LOS ANGELES -- While the Dodgers' rotation had been growing steadily healthier, the six-man unit took a hit when left-hander Justin Wrobleski was placed on the 15-day injured list with left forearm inflammation ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Brewers.
Manager Dave Roberts is hopeful that Wrobleski's IL stint will be "short-lived." He was one of multiple pitchers whose health the team was monitoring, and the Dodgers felt that giving him time to get right would be to the benefit of the pitching staff as a whole.
Righty reliever Kyle Hurt was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Wrobleski's place on the active roster, giving the Dodgers an eighth man in the bullpen.
"Taking some of the load off of his arm, I think it's smart," Roberts said. "And I think with the eight-man 'pen, we could sort of protect guys more there."
Wrobleski last pitched on Saturday night, allowing four runs in six innings in a 4-1 loss to the Brewers.
A first-time All-Star this season, Wrobleski went through a rough stretch before being placed on the IL. He gave up 11 home runs in 19 2/3 innings in his last four starts, compared with eight home runs allowed in 106 2/3 innings in his first 17 outings.
Wrobleski had covered 126 1/3 innings before his injury, nearing his single-season career high as a professional. Previously, his heaviest regular-season workload was 132 innings between Double-A Tulsa, Oklahoma City and the Majors in 2024.
"It's not something that he's ever going to make an excuse for," Roberts said. "But I do think that it's smart for us as an organization to take that load off a little bit from him."
While the Dodgers have been mindful about Wrobleski's workload in the second half, the 26-year-old left-hander has maintained that he is not feeling any fatigue. On Saturday, his four-seamer averaged 96 mph, up 1.5 mph from his season average.
While the Dodgers only have five healthy starting pitchers with Wrobleski sidelined, they are due to get Tyler Glasnow back from the IL at some point during the week of Aug. 24. They have two team off-days before then, so they may be able to get by without working in a bullpen game or a spot starter until they can slot Glasnow in as their sixth starter.