Ben Casparius started his Los Angeles Dodgers career in 2024 as a hidden gem and then was more of an unsung hero last year. However, Casparius hasn’t yet been able to make much of an impact this season because he was sidelined early on due to right shoulder inflammation.
Casparius currently working his way back at the Dodgers’ facility at Camelback Ranch, but he is not expected to be ready to return any time soon.
“He’s in Arizona building up on his throwing program,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s out there with Evan Phillips and a couple other guys. He’s on a longer timetable. I don’t know when it is, but it is a longer timetable. And then once he starts facing hitters and goes on rehab, then it’ll be more of a conversation.”
Casparius’ results in 2025 weren’t going to win him any accolades, but he still provided a ton of value to the Dodgers pitching staff. That was especially true during the midpoint of the season, when he was asked to transition to an innings eater on the fly to make up for the lack of starting pitching production.
He was effective early on last season, finishing the first two months of the season with a 2.72 ERA and 42 strikeouts across 36.1 innings. However, Casparius struggled to adjust to the increased workload and was never quite the same even after transitioning back to a traditional reliever role.
That carried over into this season, as Casparius allowed five runs in 4.2 innings before the shoulder inflammation forced him to the 15-day injured list.
The Dodgers recalled Kyle Hurt as the corresponding move and he has made the most of his opportunity. Hurt has a 0.90 ERA, 12.60 strikeouts per nine innings and a 14-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 10 innings of work.
Dodgers pitching injuries
It was a difficult past week for the pitching staff as the Dodgers lost both Tyler Glasnow and Brock Stewart to the injured list.
Glasnow is currently unavailable because of back spasms and Stewart is dealing with a bone spur in his left foot. Neither injury is considered serious at this time, though Stewart conceivably could ultimately require surgery — like Edwin Díaz — if the bone spur continues to give him trouble.
There was a positive development as Blake Snell came off the 15-day IL for his season debut this past Saturday. He encountered some tough luck in what effectively was still a rehab start amid his return from left shoulder fatigue.
Make sure to follow Dodger Blue on Instagram! It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!
