ANAHEIM — The only high-leverage reliever the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline is going on the injured list – along with the two high-leverage relievers they signed last winter.
Brock Stewart was placed on the IL on Tuesday after making just four appearances with the Dodgers after he was acquired at the July 31 trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins in a deal for outfielder James Outman.
Stewart went on the IL with shoulder inflammation but will undergo further examination on Wednesday. He has a history of shoulder (and elbow) issues and underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery last season.
“It sounds like we caught it at the very front end,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “He talked about how this was maturity for him, to say something (and not try to pitch with it). The manual testing was good, so from our standpoint we felt like, let’s be smart here. Take him off line. We’re optimistic that he’ll be back. We won’t know until we get at least a little bit more (information).”
The Dodgers were well aware of Stewart’s injury history when they acquired him from the Twins. He spent the 2021 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery with the Dodgers.
“It wasn’t necessarily about what he could do for us on August 12th,” Friedman said. “It’s much more helping us down the stretch and hopefully with a long October run. We’re still optimistic there, and bet very much on the person.”
This year’s trade deadline saw a flurry of trades involving elite relievers, but the Dodgers’ only moves involved acquiring Stewart and outfielder Alex Call and a handful of minor leaguers.
Friedman said he has no regrets about not being more active at the deadline.
“We don’t live like that,” he said. “There’s deals that we thought made sense for us we pursued hard. It’s not like we had the potential to do a deal where we were like, ‘No’ and now we wish we would have.
“It’s always that balance. Lining up on a trade is hard. We feel good about the work we put in and the group that we have. Again, taking a snapshot on August 12th is one thing. Hopefully if we make it into October, seeing the roster that we submit we feel that it’s going to be a very, very strong roster. That’s our bet and that’s what we’re going with.”
That bet rests heavily on a return to health of last winter’s free agent signees, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, as well as Michael Kopech and Roki Sasaki, and potentially Brusdar Graterol.
“Again, when you’re in it in July (at the trade deadline), obviously, it’s a moment in time, and you have information that on Aug. 1 can change for the positive or the negative,” Friedman said. “So in that moment in time, we felt really good about the group we have coming back. We still do. So while another guy could have helped us in August – we were already anticipating some awkward, hard conversations as we get to the end of August, as we get to September, as we get to October.
“I’m not worried about our pitching. Once we get to a good spot, I think it’s going to be a real strength for us. It doesn’t help us in losing a game last night or something that played out a week or two ago. Those are frustrating. But as we’re making a bet going forward, we think it’ll be a real strength for us. … We feel good about the quality and depth of arms that we have. Now we have to get them back and get them healthy, and keep our other guys healthy. But again, (we) feel like this has a very legitimate chance to be the most talented pitching staff we’ve ever had.”
In the meantime, Edgardo Henriquez was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Stewart on the roster. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Henriquez will be used in the same high-leverage situations Stewart was acquired to handle, particularly against right-handed batters.
“Right now, it’s a big blow. Obviously, he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, so to not have him available hurts,” Roberts said of losing Stewart. “But I’m happy to get Edgardo back here and essentially put him in a ‘leverage-y’ position as far as dominating right-handed hitters and see if he could continue to do what he’s done.
“I think if you look at our ’pen, there’s a lot of young guys as far as service. That’s kind of what we have. I’ve put him in some tough spots already. He doesn’t run from things, so I feel good about exposing him to leverage.”