Much of talk surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers thus far into the season has once again been centered on the inconsistent performance of the bullpen. Their woes plagued the club a season ago and has carried over into the first month and a half of 2016.
Heading into the season, Chris Hatcher was thought to be a key contributor as a backend reliever. Hatcher, coming off a strong end to last season, was in position to serve as the primary setup man for closer Kenley Jansen.
However, in similar fashion to what was the case last season, Hatcher has struggled out of the gate; his troubles in 2015 led to a stint on the 60-day disabled list due to an oblique strain.
Hatcher’s fortune shifted after he returned from the DL as the hard-throwing right-hander posted a 1.31 ERA with 26 strikeouts in his last 20.2 innings.
As for his current troubles, Hatcher met with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“We talked,” said Roberts. “I just felt it was time for me to talk about the things he’s going through, to reset. When you’re not doing well, you have a tendency to try harder and do more. I wanted him to know we’re still behind him. When you try to be perfect, you end up going the other way and hitting the big part of the plate. I think he’s trying to be too perfect. For me, just intervene and have a conversation and take away some of the pressure. Any player that struggles, you lose the edge or swagger or confidence. It was important for me to have that conversation and get that swagger back.”
Entering play on Saturday night, Hatcher owns a 6.35 ERA, 6.62 FIP and 1.88 WHIP in 17 innings pitched. He’s tied with Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez and Louis Coleman for the team-high with 19 appearances.
Hatcher’s struggles have left him largely without a role. After appearing in the seventh inning or later through his first 16 games, he’s twice entered in the fifth and once in the sixth over his past three games.
