LA Trying to Figure Out What's Wrong with Alex Vesia

It’s been no secret that the Dodgers bullpen has struggled this season. They have blown leads and given up games that they had no business in doing so. Los Angeles had one of the best bullpens in baseball last season but so far in 2023, they have ballooned down to one of the worst. It has led them to search for answers at every turn and has left the rest of the season in doubt if they don’t address it soon.

Some of the reasons for the bullpen playing so poorly has been the regression of a select few players. One of which is left-hander Alex Vesia. The now 27-year-old pitcher was acquired back in 2021 from the Miami Marlins. Since he has become one of the main relief options for the Dodgers to use. He was incredible last season for them but has struggled mightily this year.

He holds an ERA of 8.00 for the year over 18 innings pitched. Last season, his ERA was at 2.15 in 454.1 innings pitched so it's almost four times higher this year. However, manager Dave Roberts isn’t too concerned and said that his stuff has been comparable even if the production isn’t there.

“It’s something we’re digging in on,” Roberts said. “Because if you look at the stuff as a whole, it’s pretty comparable to where it’s been the last couple of years. But certainly the results aren’t.”

Per MLB.com

Vesia has played in 22 games this season, allowing at least one run in half of them. He has the stuff and experience to be a piece of the puzzle going forward but something needs to change. For him to continue as a reliable option in the bullpen, he’ll need to fix things soon. The Dodgers can’t continue to throw him out into games and expect different results.

As a whole, the team needs to make some changes within their pen otherwise this season will be lost. With the trade deadline coming up, the team has a choice to make, and depending on what they do, it will tell us just how much the front office believes in this roster.