Dodgers Struggle in the Bullpen: Tanner Scott Under Scrutiny
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense, which was slow to react, finally woke up in the late innings on Monday night, tying the score to force extra innings. However, Tanner Scott, the expensive bullpen acquisition, suffered a hard hit that hurt his team.This situation has become a worrying trend.
Scott, who allowed two runs in the tenth inning in the 4-3 loss to the New York Mets, has an ERA of 4.72 in his first 28 appearances since joining the Dodgers with a four-year, $72 million contract in the offseason. In his last seven outings, he has allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits in six innings, a stretch in which he has suffered two losses and two blown saves.“I’m just not throwing to the right locations,” Scott said, “and that’s costing us.”
Tanner Scott
It seems the Dodgers have no choice but to keep relying on him in close situations, as the alternatives are scarce. Evan Phillips, who finished 64 regular season games for the Dodgers in the last two years, will undergo Tommy John surgery that will end his season later this week. Four other high-caliber relievers are currently on the injured list, a group that includes Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, and Brusdar Graterol. Luis Garcia, another experienced right-handed pitcher, went on the injured list last week due to a groin strain.
Despite this, the Dodgers’ bullpen has absorbed more innings than any other group in Major League Baseball, a side effect of injuries that have also affected the rotation. Two rookies in particular, Ben Casparius and Jack Dreyer, have combined to absorb nearly 70 of them.
Roberts, who manages a bullpen that currently leans heavily to the left, needs more from Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda, two experienced left-handers who combined have an ERA of 3.86.“Credit has to be given to Jack and Ben, but it’s also the responsibility of the other guys who have been through trials and have a lot more experience than those two players,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I just don’t think it’s right to put it all on those two young players. I don’t.”
Dave Roberts
However, above all, he needs more of Scott.
The 30-year-old lefty struggled early in his career, but made a name for himself with a dominant season in Miami in 2023, posting an ERA of 2.31 in 74 appearances. He was even better the following year, making his first All-Star team and finishing the regular season with an ERA of 1.75. But what he did in the playoffs is what resonated most with the Dodgers’ front office.
While pitching for the San Diego Padres, division rivals, Scott made four scoreless appearances against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. His job was primarily to help dominate Shohei Ohtani, and Scott did so by striking him out in all four of their matchups. The Dodgers were impressed enough to lavish Scott with the kind of money they rarely spend on a relief pitcher.
However, until now, that version of Scott has been largely nonexistent.
At the start of the four-game series against the Mets, Scott ranked in the bottom 12% in the sport in terms of average exit velocity and in the bottom 21% in terms of hard-hit rate. Ohtani put the Dodgers on the scoreboard with a 424-foot home run that cleared the right field bullpen in the seventh inning, his 23rd, leading the National League, then tied the score with a sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the ninth. But the Mets immediately hit Scott in the following half-inning.
Francisco Alvarez started with a double to right field, bringing in the automatic runner. Francisco Lindor followed with a single to left field, making it a two-run game. Both were off fastballs. Opposing batters hit just .179 against Scott’s four-seam fastball last year.
This year, they are batting .581, even though the pitching characteristics are similar.
“They’re hitting him a lot,” Scott said. “It stinks right now. Last year I relied on him a lot, and this year they’re hitting him and I’m missing locations.”
Tanner Scott
