SEATTLE — The Dodgers bet on the talent of their roster by making one lone addition to the big league bullpen ahead of this year’s Trade Deadline. Days before the beginning of the postseason, they learned that that acquisition — righty Brock Stewart — will be out for the rest of the year.
Stewart is set to undergo a debridement procedure on his shoulder, general manager Brandon Gomes said before Friday night’s game at T-Mobile Park. The Dodgers are hopeful that he will return at some point during the first half next year and be available for the majority of the season.
“We had a lot of conversations with Brock and he’s like, ‘Hey, I want to help this team in any way possible,'” Gomes said. “But watching him throw and just having the conversations with him, there was still something that was just bothering him that we just felt like … as much as we would love to have him right now, we don’t want to put his long-term health at risk.”
After making aggressive moves to improve the roster this past offseason, the Dodgers instead opted to improve on the margins at the July 31 Trade Deadline. One of those moves was acquiring Stewart from the Twins in exchange for outfielder James Outman.
The Dodgers intended to have Stewart bolster their right-handed leverage group, which has seen veterans such as Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech struggle this year. But Stewart made only four appearances for L.A. before going on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation on Aug. 12.
Stewart made three rehab appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City and was tentatively expected to return at some point during the final week of the regular season. But his shoulder continued to bother him, and after Stewart returned to L.A. to visit team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the Dodgers decided surgery would be the best option.
Stewart’s previous season also ended due to shoulder surgery. The 33-year-old has an extensive injury history, and his 37 2/3 innings this year were already a career high for him in the big leagues.
“I think it’s one of those things where, any time you’re taking on a pitcher, we understand that there are risks,” Gomes said. “Unfortunately, he was pitching great before and was being used like a normal reliever. And he got here and it flared up. So it’s unfortunate. It was a risk we were willing to take because it’s a high-end talent. The positive is that we still have him for next year and beyond.”
As the Dodgers narrow down which arms to carry in their postseason bullpen, injuries have made some decisions clear, particularly when it comes to the team’s right-handers. Yates, Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are also on the IL and don’t seem likely to return this year. Evan Phillips is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June.
That opens the door for some righty relievers on the active roster who were seemingly on the bubble to crack Los Angeles’ postseason bullpen. Roki Sasaki, who impressed with a scoreless inning in his first big league relief outing on Wednesday, could lock down a spot. Will Klein, who’s struck out five of the last 11 batters he’s faced, is another intriguing option.