LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ already prevalent need for bullpen help increased Monday night, as the team’s prized free-agent closer, Tanner Scott, grimaced after releasing a slider into the dirt and exited alongside a trainer.
Scott, 30, had come out for the ninth inning after completing the eighth as the sliding Dodgers sought to snap their skid with a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. He walked a batter and hit another with two strikes before working to Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers. Scott felt a “sting” in his left forearm, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, and will go for an MRI on Tuesday morning. Scott will “most likely” land on the injured list, which is already 13 names long for baseball’s highest-payroll club.
Scott didn’t take questions from reporters after the game, exiting the clubhouse alongside a trainer. Roberts said Scott already underwent an X-ray and manual testing, to positive results.
“I’m trying not to go down a spiraling thing with where it could be,” Roberts said. “(He’s) physical, strong. The manual tests were good. So hopefully it’s something that’s more of a scare and then we can kind of put him on ice for a little bit and get him back.”
The left-hander, who is in the first year of a four-year, $72 million deal as the most expensive free-agent reliever signed last offseason, has already struggled plenty in his first season in Los Angeles, with a 4.14 ERA in his first 47 appearances to go with seven blown saves in 26 tries. Kirby Yates, another free-agent addition this winter who has struggled, entered for Scott and recorded the final two outs, with Carlos Correa driving what could have been the game-tying home run to the wall before James Outman camped under it in center field.
Given Scott and Yates’ performance thus far, along with injuries to Evan Phillips (out for the season), Michael Kopech (out until at least late August), Brusdar Graterol (out until at least September) and Blake Treinen (who could return within about a week), the Dodgers were already exploring high-end relief options, as The Athletic reported this week. Expect that to intensify with Scott exiting Monday night.
The list of potential targets should vary in the 10 days leading up to this year’s deadline, and the Dodgers control some of that fate on their own. They took Monday’s game against a Twins team that appears to be sliding out of contention and has several arms the Dodgers have been linked to, including closer Jhoan Durán and right-hander Griffin Jax. Brock Stewart, a former Dodgers prospect, has also enjoyed a fine season as a reliever in Minnesota and has two years of club control beyond 2025.
Other big-name options could include Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and reliever Cade Smith, Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, Athletics closer Mason Miller, Pirates closer David Bednar and Orioles closer Félix Bautista, among others. Prices will be high.
Regardless, the Dodgers are expected to be prominent at the top of a pitching market they hoped they wouldn’t have to enter. During their spending spree this past winter, the Dodgers’ brass outlined an ideal world where they wouldn’t have to add – much less add relief pitching – at the deadline. Injuries, and poor performance (their 4.35 bullpen ERA ranks 24th in baseball, and they’ve thrown a major league-leading 446 2/3 innings) have dictated otherwise.
(Photo: Harry How / Getty Images)
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