With the news that closer Kenley Jansen may be sidelined for the next month of play while receiving treatment for an irregular heartbeat, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been forced to reconstruct their bullpen for the time being.
The club’s relief corps received a boost on Friday in the form of switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to occupy the roster spot previously taken by Jansen.
Further help could soon be on the way, as the Dodgers have contemplated shifting a starting pitcher or two to the bullpen as well. Kenta Maeda stands out as an obvious fit, given his previous success as a high-leverage reliever during the run to the 2017 World Series.
As the bullpen is in a bit of flux, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that no set reliever will occupy the ninth inning, but rather multiple arms depending on the situation, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
In the meantime, Roberts said the Dodgers will use “more of a closer by committee” to fill in for Jansen rather than designate one reliever as the new closer.
“If I look at Scott (Alexander) right now, he’s our highest-leverage reliever,” Roberts said. “So at what point in the game is it most impactful to deploy him? I think that’s kind of how I’ll approach it. And after that, to get the last three outs of the game, figure out who matches up best.”
As Roberts points out, Scott Alexander has separated himself as one of the club’s most reliable arms in late-game situations. Such was evident on Thursday, when he recorded his second save of the season against the Colorado Rockies in the absence of Jansen.
Alexander will factor prominently in the ninth inning going forward, but right-hander Dylan Floro may also receive some opportunities as well. Since joining the Dodgers in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds last month, he has posted a minuscule 1.93 ERA and 0.43 WHIP over 14 innings pitched (13 games).
