The Dodgers’ bullpen picture is still shifting with the NLDS roster deadline looming, and one name suddenly popped up where few expected it: Ronan Kopp.
Los Angeles recalled the left-handed pitcher from Triple-A along with Hyeseong Kim, a move that immediately got fans looking twice at the transactions page. Kopp was added to the 40-man roster last year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft, but he’s hardly been a lock for October. He entered 2024 as the Dodgers’ No. 17 prospect, then fell out of the top 30 by the end of the 2025 season after a rough run in Triple-A.
The numbers from this year explain why the call-up raised eyebrows. Kopp logged 46⅓ innings with a 6.80 ERA, and while he does bring strikeout ability, the control has been a major issue. He walked 43 batters this season and finished with a 1.86 WHIP.
That makes him an odd name to surface this late, especially with the Dodgers trying to sort out a bullpen that remains the biggest question mark on the roster ahead of the NLDS against either the Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies. Blake Treinen was just placed on the IL with a shoulder injury, and Bobby Miller was recalled to fill that spot, though Miller is not expected to factor into the postseason roster.
The Dodgers’ relief mix still appears to center on Edwin Díaz, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart, Justin Wrobleski, Kris Bubic, and Edgardo Henriquez. Henriquez is still on the IL with lower back discomfort, which adds another layer to the uncertainty.
That’s why Kopp’s recall is so puzzling. It could be an insurance move for Henriquez, or it could point to another reliever dealing with an issue that hasn’t been made public. It also raises the obvious question of why Los Angeles would turn to Kopp over pitchers such as Landon Knack, Emmet Sheehan, or Seth Halvorsen, all of whom have more major league time, and in Knack’s and Sheehan’s cases, postseason experience.
For now, the answer isn’t clear. The NLDS rosters are due Saturday morning before Game 1, and the Dodgers may still have another surprise waiting.
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