The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen has been a strength this season despite several key contributors missing a significant amount of time due to injury.
The group is led by Evan Phillips, who has established himself as one of the best closers in baseball, and includes other standouts such as Alex Veisa, Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson.
Vesia is in his fourth season with the Dodgers, and outside of an inconsistent 2023 campaign, has been one of the team’s most reliable relievers in recent years.
Manager Dave Roberts praised Vesia for being a pitcher he can rely on in high-leverage situations after some rough stretches throughout his career, via SportsNet LA:
“I think Alex, over the last few years, has certainly grown as a pitcher. There’s obviously a lot more confidence. He’s an emotional guy, and from my eyes, he’s learned how to manage his emotions. So I feel for me, regardless of the situation, he’s passed a lot of tests and crossed a lot of hurdles to get left out, to get right out. Evan is our closer, but I still feel that, if there’s a spot, a run, a lane that I feel I can use Evan in the eighth inning, to have Alex behind him, I feel great about it. So that credit certainly goes to Alex.”
Through 34 appearances this season, Vesia owns a 1-2 record with a 1.26 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 0.81 WHIP and 11.9 strikeouts per nine in 35.2 innings of work.
As Roberts noted, Vesia has been effective against both left-handed and right-handed batters, and he can pitch in virtually any situation, making him one of the Dodgers’ most valuable arms in the bullpen.
That was evident when Vesia pitched a scoreless ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox on Monday, which resulted in his fourth save of the season.
Dodgers leaning on Alex Vesia as confidence continues to grow
Vesia’s growth has been nothing short of incredible as it was only a year ago in which he got sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City after posting a 7.58 ERA through his first 23 appearances.
Vesia believes the adversity he faced last season helped him improve as a pitcher and gave him that confidence to be a high-leverage option.
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