Dodgers' Biggest Concern Highlighted Ahead of Postseason

You'll have to forgive any Dodger fan who held their breath upon learning Clayton Kershaw was being removed from Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds after five innings. Kershaw scattered two hits and one run across, walking none and striking out six. He had thrown just 72 pitches.

More than Kershaw's greatness, nothing takes a fan's breath away — for all the wrong reasons — than an unreliable bullpen.

Fortunately, the bullpen came through Tuesday in the Dodgers' eventual 6-3 win. Other than Austin Hays' two-run home run against Ben Casparius, which turned a five-run lead into an uncomfortable three-run margin, the Reds never got a runner past second base after Kershaw left the game.

Such smooth rides haven't felt like the norm for the Dodgers' bullpen in 2025. Their middling 4.16 ERA (through Tuesday) offers only a partial testament to the struggles of the Dodgers' relief corps.

The Dodgers have used 39 pitchers this season; only the New York Mets have used more. The roster churn among the Dodgers' starters has been at least somewhat foreseeable. Kershaw started the season on the injured list and needed to be replaced from Day 1. So did Shohei Ohtani, who was not cleared to pitch until June 16, and even then was only used as an "opener."

The injuries to right-hander Tyler Glasnow and left-hander Blake Snell, meanwhile, were least surprising in keeping with their poor track records of health.

The issues plaguing the Dodgers bullpen were harder to predict — especially when the team invested heavily in free agents Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates last winter, then traded for right-hander Brock Stewart at the July 31 deadline.

Stewart remains on the injured list, while Scott and Yates were only activated within the last week. Combined with a season-ending elbow injury to Evan Phillips and the extended absence of right-hander Blake Treinen, the Dodgers' powerful assemblage of relief pitchers has had difficulty being available.

Even then, many have struggled when healthy. Scott (3.97 ERA) and Yates (4.18 ERA) haven't delivered on their promise. Other than Casparius, Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia (on the IL with an oblique injury) and Jack Dreyer, the bullpen has been a revolving door.

"That leaves their depleted bullpen as the Dodgers’ biggest concern, though they recently activated Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates from the IL," wrote former major league executive Jim Bowden in The Athletic. "Tuesday, they placed reliever Alex Vesia (2.75 ERA in 59 games) on the IL with an oblique injury; he joined a host of other injured relievers. On the season, the Dodgers’ bullpen ranks 20th in ERA and 22nd in WHIP, and the group has 21 blown saves.

"When you compare their pen to those of NL contenders such as the Padres, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers and Mets, it looks to be at the bottom. If there is an Achilles’ heel for this Dodgers team in October, it will likely be the bullpen."

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