One of the more under-the-radar acquisitions at last year’s non-waiver trade deadline was the Los Angeles Dodgers landing reliever Josh Fields from the Houston Astros. In return, Houston received Minor League first baseman Yordan Alvarez.
Fields struggled with the Astros last season and was demoted to Triple-A Fresno, where he found success. That momentum carried into his joining the Dodgers. The right-hander yielded a 2.79 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 22 appearances.
Fields also pitched in four postseason games, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings. That body of work was not enough for Fields to make the 25-man roster on Opening Day, however.
While Fields began the 2017 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, his first time pitching came with the Dodgers as he replaced Rich Hill on the active roster in early April. The reliever was optioned and recalled multiple times during the month but has since remained with the team.
Fields has developed into one of manager Dave Roberts’ more trusted relievers. While the right-hander has fared well, statistics are not something he’s keen on tracking, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“If it doesn’t look good, I don’t want to be defeated by looking at it and thinking, ‘This mountain is pretty tall to climb.’ If it does look good, I don’t want to get complacent and comfortable and not put forth the same effort.”
Fields remarks did come prior to allowing a grand slam followed by a solo home run after inheriting a bases-loaded jam in Saturday’s wild affair at Miller Park.
Up to that point, the 31-year-old had only allowed two runs on 14 hits, including one home run, and had 27 strikeouts in 22.1 innings across 22 games. He sported a 0.81 ERA.
Having thrown another scoreless inning on Sunday, Fields now owns a 1.50 ERA, 1.77 FIP and 0.88 WHIP in 24 innings.
