provide the Dodgers bullpen with a massive boost headed as the calendar flips to July.

Joining the roster in the duo’s place are Feyreisen and Petersen. Feyreisen rejoins the club after missing the entire 2023 season due to injury and struggling somewhat in his first games back this year, with a 6.00 ERA and 4.81 FIP in nine appearances. Those struggles have continued at the Triple-A level, where he’s posted a 7.47 ERA in 15 2/3 frames thanks in part to a deflated 16.7% strikeout rate and four home runs allowed in that time. There is some room for optimism regarding the 31-year-old, however; the righty looked excellent in his seven appearances with the Dodgers at the big league level during the month of May prior to his demotion, where he struck out 26.9% of batters faced in 7 1/3 scoreless frames. If Feyreisen can return to the form he showed in the majors last month, he could be an asset for the club alongside fellow middle relief arms Yohan Ramirez and Anthony Banda.

As for Petersen, the 30-year-old is in his first year as a member of the Dodgers organization and will make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. The right-hander was selected in the late rounds of the 2012, ’13, and ’14 drafts before finally signing with the Brewers after being selected in the 17th round of the 2015 draft. He spent five years in the lower levels of the minors with Milwaukee before joining the Rockies prior to the 2020 campaign, although he didn’t pitch during the 2021 campaign and made just one appearance in 2022.

Petersen had his first full season since 2019 last year and pitched quite well between the Double- and Triple-A levels, with a combined 3.46 ERA in 41 2/3 innings of work with a 26.3% strikeout rate. That performance was enough to get Petersen a minor league deal with the Dodgers this past winter, and he continued to show solid results at the highest level of the minors during his time with the club at the Triple-A level. This year’s results were even better than the last, as he posted a sterling 1.61 ERA while striking out a whopping 36.9% of batters faced. Those exciting results were enough to get Petersen his first look at the big league level, where he’ll join Feyreisen in the middle of the L.A. bullpen.

As for Kelly, the move to the 60-day IL appears to be more or less procedural for the right-hander. He’s been on the injured list with a shoulder strain since the beginning of May and has not yet begun a rehab assignment, suggesting that the 36-year-old was already likely to spend at least the next couple of weeks on the shelf. He’ll now be eligible to be activated for the first time on July 5.

Dodgers Place Michael Grove On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2023 at 6:29pm CDT

The Dodgers placed right-hander Michael Grove on the 15-day injured list today, as Grove is suffering from right lat tightness. Left-hander Bryan Hudson was called up from Triple-A to take Grove’s spot on the active roster, and manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com and other reporters that Grove should miss only the minimum 15 days.

Grove missed about six weeks earlier this season due to a groin strain, and he has been up and down from Triple-A a few times this season. Working mostly as a traditional starter but also getting some work as a reliever and as a bulk pitcher, Grove has tossed 64 innings over 15 appearances this season, helping out a Dodgers team that has been hit hard by pitching injuries. Unfortunately for Grove and the Dodgers, his results haven’t been great, as he has a 6.61 ERA and has allowed a lot of hard contact.

The ERA doesn’t tell the whole story, as Grove’s 3.96 SIERA indicates some bad luck for the 26-year-old. Grove’s 6.3% walk rate is well above league average and his 23.5% strikeout rate is around mid-range. While batters are getting good wood on Grove’s offerings, he is also seeing an unusual amount of those balls in play fall for hits, as Grove has a hefty .378 BABIP.

Grove becomes the 11th pitcher on Los Angeles’ current injured list, with various hurlers still sidelined by both short-term or longer-term or season-ending injuries. Despite pitching depth being a problem for much of the season, the Dodgers are still atop the NL West, holding a three-game lead on the Giants entering Sunday’s play. Lance Lynn was acquired at the trade deadline to provide some rotation help, while Clayton Kershaw is expected to return from his own IL stint at some point this week. Roberts also said that Shelby Miller (on the 60-day IL) has recovered from a nerve issue and has started a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League, with hopes of returning to the Dodgers before the season is over.

Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List

By Anthony Franco | July 3, 2023 at 6:08pm CDT

The Dodgers placed Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 30, due to soreness in his throwing shoulder. L.A. also optioned reliever Victor González to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Righties Michael Grove and Gavin Stone have been recalled to take the active roster spots.

There’s no indication it’s a worrisome issue. Kershaw has felt the soreness for the past few days. The Dodgers held off until this evening to determine whether he’d be able to make his scheduled start tonight against Pittsburgh. That won’t happen, but Dodgers’ beat reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com) noted that Kershaw was on the field throwing long toss.

Dave Roberts also downplayed any concern. The Los Angeles manager told reporters the club was confident Kershaw would be eligible to jump back into the rotation coming out of next week’s All-Star Break (relayed by Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). Keeping Kershaw out of action through the Break avoids pushing his shoulder and also serves as a way to monitor his innings.

The three-time Cy Young award winner has made 22 starts in each of the last two seasons, coming in just under 130 frames in each. He’d already gotten up to 17 starts and 95 1/3 innings this year. While Kershaw is no longer capable of carrying league-high workloads as he did during his peak, he remains one of the sport’s most effective arms. Kershaw sports a 2.55 ERA and was selected to his tenth All-Star Game over the weekend. Obviously, he won’t participate in the Midsummer Classic, meaning he’ll be replaced on the National League roster.

Grove will get the start tonight against the Bucs. The righty has taken the ball nine times (seven starts) on the season. Over 37 innings, he has a 7.54 ERA and is allowing just under two homers per nine. Neither Grove nor Stone has filled in as hoped in depth roles this year, making the starting staff a potential deadline focus for the front office. Kershaw joins Dustin May, Noah Syndergaard, Ryan Pepiot and Walker Buehler (the latter two of whom haven’t pitched all season) on the injured list.

Dodgers Notes: Urias, Kershaw, Taylor

By Nick Deeds | July 1, 2023 at 5:55pm CDT

The Dodgers welcomed left-hander Julio Urias back from the 15-day injured list earlier this evening to start tonight’s game against the Royals. Urias has been on the shelf since late May with a hamstring strain and suffered a setback early last month as he neared a return. He now appears to be fully healthy, stepping back into the rotation with a 4.39 ERA and 5.30 FIP through ten starts this season. A free agent at season’s end, Urias’s performance will be of great importance not only to the Dodgers, but to Urias himself as the 27-year-old hurler looks poised to enter the open market as one of the top arms available.

Urias’s return couldn’t come at a better time, as Mike DiGiovanna of The LA Times notes that club ace Clayton Kershaw is dealing with inflammation in his shoulder following his start against the Rockies on Tuesday. Kershaw received a cortisone injection on Thursday and hopes to return to the mound Monday without missing a start, though comments from manager Dave Roberts indicate that may not come to pass. Roberts told reporters, including DiGiovanna, that Kershaw’s bullpen session went “just OK” and that Kershaw would likely require a trip to the injured list if he isn’t ready for Monday’s start. Should that situation come to pass, right-hander Michael Grove would likely fill in for Kershaw on Monday.

Any missed time for Kershaw, who sports a sterling 2.55 ERA and 3.53 FIP through 95 1/3 innings of work this season, would be a blow to the Dodgers, though the club is fortunate to have a variety of young hurlers on tap to cover innings as needed. Grove, Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, and Gavin Stone have combined to start nearly a quarter of the club’s games so far in the 2020 campaign as each of Urias, Tony Gonsolin, Noah Syndergaard, and Dustin May have missed time this season.

Utility man Chris Taylor, on the other hand, has not been so easy for the club to fill in for. Taylor went on the injured list last weekend with a bone bruise that has kept him from taking the field since June 16th. With youngsters Michael Busch and Miguel Vargas both having struggled at the big league level this season, the club has been forced to get creative in covering for Taylor, using Mookie Betts in the infield more often while relying on depth options such as Johnny DeLuca and Yonny Hernandez. Unfortunately for LA, the club figures to be without Taylor for awhile yet, as Roberts tells reporters (including DiGiovanna) that the 32 year old won’t return to action until after the All Star break.

In 182 trips to the plate this season, Taylor has slashed .206/.275/.455 good for a 94 wRC+ that clocks in at just below league average. Still, that production has been valuable to the club thanks to Taylor’s ability to play all over the diamond; Taylor has logged time at center field, second base, third base, shortstop, and left field throughout the 2023 campaign, with most of his innings coming at the latter three positions.

NL West Notes: Suter, Wacha, Sheehan

By Mark Polishuk | June 24, 2023 at 9:03am CDT

The Rockies placed left-hander Brent Suter on the 15-day injured list yesterday due to a left oblique strain, and recalled righty Noah Davis from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Suter has posted his typically low strikeout rate and his 8.1% walk rate is barely above league average, but the 33-year-old has nonetheless worked to a 2.81 ERA over 41 2/3 innings out of Colorado’s bullpen. Suter has allowed only two home runs over those 41 2/3 frames, and he has some of the best soft-contact numbers of any pitcher in baseball, sitting in the 99th percentile of hard-hit ball rate and in the 97th percentile of barrel rate.

Losing Suter to the IL is another blow to the injury-riddled Rockies, but the particular timing of the oblique problem adds some doubt to the southpaw’s value as a trade chip. Suter is a free agent after the season, and thus a logical player for the Rockies to shop in what looks like another non-contending season for the club. While oblique injuries can vary greatly in severity, it appears that Suter’s issue is relatively minor, as he told MLB.com that he was still feeling good and was planning to continue playing catch.

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