Brusdar Graterol Won’t Travel to Korea With Dodgers, Hopeful to be Ready For Dodger Stadium Opener

When the Dodgers head to Korea for their two-game series against the San Diego Padres, they will be doing so without the services of relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol. Graterol said that he has been dealing with hip tightness and some shoulder soreness, so he wants extra time to get healthy for the season.

However, he did say that he is hopeful to be ready to go when the team opens the domestic part of their regular season on March 28 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He has only pitched in one inning this spring for the team.

Luckily, it seems like Graterol will only miss the two games against the Padres, which should be seen as thankful for Los Angeles. He has been one of the better relief pitchers for the Dodgers over the last few years, giving them a reliable arm in the middle to late innings.

Last year, Graterol appeared in 68 games for Los Angeles, posting an ERA of 1.20 and a WHIP of 0.97. He struck out 48 in 67.1 innings of work.

The right-hander is one of the harder-throwing pitchers in the game and he uses it to his advantage when on the mound. He brings energy when pitching as well, so fans in Korea will miss the chance to see him fire up the team.

The injuries are starting to pile up slightly for Los Angeles in the pitching department, as Emmet Sheehan will start the year on the injured list and Blake Treinen exited the team’s game yesterday after being hit by a comebacker. Hopefully, this injury to Graterol isn’t too serious and we can see him back on the mound in the first home series of the year.

Photo Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

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