The Dodgers may be getting help where they need it most, and it could come in a different role than the one Justin Wrobleski filled before his injury.
Wrobleski started a rehab assignment Saturday with Oklahoma City and is expected to join the Dodgers in Los Angeles this week, according to manager Dave Roberts. The left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list in mid-August after dealing with forearm tightness, and the club has no plans to rush him back into the starting mix.
“We’re going to reevaluate what the plan is for him,” Roberts said. “But my assumption is he’ll stay in the ‘pen.”
That would mark a shift for Wrobleski, who had been stretched into a heavy starter’s workload this season. He has thrown 126.1 innings already, nearly 60 more than he logged last year, and the wear showed after the All-Star break.
Before that, he was in the middle of a strong season, carrying a 2.69 ERA and a 10-2 record. Since then, his numbers have gone the other direction fast, with a 6.92 ERA and a 1-3 record.
Roberts said after Wrobleski landed on the injured list that the team was “not concerned” about a long term absence, and he added that easing the burden on the pitcher made sense.
“Given his workload and where he's at, taking some of the load off his arm, I think it's smart,” Roberts told reporters.
The Dodgers’ rotation looks crowded enough that Wrobleski doesn’t need to jump back into a starting job anyway. Tyler Glasnow has returned after a lower back injury that sidelined him since early May, while Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal are also part of the group.
Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki remain out, though Ohtani’s situation is described as murky because of lingering knee and biceps injuries, and Sasaki has recently been dealing with a blister. Even so, the Dodgers’ concern level appears low if Wrobleski is headed to the bullpen.
That’s where he could matter most. Los Angeles has been searching for more dependable relief arms all season, and Wrobleski could give them a multi-inning option for the stretch run and the playoffs.
He could be back as soon as Tuesday, when rosters expand to 28, though the Dodgers may choose to add someone else and give Wrobleski a few extra days before activating him.
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