Michael Grove has been one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ better relievers this season after initially getting off to a slow start.
The right-hander earned a spot in the team’s Opening Day bullpen and gave up 10 runs over his first four appearances. Since then, he has allowed just four runs in his last 17 innings pitched over 14 games.
Grove’s emergence has been key in the wake of Evan Phillips, Joe Kelly and Ryan Brasier all landing on the 15-day injured list. Brusdar Graterol also has not thrown a pitch this year due to left hip trouble and right shoulder discomfort.
Freddie Freeman praised Grove for stepping up and taking advantage of his opportunity, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“It’s huge,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said of the bullpen’s ability to compensate for the loss to injury of four high-leverage right-handers (Evan Phillips, Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier and Brusdar Graterol). “Michael Grove is the one that I think is the biggest one (to step up). He’s been throwing in seventh, eighth inning situations.
“Then you trade for Anthony and he comes out throwing 97 mph bullets. … Our whole pitching staff, they’re why we’re winning so many games. But Grover settling in has been the biggest one. It seems like we’re down a whole bullpen.”
Freeman also credited Anthony Banda, who was recently acquired from the Cleveland Guardians and earned the win in the Dodgers’ 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The left-hander tossed a scoreless 10th inning and collected a strikeout in his first appearance with the team.
As for Grove, he has allowed just one run in seven games for the team this month. For the season, he owns a 2-2 record, 5.18 ERA, 2.54 FIP, 1.15 WHIP and 11.8 strikeouts per nine across 24.1 innings pitched (18 appearances; one start).
Michael Grove changed jersey number
Grove had been wearing the No. 78 since making his MLB debut in 2022, but he is now wearing the No. 29, becoming the first Dodgers player to do so since Austin Wynns in 2023. Andy Pages and Gavin Stone additionally switched numbers.
Higher jersey numbers are usually reserved for rookies or players not expected to stay on the Major League roster for long, so the lower numbers indicate that Grove, Pages and Stone will be with the Dodgers for the foreseeable future.
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