Dodgers add Nick Ramirez after recent heavy bullpen usage
07/04/2024 02:44 PM
Fourth stint with the Dodgers this season for the left-hander Ramirez. Michael Petersen was optioned Thursday to Triple-A after pitching two innings on Wednesday night
The Dodgers have relied heavily on their bullpen recently, including needing six innings from relievers in Wednesday night's blowout loss to the Diamondbacks. That, coupled with no off days between series this week, necessitated a fresh arm. On Thursday, left-hander Nick Ramirez was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Michael Petersen was optioned after throwing 34 pitches two innings on Wednesday.
It's been a rough turn through the starting rotation since Gavin Stone's shutout last week in Chicago. Even Stone himself succumbed, getting through only three innings in Wednesday's loss. In the last five games, Dodgers starting pitchers allowed 21 runs in 19... innings, with Bobby Miller's five innings on Tuesday the longest outing in the group.
Landon Knack, whom the Dodgers haven't seemed willing to push much past two times through the order in his brief time in the majors, is starting Thursday night's series finale against Arizona.
This is the fourth stint in the majors with the Dodgers this season for Ramirez, who has a 3.86 ERA in 9⅓ innings, with five walks and three strikeouts. Three of his four runs allowed came in mop-up duty on May 16 against the Reds, when the left-hander recorded the final seven outs of a one-sided loss.
Ramirez was optioned the next day for another fresh arm, as the Dodgers were churning through pitchers during a stretch of 13 games days in a row. But he earned praise from manager Dave Roberts after the game, as well as his teammates, for soaking up those final innings.
"It's really hard to explain, but everybody on the pitching side knows how important those seven outs were that day. It goes a long way throughout 162 games, and those outs mean so much," Alex Vesia said a few days later. "Nick knows that, and we will see Nick again soon, 100 percent."
With Oklahoma City this season, Ramirez has a 2.45 ERA in 15 games, with 15 strikeouts and three walks in 18⅓ innings. He last pitched on Monday in Triple-A, throwing a scoreless inning in Las Vegas on 15 pitches.
Petersen impressed in his first stint in the majors, even with allowing four runs in mop-up duty on Wednesday (Christian Walker comes for all Dodgers pitchers). In six games with the Dodgers, the 30-year-old right-hander — the first UK-born player in franchise history — had a 4.66 ERA and 3.16 xERA with six strikeouts and five walks in 9⅔ innings.
