Brusdar Graterol has not thrown a pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025 as he struggled to recover from right shoulder surgery he underwent during the offseason.
Graterol’s absence was compounded by Evan Phillips undergoing Tommy John surgery this year, and a long list of inconsistent performances and additional injuries.
The Dodgers bullpen didn’t show strong signs of improvement during the National League Wild Card Series, but by a generous interpretation, survived their first test of the postseason.
Roki Sasaki was the lone bright spot and Blake Treinen was able to execute with a decent-sized lead. But outside of that, the series against the Cincinnati Reds left more questions than answers.
Meanwhile, after there were recent suggestions that Graterol potentially would return late in the postseason, he announced that is not going to be feasible.
Me gustaría decirle a toda mi fanaticada de los Dodgers , que me fuera gustado estar en la postemporada pero mi rehabilitación no ha sido fácil , así que ya cambié mi mentalidad para 2026 , gracias a todos por siempre estar pendiente, los quiero fanáticos de los Dogders 🫡… pic.twitter.com/d6T5gkVvY1
— brusdar graterol (@BrusdarGraterol) October 2, 2025
Graterol began this season on the 60-day injured list after undergoing surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder.
The Dodgers initially were hopeful Graterol would return after the All-Star break, but he never made much progress. The right-hander has spent most of his time rehabbing at Camelback Ranch but never advanced to pitching in a Minor League game.
Graterol threw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium late last month, which further fueled hope of a possible return late this year. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers would trust activating Graterol in October even without previously pitching in any sort of game this year.
In parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, Graterol is 10-8 with a 2.69 ERA, 3.19 FIP and 1.03 WHIP over 181 innings pitched (178 games; five starts).
He is eligible for one more year of salary arbitration before potentially becoming a free agent after the 2026 season.
Dodgers trust Roki Sasaki in bullpen role
Roki Sasaki shut the door on the Reds in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series to send the Dodgers to the NL Division Series for a matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He recorded two strikeouts and touched a season-best 101.4 mph on his fastball.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts anticipates Sasaki will continue to pitch in high-leverage situations during the postseason.
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