The Los Angeles Dodgers activated star reliever Evan Phillips from the injured list ahead of Friday’s home game against the Colorado Rockies. In a corresponding move, Elieser Hernández was designated for assignment.
Phillips has been out since May 3 with a strained hamstring and went on a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga beginning Monday.
There, he made two appearances tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. The Dodgers clearly felt he did not need significant time with Rancho Cucamonga, in part because Phillips was elite to begin the season, as well.
The Dodgers reliever allowed one earned run in his first 13.2 innings of the season — a 0.66 ERA — with a 1.024 WHIP and 17 strikeouts. He has eight saves in eight opportunities as the go-to closer. The 1.52 FIP showed that luck and good defense has hardly been a factor as well, Phillips has just been that dominant.
L.A. is undoubtedly happy to get their closer back, but they managed to maintain their elite positioning atop the league in his absence. Even with Phillips missing four weeks of action, the Dodgers still rank third in MLB in bullpen ERA and second in bullpen WHIP.
The Dodgers have pieced together a strong bullpen amid injuries, which manager Dave Roberts largely accredited to the pitching coaches.
Hernández, meanwhile, is designated for assignment by the Dodgers after appearing in five games and pitching 9.2 innings. He struggled in his short Dodgers stint, giving up nine earned runs — an 8.38 ERA — on nine hits and three walks with six strikeouts.
The 29-year-old reliever was snakebit by the home run ball as he allowed five homers. It was an unceremonious return to the Majors for Hernández, as the Dodgers represented his first big-league opportunity since 2022 with the Miami Marlins.
Bobby Miller joined Evan Phillips in rehab start
Dodgers starter Bobby Miller could be close behind Phillips as he joined the Quakes at the same time. A shoulder injury has kept Miller out since mid-April, but he was able to make one rehab start earlier this week in Rancho Cucamonga and is scheduled to make a second on Friday or Saturday.
That outing is expected to be four innings, then the Dodgers will determine where Miller goes from there. Returning could be the next step after a second rehab start, bolstering a starting rotation that has also been injury-plagued in 2024.
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