April 20th, 2023 at 12:00 pm 
by Ron Cervenka It’s one of those old sayings you’ve probably heard hundreds of times in your life, maybe thousands:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The Dodgers bullpen is “broke.”
Oh sure, they certainly have their moments, but it seems that 21 days (19 games) into the new season they have had more of those other moments; something that we as Dodgers fans are concerned about but apparently the guy calling the shots (at least from the dugout) is not – Dodgers manager Dave Roberts:
“I wouldn’t say it’s concern. I think if you look around the league, there’s a lot of teams that are kind of fluttering. I want to get our guys healthy. I think that’s probably number one.”
Granted, the Dodgers skipper was speaking in general terms that also includes his “fluttering” offense, but the popular Dodgers manager continues to call upon guys with Earned Run Averages (currently) of 11.12, 8.64, and 7.11 almost daily in the form of Alex Vesia, Andre Jackson, and Yency Almonte respectively, who have given up a combined 20 earned runs 21 days (19 games) into the new season.
It is certainly understandable that struggling relievers (and starters, for that matter) have no choice but to “work through” their struggles, but perhaps doing so at Triple-A Oklahoma City (or Double-A Tulsa) might be a better platform to do so than on baseball’s biggest stage – the one that (hopefully) leads to the postseason and a World Series ring.
Again, this piece is not intended to throw the Dodgers bullpen under the bus, it is merely to suggest that perhaps there is better way to help these guys through their struggles other than to “keep running them out there,” as some like to say (and do).
To be fair, I would be remiss if I were not to acknowledge the fine job that Shelby Miller (2.00), Caleb Ferguson (2.84) Brusdar Graterol (3.52), Evan Phillips (3.86), and Phil Bickford (3.86) have done out of the ‘pen in the early goings, but there is clearly a concern (or at least there should be) with the others mentioned above.
In the words of Dodgers ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw (who is not struggling):
(Ron Cervenka)
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
@Dodgers The pitch clock broke him.
He likes to psyche himself up before pitches.
@Dodgers Thank you for saying this out loud.
I will throw them under the bus. AF has done a poor job of building the bullpen. Wasted a lot of money on non productive injured relievers and reclamation projects.
Regarding the pen.
If Almonte, Vesia start pitching to expectations the bullpen actually will be a strength.
Graterol Phillips Ferguson are very good.
Bruil seems to have arrived. Bickford fine in his role.
Maybe Jackson comes back to form.
Hudson injury has hurt.
Can’t blame AF.
SS was the big blunder.