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There was a time the Minnesota Twins were unable to develop pitchers with an intent on pushing velocity. Pitch to contact became a mantra for the Terry Ryan regime, and it became a pin cushion for the fanbase.
Thankfully as the front office has evolved, and Derek Falvey overhauled the infrastructure throughout the system, pitching development has thrived. The best heaters Minnesota has seen in recent seasons belong to Jhoan Duran and Jorge Alcala.
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Before either of them really took off though, there was Brusdar Graterol. The reliever was sent to Los Angeles in the Kenta Maeda trade, and has been someone to track from afar since.
Dodgers don’t believe Brusdar Graterol is coming back
Minnesota traded Brusdar Graterol following the 2019 season. He had pitched just 9 2/3 innings at the big league level but had top 100 prospect luster. Graterol is now in his sixth season with the Dodgers, but he hasn’t pitched since the World Series and Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts doesn’t expect him to in 2025.
#Dodgers MGR Dave Roberts indicated that the chances of RH Brusdar Graterol pitching this season are slim. Graterol is in AZ but isn’t throwing.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 13, 2025
Back in November Graterol announced that he underwent shoulder surgery. The hope would be that he could return at some point this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Roberts doesn’t see that happening.
While the Dodgers are certain to make the postseason, and eyeing a repeat World Series Championship, they’ll need to do so without Graterol. The timing of his surgery was chosen in order to maximize availability last fall, and return sometime this season half. It just hasn’t worked out that way.
Brusdar Graterol, Casual 101mph Mechanics. 🥱 pic.twitter.com/aUgDVPsorp
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 29, 2024
Last season Graterol pitched just 7 1/3 innings for the Dodgers during the regular season. He has basically been a non-factor for the past two years.
A one-promising prospect for the Twins, Graterol has thrown just 181 innings in 178 games over his six seasons with Los Angeles. Only once has he surpassed 50 innings in a year. His 2.69 ERA (3.19 FIP) is impressive, but the best ability is availability.
Related: Traded Minnesota Twins Pitcher Going Back on IL
This season Graterol is making $2.8 million. He’s arbitration eligible for the final season next year and shouldn’t see much of a raise due to the time missed. From there the Dodgers will need to decide if the 26-year-old is part of their future plans.
Mentioned in this article: Brusdar Graterol Los Angeles Dodgers
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