Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — The good news: Craig Kimbrel isn’t around to give us peptic ulcers anymore. The bad news: who exactly will be the Dodgers’ closer is an open question. Manager Dave Roberts has several capable arms when it comes to closing down games, but it’s going to be interesting to see exactly how the 9th inning plays out as the season develops. A few guys we’ve already discussed in our article on high leverage guys, but let’s see what else might happen at the end of the ball game.
Evan Phillips (2022: 63 IP, 1.14 ERA, 77 K 2 SV)
This site loves Evan Phillips. We want him out there every night. And, one of the harshest pills to swallow was to know that the Dodgers season slipped away from them in San Diego with Evan Phillips sitting in the bullpen waiting for a save opportunity that never came. Ugh. But enough of that, Phillips is up to his nasty ways again in Spring Training, and I’m guessing that he will get the ball in the 9th the lion’s share of the time in the early part of the season. I can imagine Vesia getting a save opportunity from time to time from the left side, but if this guy is rested, I think he’s the man. And that makes me feel good. Very good.
Brusdar Graterol (2022: 49.2 IP, 3.26 ERA, 43 K, 4 SV)
We keep waiting for dominant Brusdar to break out, and it never quite seems to materialize. He throw triple digits, yet doesn’t seem to miss many bats. And, the soft contact that he induces always seems to find a spot on the field where nobody is. Maybe this is the year that Graterol finally puts it all together. After all, the guy is only 24 years old. Once he can add a reliable secondary pitch, I think the Bazooka will have the capacity to become a legit closer in this game. At the moment, he is still a work in progress. We’ll see what he can do this year. He’ll certainly have plenty of opportunity, as unfortunately the other three guys on this list will all start the season on the IL.
Daniel Hudson (2022: 24.0 IP, 2.22 ERA, 30 K, 5 SV)
Hudson seemed to be emerging as a legit option to Craig Kimbrel as the Dodgers’ closer when he collapsed in a heap on the Atlanta infield grass that fateful night in May. The ACL injury that he sustained on that night put an end to those plans, and the Dodgers’ pen was without one of its best weapons for the rest of the year. Now, after healing up from the surgery for months, he ran into ankle problems this spring, so it’s going to be a bit before he makes his debut in Dodger Blue. He’s likely to be on the 15-Day list at the beginning of the year, but that might have to be extended a bit as he works his way back into form. It’s been a bit of a rocky road to recovery for the veteran righty, so we can only cross our fingers and hope that he’s back sooner rather than later.
Alex Reyes (2022: Injured List)
Another ship that the Dodgers are waiting to come in carries former All Star Alex Reyes. His best year was 2021, when he notched 29 saves for St. Louis. Serving as the Cardinals closer, he went 10-8 with a 3.24 ERA and 29 saves in 72 appearances. His fastball averaged 96.6 MPH to go with a wipeout slider that baffled opposing hitters as his main secondary pitch. He got a lot of strikeouts, but also gave up a lot of free passes to first base, not necessarily a quality you want in your closer. Smart money says he’s two or three months away from being ready, so don’t expect him to be anywhere near the mound until after the All Star break.
Blake Treinen (2022: 5.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 6 K)
Oh Blakey, you beautiful nutball, you. After a misguided attempt last year to rely on the power of prayer to heal up his shoulder injury, Treinen finally decided to go under the knife during the offseason. Which means he’s got a whole lot more healing to do before he’ll be game ready this year. Treinen will remain in Arizona and open the season on the 60-day injured list. Will we see him in 2023? Maybe. We’ll need to pray on that a bit…
Conclusion…
So in other words, three of the five guys mentioned in this article are on the shelf at the outset of the year, and none of them are likely to return anytime soon. That puts a lot of pressure on the guys that we do have to stay healthy and contribute, night in and night out until reinforcements can arrive. Depending on where things stand at the trade deadline, a bullpen arm might be on the Dodgers’ wish list this year. Along with a shortstop. And a left fielder. And a second baseman. And a center fielder.
Wooboy. Welcome to Dodgerland 2023. Strange Days indeed.
DODGERSBEAT RATING: B
