The Dodgers on Thursday recalled Justin Wrobleski from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and optioned J.P. Feyereisen in a swap for a fresher arm for the series finale against the A’s at Dodger Stadium.
Feyereisen pitched two innings on Tuesday, the only reliever on the staff to have pitched more than one inning over the previous three days.
Manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday night that Matt Sauer would start on Thursday against the A’s. He’s pitched five and four innings over the last two weeks, and also pitched an inning on Sunday in Arizona.
Ben Casparius, another occasional bulk option for Los Angeles, pitched the final inning on Wednesday, and Roberts after the game said Casparius would likely be unavailable for Thursday.
Wrobleski is coming off his best outing of the season, allowing only one run in seven innings last Saturday against Albuquerque, and has allowed two total runs over 13 innings in his last two starts for Oklahoma City, with 11 strikeouts.
In his one major league outing this season, Wrobleski was tagged for eight runs in a loss to the Nationals on April 8, in five innings.
This sure feels like last Wednesday in Miami during the Dodgers road trip, when Landon Knack and Sauer combined to pitch all nine innings as a way to reset a taxed bullpen. The Dodgers bullpen isn’t as burdened this time around, with six other relievers other than Casaprius who are reasonably rested heading into the finale against the A’s. But with six more games on the homestand over the next six days after Thursday, this sure feels like an opportunity for Sauer and Wrobleski to take down a large portion of the innings in this one.