Paul Gervase (along with Julian Fernandez and Andrew Heaney) is 2025’s answer to Connor Brodgon (and Eduardo Salazar): name the Dodger reliever who showed up with the least amount of screen time. Gervase, Fernandez, and Heaney made one appearance with two innings of work.
One can be forgiven for forgetting about Gervase, provided that you never saw him. At six foot ten, he is literally the tallest player to ever suit up for the Los Angeles Dodgers, dethroning Mark Hendrickson of 2006 fame.
Gervase
was actually one of the few players that the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline in the Hunter Feduccia, three-team deal that also saw the arrival of Ben Rortvedt and Adam Serwinowski. Gervase started the year and spent most of the year closing out games for the Triple-A Durham Bulls (yes, THOSE ones, even though it was a single-A team in the movie) of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
At the time of the trade, in 27 games, Gervase had a 2-3 record and four saves (out of six tries). He had a 3.12 ERA with 63 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 40 1/3 innings.
Gervase made his major league debut for the Rays in June, pitching in five games and 6 1/3 innings of work.
He had a 4.26 ERA and a 9.77 FIP, giving up three solo home runs, walking five, and striking out six.
When the Dodgers acquired Gervase, he had a 31.7-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate, which was fifth-best in the entire minor leagues among pitchers with at least 30 innings.
Gervase is primarily a three-pitch reliever: 4-seam fastball, slider, and cutter. Given his height and the deception that tall pitchers like Tyler Glasnow can employ due to it, facing Gervase must feel like having a pitcher be right on top of you.
After the trade, Gervase spent the bulk of the rest of the year in Triple-A Oklahoma City and made one spot appearance for the Dodgers against the Rockies in Denver on August 20th.
While Gervase made only a cameo appearance in Los Angeles in 2025, he performed adequately in Oklahoma City, appearing in 15 games and posting a 2-1 record over 19 innings. He had a 4.74 ERA and 1.53 WHIP, while walking 15 and striking out 16. The vaunted strikeout-minus-walk rate fell off a cliff while he was pitching for the Comets.
Gervase did not make the postseason roster; however, it would be surprising if he did not appear in Los Angeles with some regularity during the 2026 campaign. Gervase might not be a bullpen dawg yet, but he certainly has a sense of humor, as based on his Tweet from the night the Dodgers won the World Series.
2025 particulars
Age: 25
Stats: (with Dodgers), 1 G, 2 IP, 4.32 ERA, 1 ER, 2 H, BB, 2K
Salary: Unknown
Game of the year
By definition, Gervase’s solo appearance against the Rockies is his game of the year, where he ate up two innings without getting rocked in Denver, which is more than many young pitchers can say.
Roster status
Gervase has 21 days of service and two option years remaining.
