Dodgers place Phillips on IL with forearm discomfort
Yet another Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has landed on the injured list.
Reliever Evan Phillips was placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday with right forearm discomfort, the team announced. Right-hander Matt Sauer was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
The Dodgers made the roster move in the middle of their afternoon game against the Miami Marlins. Sauer, who had joined the team in Miami on the taxi squad, entered Wednesday's game shortly after the announcement and earned a four-inning save in L.A.'s 10-1 victory.
The team is optimistic about his prognosis, though. Manager Dave Roberts said postgame that Phillips will not undergo an MRI and anticipates that he'll return after the minimum 15 days, according to David Vassegh of AM 570.
This is the latest setback for Phillips, who opened this season on the IL while recovering from a rotator cuff injury he sustained during the playoffs last October. He recorded one save and didn't allow a run in 5 2/3 innings since returning April 19.
The 30-year-old emerged as a reliable back-end reliever for the Dodgers after joining the team as a waiver claim in 2021. Phillips shared closing duties in both 2023 and '24 and has a 2.22 ERA with a 10.2 K/9 rate over his five years in L.A.
Including Phillips, the Dodgers now have 13 pitchers on the IL. Their bullpen was already without key relievers Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, and Brusdar Graterol; other injured arms include starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Clayton Kershaw.
Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Alex Vesia should continue to share the bulk of late-inning duties while Phillips is sidelined.