LOS ANGELES — As expected, the Dodgers have placed righthander Kirby Yates on the IL after he sustain an injury in Saturday’s game against the Angels. After that contest, manager Dave Roberts all but confirmed the move. “Early assessment is a grade one hamstring. I don’t see how it’s not an IL,” he said at the time. And now, it becomes official on Sunday.
TheDodgers made the roster adjustment on Sunday, officially placing Yates on the 15-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, the club selected the contract of right-hander Lou Trivino.
Yates was forced to exit Saturday night’s game against the Angels after facing five batters and retiring only one. He was charged with three earned runs and took the loss in the Dodgers’ 11–9 defeat. The injury became apparent after Yates walked Jo Adell and was seen clutching his right hamstring in visible pain. Manager Dave Roberts later told reporters that the team suspected a Grade 1 strain and strongly implied that an injured list stint was unavoidable. Yates was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage.
Despite the rough outing that elevated his ERA to 4.34 over 18 2/3 innings, advanced metrics suggest Yates has pitched better than his surface stats indicate. A high .385 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) has skewed his ERA, while his 1.90 SIERA and 38.8% strikeout rate—among the best in baseball—paint a more favorable picture of his performance. His .282 expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) also suggests he’s been unlucky compared to his actual .358 wOBA.
Yates now becomes the 14th pitcher on the Dodgers’ injured list. If Shohei Ohtani’s ongoing recovery from elbow surgery is factored in, the total climbs to 15. The bullpen has been hit especially hard, with other key arms such as Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Blake Treinen also sidelined. With five relievers used in Saturday’s game, the team needed to act quickly to replenish its pitching staff.
To fill the void, Los Angeles turned to Lou Trivino, who was signed to a minor league deal just last week after electing free agency. Trivino had recently been designated for assignment by the Giants following a rocky stint in which he posted a 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings. He cleared waivers and chose to enter free agency before joining the Dodgers organization. After making just one scoreless appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Trivino was promoted to the big league club.
This move underscores the Dodgers’ ongoing battle with roster attrition, particularly in the pitching department. With the NL West shaping up to be a tight race involving the Padres, Giants, and Diamondbacks, Los Angeles will need to rely on its depth more than ever to stay competitive.
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