The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing a dangerous game in the bullpen. Not only have they had to deal with the injuries they've dealt with on all sides of their pitching staff, but the Dodgers are leaning on their bullpen too much.
At the moment, the Dodgers have no choice but to lean on their bullpen to get outs in high-leverage situations.
With all the injuries they've faced in their starting rotation, there isn't much of a choice.
Until some of their top arms return, the Dodgers will likely have to continue going down this route. Perhaps they'll call up a few guys in Triple-A or make a trade or two to figure things out, but this isn't a recipe for success, despite how well they've played over their past few weeks.
Speaking to reporters, skipper Dave Roberts admitted that the Dodgers can't continue on this track, and the last thing he wants is to lead the league in bullpen Innings.
“It just seems like certain guys – and I could go back on each starter – but you’re still trying to manage their health and … [be] mindful of the innings that the bullpen is taking on and trying to stagger as much you can, and manage leverage and all that stuff,” Roberts said recently, per Dodgers Nation.
“Absolutely not, we (don’t) want to lead the league in bullpen innings.”
Los Angeles understand that it's all about staying healthy when October comes around.
While they were killed with injuries a year ago and still won the World Series, Los Angeles shouldn't expect to find that type of success again.
The Dodgers need their arms healthy, as being healthy in the bullpen is perhaps the most important thing in baseball when it matters most.
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