Dodgers place Evan Phillips on injured list as their bullpen usage continues to spike
MIAMI — The bill is coming due on the Los Angeles Dodgers' most troubling statistic in the early season. No team in baseball has asked for more innings from its bullpen than the Dodgers, who are already dealing with injury question marks in their rotation. The concerns have bled into their bullpen, as the club placed reliever Evan Phillips on the injured list Wednesday with right forearm discomfort.
The move was announced after the first pitch of an eventual 10-1 win over the Miami Marlins. The Dodgers are playing 10 games in 10 games. Wednesday's marked the sixth and manager Dave Roberts said the stretch had already 'redlined' some of their relievers.
That group includes Phillips. The team's saves leader a year ago, he missed the start of the season and all of last year's World Series with a partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. After returning from the injured list on April 19, he appeared in seven of the Dodgers' 14 games.
The Dodgers already have 13 pitchers on the IL, including reliever Blake Treinen on the 60-day, but both Roberts and Phillips expressed confidence he would have a minimum stint. Roberts said he doesn't anticipate Phillips requiring an MRI.
'I always felt good when I pitched, so that's kind of where my disappointment comes in,' said Phillips, who has pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings. 'I do feel like I can still contribute, but I think what it comes down to is we don't want to mess around with something in early May. We don't really have the luxury of giving me a couple days off here to figure it out. So we decided best to just be cautious with it. We'll get a deeper look at things over the next week, or few days in Arizona when we get over there, and hopefully have a clearer idea of what we're working with.'
Evan Phillips, Unfair 3 Sweeper K. 😲
21 inches, 21 inches and 22 inches of Horizontal Break. pic.twitter.com/nQOYSyHzIq
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 20, 2025
Bullpen innings have been racking up for the Dodgers. Alex Vesia and Kirby Yates entered Wednesday tied for the major league lead with 19 appearances each. Four of the Dodgers' pitchers had already pitched in at least half of the Dodgers' first 36 games.
The usage is 'absolutely not' sustainable, Roberts said. It's been caused by a series of negative factors. Blake Snell has only started two games this season because of a shoulder issue. Tyler Glasnow twice left starts early with separate concerns before landing on the IL with right shoulder inflammation.
Only the Marlins, Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies have had fewer starts of at least six innings than the Dodgers' nine. Even within those innings they've been taxed, with the Dodgers' pitching staff tied for the fifth-most pitches per plate appearance (3.95) in the majors thus far.
'I think there's a lack of efficiency,' Roberts said. 'I think we've had a handful of starts that have gone less than three innings where guys have had to take on more. Early on in the season I was mindful of making sure guys got their feet under them. Now that they've got their footing I feel more comfortable extending them to the century mark with certain guys. I think all of that makes that maybe imperfect storm.'
Wednesday provided a breather. Spot starter Landon Knack lasted five scoreless innings — an effective outing that showed signs of wear as he allowed consecutive singles to start the sixth. Matt Sauer (who replaced Phillips on the active roster) kept things scoreless in the frame and pitched the game's final four innings.
'The perfect outcome for us,' Roberts said of resetting his bullpen heading into a four-game set in Arizona against the Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers at least expect some starting reinforcements to return soon.
Snell has been traveling with the Dodgers on this road trip and is expected to begin playing catch on Friday in Arizona. He'd previously started throwing bullpens before dialing things back when his shoulder wasn't responding well weeks ago. Glasnow will start throwing in Los Angeles on Friday, another important step.
A more immediate return looms for left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who is recovering from left toe and knee surgeries. The likely future Hall of Famer did not allow a hit over six innings against teenagers at the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday night, adding more workload in the bullpen to stretch out to around 80 pitches. He will make what is likely his final rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Kershaw is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on May 18, which would be exactly one week from that start.
'The timing is perfect, given (we are) dropping guys in, playing 19 games in 20 days,' Roberts said.
Wednesday also brought some encouraging news on the position player front, with Roberts saying that Teoscar Hernández could recover from his strained left adductor within a couple of weeks.
'That's my hope,' Roberts said. 'And that's his hope. But obviously we're not going to activate him until he's good and ready to get back and stay healthy.'
(Photo of Phillips: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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