The Los Angeles Dodgers have had increased pitching struggles this season that includes 14 of their pitchers on the injured list.
With the constant shuffling of the pitching roster due to injuries, a side effect is that Dodgers pitchers in the minor leagues with option years available are moving to and from The Show.
Players typically have three option years, per MLB’s definition, but players with less than five full seasons under their belt are eligible for a fourth.
One of the pitchers who falls into this category, southpaw Justin Wrobleski, hasn’t had the easiest experience going to (and from) MLB, but he won’t let it become an excuse for his performance on the mound.
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“Obviously, it’s a challenge,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I kind of know how this works and I know that my next start is not guaranteed to always be in one place or another. I wouldn’t say it’s an excuse. I haven’t pitched great up here.
“It’s definitely hard. But at the end of the day, you have to be ready to pitch whenever you’re called upon, no matter where you’re at. That’s kind of my mentality and wherever I’m at, I’m just going to continue to try to get better and continue improving.”
So far in his 15 MLB innings this season, Wrobleski has a 7.20 ERA. Things are marginally better in Triple-A with his 5.09 ERA across 40.2 innings of work, but there is far more work to be done.
Manager Dave Roberts knows this better than anyone and knows that his 24-year-old pitcher must take the next step, wherever he is scheduled to pitch that week.
“It’s part of the culture nowadays in the major leagues, as far as kind of having optionable players and kind of having guys in and out of clubhouses,” he said. ”For our particular club, the core is still the core. But certainly on the periphery or the ancillary players that kind of go up and down, they’re kind of in and out, which is not easy for them.”
Wrobleski is expected to pitch on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres in the rubber match of their three-game series at Petco Park.
