Looking to add pitching depth this past offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed former Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Tom Koehler.
He was expected to be an essential part of the Dodgers bullpen, and given his history as a starter, would also provide some rotation depth by being able to serve as a spot starter when needed.
The Dodgers have not been able to see how that signing played out, however, as Koehler has yet to throw a pitch this season. He suffered a shoulder injury during Spring Training and was projected to return around the All-Star break.
But that no longer holds true, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained Koehler suffered a setback when attempting to throw his curveball, via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“He was using his entire [pitch] mix and was starting to ramp it up a bit when he threw a curveball that didn’t feel great coming out,” Roberts said. “So we wanted to back off a bit, slow him down and then restart him.”
Considering it is a shoulder injury, the Dodgers can’t count on Koehler to give them much this season, even if he does return in August or September.
To add to that, the 2017 season was a rough one for the 31-year-old, as in 12 starts with Miami he went 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA, 6.91 FIP and 1.73 WHIP in 55.2 innings.
After being traded to Toronto, Koehler was converted to a reliever, and it seemed to have done wonders. He yielded a 2.65 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.29 WHIP and averaged a career-best 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 15 appearances (17 innings pitched).
If Koehler is able to get healthy and contribute though, that would be the equivalent of a trade-deadline acquisition for the Dodgers.
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