LOS ANGELES, CA—Missing from the Dodgers bullpen the last several weeks has been key right-handed relief pitcher Brock Stewart, who was the Los Angeles Dodgers ’ top bullpen acquisition at this year’s trade deadline.
Stewart, 33, was reacquired by the Dodgers in an effort to boost the bullpen but also give Dodgers manager Dave Roberts a go-to arm that can get right-handed hitters out, something they’ve lacked with the season-ending injury to Evan Phillips.
However, the Dodgers have yet to see that production Stewart flashed during his stint with the Minnesota Twins, with the righty only making four appearances with the Dodgers before being placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort.
Even in the limited sample size, Stewart had yet to be as advertised, posting a 4.91 ERA after allowing two runs in 3.2 innings pitched after being traded to the Dodgers.
After Stewart was shut down due to shoulder discomfort, the right-hander received multiple cortisone injections in an attempt to subdue the pain.
After the first round of injections, Stewart restarted his throwing program, but his body didn’t respond as he had hoped, so the team shut it down again.
“He was playing catch, and then it just didn’t respond the right way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently explained.
Fast-forward to today, and now Stewart, after another dose of cortisone shots, the righty was seen at the Arizona complex throwing a bullpen and will likely face hitters by this weekend.
After that, it’ll be a short one-game appearance with the Triple-A OKC Comets before hopefully rejoining the Dodgers for the final two weeks of the regular season.
“If everything goes well, live BP on Friday. And then if that goes well, off to OKC for hopefully just one outing, but we’ll see,” Stewart said. “But feeling good, just trying to take it one day at a time still and continue to build, continue to stack good days.”
The Dodgers need Stewart more than ever, given the bullpen’s recurring issues this season. Over the final weeks, Dave Roberts will use this time to build his trust tree of arms for October.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
