Dodgers News: After Blow-up, Dodgers eye different role for Casparius
LOS ANGELES — For Dodgers right-hander Ben Casparius, July 4 wasn’t a celebration—it was a humbling night on the mound. Facing a dangerous Astros lineup, Casparius was tagged for six runs in just three innings, and it was clear early on that things weren’t clicking.
“Yeah, that was one you want to flush as soon as possible,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “I don’t think Ben was good tonight. It seemed like they were on everything he threw up there.”
The Astros came out hunting fastballs and were aggressive from the start. Casparius later acknowledged that his pitch execution has been lacking during this recent stretch. “I think just execution in general,” he said when asked what’s been missing. “Teams are starting to game plan a little bit more, knowing I’m going to go more than one or two innings.”
That increased familiarity has made his pitch mix and location choices even more important—and that’s where Casparius knows he needs to adjust. “I think part of it too is just they were kind of hunting me out over the plate,” he said. “A lack of going inside has kind of gotten me into tough spots.”
It’s not just the Astros. Casparius has struggled since the Dodgers began stretching him out into more of a starter’s role. In his last several outings, the results have declined, and Roberts acknowledged Friday that the team will now reevaluate his role moving forward.
“What’s going to happen with Ben is, obviously with Emmet Sheehan coming, he’ll probably go to the pen,” Roberts explained. “Get him back to shortening up a little bit. Getting him into the starter role was a matter of need. But shortening him up—I think the stuff will play up a little bit more, too.”
Casparius, for his part, is taking the transition in stride and is using this period as a learning opportunity.
“These have at least been learning experiences,” he said. “It’s still new at this level. For me, it’s just kind of diving into the numbers, seeing what’s working and in what counts. Maybe just being a little sharper on game planning.”
In addition to studying data and scouting reports, Casparius is in regular communication with the coaching staff, including pitching coach Mark Prior. After Friday’s rough outing, the two had a long conversation in the dugout. “Yeah, just stay calm,” Casparius said of the message from Prior. “A lot of it was just, hey, we’re going to take a deep dive of what’s going on, maybe tweak some things. And just really look at patterning and sequencing.”
There’s no sense of panic—just a recognition that adjustments are needed as the league adjusts to him. “I think it’s a work in progress every single day,” Casparius said. “This was a really righty-heavy lineup. Obviously, we’re game planning through the week, looking at who we have to face. It kind of differs week by week.”
When asked if his early exit Friday was due to anything other than performance, Casparius didn’t hesitate. “I’m not really sure,” he admitted. “I think it was result-driven.”
With Sheehan’s return imminent and the Dodgers looking to stabilize the rotation, the bullpen could offer Casparius a better fit for now—a place where his stuff might play up in shorter bursts and allow him to reset mentally.
Friday’s blowout loss wasn’t ideal—Roberts even had to send a position player to the mound by the end—but there was at least a silver lining in terms of preserving the core of the bullpen. “You never feel good about throwing a position player,” Roberts said, “but if you look at it in totality, we stayed away from our leverage guys. We’re in a good position to win the next two games to win the series.”
As the Dodgers look ahead, they’re hoping that shortening Casparius up can unlock the promise they’ve seen in his arm. He has the stuff. Now it’s about adjusting to the level, tightening the plan, and getting back to executing pitches with confidence—wherever those pitches come from.
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