Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hasn’t exactly slammed the door shut on right-hander Brusdar Graterol returning to the mound this season, but he said on Saturday that it is unlikely Graterol will be back in 2025.
“It hasn’t gone as smoothly as he would like, as we would like, and it’s been hard to ramp up the volume that he would need to get back,” Friedman told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
More news: Dodgers’ Will Smith Has Hairline Fracture, Could Miss Start of Postseason
The Dodgers already expected Brusdar Graterol to be out for the regular season, and Andrew Friedman said it’s unlikely he returns this year: “It hasn’t gone as smoothly as he would like, as we would like, and it’s been hard to ramp up the volume that he would need to get back.”
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) September 20, 2025
Although the prospect of Graterol making a return was unlikely, his talent would have certainly be welcomed given the current state of the bullpen.
Last season, Graterol had an average fastball velocity of 98.1 mph, putting him in the 98th percentile across MLB. He tossed a 2.45 ERA across just seven appearances due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for most of the year.
The right-hander from Venezuela also made three appearances last postseason, all of which happened to be in the World Series. He allowed just one earned run across three appearances on the way to the Dodgers’ eighth title in franchise history.
Graterol, 27, elevated to another level during the 2023 season, hurling a microscopic 1.20 ERA across 68 appearances. His 48 strikeouts to just 12 walks on the year earned him an ERA+ of 359, a mark that was almost an absurd 259 percent higher than league average that year.
As the Dodgers bullpen continues to get bad news this season, the Graterol update shouldn’t exactly be soul-crushing to fans – especially with the uncertainty surrounding a return all season — but the relievers could have definitely used a boost ahead of October.
While Graterol won’t be the savior, the Dodgers are still hoping to get some help via the returns of right-handers Kyle Hurt, Brock Stewart and potentially even Roki Sasaki, who is pitching in relief at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
More news: Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Sends Message to Clayton Kershaw on Retirement
Photo Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Have you downloaded the new Dodgers Nation app yet? Click here for Apple Users and here for Android Users to be a part of the redesigned app to give fans everything they need, all in one place. Don’t miss out on live GameCast with play-by-play, news and analysis, Dodgers Nation podcasts and videos, all the stats you want and more!
LA Baseball Report
Get the app for faster news
GET ×