The Los Angeles Dodgers will rely on their bullpen in the NLCS against the New York Mets, but they'll be without left-handed reliever Alex Vesia due to an intercostal issue.
have relied heavily on their bullpen this postseason, and they’ll need to continue that trend against the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.Vesia had to exit during his warmup before the eighth inning in Game 5 of the National League Division Series on Friday due to what manager Dave Roberts described as an "intercostal issue.
" The intercostal muscles are located between the ribs and can be pretty uncomfortable when strained.“He’s a big part of what we do. But we’re just going to have to find somebody else to step up.”president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman mentioned that the team is "hopeful" Vesia might heal enough during the NLCS.Vesia has been the Dodgers’ top left-handed reliever and has emerged as a key leader in the bullpen. In 67 appearances, he posted a 1.76 ERA and struck out 87 batters over 66.1 innings. His ability to handle both left- and right-handed hitters made him especially valuable. Against righties, he allowed only 20 hits in 133 at-bats, finishing with a .150 average. He even limited lefties to a lower .144 average. While losing Vesia is a blow, the Mets feature a right-handed-heavy lineup. Aside from Francisco Lindor, who is a switch-hitter, most of their key hitters swing from the right side. To replace Vesia on the NLCS roster, right-hander Brent Honeywell was added. He pitched three scoreless innings in Game 2, and kept them in the game, an eventual 7-3 loss.Rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez also returned to the roster despite struggling in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres. Similarly, righty Ben Casparius was also included, even though he didn’t see any action in the NLDS. He had a scoreless ninth inning in Game 1.Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.
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