The Los Angeles Dodgers revealed that pitcher Brusdar Graterol will be absent from the team until the second half of the 2025 Major League Baseball season due to his recent shoulder surgery. The surgery was performed to repair his labrum, as announced by the team on Friday.
Graterol, who is 26 years old, had a challenging season last year, only making seven regular-season appearances and three postseason appearances due to shoulder inflammation and a hamstring injury. Despite this, he had been a consistent presence in previous seasons, averaging 49 appearances over the last three years and maintaining a 2.63 ERA (160 ERA+) along with a 3.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concerns about Graterol’s shoulder problems towards the end of September, mentioning that his condition had been fluctuating. The uncertainty surrounding his recovery led to his absence from the team during the early playoff series against the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. However, he managed to return for the World Series and pitched in three games against the New York Yankees, allowing one run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings.
Graterol was initially acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the Minnesota Twins in February 2020. Interestingly, he was originally intended to join the Boston Red Sox as part of the Mookie Betts trade package. However, concerns regarding his arm health during medical evaluations led the Red Sox to back out of the deal, ultimately resulting in the Dodgers acquiring him separately.
Despite Graterol’s absence, the Dodgers had a successful 2024 season, securing their second World Series title in five years. Nevertheless, the team faced numerous pitching injuries throughout the season, indicating that they will need to address these issues as they prepare for the upcoming 2025 season.
Moving forward, the Dodgers will need to develop strategies to compensate for Graterol’s absence and ensure that their pitching staff remains strong throughout the first half of the 2025 MLB season. With his recovery timeline extending into the latter part of the season, the team will need to rely on other players to step up and fill the void left by the talented reliever.
