The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen faced an early obstacle after a promising start to the season when Edwin Díaz was placed on the injured list just seven appearances into his tenure with the team.
Díaz has since undergone surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow and is not expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.
Tanner Scott has led the charge for a resurgent group of relievers that have rounded into form after absorbing the blow of being without their high-priced closer until the second half of the season. Manager Dave Roberts said having Scott pitching well has been great and helped other guys settle into their roles.
“And also, even to use Tanner for an up-down [Wednesday], kind of alleviated some pressure off of Blake (Treinen) and gives Will Klein an opportunity to close the game out. Just the way he’s throwing the baseball, efficiency, has really helped us out big with losing Díaz,” Roberts said.
A disappointing season followed after Scott signed with the Dodgers, but now he is pitching the way the team envisioned when they inked him to a four-year, $72 million contract.
No longer plagued by health and mechanical issues from 2025, the left-hander has a 1.37 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 19.2 innings this season. The trust and confidence he has built with Roberts to be used at multiple points in a game has had a trickle-down effect on the rest of the bullpen.
Scott’s versatility has allowed other relievers to be put into more optimal positions to great effect.
L.A. has the third-lowest bullpen ERA in the Majors after their series with the San Diego Padres. It was a series in which the relievers really shined, holding the Padres offense scoreless over 10 total innings. This included the final five and four innings of games two and three, respectively.
Tanner Scott focused on helping Dodgers win
Although Scott has re-established himself as the primary option to close out games, he has not confined himself to only being used in save situations.
“I just want to win,” Scott said last month. “Whenever the phone rings. I don’t really care.”
Scott’s bounce back season could not come at a better time, with Díaz transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to recover from an operation that removed loose bodies from his right elbow. The right-hander is expected to be unavailable for multiple months.
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