Dodgers: Could Tommy Kahnle Be a Closer in LA?

When Tommy Kahnle signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract with the Dodgers in late 2020, they understood he had a small chance of debuting with the franchise towards the end of 2021, but unfortunately he wasn't able to recover in time. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts put an end to any speculation that Kahnle would pitch in 2021 after telling the press that Kahnle's "rehab schedule had changed".

With Spring Training just around the corner, the question now becomes: what role will Tommy Kahnle play for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022? Well, Kahnle is confident that he will return to his pre-elbow problem physical condition. He told the LA Times last year that this was the case.

“Everyone seems to think I’ll be right back to where I was before it. The way medicine today is and everything, they get you basically back to where you were. So, I’m not worried about the rehab and getting back to where I was before. So, I believe, maybe, I’ll throw harder, if not the same.”

Kahnle was one of baseball’s elite relievers in 2016 and 2017, where he held a combined 2.60 ERA across 90 innings for the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. After a down 2018, his 2019 was huge for a Yankees team that made it to the ALCS.

Unfortunately, a few days after tossing 20 pitches against the Nationals on July 26, 2020, and after just one game for the Yankees that season, an MRI revealed that Kahnle had suffered damage to his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow that would require Tommy John surgery. He had the procedure in August, and things look to be going well so far, but returning from Tommy John surgery is always a mixed bag, and every pitcher's road to total recovery is unique.

The reliever combines a plus four-seam fastball that averaged over 98 mph to go along with a filthy changeup and slider. Since 2016, Kahnle has posted a 3.64 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 35.2 K%, (14th MLB), 16.9 swinging-strike rate (8th), 33.7% chase rate outside of the zone. So, with Kenley Jansen possibly leaving Los Angeles in free agency, Kahnle has swing-and-miss stuff that could make him an intriguing candidate to take over as the Dodgers' closer at some point next season.

Tommy Kahnle Update! Should Kahnle Be Dodgers New Closer, What to Expect From Him in 2022!