Forgotten Dodgers trade acquisition is showing positive signs of making future impact

When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Kris Bubic at the deadline, it seemed odd. Bubic has flirted with shoulder injuries since 2023, and over the last four years only had 59 appearances under his bet. If Bubic was under control beyond this season, the gamble would have made sense as a project, but he's headed toward free agency this winter.

Not to mention, Bubic has been sidelined with another shoulder injury this season since May 14. Once the Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal, it's not like LA needed another starting pitcher. Still, the Dodgers maintained hope that the 29-year-old could help the pitching staff before the end of the regular season. As it turns out, it may be the Dodgers who get the last laugh.

Bubic tossed a scoreless inning of relief on Thursday night, striking out two of the four batters he faced. He started a minor-league rehab assignment on Sept. 1, and it's certainly reached the point where he has entered the conversation of potentially helping the Dodgers this season. He's stacked together five scoreless innings, and it feels like a return to the majors is imminent.

Something to note with Bubic's most recent appearance is that it was the second game of back-to-back appearances for the veteran pitcher. The former Kansas City Royal hasn't worked more than an inning during any of his appearances on this rehab assignment, suggesting that the Dodgers are plotting a potential path for him to their bullpen.

Kris Bubic is suddenly making a strong case to join the Dodgers' playoff bullpen

That may have been the incentive for the Dodgers in making the under-the-radar trade with the Royals. If he could get healthy, he offers real value as a relief option out of the bullpen. Over the course of his career, Bubic has an 2.97 ERA as a relief pitcher. It's not a small sample size either. Bubic has a tick under 58 innings of work out of the bullpen, and he's striking out over 26% of the hitters he's faced.

It's certainly an unconventional thought process, but unconventional would be the best way to describe how the Dodgers have assembled their playoff bullpen over the past couple of years.

After news that Shohei Ohtani is not expected to be pitch again this season, the Dodgers will need to be creative with filling out the final spots on their pitching staff during the playoffs. As October approaches, it suddenly looks like Bubic was always going to be a part of those plans.

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