The 2016 season has been a roller coaster not only for rookie manager Dave Roberts, but also for the several players who have suffered an injury. That holds particularly true for Mike Bolsinger.
The 28-year-old won the competition late in Spring Training for the fifth spot in the rotation, but couldn’t enjoy the fruits of his labor, as he suffered an oblique injury on the day it became apparent he’d beat out the likes of Brandon Beachy and Zach Lee.
Despite expressing a belief he’d return prior to the regular season beginning, Bolsinger opened the year on the disabled list. After going through the rehab process, which only included two starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was called on for a spot start.
Bolsinger was optioned back to Oklahoma City after the outing but returned shortly thereafter with the Dodgers needing to replace an injured player. The right-hander struggled through five more starts and was sent back to the Minors.
According to Jacob Unruh of the Oklahoman, Bolsinger believes his arm wasn’t prepared in time for a return:
“That whole thing was new to me and new to my body,” Bolsinger said. “I think it showed in the games when I was pitching. To ramp up that fast and come back, my arm was kind of dead.”
Bolsinger went 1-4 with a 6.83 ERA, 5.85 FIP and 1.52 WHIP over six starts with the Dodgers. He’s since transitioned to a role out of the bullpen since being sent to Oklahoma City.
That’s come with better results, as Bolsinger owns a 3.38 ERA and has 21 strikeouts over 16 innings pitched across nine relief appearances. Bolsinger believes the change is beneficial given it allows him to go without a stringent routine, which isn’t a strong suit of his.
