Are regular bullpen games sustainable for Dodgers?

PHILADELPHIA -- The Dodgers had hoped Sunday would be the day Julio Urías would make his much-needed return to their starting rotation. Instead, they used eight pitchers to navigate eight innings in a 7-3 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Given Urías’ latest setback and few alternatives internally, bullpen days may be the way Los Angeles approaches every fifth game for now.

That said, it wasn’t necessarily the way they had to approach the finale of a 2-4 road trip. Tony Gonsolin, who last pitched Tuesday in Cincinnati, could have taken the mound on normal rest, but manager Dave Roberts opted instead to give him an extra two days (paired with Monday’s off-day) before starting this coming Tuesday against the White Sox.

“I think with Tony, the recovery hasn't been great,” Roberts said. “So, trying to appreciate the short and the long term, and make sure we take care of him and his health. Making sure the recovery is where it needs to be. We just felt that it's the best for him.”

Roberts clarified that there are no injury concerns with Gonsolin. They’re simply being cautious with a guy who missed significant time in 2021 due to a right shoulder injury and spent more than a month on the IL in ’22 due to a strained right forearm.

With Urías (strained left hamstring), Noah Syndergaard (blister), Dustin May (right forearm strain) and Walker Buehler (Tommy John surgery) already on the IL, Los Angeles can’t afford to lose anyone else. The club has only four healthy starters at the moment: Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller and Michael Grove.

Urías, who was originally projected to come off the injured list last weekend, had his return pushed back a second time after his strained left hamstring tightened up during a Thursday bullpen session. Now, it’s unclear when the Dodgers will get him back.

The situation is reminiscent of late in the 2021 season when Los Angeles had Kershaw, Urías, Gonsolin and May all on the IL concurrently. In that instance, the Dodgers relied on using openers for bulk pitchers such as Andre Jackson, Mitch White and David Price -- or just going with full bullpen games, as they did Sunday.

It not only worked well for that stretch, but Roberts then opted to use two pitchers ahead of Urías for Game 5 of the 2021 NLDS vs. the Giants -- and it worked to perfection.

Does Roberts think a similar strategy is sustainable at this point in the season?

"Yeah, I do. It’s sustainable in the sense to do it once every five or six days for a couple times,” Roberts said. “Any more than that, it’s probably unlikely.”

Even with extended absences from some of their top arms, the Dodgers finished the 2021 season atop the team ERA leaderboard -- just as they did in ’19, ’20 and ’22. Los Angeles hasn’t finished outside of the top five in team ERA since 2014, when it finished … sixth.

But at the conclusion of Sunday’s bullpen game, the Dodgers ranked 22nd with a 4.49 ERA. Their starters have a 4.29 ERA (16th in MLB) and the bullpen has a 4.76 ERA (27th).

“Very surprised," Roberts said when asked about the 2023 pitching woes. "But I think the most important thing is, what can we do going forward? The expectation is that the guys who have underperformed to this point will perform better. And it's my job to keep putting them in the right spots, as far as relievers. But like I said, they've got to do their job, too. As for our starters, [I’m] surprised, and certain guys got to be better, too."

The Dodgers believe Urías will improve upon his 4.39 ERA whenever he returns. They hope that May comes back after the All-Star break and that they can find a way to get Syndergaard (7.16 ERA) on track. As for the bullpen, Alex Vesia -- who had a 2.19 ERA over 104 appearances from 2021-22 -- has a 6.61 ERA this season.

Whether it’s guys getting healthy or rediscovering previous form, there are certainly ways to improve the pitching staff internally. Of course, the Dodgers are also scouring external options -- something that figures to heat up as the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline gets closer.

"We certainly have the arm talent as far as 13 pitchers,” Roberts said. “But every day, I think it's fair to say that we're gathering information -- and that's the way it should be. Guys are getting opportunities, but it's their job to perform. If they don't, then other people might get opportunities.”