Editorials

Dodgers News: Mat Latos Moved To Bullpen In Long Relief Role

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

At the trade deadline this season the Los Angeles Dodgers front office placed an importance on adding starting pitching depth. They addressed the deficiency by completing a three-team trade with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins that netted them Alex Wood and Mat Latos, among other players.

Although Wood, 24 and under team control beyond 2015 was the headliner in the Dodgers’ haul, Latos figured to bring an end to the search for a dependable fifth starter. However, that hasn’t necessarily been the case and now the right-hander is filling a role out of the bullpen, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:



On the season Latos is 4-9 with a 4.92 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 1.31 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 111.2 innings pitched. Since being traded to the Dodgers he’s 0-2 with a 6.56 ERA over five starts. He was scheduled to start last week against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but was scratched hours prior to first pitch due to neck stiffness.

This technically marks the second time Latos has been moved to the bullpen by Dodgers manager Don Mattingly as the club went to a four-man rotation on their 10-game road trip. However, Latos wasn’t used as a relief pitcher. In seven big league seasons the 27 year old has made 174 starts and never appeared out of the bullpen.

The 16-day layoff between starts didn’t sit particularly well with Latos, who then was agitated with being removed after only four innings of work against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 3.

Mattingly previously indicated the Dodgers would use the fifth spot in their rotation to best matchup with their opponent at each turn, and at the time said Latos remained part of the discussion.

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Staff Writer

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One Comment

  1. Wake up ,and smell the coffee ,fellow Dodgers fans. The only people benefiting from the fat T.V. contract with Time Warner ,are the current Dodger executives, and Guggenheim, Not the Dodgers team, or their beloved ,loyal fan base.. Why did they not make an attempt to sign David Price,when they had the golden opportunity to get him as a free agent, rather than a trade ? Their timing in getting rid of Matt Kemp was good ,but somewhat of a shock, at the time,as was the move to to trade Dee Gordon. If the dodgers are so financially well off ,what’s up with all these “B” moves for no name rookies ,and aged reclamation projects ,seven years past their prime ? Many of these current player moves are reminiscent of the latter McCourt era, when good old Frank was scrimping here ,and there, with marginal players,and using Dodger profits to pay for his mortgages,instead reinvesting it ,for the good of his tweam.So, What’s really going on, Magic, Stan,and Guggenheim ?

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