The Los Angele Dodgers are adding lefty Cole Irvin to the roster ahead of a bullpen game against the Boston Red Sox.
To make room for Irvin, the Dodgers are placing Brock Stewart on the injured list with a shoulder issue.
According to manager Dave Roberts, the Dodgers are hoping to be proactive and don’t think it will be a long stint on the IL, though it could be longer depending on the MRI.
“We got to protect him… new finding. He is going to be going for imaging tomorrow,” Roberts said.
Stewart came in the trade deadline deal, arriving for James Outman. He pitched only four games for the Dodgers last year before undergoing shoulder surgery.
The righty joined the team after starting the year on the injury list for a handful of appearances, then being shut down with a bone spur in his foot.
He came back again, and overall, he has looked quite good, with 14 strikeouts, five walks, and a stellar 2.45 ERA.
Hopefully, the injury is not too serious, but considering his history with shoulder issues, it is understandable for the Dodgers to be proactive.
What Cole Irvin brings to the Dodgers
The Dodgers are looking for an innings eater who can come into relief to pitch multiple innings, and that is exactly what Irvin can offer.
He has been a starter for most of his time in pro baseball, but he has dipped his toe into a bullpen role.
For the Oklahoma City Comets Triple-A team, Irvin has made 20 starts this year, pitching 98 innings after signing a minor league deal.
He was brought in for a spring camp invite and impressed enough to take a rotation slot at the top level of the minor leagues.
Irvin is 32 years old with major league experience, totaling 593 innings in 134 games. He went to Korea in 2025 to rebuild his confidence after flaming out of the majors.
Things were a mixed bag for him in Korea, putting up a solid 4.48 ERA but getting into a controversy after shoving a pitching coach and catcher after being pulled from a game.
He apologized, though it was a testament to his struggles and where he was mentally, battling command issues due to Korea’s smaller strike zone.
Eventually, the Dodgers gave him a shot, and he is finding new success with LA.
“I heard a lot of good things about the organization as a whole and wanted to do everything I could to get back to a level of performance I could be satisfied with. The Dodgers felt to me like ‘we know what’s wrong with you and we know how to get you back where you belong,'” Irvin said via Chosun Biz.
While his stint in the major leagues will be short, Irvin getting another shot should be a victory in itself.
