The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen has been without Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen through the first month of the season, and Ryan Brasier joined them on the injured list Monday night.
Treinen currently is in the midst of a rehab assignment while Graterol’s timeline has him returning further down the road due to being on the 60-day IL.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers put Brasier on the 15-day IL with a right calf strain less than one hour before first pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks. His stint is retroactive to April 28, the earliest potential date due to Brasier last pitching in the second game of the Toronto Blue Jays series.
When discussing Brasier’s outlook and projected date of return, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted the team is expecting to be without the right-hander for the foreseeable future, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“He was doing his normal warmup, doing some sprints to kind of loosen up, and he strained his right calf. He’s done his other one before, so it’s going to be a while. He’ll get an MRI [Tuesday] just to kind of see the severity of it, but it’s going to be a slow process.”
Once the Dodgers received Brasier’s MRI results, Roberts reiterated he would not make a quick return:
“The scan that we took, mild strain of the right calf. But the calf is such a tricky muscle, it’s just going to take time.”
This marks Brasier’s first time landing on the injured list since signing a Minor League contract with the Dodgers last June. He’s avoided the IL altogether since April 2021, when Brasier sustained a left calf strain that led to being transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Brasier has pitched to a 4.63 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 12 games (one start) this season. Brasier’s fastball velocity has been down from normal averages and he’s dealt with some inconsistency so far this year.
Dodgers bullpen without Ryan Brasier
Gus Varland had been on the Dodgers’ taxi squad since Sunday and was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Brasier’s spot on the roster.
Varland figures to remain part of the Dodgers bullpen until Treinen has completed his rehab assignment, but Brasier’s injury otherwise places more importance on fellow high-leverage options Joe Kelly and Daniel Hudson in the meantime.
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