Aug 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) relieves Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brock Stewart (41) in the ninth inning during an MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Brock Stewart Hopes to Return From Injury Before Playoffs

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Brock Stewart is hopeful for a postseason return after picking up a shoulder injury.

The Dodgers are in the midst of a tight battle for the National League West division. Los Angeles got swept by the Los Angeles Angels while the San Diego Padres dominated the San Francisco Giants.

The Padres are tied with the Dodgers for the division title, but just a month ago, the Dodgers were ahead by nine games.

Since then, the Los Angeles pitching staff has lost several arms, mainly in the bullpen, leading to the organization's depth getting stretched in a crucial part of the season.

Stewart was one of those pitchers to go down with an injury. An MRI confirmed that there is inflammation in his right shoulder, and he has already gotten two shots to help quell the pain.

The righty hopes for a return in time for the playoffs.

"If I can knock it out in a few weeks and get back to help out the team leading up to the playoffs, it's great. That's the plan for sure," he told reporters.

Through four appearances in Dodger blue, Stewart has surrendered two runs and six hits in 3.2 innings of work.

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made the move for Stewart at the MLB trade deadline — it was the most notable deal that the Dodgers did despite rumors of bigger acquisitions.

Despite the team's recent slump and bullpen injuries, Friedman does not regret his passive approach at the deadline.

“There’s risk in basically everything we do, to varying degrees,” Friedman said. “So from our standpoint, we felt like the upside — and hopefully we still have the chance to realize that — far outweighed the risk.

“There’s deals that we thought made sense for us we pursued hard. It’s not like we had the potential to do a deal where we were like, ‘No’ and now we wish we would have. It’s always that balance. Lining up on a trade is hard. We feel good about the work we put in and the group that we have.”