The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to an undefeated start despite Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combining to miss more than half of the team’s games thus far and noted offseason addition Tanner Scott enduring some early struggles.
Scott was the best relief pitcher available in free agency and his signing with the Dodgers represented a significant boost for a bullpen that already was among the best in baseball last year.
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But the 32-year-old is off to a rocky start with the Dodgers as he’s allowed a run in three of five appearances, and averaged a lower velocity on his fastball compared to normal.
“Tanner’s just working through some things. He’ll be fine,” manager Dave Roberts said after Scott blew a save to the Detroit Tigers on March 28.
“It’s not mechanical. I think there’s some pitch selection things. I think that he’s kind of trying to fill up the zone, which he always does. But he’s kind of building up his velocity and getting into the swing of things. But he’s certainly a guy I’m not concerned about at all.”
Scott’s next appearance didn’t come until the series opener against the Atlanta Braves, as he entered in the eighth inning despite the Dodgers leading 6-0.
Scott surrendered a leadoff home run to Michael Harris II before retiring the next three batters faced. He didn’t allow a home run to a left-handed batter throughout the entire 2024 season and gave up just three overall.
Again, Scott’s fastball velocity was down as it topped out at 95.6 mph and he threw the pitch just twice on Monday. The appearance did end with strikeouts of Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna in back-to-back at-bats.
“He is, he is,” answered Roberts when asked if Scott is doing OK physically. “I think there was a 95 (mph) in there tonight, and in Tokyo, that series out there, he touched 97 (mph). He typically, from what I’m gathering, the velocity picks up later.
“And so there’s obviously no concern. Tanner was going to pitch tonight. Just kind of waiting until that ninth inning, if I could potentially spare Kirby (Yates), which we ended up doing to have him ready tomorrow, that was kind of the math behind having him pitch the eighth.
“I think that my confidence in him certainly hasn’t wavered. He was going to pitch tonight regardless.”
Scott bounced back Tuesday night as he retired the side in order to convert a second save of the season.
Tanner Scott ‘not worried’
Similar to the sentiment shared by Roberts, Scotts downplayed there needing to be any concern over falling short of his career fastball average.
“Last year when we started the year, I don’t think I was throwing really hard,” he told DodgerBlue.com. “Going from Japan, I was like 96-98 (mph). So just feeling things out I guess, but I’m not worried about it.”
Scott also stated he is not dealing with any sort of injury or physical limitation.
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