Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — Let’s be honest. Right now, the Dodgers’ bullpen is a bit of a mess. Some key injuries and poor Spring Training performances have cast a lot of doubt on what was a huge plus for the Dodgers in 2022. How Mark Prior and Dave Roberts navigate these choppy waters will go a long way toward determining the team’s fate this season. With that said, let’s take a look at the low leverage guys who figure to see action in 2023.
Phil Bickford (2022: 61.0 IP, 4.72 ERA, 67 K)
Phil Bickford is a puzzle. After being awesome in 2021, he was awful last year, posting by far the worst numbers of any regular reliever not named Craig Kimbrel. He’s hoping for a bounce-back year in 2023, but his performance in Spring Training has not been encouraging. I hope he can get back to where he once was. There was a reason he was a first round draft pick, and the Dodgers have seen it in action. Now, all we can do is hope that we see it again.
Justin Bruihl (2022: 23.2 IP, 3.80 ERA, 13 K)
Bruihl has already been sent down to the minors, so we won’t be seeing him for a while at Dodger Stadium. His season in 2022 was just okay. He didn’t see a whole lot of action, but when he did he was a fairly reliable bullpen piece from the left side. Not sure I would trust him in a high-leverage situation at this point in his career, but it’s nice to know that he’s around should other options not pan out.
Victor Gonzalez (2022 [Minors]: 12.1 IP, 2.84 ERA, 12K)
Gonzalez is another piece that you would love to see recapture his form. He was such a big part of the World Series run in 2020, but he’s been beset by injuries ever since. He hasn’t thrown a lot in Spring Training games, and the results have not been great, so I’m guessing he’ll be spending most of the season in Oklahoma working to regain what’s been lost.
Andre Jackson (2022: 9.2 IP, 1.86 ERA, 9 K)
Jackson was sort of the forgotten man last year, as he was constantly being passed over for spot starts in favor of Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove. Instead, he spent most of the year at Oklahoma City, where he didn’t really shine (5.00 ERA). However, he’s had a wonderful Cactus League record this year, with an ERA hovering in the neighborhood of 1.00, and he’s certainly a better bet out of the pen than some of the arms that we’re going to talk about in a minute. The only question is whether the Dodgers would prefer him to get his work in at triple-A or sit on the bench in the pen at Chavez Ravine. I’m guessing it’s the former, but we’ll see.
UPDATE: roster moves made on Friday confirm Jackson will start the season as a bullpen piece in the Dodgers lineup.
Shelby Miller (2022 [SF]: 7.0 IP, 6.32 ERA, 14 K)
Miller is another grab-bag mystery man. The 32-year-old right-hander has a decade of big league experience and has great stuff. Problem is, the guy has been SHELLED in his outings in Arizona (2.0 WHIP — Yikes!). Not sure what to expect out of this guy on the mound this season. My expectations are extremely low.
Jimmy Nelson (2022: Injured List)
Oh Jimmy Nelson! The Big Sweat! I like this guy, and want to root for him. He’s got some of the nastiest stuff on the entire Dodger pitching staff. But half the time Nelson himself has no idea where the ball is going out there. Which has led to too many free passes. Not a great quality to have in a reliever. He spent all of 2022 on the IL, and probably will need a lot more work before he can be relied on in anything close to a big moment. And, I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but if the the Dodgers can get a comeback year out of him (big if), he’ll be a great weapon.
Other options…
Among the non-roster guys who are pitching for the Dodgers this Spring, there are some familiar faces: lefty specialist Adam Kolarek and journeyman Jake Reed are both in camp on minor league deals and are already sent down. That doesn’t mean we won’t see them at some point during the year. Starters Michael Grove and Ryan Pepiot may fill some bullpen space, but their future is not really in the bullpen. Former National Wander Suero is looking pretty good in camp and might have a shot at the Opening Day roster, as is Tayler Scott. But like all years, there will be a lot of bullpen by committee in these middle innings. We’ll see just how many pitchers cycle through the Dodgers’ clubhouse this year.
DODGERSBEAT RATING: D+
