A Dodgers strength over the last several seasons has been their depth of talented players in the organization. When injuries, or performance issues, required a change to the active roster, the team would call upon position players or pitchers who were ready to demonstrate that they possessed the right stuff for the Dodgers. More often than not, the replacement player would step in and perform seamlessly; the team continuing to demonstrate that the next-man-up approach was a winning formula.

Unfortunately, the team’s depth has failed to step up and meet expectations in 2021. When injuries sent Cody Bellinger, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Corey Knebel, Zach McKinstry, and David Price to the IL and lost Dustin May to Tommy John surgery, their replacements have left significant performance holes on the roster. Not to minimize the struggles of veterans like Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, and Max Muncy, but the failure of replacement players has contributed mightily to the team’s mediocre performance.

For baseball fans, the 2021 slash lines and strikeout rates of rostered replacement position players are both revealing and disturbing:

• Sheldon Neuse – .200/.200/.371; 41%
• DJ Peters – .125/.300/.250; 50%
• Luke Raley – .206/.308/.324; 31%

Add to those stats a critique of these three players by Brooks Baseball, comparing them to other Major League hitters in 2021:

• Neuse – against fastballs, he has had a patient approach at the plate with a disastrously high likelihood to swing and miss.
• Peters – against fastballs, he has had an exceptionally aggressive approach at the plate with a disastrously high likelihood to swing and miss.
• Raley – against fastballs, he has had a patient approach at the plate with a disastrously high likelihood to swing and miss.

What about the replacement pitchers ERA’s?

• Garrett Cleavinger – 5.06
• Alex Vesia – 9.00
• Dennis Santana – 7.36

While Mitch White’s 1.35 ERA is excellent, it does not reflect the eight unearned runs he has allowed on 10 hits in 6.2 innings pitched.

Admittedly, these ERA’s are not statistically significant, as the innings pitched are very low. But the fact remains that the replacements have come up well short of expectations. The Dodgers vaunted organizational depth has come up short thus far in the 2021 season. Look for Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman to strengthen that depth before the Dodgers start their stretch drive in August.

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