The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Alex Vesia off the 15-day injured list and optioned Ben Casparius to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Vesia landed on the IL on Aug. 26 due to a right oblique strain, but his stint was retroactive to Aug. 23. That made Sunday, Sept. 7, the earliest day Vesia was eligible to return.
The left-hander was hopeful he would quickly recover from the oblique issue, even though it can be a tricky injury that often requires an extended period to heal.
He quickly progressed and ended up going out on a rehab assignment on Sept. 3. Vesia pitched in two games for the Comets, throwing two perfect innings while striking out three.
Prior to landing on the IL, Vesia was in the midst of a rough stretch, which included allowing a run in four consecutive appearances. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts continued to show trust in the southpaw and kept utilizing him in high-leverage situations.
Vesia has been one of the Dodgers’ most-dependable relievers this year, posting a 2.75 ERA in 52.1 innings while striking out 11.87 hitters per nine and walking 3.10 per nine.
Dodgers option Ben Casparius for Alex Vesia
The Dodgers faced a difficult decision on how to make room for Vesia, and ultimately decided to option Casparius.
The right-hander has pitched in 46 games, 43 of which have come from the bullpen, going 7-5 with a 4.64 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 77.2 innings. The 26-year-old struck out 21.3% of hitters faced while walking 6.3%.
Casparius has been with the Dodgers two seasons, pitching to a 9-5 record with a 4.40 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 86 innings.
Casparius was one of four pitchers in the bullpen with Minor League options, along with Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez and Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers would have needed to release any of their other relievers to make room, which wasn’t a viable option for them at the moment.
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