Dodgers News: Alex Vesia Says Time at AAA Helped Get Mechanics Back on Track

It definitely didn't show in his return to the MLB mound on Tuesday.

On Tuesday night, Alex Vesia made his return to the MLB mound. Vesia, who spent nearly four weeks in Triple-A after struggling in the beginning of the 2023 season, was recalled from Triple-A Monday morning, and got into the game just hours later.

Vesia, who pitched well in his last nine appearances in Triple-A, felt confident that he'd figured things out in his brief stint in the minor leagues. The Dodgers obviously agreed, which led them to bringing him back up before the end of May. Unfortunately, things didn't get off to a great start.

Vesia entered a 4-1 game in the top of the 7th inning, and left in a 4-3 game after retiring just two batters. He allowed a home run on the first pitch, and then two more hits and a walk before getting replaced by RHP Evan Phillips.

This obviously wasn't the start Vesia was hoping for in his return to the Major League mound, but it's still too early to write him off just yet.

Before the game, after he was recalled from Triple-A, Vesia spoke to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Registe. about the changes he made in Triple-A that he felt would get him back on track.

"The first couple weeks didn’t go the way I really wanted them to," Vesia said. "Obviously I was working through some mechanical stuff, leaving the ball a little more in the zone. I was getting hit around a lot. I went down, carried out what I needed to work on. It clicked relatively quick. ... On video, you could watch it and see it, but the way your body moves during catch play and the way your body moves with a lot of fans in the stands, there’s a difference ... There’s adrenaline. There’s everything."

Again, these changes obviously didn't lead to success in Vesia's first appearance back, but I do expect him to get at least another chance before the Dodgers make any drastic changes.

Vesia has proven in the past that he can be a dominant reliever at the MLB level, and the Dodgers aren't likely to give up on him after a slow start to the 2023 season.

If Vesia has another bad appearance, then we may need to start talking about another potential move. But for now, let's hope he finds some more success in his second appearance since coming back from Triple-A.