DENVER –– It will likely be at least three months until the Dodgers get closerEdwin Díaz back from his elbow surgery.
Three months, that means, of having to piece things together in save situations come the ninth.
It’s not exactly new territory for the Dodgers.
Since Kenley Jansen’s departure at the end of 2021, they’ve had 31 pitchers record at least one save, but only one who has tallied at least 25 (Evan Phillips, who is currently recovering from a procedure of his own after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year).
For now, they will be returning to a closer-by-committee approach, hoping to find strength in numbers after losing their $69 million offseason signing.
On Monday, manager Dave Roberts said he was “comfortable with a handful of guys that I feel can close out games for us.”
General manager Brandon Gomes concurred that, while not every reliever is built for save situations, “for our team … most guys” are.
Thus, as the Dodgers try to move forward, here is a look at their best ninth-inning candidates, and the relievers most likely to fill in during Díaz’s absence.
Though Vesia has emerged as one of the sport’s top left-handed relievers in recent seasons, pitching the ninth inning has been mostly an occasional occurrence.
Typically, the southpaw has been deployed against runs of left-handed hitters in opposing lineups. Usually, such matchups arrive earlier in games.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
