The Dodgers announced this afternoon that right-hander Evan Phillips has been place on the 15-day injured list, with veteran righty Blake Treinen being activated off the IL in the corresponding move. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) this afternoon that Phillips suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain when his spike caught in the outfield grass while playing catch yesterday. Roberts added that the club is hoping that Phillips will only require a minimum stint on the shelf due to the issue.
Even if Phillips only requires the 15 day minimum, the news is still a major blow to the Dodgers. The 29-year-old has been among the most dominant relievers in baseball this year with a microscopic 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work to go with eight saves, a 1.32 FIP, and a 30.9% strikeout rate. The righty has been an anchor for the club’s bullpen, which has struggled somewhat despite a decent 3.47 ERA overall.
The group’s collective 4.19 FIP is bottom-ten in the majors and its xFIP, fWAR, and groundball rate are all well below league average. Perhaps most concerning of all is that the club’s relief corps isn’t striking many batters out; only the Giants’, Diamondbacks’, and Rockies’ relievers have struck out batters at a lower clip. Those lackluster metrics are further compounded by the club’s overuse of the bullpen to this point in the season; Dodgers relief arms have thrown a whopping 142 2/3 innings this season, second to only the Marlins in the majors.
Given the state of the club’s bullpen, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Roberts told reporters he wasn’t sure who would close games while Phillips is on the shelf. Daniel Hudson appears to be the most obvious choice, as he’s acted as the club’s primary set-up man this season and sports a solid 3.60 ERA in 15 appearances, but he’s blown back-to-back save opportunities and has already allowed four home runs this year. Joe Kelly has been Hudson’s partner in setting up for Phillips, but the veteran righty has struggled to a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings of work this season.
It’s possible then, that Treinen could find himself thrust into the closer’s role now that he’s back in the big leagues. The right-hander has always been nothing short of excellent for the club when healthy: in 103 innings of work in a Dodgers uniform, Treinen boasts a 2.45 ERA and 3.00 FIP with a 27.6% strikeout rate and a 56.2% groundball rate. He’s certainly found success in the closer’s role before as well, including the 2018 campaign when he posted a 0.78 ERA in 80 1/3 innings of work for the A’s while picking up 38 saves and finish sixth in AL Cy Young award voting.
Despite his excellent resume, however, closing games would be a tall ask for a pitcher who last appeared on a big league mound in 2022 and has just five innings of work to his name since the end of the 2021 season. It’s possible, then, that the club could simply opt for a closer-by-committee situation while Phillips is on the shelf, particularly if the injury ends up being as minor as currently believed. In that case, Treinen could get occasional save opportunities alongside the likes of Hudson, Alex Vesia, and perhaps even Michael Grove.
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