Dodgers Officially Release Veteran Pitcher

Five right-handed pitchers have made at least 10 relief appearances out of the Dodgers' bullpen this season. Among them, only two have an ERA under 4.00.

Will Klein (3.38 ERA) was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday. Lou Trivino (3.76 ERA), who's out of minor-league options, was designated for assignment on July 21 and officially released on Sunday.

The plights of Klein and Trivino are reflective of the limits of ERA as a measure of a relief pitcher's value. But they also speak to the struggles of the Dodgers' bullpen as a whole this year, especially their right-handers.

Kirby Yates (4.31 ERA) has been mostly ineffective. Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips have all spent more time on the injured list than the active roster. Phillips' season is over and only Treinen, who was activated Sunday, is currently healthy.

But given the Dodgers' dearth of healthy righties, it's at least mildly surprising that Trivino did not stick around. Because he can't be optioned to the minor leagues, he has been DFA'd twice this season — by the San Francisco Giants on May 5, and by the Dodgers last week.

Trivino was 1-0 with a 5.84 ERA in 11 games (eight earned runs allowed in 12.1 innings) as a Giant. With the Dodgers, he placed a renewed emphasis on his cutter and sweeper. On the surface, the changes made a positive difference.

Under the hood, it's a bit easier to see why the Dodgers' faith in Trivino might have run out. His expected opponents' weighted on-base average (.360) was much higher than his actual number (.336) — and higher than the expected wOBAs of Yates (.311), Klein (.324), and right-hander Matt Sauer (.344), who also remains in the organization after being optioned to Oklahoma City.

In any event, Trivino was not going to stand in the way of Treinen's return. Now, Treinen is the Dodgers' closer by default, although the Dodgers must be mindful of his workload with an eye toward October.

Still, it had to be a frustrating finish to the Dodgers career for Trivino, who effectively turned around his season and pitched well enough to help a contending club but was cut because others could be optioned to the minors.

The Dodgers will now look to the trade market to improve their bullpen before Thursday's 3 p.m. PT trade deadline.