It was a weekend of happiness and spectacular for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the San Diego Padres and with it regained the lead in the National League West. They even eliminated the ghosts of embarrassment, who had not swept a series since July 3 when they defeated the Chicago Cubs and since those dates the current MLB champions had not strung together three victories. Now, their main nemesis was their sparring partner to regain confidence in pitching and hitting.
The Dodgers have shown flashes of improvement, where the month of July was terrifying to have an effectiveness below .400. As for their pitching staff, it seems that they will soon have more options after Roki Sasaki and Michael Kopech were scheduled to begin their rehabilitation last week, two more teammates will join that path back. However, the recovery from injuries is an issue that should be treated in a measured manner
Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers are recovering slowly but positively
Dodgers reliever Kirby Yates faced hitters Saturday at Dodger Stadium, his second simulated game in four days. The veteran right-hander will begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City in Tacoma. Although he was not damaged, his fastball is still not convincing and while his rehabilitation is not complete, the Dodgers’ relief corps will still be vulnerable, who have allowed eight runs and have dissolved the lead obtained by the Angelenos’ bats.
The left-handed pitcher Tanner Scott, who faced the batters on Friday at Dodger Stadium, will also begin his rehabilitation with Oklahoma City on Tuesday. They will join their bullpen mate, Michael Kopech, who began his rehabilitation at Triple-A on Thursday. Similarly, his appearance was not as desired and put the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lead in jeopardy, but the power-hitting team responded in a timely manner to win last Friday’s game.
The future of the Los Angeles Dodgers relievers in August
We’ll have to wait and see how each of them progresses, as they are all at least 85% of the way back to the heavy workload that the playoffs will demand. Kirby Yates could be the first of the trio of relievers to return, as he has been out since Aug. 1 with lower back soreness. Yates has a 4.31 ERA in 39 games this season, with 44 strikeouts and 12 walks in 31 1/3 innings.
Meanwhile, Scott has been out since July 22 with inflammation in his left elbow after feeling a twinge in his left arm. Kopech is the only one of the three injured relievers who is on the 60-day disabled list, after his return from meniscus surgery. Since the All-Star break, the Dodgers’ bullpen has a 3.40 ERA and a strikeout rate among the worst (21.7%). The Dodgers’ six blown saves since the break are the third-most in MLB, just one behind the Yankees and Rangers.
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