Dodgers Manager Provides Ominous Injury Update on $13 Million Pitcher

The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen took another significant hit on Friday, as reliever Kirby Yates moved to the injured list with lower back pain.

The Dodgers have struggled in keeping arms healthy this season, and made a point to reinforce their bullpen by bringing in reliever Brock Stewart at the trade deadline. Yates has already served a term on the IL this season, sitting out from May 18 to June 7 with a hamstring strain.

“In the last, call it, two weeks, he hasn’t felt great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Hasn’t been injured, in his words, which is why he kept pitching and competing. But we flew him home this morning to look at the doctor and kind of get some tests to see if there’s something that’s kind of been aggravating him. Something’s just not right, exactly. So we’re trying to suss that out.”

Yates is a key part of the bullpen, and has made 39 appearances this season. He's had some struggles in July, posting a 6.00 ERA, however showed what he is capable of early in the season by posting a 1.74 ERA through his first 11 outings.

He has a 4.31 ERA on the season and has struck out 44 batters in 31.1 innings. His 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings is the second-highest among Dodgers regulars, ranking just behind the recently-reinstated Blake Treinen.

With Yates now injured, the Dodgers have five relievers on the IL: Yates, closer Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol.

With a reignited NL West title race, the Dodgers will hope they can maintain their lead over the Padres without Yates.

They close their series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, where Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound. The finale begins at 9:10 a.m. PT.