Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke about starter Justin Wrobleski’s injury after Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Wrobleski landed on the injured list just before the game with left forearm tightness, making room for Kyle Hurt. The left-hander struggled to produce results over his past four starts, allowing 20 runs and 11 homers during that stretch while earning a losing decision in three consecutive games, but he had been solid for the Dodgers leading up to the All-Star break.
The southpaw earned his first All-Star appearances this season, posting a 2.52 ERA as a starting pitcher prior to his appearance in the Midsummer Classic. Since then, though, his heavy workload has taken its toll. Wrobleski has thrown 126.1 innings this year, which is more than his previous two MLB seasons combined.
“Given his workload and where he’s at, taking some of a load off of his arm is smart,” Roberts said. “…You’re sort of looking at a few guys, and we sort of felt collectively that Justin was the right person… with the fatigue in the arm and it’s not something that he’s ever going to make an excuse for, but I do think that it’s smart for us, as an organization, to take that load off a little bit for him.”
Wrobleski appears to have avoided serious injury despite his move to the injured list, so the Dodgers are likely to bring him back shortly after he’s eligible to return at the end of the month.
Who Will Take Justin Wrobleski’s Spot in the Rotation?
The Dodgers had only just restored their six-man rotation with Blake Snell’s return early last week, but will now have to go back to just five starters—at least for the time being.
While Wrobleski is on the injured list, the Dodgers have two starters working their way back to a return: Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow.
Glasnow has been out with May since back spasms, and is finally looking to make a comeback, with his final rehab start coming later this week.
Ohtani has been missing from the mound since early July, but threw a bullpen Friday and will likely do so a few more times before his official return. While the Dodgers will certainly feel Wrobleski’s absence, their reinforcements are sure to keep things under control.