The Los Angeles Dodgers have faced one major problem for most of the year: the bullpen. At one point during the regular season, the bullpen was the Dodgers’ worst nightmare. That’s also why Roki Sasaki was moved to the bullpen on such short notice. For the World Series, the Dodgers are without one of their top bullpen arms, Alex Vesia.
“Alex Vesia is off the World Series roster and not on a bereavement list that would allow him to return between three and seven days, by the way. The Dodgers will try to secure another championship without one of their most trusted relievers,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote.
Not only will the Dodgers be without Vesia, but they will also be missing their top offseason addition, Tanner Scott. Scott was unable to make the World Series roster after coming back from a minor procedure.
“Regardless, Scott hasn’t shown enough to rush him back to the Fall Classic roster, and the Dodgers might just be better off without him, especially with the emergence of Roki Sasaki to take the ball during high-leverage situations,” SI’s Gabe Smallson wrote. “With his struggles as of late and however long it will take him to ramp up, it appears unlikely fans will see Scott in the World Series.”
With all of this going on, MLB insider Jon Heyman believes the Toronto Blue Jays have an advantage.
“The LA pen was filled with big names with bigger reps to start the season, but Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, Kirby Yates, Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are all out with injuries. What remains is a nine-man guessing game,” Heyman wrote. “Dodgers manager Dave Roberts seemed reluctant to employ his bullpen in previous rounds, and this performance, with the first eight batters LA’s pen faced driving in nine runs, can’t aid his confidence in the group.”
There’s no hiding the fact that the Dodgers’ bullpen is a major concern. Each game, it’s unclear who can be relied upon.
If the Dodgers are to lose this series, it very well could be due to bullpen blunders. Either Roberts guesses the right arm at the right time, or the team could suffer blowup innings in the worst way possible.
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