A pitcher in spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers could be the team’s breakout player this year, according to Dodgers’ Nation’s Doug McKain.
Kyle Hurt has limited experience in the majors, but he performed well in his four appearances in Dodger blue in 2023 and 2024.
Apr 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kyle Hurt (63) throws against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
In 8.2 innings, he has an ERA of 1.04 and a WHIP of 1.038 with six strikeouts.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, he made some rehab appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2025, but now he’s looking to get back into the show.
“I’ll definitely be a reliever, but whatever they ask, I’m just excited to be a part of it,” he told McKain.
Recovery Could Create ‘Even Better’ Kyle Hurt
After Tommy John surgery led to an even better Shohei Ohtani on the mound, McKain asked Hurt if he could see the same improvement.
“I would think so. You do so much little strength exercises for your arm that you didn’t really do pre-surgery,” Hurt explained. “So, getting to know how your elbow feels every day and just doing those little exercises constantly, day by day, I think that just makes that velo spike a little bit because your arms are just so conditioned after doing rehab for such a long period process that you feel really good, so that’s kind of how I felt.”
Hurt is Learning From the Locker Room at Spring Training
Amid this opportunity to possibly return to the majors, Hurt told McKain he’s soaking up the knowledge he can from a star-studded locker room.
“It’s just super exciting to be in this locker room, like just watching Yoshi do everything he does on a day-to-day basis and like how Blake Snell goes about it,” he explained. “Everyone just kind of does it their own way and we just feed off each other. A lot of these young guys are definitely, including myself, we still see what these guys do, but it’s just exciting just watching the day-by-day routine. That’s one big thing for me.”
Hurt said he also worked with fellow Dodger pitcher Alex Vesia a bit in the offseason, which could prove very beneficial.
Ultimately, though, he knows it comes down to the fundamentals, which is a goal of his this season.
“I want to say just stay healthy [is goal No. 1], but just throw strike one,” he said. “That’s a good goal and I feel like if I do that, then I’ll be successful.”
LA Baseball Report
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