%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201004.4%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201004.4%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%23231F20%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%23005B9E%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%23989898%3B%7D%0A%09.st4%7Bfill%3A%23EE3B3F%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cg%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M41%2C12.5H0v137.7h41c13.6%2C0%2C25.1-5.5%2C34.4-16.4c9.3-11%2C14.1-28.4%2C14.2-52.4c-0.1-24-4.9-41.5-14.2-52.4%0A%09%09%09C66.1%2C18%2C54.6%2C12.5%2C41%2C12.5z%20M61.5%2C115.3c-4.9%2C8.5-11.7%2C12.9-20.5%2C13.2H20.8V81.4V34.3H41c8.8%2C0.3%2C15.6%2C4.4%2C20.6%2C12.4%0A%09%09%09c5%2C8%2C7.5%2C19.6%2C7.5%2C34.6C68.9%2C95.5%2C66.4%2C106.8%2C61.5%2C115.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M146%2C47.3c-14.5%2C0.4-25.2%2C6.4-32.2%2C17.9c-5.1%2C8.8-7.7%2C20.4-7.8%2C34.7c0.1%2C13.8%2C2.7%2C25.1%2C7.8%2C33.9%0A%09%09%09c6.8%2C11.9%2C17.5%2C18.2%2C32.2%2C18.9c14.6-0.7%2C25.4-7%2C32.2-18.9c5.1-8.8%2C7.7-20.1%2C7.8-33.9c-0.1-14.4-2.7-26-7.8-34.7%0A%09%09%09C171.2%2C53.6%2C160.5%2C47.7%2C146%2C47.3z%20M162.5%2C119.2c-3.5%2C7.8-9.1%2C11.7-16.7%2C11.7c-6.9%2C0-12.4-3.9-16.3-11.7%0A%09%09%09c-2.4-5.5-3.5-11.9-3.5-19.1c0-7.7%2C1.2-14.3%2C3.5-19.7c3.4-7.8%2C8.8-11.7%2C16.3-11.7c7.7%2C0%2C13.3%2C3.9%2C16.7%2C11.7%0A%09%09%09c2.4%2C5.5%2C3.5%2C12.1%2C3.5%2C19.7C166%2C107.4%2C164.8%2C113.7%2C162.5%2C119.2z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M260.4%2C54.5c-4.2-4.7-10.2-7.1-18.1-7.2c-26.4%2C0.5-39.6%2C18.6-39.6%2C54.3c0%2C34.1%2C13.1%2C51.2%2C39.2%2C51.2%0A%09%09%09c6.8%2C0%2C13-2%2C18.4-6v3.5h20.8v-140l-20.8%2C10.9V54.5z%20M260%2C123.7c-4.8%2C6.6-10.9%2C9.8-18.2%2C9.7c-12.3-0.1-18.5-10.8-18.6-32.1%0A%09%09%09c0-21.1%2C6.4-32.1%2C19.2-32.9c8%2C0%2C13.9%2C3.4%2C17.7%2C10.1V123.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M359.5%2C54.5c-4.2-4.7-10.2-7.1-18.1-7.2c-26.4%2C0.5-39.6%2C18.6-39.6%2C54.3c0%2C34.1%2C13.1%2C51.2%2C39.2%2C51.2%0A%09%09%09c6.8%2C0%2C13-2%2C18.4-6c0.4%2C16.9-7.3%2C28.6-23%2C35.1l8.6%2C18.1c22.5-8.6%2C34.2-26.4%2C35.1-53.2V48.1h-20.8V54.5z%20M359.1%2C123.7%0A%09%09%09c-4.8%2C6.6-10.9%2C9.8-18.2%2C9.7c-12.3-0.1-18.5-10.8-18.6-32.1c0-21.1%2C6.4-32.1%2C19.2-32.9c8%2C0%2C13.9%2C3.4%2C17.7%2C10.1V123.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M465.9%2C61.7c-7-9.6-16.3-14.4-28-14.4c-12.4%2C0-22.1%2C5.2-29.1%2C15.5c-7%2C10.3-10.5%2C22.6-10.5%2C36.7%0A%09%09%09c0%2C17.1%2C3.6%2C30.3%2C10.9%2C39.5c7.3%2C9.2%2C16.8%2C13.8%2C28.7%2C13.8c16.9-0.4%2C28.6-8.3%2C35.1-23.6l-18.6-8c-3.9%2C7-9.6%2C10.3-16.9%2C10.1%0A%09%09%09c-5.2%2C0.1-9.5-1.9-12.8-6.1c-3.3-4.2-4.9-9.5-4.9-15.9h56.5C476.4%2C87.1%2C472.9%2C71.3%2C465.9%2C61.7z%20M419.5%2C89%0A%09%09%09c-0.3-5.2%2C1.3-10.1%2C4.7-14.7c3.4-4.6%2C8-6.8%2C13.7-6.7c5.4%2C0%2C9.6%2C2.1%2C12.9%2C6.4c3.2%2C4.2%2C4.7%2C9.2%2C4.6%2C15H419.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M515.9%2C55.5v-7.4h-21v102.2h21.2V87.6c0.5-12.6%2C5.2-19%2C13.9-19.3c4.1-0.1%2C8%2C1.8%2C12%2C6l6.9-19.9%0A%09%09%09c-5.1-4.5-11-6.8-17.7-7C524.5%2C47.3%2C519.4%2C50%2C515.9%2C55.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M598.1%2C86.3c-6.5-2.6-10.6-4.6-12.3-6c-1.6-1.4-2.4-3.2-2.3-5.3c0.1-2.5%2C1.1-4.4%2C3-5.9%0A%09%09%09c1.9-1.4%2C4.5-2.2%2C7.8-2.2c8%2C0.3%2C15.2%2C3.5%2C21.6%2C9.7l13.1-13.8c-9.3-10.3-21-15.6-35.1-15.8c-9.3%2C0-16.8%2C2.9-22.5%2C8.7%0A%09%09%09c-5.7%2C5.8-8.3%2C12.1-7.9%2C18.8c0%2C6.7%2C2.2%2C12.6%2C6.7%2C17.7c4.4%2C5.1%2C11.5%2C9.3%2C21.2%2C12.7c6.7%2C2.7%2C11.5%2C5.5%2C14.5%2C8.2%0A%09%09%09c3%2C2.7%2C4.4%2C5.7%2C4.3%2C8.8c0.1%2C3.2-1.4%2C5.8-4.6%2C7.9c-3.2%2C2.1-7.1%2C3.1-11.7%2C3c-6.4-0.1-13.6-3.5-21.6-10.1l-13.7%2C14.4%0A%09%09%09c10.7%2C10.1%2C22.5%2C15.3%2C35.3%2C15.4c11.3-0.1%2C20.1-2.9%2C26.5-8.3c6.4-5.4%2C9.7-12.5%2C9.8-21.3c0-10-3-17.9-9.1-23.6%0A%09%09%09C615%2C93.7%2C607.4%2C89.3%2C598.1%2C86.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22775.5%2C85.1%20758.4%2C12.5%20738.2%2C12.5%20721.5%2C85.1%20711.3%2C12.5%20690.1%2C12.5%20709.5%2C150.3%20728%2C150.3%20%0A%09%09%09748.2%2C61.9%20769%2C150.3%20787.4%2C150.3%20806.9%2C12.5%20785.7%2C12.5%20%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M883.5%2C56.4c-7-6.1-15.6-9.1-25.8-9.1c-12.4%2C0.4-23.4%2C4.1-32.8%2C11.1L835.3%2C75c6.8-5.2%2C14.5-7.7%2C23-7.4%0A%09%09%09c9.9%2C1%2C14.8%2C6.4%2C14.5%2C16.4c-5.2-1.5-10.9-2.3-16.9-2.3c-10.9-0.1-19.5%2C3.2-25.8%2C10c-6.3%2C6.8-9.5%2C15.2-9.5%2C25.2%0A%09%09%09c0%2C11.6%2C3.4%2C20.5%2C10.3%2C26.6c6.9%2C6.1%2C15.5%2C9.2%2C26%2C9.4c6.3-0.1%2C12-2.1%2C17.1-6v3.3h20.2V83C894%2C71.4%2C890.5%2C62.5%2C883.5%2C56.4z%0A%09%09%09%20M872.2%2C127c-5%2C5.1-10.3%2C7.6-15.9%2C7.6c-5.2%2C0-9.4-1.8-12.5-5.5c-3.1-3.7-4.6-7.6-4.6-11.7c-0.1-4%2C1.3-7.5%2C4.3-10.7%0A%09%09%09c3-3.2%2C6.8-4.7%2C11.4-4.7c5.8%2C0%2C11.5%2C0.8%2C17.3%2C2.5V127z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22980.9%2C49.7%20955.6%2C120.2%20929.3%2C49.7%20906.7%2C49.7%20943.6%2C150.3%20924.4%2C199.8%20947.5%2C199.8%201004.4%2C49.7%20%09%09%0A%09%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
The Dodgers rotation has taken a lot of hits recently, with six relievers on the IL and Joe Kelly the most recent to fall, but their biggest loss may be that of Evan Phillips, LA's closer in everything but name. He went onto the 15-day IL with a hamstring strain on May 5, after he'd pitched nearly 14 innings for a 0.66 ERA.
LA has been making do since then, with starters across the board going a little longer into games than they have been earlier in the year. The team has employed a mix of Alex Vesia, Daniel Hudson, and JP Feyereisen to hold things down in late innings. Through Wednesday, the Dodgers maintained a seven-game win streak, so Phillips' replacements (and LA's hitters) have been doing their jobs.
Still, Phillips' absence is very much felt. The Dodgers don't have another reliever quite as dominant and consistent in their bullpen, even with Blake Treinen back and the rest looking better.
Dodgers writer Clint Pasillas, on new Foul Territory off-shoot Dodgers Territory, had a funny way of praising Phillips and hoping for a swift return, calling him "white bread with bland peanut butter." Weird compliment, but okay!
How @realFRG describes Evan Phillips 😂😂😂 #Dodgers
— Dodgers Territory (@LADTerritory) May 10, 2024
"He is white bread with bland peanut butter." pic.twitter.com/hPngG1y3mk
Dodgers Territory's Clint Pasillas had a funny way of complimenting Evan Phillips after transfer to IL
Pasillas was definitely trying to say something nice about Phillips, and he went on to explain that white bread and bland peanut butter was still a good snack when you're in need of one, but it was certainly a strange way of going about a compliment.
Before he got hurt, Phillips was continuing to be one of the most dominant relievers in the league after a 61-inning, 2.05 ERA 2023 season that put him on the map. His 0.66 ERA was ninth in all of MLB, and he was one of only 17 relievers with an ERA under 1.00 by the time of his injury.
The Dodgers haven't provided updates on Phillips since he was transferred to the IL, but they're hoping it'll be a "minimum stint." While the rest of the bullpen has been holding down the fort and even helped the Dodgers to a sweep of the Braves last week, having Phillips back will be crucial for any long-term success.