Starting his season with the Kansas City Royals, Ryan Yarbrough's addition to LA's roster at the trade deadline has been quite the pickup.
Efficient in his role since becoming a Dodger, the lefty's manager Dave Roberts had an interesting comparison from his 2020 roster for his new versatile veteran arm.
"I think the only comp we've had, and he sort of looks like him from the back, is Alex Wood. A guy that you can use in longer relief, who can start. Gets left, gets right out. He's got a good head, very confident in his abilities. ... And Alex Wood helped us win a World Series. So, that's my comp."
via MLB.com
Wood earned an All-Star nod in 2017 with the Dodgers after dominating in a starting role en route to Roberts' first World Series as manager.
The Dodgers skipper implemented Wood once more in both 2018 and 2020, the latter season being a victory for LA after utilizing the former starter as a long reliever in the postseason.
Roberts likely envisions a similar role for Yarbrough for this year's postseason, one that he's played in the past with both Tampa Bay and Kansas City.
As a Ray, Yarbrough sadly witnessed a World Series loss firsthand to Roberts and the Dodgers, thanks in large part to a poor managerial decision by Kevin Cash.
Unwilling to go down without a fight now in Los Angeles, the pseudo starter/long reliever knows championship expectations are the goal at Chavez Ravine.
Tossing 31 innings since his acquisition, Yarbrough's sparkling 2.90 ERA in various situations has been vital to the team's success since the trade deadline.
Hoping to finish the season strong with multi-inning outings, the 31-year-old will play whatever part the team needs to bring another title for the best fans in the world.
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