Dodgers make roster move and unveil expected Clayton Kershaw IL decision

Dodgers rookie Justin Wrobleski had a fantastic spring training, and he needed it. The Dodgers fast-tracked him through Triple-A last season before calling him up sporadically from July through September, just to get another arm in their injury-addled bullpen. He pitched 36 1/3 innings for a 5.70 ERA, which made him a far less favorable option when compared with fellow rookie Landon Knack.

But Wrobleski looked great in Glendale, pitching 9 1/3 innings for a 1.93 ERA with nine strikeouts. That, paired with multiple Dodgers relievers already going down with injury, got him onto the Dodgers' travel roster to Tokyo, when the team carried 31 players. He opened LA's first exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants and pitched two spotless innings with three strikeouts.

It should've been Wrobleski's ticket onto the Opening Day roster as a member of the bullpen, but after the Tokyo Series opener, the Dodgers optioned him in favor of veteran and non-roster invitee Matt Sauer.

In order to accommodate Sauer on the 40-man roster, they did the expected and moved Clayton Kershaw to the 60-day IL, setting him up for a return in May.

Dodgers option standout rookie Justin Wrobleski in favor of veteran Matt Sauer, move Clayton Kershaw to the IL

Sauer was an unexpected addition to the Dodgers' travel roster, especially when he was told he'd made the team after a two-inning, four-run spring outing. But the Dodgers did something similar with their open bullpen spots last year, when they called up multiple veterans like Nick Ramirez or Nabil Crismatt as temporary options and kept a revolving door moving from Triple-A.

Their decisions didn't always make a lot of sense — players would get sent down after nice outings in favor of guys who were struggling, but had fresher arms — and it seems that Wrobleski will get thrown back into that door until the bullpen recuperates some of their full-time relievers.

Kershaw said that he was confident in his ability to come back to the Dodgers in May, right after his 60 days on the IL are up. He traveled with the team to Tokyo and even made a stop in the SportsNet LA broadcast booth, but the Dodgers are going to have to be careful with him as he enters his age-37 season.

It must be disheartening news for Wrobleski, who gave it his all to try to rebound from last season, but we should expect to see him again on-and-off throughout the year.