Dodgers Make Minor Roster Move Ahead of Finale vs Arizona

Valentina Martinez | Sep 2, 2024

Sep 1, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes (15) leads off first as Arizona Diamondbacks first base Josh Bell (36) covers the bag during the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers called up right-hander Michael Peterson from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The reliever provides reinforcements in the final month of the regular season.

Peterson has a 1.69 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in Triple-A this season. He's posted 42 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched this season.

The 30-year-old enters his third stint with the Dodgers. Peterson earned his first big league win in his MLB debut on June 18 at Colorado. The right-hander pitched 2.0 innings with two strikeouts.

The right-hander was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round of the 2015 June Amateur Draft.

Peterson joins an overworked Dodgers bullpen. Eight relievers were deployed in Friday night's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw made an untimely exit from the game after Corbin Caroll hit a solo homer off the left-hander.

The club later announced that Kershaw alerted manager Dave Roberts of a recurring injury that returned in the first inning of the division matchup.

“I put the team in a really tough spot, having the bullpen cover eight innings,” Kershaw said. “But the team did amazing, they battled and grinded. And the bullpen is hanging after today, and I’m disappointed that I was the culprit of that, but they did an unbelievable job.”

The Dodgers turned to Joe Kelly, Alex Vesia, Ryan Brasier, Michael Kopech, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen, and Anthony Banda to hold off Arizona for eight innings on Friday night.

Vesia earned four pivotal outs in the fourth frame. Brasier, Kopech, Hudson, and Treinen each posted scoreless innings.

Most of the bullpen had already pitched within the last week, but in turn of events, the Dodgers needed theirs arms once again.

“We have some absolute dogs in our bullpen, circumstances like this is when it comes out,” reliever Vesia said.

Kershaw is currently on the Injured List, along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers pitching staff has suffered numerous injuries throughout the season and the starting rotation continues to shrink.

The unprecedented number of injuries led the Dodgers to promote a slew of pitchers, including Peterson.

Peterson's call-up gives the Dodgers a fresh arm in the bullpen as the team closes out a four-game series with Arizona on Monday afternoon.

Although the Dodgers lost 14-3 to the Diamondbacks on Sunday, Los Angeles looks to close out the series at Chase Field with a win.

The San Diego Padres and Arizona are tied at five games back of the Dodgers in the National League West race.