LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers could certainly use another high-leverage reliever with playoff experience. And they might be getting one “soon.”
Reliever Brusdar Graterol threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday afternoon and said he has had no issues with his injured hamstring for some time. A minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment could be in his near future with a return to the Dodgers’ bullpen in early September.
“I think Brusdar should be going out on assignment soon,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s been sprinting. The bullpens have been good, velocity good. So I don’t see why we can’t send him out soon and him be a real conversation in a week to 10 days.”
Graterol missed most of the season with a persistent shoulder injury that started in spring training. He experienced multiple setbacks, forcing him to re-start his throwing program. When he finally made it back to the Dodgers, he threw nine pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 6 and had to be helped from the mound with a hamstring injury.
The hamstring strain was not as severe as first feared. Graterol was able to resume workouts and is now back in the picture for the Dodgers’ stretch run and postseason.
“It’s great,” Roberts said. “Considering where it was after his first outing with us and now to have this conversation about early September is great. Brusdar has just been so valuable for us each year in the postseason. So to get him back, a neutral reliever (effective against right- or left-handed hitters), is going to be great.”
Graterol had the best year of his career in 2024, going 4-2 with seven saves and a 1.20 ERA while tying for the team lead in appearances (68). In 21 postseason appearances for the Dodgers, he has a 1.71 ERA with 13 hits and 13 strikeouts in 21 innings.
YAMAMOTO REHAB
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched two innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, his first game action since leaving his June 15 start with a strained rotator cuff.
Yamamoto faced seven batters in his two innings, retired six of them and struck out two. The only hit was a solo home run in the first inning. Yamamoto averaged 94.4 mph on his fastball, slightly down from his season average with the Dodgers (95.5 mph).
The plan is for Yamamoto to make another rehab start in “five or six days” and extend to three innings.
“Then from that point on I think it’s a conversation whether to start for us makes sense or he needs another (rehab) start,” Roberts said.
ROTATION PLANS
Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone are scheduled to start the first two games of the four-game series in Arizona this weekend. Jack Flaherty is in line to start Sunday afternoon on four days of rest – but the Dodgers have tried to avoid starting pitchers on four days’ rest all year. Flaherty could be pushed back to Monday afternoon’s game against the Diamondbacks.
“I’m not sure,” Roberts said of the Sunday starter. “I don’t want to speak to that yet because if so it calls for a drop-in. We’re kind of talking about that right now.”
Flaherty was hit in the right wrist by a line drive Tuesday night. Roberts said Flaherty’s wrist was sore Wednesday but “the swelling is minimal” and it is not expected to affect his availability for his next start – whichever day that is.
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ALSO
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to resume his throwing program on Friday. Glasnow felt discomfort in his elbow when throwing a few days ago and was shut down temporarily. …
First baseman Freddie Freeman was out of the Dodgers’ starting lineup again Wednesday. Roberts has given him two days off as the eight-time All-Star tries to play through a hairline fracture in the middle finger on his right hand.
UP NEXT
Orioles (LHP Cade Povich, 1-6, 6.10 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Bobby Miller, 1-3, 7.49 ERA), Thursday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
