Tanner Scott was replaced by Justin Wrobleski on the Los Angeles Dodgers playoff roster for the National League Division Series due to injury.
As a result, Scott is not eligible to pitch if the Dodgers advance to the NL Championship Series. He would be eligible to rejoin the team should they reach the World Series.
Though that presumably will depend on Scott’s recovery from what manager Dave Roberts described as an “abscess excision” in his lower body. Scott underwent the procedure on Wednesday night.
Roberts revealed after the Dodgers’ loss in Game 3 that the left-hander was not with the team due to personal reasons but otherwise did not offer any specifics at the time.
Roberts said Scott’s procedure was “urgent” and the Dodgers were not aware of any potential health issue until their workout on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
“I don’t think we knew exactly the extent of it,” Roberts explained of not making a roster move in time for Game 3. “And so to kind of make that preemptive decision, I think we were probably a little bit more in flux.”
Scott not being with the Dodgers for their first postseason loss of the year played a part in Clayton Kershaw pitching two innings. Kershaw completed a scoreless frame in the seventh but was ultimately charged for five runs (four earned) after struggling in an eighth inning that included surrendering home runs to J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber.
Scott’s subpar regular season in which he blew a career-high 10 saves has been followed by not pitching thus far in the postseason. His surgery casts further doubt on taking the mound for the Dodgers in October, but Roberts wasn’t ready to make any definitive decision.
“I wouldn’t close that door. I think obviously the way that the rules are structured, he won’t be available for the CS. But I still feel that the World Series, if we’re fortunate enough to get there, earn our way there, then he’ll be available,” Roberts said.
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