SEATTLE — When the Dodgers traded for Brock Stewart on the commerce deadline, they knew he got here with some danger.
However on Friday, their worst-case state of affairs was realized.
Stewart will bear season-ending shoulder surgical procedure, supervisor Dave Roberts introduced, leaving the Dodgers with out the one important deadline addition they made to bolster their struggling bullpen.
Though the Dodgers have been managing a number of harm considerations — from Will Smith’s fractured hand, to Tommy Edman’s sore ankle, to leg bruises that Max Muncy revealed on Friday he has been coping with — Stewart’s standing had change into among the many most alarming.
Even after finishing a minor-league rehab stint for a shoulder drawback that had stored him out since early August, he continued to really feel residual soreness.
After assembly with head crew doctor Dr. Neal ElAttrache this week, Stewart and the crew determined surgical procedure can be finest. In line with common supervisor Brandon Gomes, the 33-year-old is having a debridement process that ought to permit him to pitch the “majority” of subsequent season, when he’ll nonetheless be beneath Dodgers management.
However for this October, the membership must proceed with out him.
“We had plenty of conversations with Brock, and he was like, ‘Hey, I wish to assist this crew in any manner attainable,’” Gomes mentioned. “However watching him throw and simply having the conversations with him, there was nonetheless one thing that was simply bothering him. As a lot as we’d like to have him proper now, we don’t wish to put his long-term well being in danger.”
Shoulder issues are nothing new for Stewart. Final season, he made simply 16 appearances with the Minnesota Twins earlier than present process arthroscopic shoulder surgical procedure in August.
Whereas this newest harm isn’t believed to be immediately associated to final yr’s problem, Gomes did acknowledge that “any time you’re taking up a pitcher, we perceive that there are dangers.”
It’s not that the Dodgers overpaid for Stewart, giving up solely former prospect James Outman of their deadline take care of the Twins. However, by not including an even bigger title in a bullpen that had been slumping even earlier than the deadline (and has additional spiraled within the two months since), the Dodgers put plenty of eggs within the right-hander’s basket. He was supposed to present the unit some skilled stability. Now, he leaves one more gap to fill.
With out Stewart, the Dodgers’ right-handed reduction hierarchy is considerably unclear. They nonetheless have longtime stalwart Blake Treinen, however he has posted a career-worst 5.47 ERA and handled first-half arm troubles. Onerous-throwing rookie Edgardo Henriquez has a 2.50 ERA in 21 appearances, however nonetheless has simply 21⅓ profession innings within the large leagues. After which there’s Roki Sasaki, the rookie Japanese phenom who returned from a virtually five-month shoulder harm with an auspicious inning out of the bullpen this week.
One other title that would enter the combo: Beginning pitcher Emmet Sheehan, who was scheduled to pitch Friday’s series-opener in opposition to the Seattle Mariners however will probably be shifted to a multi-inning reduction position out of the bullpen come the postseason.
In any occasion, nonetheless, Stewart’s absence will nonetheless damage. What the Dodgers hoped can be a high-upside play, given his 2.38 ERA with the Twins this season, has as an alternative change into one more bullpen letdown.
