Through nearly one month of play, the Los Angeles Dodgers have established themselves as one of the most complete teams in MLB. The club has thrived in multiple areas, including offense and the starting rotation.
But if there is one area for the Dodgers to improve on, most would point to the bullpen. Entering Monday’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants, the club’s relief corps ranks 17th in opponents’ on-base plus slugging percentage (.733) and 19th in ERA (4.60).
Those numbers represent steep declines when compared to recent seasons. But the process in which the bullpen has been utilized remains the same, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mixing and matching as he typically would.
While the early results haven’t been favorable, Roberts remains committed to the process in which he strategically summons his relievers. “Very confident in our process,” he said.
“That doesn’t equate to success (all the time), but I think the players understand our process and believe in it and take on whatever situation or role I put out there for them.
“At that point in time it’s execution, betting on the guys and taking the long view. There’s always talk about the bullpen every single year. Every team deals with it when guys give up runs. I think we’ve shown over the course of my time here that ultimately we fare pretty well out of the bullpen.”
With the exception of Kenley Jansen at closer, the rest of the Dodgers’ bullpen roles have interchanged in recent seasons. To help bridge the gap to the ninth inning, Roberts has primarily relied on Pedro Baez to record the big outs in high-leverage situations.
Baez’ success in that role has fared over time, but Roberts remains committed to the right-hander. “For example, Pedro Baez is a guy I’ve leaned on for three years in leverage; whether it’s the sixth inning or the eighth inning,” he said. “There’s been success, there’s been some tough times, but he’s always come out on the other side.
“Individually, I think each guy, whether it’s Fergie or Alexander, they’ve all pitched in leverage in different times over the last couple years. Finding their roles, it’s more individual-driven. When they’re right and throwing the baseball well, they can pitch in any situation.”
Despite the Dodgers’ early struggles in relief, the bullpen has benefited with the recent returns of Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill from the 10-day injured list.
As a domino effect, Ross Stripling and Julio Urias have shifted to the bullpen after succeeding in a starting role. Both pitchers are versatile enough in which they can be deployed in various roles, providing the struggling unit a big boost at an opportune time.
