Dodgers Left-Handed Depth Takes a Hit With Scott Alexander Down

The Dodgers placed Scott Alexander on the injured list on Tuesday.  With yet another left-handed reliever down, LA’s depth takes a hit.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Dodgers placed Scott Alexander on the injured list with forearm inflammation.  With Tony Cingrani already lost for the season, the Dodgers’ left-handed reliever depth is critically low.  The OKC Dodgers only have one healthy southpaw reliever with Adam McCreery healthy.

There are a bit more lefties in Tulsa, as the Drillers have Ben Holmes, Victor Gonzalez, and Chris Nunn active although none of them are viable big league options right now.  It will be up to Dave Roberts to get creative with the current bullpen to piece together ways to get lefties out.

The Dodgers currently have two left-handed relievers in their bullpen and both are starting pitchers.  Julio Urias and Caleb Ferguson are both converted relievers who can pitch multiple innings.  With Scott Alexander injured, the team will have to use Urias and Ferguson in shorter outings in more of a specialist role.

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Luckily for the Dodgers, they have two right-handed relievers who can shut down left-handed hitters in Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez.  This season, Baez has held lefties to a .122 batting average due in large part to his improved changeup.  His fastball remains strong but he has thrown it less often in exchange for more changeups.

Yimi Garcia is the other righty in the bullpen that can get left-handed hitters out.  In 2019, lefties have hit .121 against Yimi.  A solid changeup is nothing new for Garcia, the difference, of course, is that this season Yimi has been healthy and his velocity and movement have returned.  It will be interesting to see how Dave Roberts uses his relievers to get big left-handed bats out in the late innings.

The other route is the Dodgers could pursue a trade to bring in another left-handed reliever.  Possible options include Tony Watson, Will Smith, and Sean Doolittle.  While the trade market develops over the next month, those are just three of the southpaw relievers who figure to be available.  As more teams put up their white flag for the 2019 season, the list will grow.