Despite the departures of Yu Darvish, Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain flush with pitching depth. The club is reaping those benefits in Spring Training, where a plethora of talented arms are all vying for spots on the 25-man roster.
Among the many versatile options include Brock Stewart, who has proven to be capable of filling any role asked of him. Thus far, Stewart has not started in any of his three Cactus League appearances.
Heading into the 2018 season, he is once again open to any role that may be presented to him, whether it’s occupying a spot in the starting rotation or pitching out of the bullpen, via Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider:
“I got used to it and got kind of into a groove,” Stewart said. “I learned last year I could kind of do both and kind of grew to love both, so I wouldn’t mind if I were in the bullpen or starting this year. Whatever the team needs.”
Stewart made his MLB debut in 2016, where he appeared in seven games — five as a starting pitcher and two as a reliever. That type of versatility was once again on display in 2017, though Stewart spent most of his time in a relief role.
In 17 games last season (four starts), Stewart compiled a 3.41 ERA, 4.73 FIP and 1.37 WHIP across 34.1 innings. He struck out 29 batters, but struggled with his command and issued 19 walks.
Stewart, with less than three years of service time, still has Minor League options attached to him. Even if he doesn’t break camp with the Dodgers and heads to Triple-A Oklahoma City, he’ll likely receive an opportunity later in the year, as was the case during the previous two seasons.
