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The Dodgers bullpen was turning a corner. Now, a spate of injuries has cut into its depth

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

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The Dodgers bullpen was turning a corner. Now, a spate of injuries has cut into its depth

PHOENIX —

A swarm of bees might have delayed the start of action.

But it was a disappearance of depth in the bullpen that stung the Dodgers most Tuesday night.

With the score tied in the ninth, and then with the Dodgers leading by one in the 10th, the club found itself with few appealing options against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Closer Evan Phillips was unavailable because of a heavy recent workload. Right-handers Joe Kelly and Daniel Hudson had been burned earlier in the game. Typically, that would mean a save opportunity for the other high-leverage relievers on the roster, such as Brusdar Graterol, Ryan Braiser or Blake Trienen. But each of those three was out with injuries.

So, with the game on the line, recent minor-league call-up Nabil Crismatt got the call instead.

Despite a clean ninth inning that forced the game into extras, Crismatt — a journeyman right-hander with his sixth team in six years — ultimately met the fate many Dodger fans would have feared.

Three pitches into the 10th, he left a changeup up that Christian Walker belted out. The two-run blast walked the Diamondbacks off for a 4-3 win.

“It’s just one of those days,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You’ve got to reset and pick up the pieces, as far as [who is available in] the ‘pen for tomorrow.”

Indeed, for at least the near future, situations similar to Tuesday might not be all that rare.

The Dodgers are nowhere near having their full complement of relievers at the moment. Much of the bullpen they envisioned entering the year is currently stuck on the injured list.

Graterol, last year’s primary set-up man, remains a long way off with a nagging shoulder injury, one that has sidelined him since the start of the year. Treinen, the former ace reliever who has hardly pitched at all the last two years, is nearing a return from a couple broken ribs, but will need at least two more minor-league rehab outings Wednesday and Thursday before he is cleared to return to the majors.

Like Trienen, who got hurt on a comebacker in spring training, Brasier suffered his own freak injury this week, when he felt something “blow up” in his calf while performing a normal set of pregame warm-up sprints.

“I felt like I was getting to a spot where I was feeling really good, so it’s obviously frustrating,” said Brasier, whose 4.63 ERA belied his importance to the bullpen.

While the team was still awaiting MRI results as of Tuesday, the Dodgers feared Brasier would face an extended absence. He compared this right calf strain to one he suffered in his left calf in 2021. That injury, he said, took close to two months to heal.

“He’s done his other one before, so it’s gonna be a while,” Roberts said. “It’s gonna be a slow process for him.”

Two games into Brasier’s absence, the Dodgers were already feeling the consequences.

On Monday night, the Dodgers held a four-run lead in the ninth, a spot that seemed tailor-made for Brasier — especially given his up-and-down performance early on. But the Dodgers elected to use Phillips, evidently uncomfortable trusting the only other available arm at that point — recently recalled right-hander Gus Varland — even in a non-save situation.

That outing marked Phillips’ fourth in seven days, with the closer getting heavy usage during the Dodgers’ recent six-game winning streak.

That ruled Phillips out for Tuesday (five relief outings in eight days is a red line not only for the Dodgers, but other clubs around MLB) and left Roberts with few options in the final innings of the game.

“We’re on the back end of nine [games] in a row, and when you win a lot of games, you use your leverage guys,” Roberts said. “That’s part of it. You’ve got to figure out ways to navigate.”

After summoning Michael Grove and Joe Kelly in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, then watching Hudson blow a rare lead in the eighth, the manager had only Crismatt and Varland left to choose from once the game reached the ninth. He elected for Crismatt. Then, he watched on helplessly as the Diamondbacks snatched the game.

“That’s just where we were at,” Roberts said. “He threw up a zero that first inning, and unfortunately we couldn’t tack on more than one [run] in that 10th.”

This is where the Dodgers could be for a while, trying to mix and match a bridge to Hudson and Phillips on nights they’re available, or cover save situations in the games they’re being rested.

Roberts is hopeful Treinen’s return will help — though a 35-year-old with just five appearances over the last two seasons is hardly guaranteed a smooth reacclimation.

The Dodgers have also gotten high-leverage production from Grove (who has a 6.88 ERA overall, but a 3.00 ERA in the final three innings of games) and left-hander Alex Vesia (whose 1.76 ERA is second-best in the ‘pen behind Phillips, despite a 1.304 WHIP) of late, but they were never pegged for such key roles, either.

Instead, the Dodgers planned for Graterol, Brasier, Kelly and Hudson to be their key middle relievers this year. Now, Hudson represents the only non-injury worry, after Kelly tweaked his groin Tuesday — though not bad enough to leave the game — after fielding a ground ball in the seventh inning.

“We’ll just kind of see where he’s at [tomorrow] physically,” Roberts said, saying the team will reevaluate Kelly after Thursday’s off-day.

All the renewed injury concerns come just as the Dodgers seemed to be finding their footing in the bullpen. Following a woeful opening couple of weeks, when they ranked 20th in reliever ERA through their first 23 games, the bullpen had given up only two earned runs in more than 27 innings to begin this week’s road trip. Entering Tuesday, they were 12th in the majors with a 3.64 ERA.

But then, in the span of six outs, the dwindling depth caught up with them again. One of their few reliable relief arms faltered. One of their many risky ones got taken deep. And Roberts was left postgame with no choice but to look ahead.

“We’ve got to weather it,” Roberts said. “I’m sure we’ll be churning through some guys in the next couple weeks.”

Sports

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo makes NBA history with 83-point game

Published

10 minutes ago

March 11, 2026

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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo makes NBA history with 83-point game

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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history on Tuesday night.

Adebayo scored 83 points, all while setting league marks for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-highest scoring game for a player ever, only to Wilt Chamberlain’s famed 100-point game.

“An absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game.

Adebayo started with a 31-point first quarter. He was up to 43 at halftime, 62 by the end of the third quarter. And then came the fourth, when the milestones kept falling despite facing double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line.

He finished 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 for 22 from 3-point range.

After the game, he was seen in tears while he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the floor after the game.

“Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore,” Adebayo’s girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media, “but at least it gives me something to go after.”

MAGIC’S ANTHONY BLACK MAKES INCREDIBLE DUNK OVER FOUR DEFENDERS IN HISTORIC NBA GAME

Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The NBA’s previous best this season was 56, by Nikola Jokic for Denver against Minnesota on Christmas night. The last player to have 62 points through three quarters: one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, Kobe Bryant, who had exactly that many through three quarters for the Los Angeles Lakers against Dallas on Dec. 20, 2005.

He wound up passing Bryant for single-game scoring as well. Bryant’s career-best was 81 — a game that was the second-best on the NBA scoring list for two decades.

Adebayo scored 31 points in the opening quarter against the Wizards, breaking the Heat record for points in any quarter — and tying the team record for points in a first half before the second quarter even started.

He finished the first half with 43 points, a team record for any half and two points better than his previous career high — for a full game, that is — of 41, set Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.

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Adebayo’s season high entering Tuesday was 32. He matched that with a free throw with 5:53 left in the second quarter, breaking the Heat first-half scoring record.

Adebayo’s 43-point first half was the NBA’s second-best in at least the last 30 seasons — going back to the start of the digital play-by-play era that began in the 1996-97 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Sports

Kings lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins

Published

52 minutes ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Kings lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins

BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots on Tuesday night to earn the Boston Bruins their 13th straight victory at home, 2-1 over the Kings.

Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.

It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.

In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins’ defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.

Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.

Swayman tied his career high with his 25th win of the season. The Bruins haven’t lost at the TD Garden since before Christmas.

After the game, Kings forward and future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar stayed on the ice to shake hands with the Bruins after what is expected to be his last game in Boston.

Sports

Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

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Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card

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Mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones ended his retirement from UFC simply because he wanted a spot on the “Freedom 250” fight card at the White House in June.

But, when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326 this past weekend, Jones wasn’t among the fighters. As a result, he has requested a release from his UFC contract.

White was candid when asked about Jones following the UFC 326 card.

Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images))

“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousands times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White explained, per CBS Sports. “Some guy with Meta Glasses filmed him talking about his hips – that his hips are so bad. And I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement.”

White added that “the Jon Jones thing is bulls—,” saying that he texted the fighter’s lawyer saying he would never be on the White House card despite Jones saying he was in negotiations for it.

UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT

The Meta Glasses incident White is referring to came from a viral video, where Jones, unaware he was being filmed, discussed issues with his hips to a fan.

On Monday, Jones composed a thorough response to White’s comments about him and the White House Card. He previously posted and deleted social media explanations, but Monday’s appeared to be his final statement on the matter.

UFC President Dana White speaks after UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center on Feb. 21, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

“Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Jones, who retired a heavyweight champion in 2025, said. “So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense. I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready.

“I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defenses, the fights, hearing that I’m ‘done’ is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number.”

Jones finished his statement by saying he “respectfully” asks to be released from his UFC contract.

Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up,” he wrote.

The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

Jones is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time, owning a 28-1-1 record, which includes his last bout with Stipe Miocic, knocking him out to take the heavyweight title belt. He is also a two-time light heavyweight champion.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.