Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke on what he called a ‘tough’ decision to send right-hander Ben Casparius down to Triple-A.
The 26-year-old reliever had an electric start to the season with a 2.72 ERA through May, but since the start of June, his ERA has totaled 6.31 in 27 outings.
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“It was tough,” Roberts said of the demotion. “Ben has done a lot of nice things for us, he really has. And he’s still a big part of what we’re doing this year.”
Although Casparius was once seen as a major part of the bullpen, gaining trust thanks to showing up in high-leverage moments, the rookie will hopefully use his recent move to the minors as an opportunity to get back to that place.
“Getting Ben back to dominating right-hand hitters is something that we felt, if we can kind of give a chance to catch his breath, get to OKC and get back to that, it’ll be more helpful for us the rest of the year, and potentially throughout the postseason,” Roberts said.
Roberts has shown no indication that Casparius won’t return to the Dodgers this season, but perhaps a stint in Triple-A will be good for the young pitcher. With October looming, the bullpen needs all the help they can get.
The corresponding move to Casparius’ demotion, the activation of southpaw Alex Vesia from the injured list, is another positive for the ailing pitching roster. Vesia is tossing a 2.67 ERA this season and has been sorely missed during the past three weeks.
Another bullpen arm currently sidelined is the recently-acquired Brock Stewart. The 33-year-old reliever had a 2.38 ERA upon his trade to the Dodgers this past deadline, but after allowing a pair of earned runs in his first 3.2 innings in a Dodgers uniform, has been on the injured list for the past month.
With the state of flux that the bullpen has been in seemingly all season long, fans can expect Casparius to do what he can to stay in Triple-A for as short a stint as possible before returning to LA.
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Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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