Has The Lack of Closer Affected the Dodgers and the Bullpen?

Dave Roberts sounds off on LA's pitching woes.

The Dodgers, despite having a solid win/loss record in the National League, are facing some serious problems, especially when it comes to their bullpen. It's been a rough season for them in that department, with the bullpen ranking among the worst in baseball. What's more, this year they don't have a designated closer, which is a first for manager Dave Roberts.

Roberts has mixed feelings about this new approach. On one hand, he thinks the idea of a closer is blown out of proportion, but on the other hand, he admits that things have been challenging for him and the team this season.

"It has [been more challenging]. Whether it's a dedicated closer or a high-leverage arm like Blake Treinen or Daniel Hudson, it changes the dynamic. This is just the nature of the game. It provides opportunities for other guys, and that's when you see what you have. We hope to get Hudson back in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, we're still evaluating," says Roberts.

Without a dedicated closer, the roles of pitchers in the bullpen have become less defined. Evan Phillips leads the team with 7 saves, but he has also pitched as early as the 5th inning this season. Four other arms have chipped in during the 9th inning as well. Some argue that the lack of clear-cut roles or specific innings has affected the performance of certain arms in the Dodgers' bullpen.

Roberts isn't entirely convinced of that argument. "I think there's too much emphasis on the dedicated closer. People were calling for (Craig) Kimbrel to be gone last year, even with a dedicated closer. They said it wasn't helpful to our bullpen. You have to look at individual performance. I believe that individually, guys are not pitching up to their capabilities," Roberts stated on Saturday.

To the guys in charge, it's not the lack of closer or roles guys are pitching in. It's just that pitchers haven't done their job all that well.

“The expectation is the guys that have underperformed up to this point will perform better,” Roberts said Sunday morning. “And it’s my job to keep putting them in the right spots.”

“There’s a bit of a compounding effect,” pitching coach Mark Prior told The Athletic, “as well as guys aren’t as sharp as they’ve been (a year ago). That’s no secret.”

Despite Roberts somewhat downplaying the significance of a closer, frustrations reached a boiling point this week when Caleb Furguson struggled in Cincinnati, prompting the manager to express his disappointment. While Roberts has since backed down from his initial frustration, there is still cause for concern. The Dodgers have recorded 12 losses from the bullpen, ranking among the worst in teams with genuine World Series aspirations.

There is hope that injured pitchers returning from the injured list will provide some relief, but it will still be weeks before they can contribute. In the meantime, the Dodgers must find a way to address their bullpen woes and strive for improvement as they navigate the challenges ahead.

Thankfully the club is off today and will be in LA for the better part of the next two weeks with a quick stop in Anaheim to face the Angels next week.