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If there’s one thing we can safely predict about the 2026 Dodgers, it’s that they will use many different arms to get through the 186 days of the regular season. In 2023 they set a franchise record by using 39 different pitchers, then topped that by using 40 pitchers in each of the last two seasons.
The Dodgers are not alone in this regard among major league teams. Their 39 pitchers used in 2023 were tied for fourth in MLB, then in 2024 they were tied for second, and were sixth last year. There have been 23 teams in major league history to use at least 40 pitchers in a season, with 20 of those seasons coming since 2021.
We’ve gone over how the Dodgers have plenty of starting pitching depth in addition to their Big Four in the rotation. So let’s look at the bullpen options today.
On the sideline (3)
Evan Phillips is already on the 60-day injured list and isn’t expected back until midseason after Tommy John surgery last June. Brock Stewart is coming off shoulder surgery in October, and will likely open the season on the injured list.
Same for Brusdar Graterol, who is coming off November 2024 shoulder surgery and did not pitch at all last season. He’s being slow-played this spring.
Roster locks (5)
Edwin Díaz and Tanner Scott each signed big contracts. Veteran Blake Treinen is in the second and final year of his deal. Alex Vesia has been a bullpen staple the last four years and with over five years of service time can’t be sent to the minors without his consent.
Jack Dreyer was a rookie last year and could be optioned. But he also lasted on the roster all of last season and the postseason, joining Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the only Dodgers pitchers to remain active from last March through November. So we’ll include him here among the locks.
Swing men (2)
Ben Casparius and Justin Wrobleski were both starters in the minors but have pitched more in relief during their parts of two seasons in the majors. If there isn’t room in the rotation, having either one in the bullpen would be a welcome addition, with both having such experience in the postseason. Both can be optioned.
Other relievers with options (6)
From the right side, this includes Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt, Paul Gervase, and Bobby Miller, plus left-hander Ronan Kopp, who was added to the 40-man roster in November.
Another right-hander, Will Klein, has been called a “World Series hero” every time he has been mentioned in the Dodgers game notes this spring, after his four scoreless innings in the marathon Game 3 last October.
That’s 16 potential relievers on the 40-man roster, but as we’ve seen in recent years the Dodgers’ pool to choose from extends far beyond that. Twenty-two of the 42 non-roster pitchers in Dodgers camp from 2023-25 ended up pitching for them in the majors in that season, for instance.
Last year the Dodgers had 13 different pitchers appear at least 10 games in relief:
- Anthony Banda 70 games relieved
- Alex Vesia 68
- Jack Dreyer 62
- Tanner Scott 61
- Kirby Yates 50
- Ben Casparius 43
- Blake Treinen 32
- Luis García 28
- Lou Trivino 24
- Edgardo Henriquez 22
- Justin Wrobleski 22
- Will Klein 14
- Michael Kopech 14
Garcia was a non-roster invitee last spring, while Klein and Trivino started 2025 in other organizations. The two Dodgers pitchers last year with nine games in relief were in the same boat, as Alexis Díaz was acquired in May and Matt Sauer was a non-roster invitee.
In other words, we’ll see quite a few different pitchers this season, many of whom aren’t currently on the 40-man roster. That brings us to today’s question: How many Dodgers will pitch at least 10 games in relief in 2026?