The Los Angeles Dodgers lost another key member of their bullpen as Alex Vesia was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right oblique strain.
Vesia’s IL stint is retroactive to Aug. 23, which makes Sunday, Sept. 7 the earliest he can be activated. The left-hander isn’t overly concerned and believes he can return in the next two weeks.
“I felt it a couple days ago in catch play,” Vesia said. “It just felt tight. There was no pull or grab, or anything that might make me concerned.
“I think Doc, all our trainers, we’re all on the same page. Just making sure we’re going to knock it out now and make sure it doesn’t get worse. No need to push it.
“I’m very confident that I can resume throwing in my normal routine. We’ll just take it one day at a time, and I believe with the 15 days we’ll be good to go.”
Vesia’s oblique issue is on the same side of the intercostal injury that prevented him from pitching in last year’s National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, but not as severe.
“It’s the same side, different area,” Vesia explained. “So it’s not the exact same muscle. But we’re going to go about it the exact same we did last year.
“Except this time it’s much less. It just feels like a tight muscle. It’s kind of hard to explain. But I wanted to speak up now rather than try to overdo it and then jeopardize late in the year.”
Vesia has been one of the Dodgers’ most reliable relief pitchers this season as he owns a 3-2 record with a 2.75 ERA across 59 appearances.
While the 29-year-old’s loss will be felt, the team did recently welcome back Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates from the IL. Michael Kopech should be returning in the coming days as well.
Dave Roberts confident Alex Vesia won’t miss much time
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also believes Vesia should have a relatively short stint on the IL and is counting on him being a significant contributor down the stretch.
“Yeah, I think so,” Roberts said of Vesia potentially only missing two weeks. “We got to backdate a few days and I don’t think it should be too long.
“He’s been a leverage guy for us the last few years so we’ve got to make sure we get him right for this stretch run.”
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