Major League Baseball announced that it approved a roster substitution for the Los Angeles Dodgers due to an injury sustained by Michael Grove. Ben Casparius replaced Grove on the roster for the the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Dr. Gary Green, MLB’s Medical Director, confirmed the injury after a full review of the medical information. The specifics of the injury to Grove were not announced by MLB, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts should provide further clarification.
MLB Postseason rules provide that a club may request permission from the Commissioner’s Office to replace a player who is unable to play because of an injury. The Commissioner’s Office may approve or disapprove the request based on the specific facts and circumstances.
In accordance with the rules, Grove will be ineligible to return in the National League Championship Series if the Dodgers participate, but he would be eligible to return for the World Series presented by Capital One if Los Angeles qualifies.
Grove last pitched on Sunday in the Dodgers’ 10-2 blowout loss. He went just 0.1 innings, allowing one home run and striking out one before exiting the game.
He finished the inning before with a strikeout of Jake Cronenworth before being replaced by Edgardo Henriquez to start the ninth.
Considering Grove was on the roster for length, it was a curious decision at the time for Roberts to not let him finish out the game, and we now know the reason why.
Grove pitched 51 innings for the Dodgers in the regular season, posting a 5.12 ERA but a solid 3.87 FIP and 3.62 expected ERA. He struck out 9.53 hitters per nine innings and walked 2.82 per nine.
Grove made the Dodgers NLDS roster to begin with due to an injury to Joe Kelly.
Ben Casparius joins Dodgers NLDS roster
Casarius has thrown just 8.1 innings this season, but he was highly impressive in his three games.
The rookie posted a 2.16 ERA and 1.73 FIP while striking out just shy of 13 hitters per nine innings. He did struggle with his command, however, walking 4.32 per nine.
Still, he provides upside and length to a Dodgers bullpen that has been used quite often through the first two games of the series.
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