Dodgers reveal mystery injury on Wednesday in absolute gut punch to the bullpen

Los Angeles Dodgers v Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles Dodgers v Atlanta Braves | Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages

The hits keep coming for the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff. Reliever Evan Phillips will join the army of Dodgers arms on the injured list.

LA has placed Phillips on the 15-day IL with forearm discomfort, per a post from the team. Matt Sauer has been recalled to fill his spot on the 40-man roster. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported earlier on May 7 that Sauer had joined the team in Miami, but a formal move to add him to the 40-man roster hadn't been announced. Phillips' injury comes as a surprise to a Dodgers squad that can't afford to lose many more pitchers to the IL.

Phillips started the 2025 slate on the IL with a right rotator cuff strain — the same one that sidelined him in the later games of the postseason — and was activated on April 19. He made just seven appearances before his forearm pain began, which is never a good sign. Forearm and elbow troubles are often harbingers of a long IL stint. LA has not revealed the severity of Phillips' ailment.

Phillips had been rock-solid out of the Dodgers' bullpen in his early appearances. He's yet to allow a run with six strikeouts and two walks over 5.2 innings. He's worked two holds and is 1-for-1 in save opportunities.

Dodgers lose yet another pitcher, place Evan Phillips on 15-day IL with forearm discomfort

This will be Sauer's fourth stint in the big leagues with the Dodgers this season. He made two appearances in April and pitched to a 2.70 ERA over 6.2 innings. His second appearance was a one-run, five-inning night on April 29 and, hopefully, he can continue that success in Phillips' absence. Sauer has clocked a 1.84 ERA with 14 strikeouts and just one walk in 14.2 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers' rotation has been heavily injured to start the 2025 season and the bullpen has been forced to carry quite the workload so far. Los Angeles' relievers have pitched an MLB-leading 157 innings, not including spot-starts and openings, so there's even more mileage on some arms than the numbers show.

Hopefully, Phillips' injury is minor and he'll only need the 15-day stint on the IL. Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen are already on the 60-day, and the Dodgers are running out of pitchers to turn to if any more injuries arise.