The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen again showed some cracks on Thursday night as Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen both struggled to throw strikes.
Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia then managed to right the ship by combining for four strikeouts and retiring each batter faced across the final two innings of the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Even with some of his recent struggles, Treinen effectively is a lock to be on the postseason roster. Vesia is as well, and Banda would figure to also be included, though that could potentially change depending on opponent and how the Dodgers elect to assemble their pitching staff for a likely Wild Card Series.
But the outlook for Kopech is much more murky.
“I don’t know if he’s banged up. It might be a shoulder, might be an elbow,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Kopech’s latest stumble.
He inherited a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning and promptly walked the first two batters. Home plate umpire Ryan Wills had a tight, if not inconsistent, strike zone, but that only affected Kopech once. He faced just three hitters and only threw eight strikeouts out of 18 pitches.
“Coming off knee surgery, he just has a hard time syncing his throw up, and it’s been tough,” Roberts said. “At that point in time in the game, you got to go with somebody you know that can throw the ball over the plate to potentially get guys out, so that’s why I went to Blake right there.
“But yeah, I mean, he’s kind of in it right now and trying to figure it out.”
The 2025 season has been an injury-plagued one for Kopech.
He began the year on the 15-day injured list because of a right shoulder impingement that was believed to be related to lingering effects from right forearm inflammation that surfaced during the 2024 postseason.
The injury put Kopech behind in camp and he also dealt with an illness that further contributed to not pitching in any Spring Training games.
Kopech wasn’t activated until June 7 but landed back on the injured list July 1 due to right knee inflammation. That was followed by undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee.
Kopech had lapses in command while on rehab assignment at multiple times this year, but the Dodgers were hopeful returning to a Major League environment would lend to improvement.
That’s yet to be the case as the right-hander is averaging 10.6 walks per nine innings and has a 24.5% walk rate, both of which are career-worst marks.
Michael Kopech not making Dodgers postseason roster?
Given his ineffectiveness throughout the year and the Dodgers seemingly having other right-handed options, particularly with Brock Stewart’s impending return, it’s plausible Kopech is not with the team for the playoffs.
“You know, I love Kopey. I know he’s doing everything he can, but it’s just for me, you got to win games, and you got to give your defense a chance to make plays, and the strike throwing has just been difficult and inconsistent,” Roberts said.
“I think right now, where we’re at, we’ve seen enough of a sample of guys that we’ve got to go with the most trusted guys right now. So that’s kind of where my head’s at.”
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