Dodgers Could Have Ben Casparius Join Starting Rotation Moving Forward
It would be safe to say that Ben Casparius has been a true godsend for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise over the last 12 months.
A little-known prospect from Connecticut, he was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Dodgers. Never was he considered to be a ‘can’t-miss’ prospect or even one of the more elite ones within the system.
Last year, he came up and threw some very meaningful innings toward the end of the regular season. This led to a spot on the postseason roster as an injury replacement for Michael Grove. Things got so dire for the Dodgers that Casparius actually started Game 4 of the World Series in New York versus the vaunted Yankees.
Pretty good for a kid who began that year in Triple-A.
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Now that Casparius has established himself as an everyday big leaguer, there’s a real chance he could see his role with the Dodgers elevated even further.
The injury to Tyler Glasnow on Sunday afternoon forced Casparius into action. He was terrific, going 3.2 innings allowing zero runs and two hits while striking out five batters. He was masterful — and it illustrated how good Casparius can be when being extended.
He’s a starting pitcher by trade despite functioning as a long reliever and at times a high-leverage reliever since joining the Major League roster. With Glasnow out for the foreseeable future after being placed on the injured list, coupled with the injuries elsewhere on the team, would it make sense to get Casparius back on the mound as a starter in a full-time capacity?
Manager Dave Roberts addressed this idea after Sunday’s game, and again ahead of Monday’s. The faith Roberts has in his right-handed pitcher is undeniable.
“It’s a thought,” Roberts said. “He gave us four innings today. He’s unflappable. He flooded the strike zone. And he saved our tails today.”
Casparius has seen an uptick in velocity this year with his fastball averaging nearly 96 mph. He’s also been excellent in limiting hard-hit contact, ranking in the 96th percentile in hard-hit percentage, per Baseball Savant.
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Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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