The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired four pitchers prior to the July 31 non-waiver deadline, but will it be enough to provide relief for the pitching staff down the stretch? The struggles of reliever Joel Peralta and the recent injury to starter Mike Bolsinger at Triple-A could have the front office exploring their options.
It's not at all time for the Dodgers to panic, but it might be prudent for the team to have a plan in place as they monitor the pitching staff over the next few weeks. MLB clubs can still execute waiver deals until August 31 and it's likely trade rumors will surround Los Angeles in the meantime.
It hasn't even been a week since the Dodgers acquired SP Mat Latos, SP Alex Wood, RP Jim Johnson and RP Luis Avilan in their three-team trade with the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves, but these past couple of days have given the team a reason to worry a bit.
Peralta has not been good since returning from the disabled list in late June and he surrendered a grand slam in Tuesday night's loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to hitting the DL, Peralta was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and three saves in seven games. Since he was activated on June 23, the right-hander is 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and six strikeouts in 15 games.
"But what to do with Peralta?" Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times asks. "Right now, there's no way he should be used with a game on the line. Maybe he just needs more time, and maybe he is still headed for surgery. For now, it's best to simply use him when games are nearly out of hand, and not in clutch, late-game moments."
Peralta was supposed to be an integral aspect of the team's bullpen after coming over in a trade this past offseason, but at this point he appears to be more of a liability, which may lead the team to search for options. Perhaps Milwaukee Brewers' relievers Neal Cotts or Will Smith, who weren't moved before the deadline, could be on the block in August.
Unless Johnson and Avilan can drastically improve the bullpen's 3.97 ERA (22nd in MLB), the Dodgers might need to be on the lookout for other options.
On the other hand, starter Mike Bolsinger, who was sent down to Triple-A after the team acquired Latos and Wood, left his start early on Tuesday night after being hit on the forearm by a pitch, according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com and the Oklahoma City Dodgers' Twitter account.
David Huff enters the game in the fourth inning replacing Mike Bolsinger who took a liner off his wrist/forearm earlier in the game.
— OKC Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) August 5, 2015
The Dodgers stashed Bolsinger at Triple-A after the trade deadline acquisitions hoping he could provide good depth if anyone in the rotation were to suffer an injury. The right-hander was 5-3 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 78 strikeouts in 16 starts this season and really stepped up when the team lost Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu to season-ending surgeries. However, depending on the severity of his injury, the Dodgers might be back at square one if someone like the oft-injured Brett Anderson were to hit the DL.
As for acquiring starters, if the San Diego Padres fail to rebound catch up to the Dodgers and Giants as the month progresses, it's possible they'll be in the market to make waiver trades involving their starting pitchers (James Shields, Ian Kennedy, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross).
Los Angeles (61-46) sits two games ahead of San Francisco for the NL West lead, but that could soon change with upcoming series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals.
The Dodgers' front office could make another surprising move this month if things aren't going according to plan.
