The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Brusdar Graterol off the paternity list and optioned Justin Bruihl to Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.
That was part of multiple roster moves on Friday, as Max Muncy also returned from paternity leave and Will Smith was activated from the concussion injured list. Luke Williams was optioned and J.D. Martinez landed on the 10-day IL as the respective corresponding moves.
Graterol rejoins what’s been a beleaguered Dodgers bullpen after missing the Pittsburgh Pirates series. Graterol’s wife, Allison, gave birth to their daughter, Aria, this week.
Graterol’s last appearance for the Dodgers was a two-inning save against the Chicago Cubs in the series finale at Wrigley Field. He has a 2.53 ERA and 1.03 WHIP to go along with 10 strikeouts across 10.2 innings pitched this year.
Since allowing a season-high two runs in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 8, Graterol has thrown 6.2 scoreless innings over his last six appearances.
Bruihl returns to Oklahoma City after spending nearly two weeks with the Dodgers. He was recalled in the middle of the month for matchup purposes with the New York Mets and Cubs.
Bruihl strung together four scoreless innings across his first four appearances before allowing a run on three hits during a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Friedman confident in Dodgers bullpen
Despite subpar performances from multiple relief pitchers thus far in 2023, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressed confidence the Dodgers bullpen will find its footing.
Friedman did also acknowledge it’s a volatile part of the roster, and suggested the team would look to make changes if the struggles continue.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
