The Dodgers might be getting some reinforcements on the roster for the World Series.
Left-hander Alex Vesia, who missed the National League Championship Series after suffering an intercostal injury in Game 5 of the NL Division Series, said he is “90% sure” he’ll be active for the Fall Classic, having completed bullpen sessions over the last week and a 15-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday.
“I’m very confident that with how I felt [Wednesday] night, I’ll be even better when I go out with some adrenaline in my system facing some Yankees,” Vesia said.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas is also in line to be active for the World Series after missing the NLCS with a nagging adductor injury, one that had sidelined him since Game 3 of the NLDS.
“Everything looks really good,” manager Dave Roberts said of Rojas. “I think there’s a really good possibility he’ll be on the roster.”
The Dodgers dodged another bullet in the NLCS, too.
In Game 6 on Sunday, Evan Phillips was limited to only one inning of work — in a situation where it would have made sense for him to pitch two — because of what he described as “arm fatigue” typical for pitchers this late in the season.
The issue arose after his previous outing in Game 4 in New York. “I just didn’t bounce back well after that game,” Phillips said. “It was more of the same the other night.”
However, Phillips said he has been focused on his recovery this week and has “no worries” about his availability for the World Series.
“The decision the other night,” he said, “just came down to making a smart decision to keep me available.”
The other roster move the Dodgers were considering on the eve of Game 1: Potentially activating hard-throwing right-handed reliever Brusdar Graterol, whom Roberts said has been trending in the right direction from a shoulder injury that cost him four months at the start of the season, and flared up again in late September.
Roberts said the fact that Graterol has pitched only seven times in the regular season will be “part of the math.” But, he added of a pitcher with a 1.64 career postseason ERA, “the other part is his track record in the postseason, how good he’s been.”
“We’re gonna have some difficult conversations,” Roberts said of his sudden roster backlog. “But on the pitching side, we’re in a pretty good spot right now.”
Remembering Fernando Valenzuela
Dodger Stadium was full of remembrances Thursday for late star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died on Tuesday at age 63.
At the front gate, the main entrance to Dodger Stadium was covered in flowers, draped in two Mexican flags, and adorned with “34” balloons.
Inside the ballpark, a cross wreath was hanging next to Valenzuela’s retired number in the left-field ring of honor, a plaque that only went up last year when the team retired his number despite him never making the Hall of Fame.
Come Friday, there will be more commemorations to the World Series champion, Rookie of the Year recipient and Cy Young award winner. The Dodgers announced they will have “Fernando 34” patches on the sleeves of their jersey. Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league will honor Valenzuela in other ways, as well, including a moment of silence at Chavez Ravine before first pitch Friday.
“Fernando is an icon for us, and especially for the Latin community, players that got the opportunity to represent their countries,” Rojas said. “What he did for the community and for everybody in Los Angeles, it was amazing. And we have to now kind of live through the kind of the same way that he lived baseball, which is giving everything on the field, trying to win a championship, and after you’re done playing baseball, continue to be a good person off the field as well.”
Alex Verdugo returns
Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo has not played at Dodger Stadium in five years. The Dodgers traded the outfielder to the Boston Red Sox as part of the five-player trade that brought Mookie Betts to Los Angeles.
Verdugo, who was later traded by the Red Sox to the Yankees last winter, said he was disappointed to leave L.A.
“I was upset in the moment,” he said, “for a few days.”
In some recent moments, he said, he has anticipated a warm reception at Dodger Stadium this weekend. In other moments, well, he does not.
“It’s the World Series. They’re going to boo,” said Verdugo, originally drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of 2014. “I still love this place.”