Nine pitchers, one revolving Dodgers roster spot
18/04/2024 16:02
A look at the slew of transactions by the Dodgers, and the constant shuffling of fresh arms onto the pitching staff
The last few days at Dodger Stadium have been busy, with several roster moves and a handful of players coming and going on a regular basis. There were three major league debuts for the team in the last series against the Nationals alone.
But nowhere has the transactional action been as plentiful as for one single roster spot, which has acted more as a temporary holding spot for nearly the last three weeks. In the Dodgers' last 17 games, nine different pitchers have occupied a single roster spot.
Two of those arms — Nabil Crismatt and Dinelson Lamet — weren't even on the Dodgers' 40-man roster once the turnstile began, on March 30. Crismatt and Lamet aren't on the 40-man roster now, as they've already both been designated for assignment, cleared waivers, and found their way back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Most of the impetus for all the roster moves is the constant need to add fresh arms. The Dodgers have already held two planned bullpen games, necessitated by for now keeping Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a nearly weekly schedule that more emulates his time in Japan. When Yamamoto starts against the Mets on Friday, that will be on six days rest. Thus far in spring training and the regular season he started on five days rest once, on April 12 in Chicago, but every other outing has been with at least six days of rest.
"I don't foresee normal rest for quite some time," manager Dave Roberts said Monday. "It's certainly not off the table, but obviously it won't happen any time soon."
Bobby Miller landing on the injured list last Saturday meant the Dodgers needed to fill a rotation spot in the interim, at least until Walker Buehler is ready to return, which could be next week.
Kyle Hurt made the Dodgers opening day roster, but our tale begins on March 30, when he got eight outs late in an extra-inning loss to the Cardinals. Here are the roster moves for that one roster spot since:
- March 31: Hurt optioned, Crismatt selected to the roster
- April 1: Crismatt designated for assignment, Lamet selected
- April 6: Lamet designated for assignment, Gus Varland recalled
- April 8: Varland optioned, Connor Brogdon activated
- April 13: Brogdon placed on injured list, J.P. Feyereisen recalled
- April 15: Feyereisen optioned, Ricky Vanasco recalled
- April 16: Vanasco optioned, Eduardo Salazar selected
- April 17: Salazar optioned, Landon Knack recalled
That's nine pitchers for a single roster spot, covering 19 days and 17 games. Salazar is the only one of the group who did not pitch for the Dodgers, but the others combined for a 4.58 ERA in 17⅔ innings, with 14 strikeouts and five walks.
There were two major league debuts (Vanasco and Knack), one win (Crismatt), three losses, one save (Lamet, the first of his professional career), and 10 appearances in total.
To put the 17⅔ innings in perspective, the only Dodgers pitcher with a heavier workload during that time is ace Tyler Glasnow, who has recorded only one more out than this nine-headed crew.
Let's see what this weekend brings us, and whether the Dodgers will find more arms to shuttle through Los Angeles.
