This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
The Dodgers had been at risk of shedding their one-run lead within the eighth inning of Tuesday’s eventual 4-3 walk-off victory in extras. The D-backs had loaded the bases with two outs towards lefty Alex Vesia, who wasn’t going to get the prospect to face right-handed-hitting Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Supervisor Dave Roberts summoned rookie right-hander Ben Casparius. Gurriel labored a full depend, however swung by a slider that dove underneath the zone to finish the inning. On the mound, Casparius was clearly fired up; watching from the highest rail of the dugout, Vesia reacted simply as emphatically.
“It was huge. I simply felt that it was the fitting spot for him,” Roberts mentioned. “We’re clearly placing him in plenty of high-leverage spots. And he’s answered each alternative the fitting method.”
With Kirby Yates on the 15-day injured listing with a proper hamstring pressure, the Dodgers have needed to rethink how they’re going to deal with sure high-leverage conditions. Casparius has emerged because the Dodgers’ foremost right-handed choice, and not too long ago signed veteran righty Lou Trivino additionally received a glance in a leverage spot on Wednesday.
In a season the place pitcher accidents have already begun to pile up for the Dodgers, Casparius has been a relentless within the bullpen, posting a 3.23 ERA throughout 30 2/3 innings. Little or no about this yr has been fixed for Casparius, although.
“The function for him is form of ever-evolving,” Roberts mentioned. “However given the place we’re at within the ‘pen and shedding guys, his function wanted to alter, and he is now only a high-leverage man. I mentioned hybrid per week in the past, one thing like that. He may nonetheless do multiples, however I did not hesitate going to him in that spot [on Tuesday].”
After being developed as a starter, Casparius spent most of Spring Coaching getting ready to transform to reduction. The 26-year-old made his first Opening Day roster and thrived in a multi-inning function.
Then, accidents to the Dodgers’ rotation struck. After Tyler Glasnow turned the second member of the crew’s season-opening rotation to go on the IL, Roberts acknowledged that stretching Casparius out to a beginning function was a chance.
However since his longest outing of the season — 4 innings on Might 5 in Miami — Casparius has largely been pitching in shorter stints. At that time, Roberts was calling him a hybrid reliever, overlaying between one to a few innings.
Then got here the damage to Yates, and when Casparius entered the sport to get one high-stakes out on Tuesday, it signaled one other shift. His supervisor could have given him a brand new label, however Casparius nonetheless sees his function as being fluid.
“Clearly, my function has been completely different in versatile conditions, so I attempt to not learn into these issues,” Casparius mentioned. “However I believe simply to be of their belief tree and be capable to be utilized in completely different areas of the sport, whether or not it is early on, late, no matter it’s, it is cool.”
The Dodgers’ bullpen leads the Majors with 213 2/3 innings, whereas the rotation ranks final with 230 1/3 innings. It isn’t a sustainable association, however the crew has been capable of get by — in no small half as a result of Casparius has been capable of are available in behind a brief begin and pitch bulk innings.
If the Dodgers need to reserve Casparius for leverage conditions, they’re going to have choices who can step into that hybrid function. Matt Sauer has been strong, overlaying a minimum of 4 innings in three of his six appearances. Jack Dreyer has additionally been referred to as on to get greater than three outs fairly a bit this season.
Somewhat than take into consideration his function, Casparius is simply centered on being prepared when his identify known as. If he appears fairly poised for a rookie, it is as a result of he already underwent trial by fireplace final postseason, when he made 4 appearances between the NL Championship Sequence and the World Sequence.
This can be his first prolonged regular-season stretch with the Dodgers, however Casparius got here into it with somewhat seasoning.
“Going by the playoffs final yr, which was my first stretch within the huge leagues, seeing how guys are treating their our bodies 175 video games by the yr, this and that,” Casparius mentioned. “It [gave] me a good suggestion of the best way to go about my everyday, and do every little thing I can to remain wholesome and be capable to really feel good.”
