Dodgers reliever suffers brutal injury blow after brief return

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol was supposed to be a key part of the team’s playoff run, despite missing the first four-plus months of the season with injuries. Those plans were dashed after just eight pitches on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the Dodgers revealed that Graterol suffered a Grade 3 hamstring strain during Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts did not explicitly say Graterol was out for the rest of the season, but the implication was quite clear.

“That’s a long road back,” Roberts admitted, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Graterol had missed the entire season due to a nagging shoulder injury. Tuesday marked his first MLB appearance of the season, but on his eighth pitch, Graterol suffered the hamstring injury. He knew it was significant and left the field in tears.

With all of the bad injury luck the Dodgers have had this season, this one hurts a little extra.

Brusdar Graterol worked hard all year to make his way back only to have to leave today’s game just 8 pitches in.

This just hurts. pic.twitter.com/GFVER3CvmU

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 7, 2024

The Dodgers’ bullpen ERA is 4.76 in the second half of the season. Graterol, meanwhile, had a 1.20 ERA in 67.1 innings of work in 2023. It’s easy to see why the Dodgers were so hopeful that they would be able to lean on him down the stretch, but now they will have to figure out another plan.