Where would the Los Angeles Dodgers be without their bullpen this season? Probably not three more wins away from their first trip back to the World Series since 2020.
With the starting rotation being a big question mark entering the 2024 postseason, it was going to be up to the Dodgers bullpen to do a lot of heavy lifting to get this team to where they ultimately want to be.
It was probable, if not likely, that the group with the fourth-best bullpen ERA would be able to pull their own weight in the playoffs.
But they went above and beyond in the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres, holding their dynamic offense scoreless for 24 straight innings and ensuring that the Dodgers reached the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2021.
However, the Dodgers’ 2-0 victory in Game 5 against the Padres came at a cost as Alex Vesia exited the game due to injury while warming up for the eighth inning. An MRI later revealed it to be an intercostal injury and it led to Vesia not being part of the Dodgers’ NLCS roster.
The Dodgers are keeping the door open for Vesia to return if they make their way past the Mets, but with the information currently available to them there is nothing they can say for certain.
“We’re hopeful. We’re not sure. But it’s something we’re going to do everything we can to keep treating it and put him in position for that. So we’re hopeful,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said last week.
“It’s two days later, we don’t really know. But the early signs yesterday were optimistic, but who knows what that means.”
Vesia allowed just one hit, issued one walk and collected four strikeouts in three scoreless innings across three appearances in the NLDS.
How Alex Vesia injury impacts Dodgers bullpen
Vesia was excellent for the Dodgers in the regular season and that continued into the playoffs. His absence is a huge loss not only for that reason, but it also has Anthony Banda as the only left-handed option available out of the Dodgers bullpen in the NLCS.
Moreover, Vesia’s ability to pitch multiple innings is a loss for the team as well. That was seen when the Dodgers elected for a bullpen game with Landon Knack filling a bulk role rather than the team reprising their reliance on high-leverage options like in the NLDS.
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