The Los Angeles Dodgers took advantage of their abundance of depth during the abbreviated 60-game regular season, using a total of 21 pitchers throughout the year. Among those who saw time with the club was Josh Sborz, who made his MLB debut in 2019.
The right-hander had just eight career appearances under his belt heading into the 2020 season. Sborz struggled in that small sample size, but always stood a good chance of receiving another opportunity due to his presence on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.
Sborz was among those included in the organization’s player pool in order to be eligible to participate this year. His first of three stints began on Aug. 20 when he was recalled as the corresponding move to placing Pedro Baez on the 10-day injured list.
Sborz did not appear in a game until Aug. 27 against the San Francisco Giants, when he retired all three batters faced while recording a strikeout.
The 26-year-old was optioned a few days later to make room for Tony Gonsolin. He returned on Sept. 8 when Joc Pederson was placed on the paternity list.
After making three appearances in five days, Sborz was optioned for a second time as the corresponding move to activating Justin Turner from the 10-day injured list.
Sborz would return to the active roster on Sept. 16, but was optioned again two days later without appearing in another game.
All-in-all, Sborz appeared in four games for the Dodgers this season, pitching to a 2.08 ERA, 5.96 FIP and 0.69 WHIP with two strikeouts against one walk across 4.1 innings of work. More importantly, he was encouraged by newfound health as a result of mechanical adjustments.
2020 highlight
In his final appearance of the season on Sept. 13, Sborz logged his longest outing of the year against the Colorado Rockies, retiring all four batters faced on just 12 pitches.
2021 outlook
Because of the ongoing pandemic and uncertainty surrounding Minor League Baseball, what next season entails for Sborz is unclear. Under normal circumstances, he likely would be on the Opening Day roster with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
No matter how it plays out, Sborz figures to again see time with the Dodgers next season, barring a trade that sends him elsewhere this winter.
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