Dodgers downplaying injury to most reliable reliever has fans holding their breath

Brock Stewart hit the IL on Aug. 12, but the two weeks since have been remarkably quiet for the Dodgers on the injury front. They've had relievers return — Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates — but LA finally seemed to be getting a respite from the rash of pitching injuries that have plagued their last two seasons.

But it wouldn't last. On Tuesday, the Dodgers announced that Alex Vesia would be going onto the 15-day IL with an oblique strain, retroactive to Aug. 23.

Vesia has been the Dodgers' most effective reliever by far this season despite some recent struggles; he has a 2.75 ERA over 52 1/3 innings and has managed to stay healthy up until this point. Scott, the Dodgers' $72 million closer, has been both injured and worse on the mound; Blake Treinen has been injured and has struggled to find his groove since; and rookies Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius have had admirable seasons but still haven't worked their ways up Dave Roberts' trust tree in the same way as Vesia.

He downplayed the issue, acknowledging that it was similar to the side injury that kept him out of the NLCS last year but adding this year's was "much less severe." Both he and Roberts expect him to be back when he's eligible on Sept. 7.

Alex Vesia goes onto Dodgers' 15-day IL with oblique strain in another blow to LA's bullpen

Vesia and Roberts also made it sound like a precautionary move more than anything; if they play it safe and get Vesia back for the last three weeks as the Dodgers are making their final push to maintain or wrestle back their NL West lead, things should be fine. At least the Dodgers' workload over the next week and a half (series against the Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Orioles) is relatively light.

Still, Roberts really isn't to be trusted when it comes to assessing the conditions of his players, seeing how wrong he's been on that front so many times this season.

The good news: rosters expand on Sept. 1, which will allow the Dodgers to accommodate two more players (up to 14 pitchers). Michael Kopech is eligible to come off the IL on Wednesday, but should be back on that Sept. 1 date to avoid any unnecessarily tricky roster moves.

Hopefully, Vesia and Roberts are right about the level of severity and he'll be back as soon as he can be, but Dodgers fans are getting used to having to expect the worst.