Don't let late hiccup distract you from Dodgers unlocking another bullpen demon

The Dodgers' win over the Padres on Wednesday was full of positive signs. Emmett Sheehan impressed in his first appearance since 2023. Andy Pages drove in his 50th run of the season. Will Smith crushed a walk-off home run. But it quickly got overlooked due to the drama that ensued on Thursday.

Perhaps the biggest positive came from the bullpen when Justin Wrobleski diced the Padres up across five effective innings before picking up a win thanks to Smith’s walk-off home run. 

Could the 24-year-old be in the midst of a breakout of sorts?

Don't let late hiccup distract you from Dodgers unlocking another bullpen demon

Wrobleski has always kind of felt like the odd man out in the Dodgers’ pitching plans. While he never had the prospect pedigree of pitchers like Sheehan, Tony Gonsolin or Dustin May, he made his MLB debut last year and finished with a 5.70 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with the Dodgers. 

That’s served as a warmup for what’s been an interesting 2025. He broke camp with the Dodgers out but was optioned to Triple-A the next day without making an appearance. He was then called up for a spot start on April 8, and has seemingly been yo-yo’ing between Triple-A and MLB since. 

And although he has a 5.18 ERA in 24 1/3 innings this year with the Dodgers, Thursday’s win showcased how he can impact the MLB roster this year. 

While he has a 9.82 ERA in 11 innings as a starter, Wrobleski has posted a sparkling 1.35 ERA in 13 1/3 innings as a reliever this year. He’s now allowed two earned runs in 9 1/3 innings across his last two starts, both of which have come in relief. 

The Padres did score two runs off him in the ninth inning to tie the game, but one of those runs was unearned due to Max Muncy and Tommy Edman fumbling a double play. 

“I think just getting back to what I’m good at and kind of simplifying and attacking the zone and trying to get ahead of guys,” Wrobleski told reporters after the game.

He also said that he made some slight mechanical adjustments in Triple-A that have allowed him more room for error.

And you don’t need to think very hard to figure out how Wrobleski can help the Dodgers this year. They currently have 13 (!) pitchers on the injured list, which features impact starters (Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki) to key bullpen arms (Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol). 

Even with Sheehan back from the injured list and Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound, the Dodgers need all the pitching help they can get — and Wrobleski is the perfect man for the job. He’s already proven his worth as a bulk/piggyback option, and there’s always a chance the Dodgers have used him as a single-inning weapon. 

His velocity has been up this year compared to last year (his fastball touched 99 MPH on Wednesday) and he’s found more success this year with his sinker and slider along with a brand new cutter.

While Wrobleski's future may not be in the starting rotation, Wednesday was a tangible example of how he can still contribute to the current iteration of the Dodgers.