With the start of the World Series less than a week away, the bullpen has turned into a unit that no one — not even the Los Angeles Dodgers front office — saw coming.
Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol are lost this year. Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech have essentially been non-factors all year. Tanner Scott’s shocking struggles have ruled him out of the postseason at all. Perhaps most surprising is that rookie Roki Sasaki has turned into a high-leverage reliever out of necessity.
When it comes to Scott, is there still a world where he can help this team win four more games?
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Jon Heyman of the New York Post spoke with Scott about his recent physical condition. It is unknown if Scott could potentially appear on the World Series roster. That said, the veteran left-handed reliever hopes to be part of it of the photo.
“Scott, who was a closer his first year as a Dodgers (4.74) but is one of the most talented pen arms, told The Post that he is pitching and hopes he can rejoin the team for the World Series,” Heyman wrote. “He called the condition an infection, while a Dodgers official called it a cyst. Scott is working hard, but it is uncertain whether there is enough build-up time to rejoin the team as a back-end reliever, which coincidentally is what his recent procedure accomplished.”
Scott was abruptly taken off the NLDS roster against the Philadelphia Phillies in what was initially an undisclosed matter. It later emerged that Scott had undergone minor surgery and could potentially return if the team reached the World Series.
The Dodgers essentially have a week to determine if Scott can be included. He hasn’t pitched once this postseason and the last time he played in a game was September 26. To Scott’s credit, he had allowed just two earned runs and four hits over his last seven outings (6.2 innings pitched).
However, given the left-handers the Dodgers have at their disposal, it is unlikely that Scott makes enough progress in time to regain his spot on the roster for the World Series. It will be an interesting storyline to watch as the team moves closer to Friday’s Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
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Photo credit: David A. Vasquez-Imagn images
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