The Dodgers bullpen is no longer the biggest liability on the team this season, especially after they posted 38 consecutive scoreless innings in the month of May.
There are still big-name pitchers in both the rotation and bullpen— Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz— that are still recovering from injuries, but that hasn’t stopped the pitching staff from being one of the best in baseball. One of those injured relievers, Brock Stewart, is currently on a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario
and has been performing well, per Manny Randhawa of MLB.com. Evan Phillips also pitched with Triple-A Oklahoma City as the Dodgers anticipate both of their returns.
On Thursday, shortly after veteran right-hander Evan Phillips pitched a scoreless inning for Triple-A Oklahoma City as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, right-hander Brock Stewart also tossed a scoreless frame for Single-A Ontario against Rancho Cucamonga.
Mookie Betts has been in the everyday lineup since making his return from injury on May 11, yet the former All-Star has yet to get his season off the launchpad.
Betts is slashing just .203/.266/.367 on the season— all career worst numbers, even with his relatively poor offensive metrics from last year. He’s managed to improve over the past week, including five hits over a two-game span in Chicago. But the frustrations have continued to mount on him, leading him to feel like the unluckiest hitter in baseball, per Jack Harris of the California Post.
“My whole life, I haven’t really had to think in this type of detail,” Betts said. “I’ve been able to just have an innate ability to figure it out. Figure out how to get hits. Figure out how to compete. But now, I don’t know what it is, but if I’m not perfect, if I’m not in the right position, hitting it center on the bat, I don’t really have much of a chance.”
Both Harris and Dylan Hernandez of the California Post discuss the strain that Shohei Ohtani has placed upon himself this season, as he has dealt with both left knee inflammation on the road and a blister on his finger in his most recent start.
