Dodgers Officially Have 2 New High-Leverage Relievers in Bullpen

The Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching depth has already been put to the test early this season. More than 10 Dodgers pitchers are currently on the injured list, including most recently star reliever Blake Treinen, who is dealing with a forearm sprain.

In Sunday's 1-0 win over the Texas Rangers, the Dodgers turned to a pair of young relievers to help secure the victory. Ben Casparius and Jack Dreyer combined for seven outs, and have quickly become key pieces of the bullpen.

Manager Dave Roberts said their performances have allowed the team to trust the duo to pitch in high-leverage situations.

“You try and give younger players a softer landing. But they’ve just earned their respect from me, from their teammates, from their coaches to pitch in higher-leverage,” Roberts said. “So right now I just consider those guys like everybody else in the bullpen.”

Casparius has a 4.11 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 1.109 WHIP across 15.1 innings pitched this season. He played a crucial role in October, where he made three appearances in the NL Championship Series and one in the World Series where he got the start in Game 4.

Casparius logged a 1.42 ERA across 6.1 postseason innings.

Dreyer, 26, had no prior Major League experience before he took the mound for the Dodgers in the Tokyo Series. Dreyer has a 0.66 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 0.659 WHIP across 13.2 innings.

He currently has the lowest ERA of the entire L.A. pitching staff, allowing just three hits and one earned run.

“He just seems unflappable,” Roberts said of Dreyer. “There’s no situation that I’ve seen so far that’s too big for him. He’s just got good stuff and he commands the baseball, the fastball, the breaking ball. He’s been really helpful.”

In a bullpen filled with All-Stars, it's been Dreyer and Casparius who have made a name for themselves.