Dodgers Roster News: Phil Bickford Heads to Injured List, RHP Tayler Scott Joins Active Roster
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a last-minute roster move ahead of Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees.
Phil Bickford, who pitched the ninth inning of Friday’s 8-4 win over the Yankees, has been placed on the 15-day injured list with lower back tightness. Tayler Scott, who’s been on the taxi squad since yesterday, has replaced him on the active roster.
The Dodgers are placing RHP Phil Bickford on the injured list with lower back tightness.
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 3, 2023
RHP Tayler Scott, who's been on the taxi squad this weekend, has been called up.
The Bickford move is definitely a little suspicious in my opinion. Yesterday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there was a little “smoke” in the bullpen, and that someone may have to go on the injured list.
Then, Bickford entered yesterday’s game, making it seem like he wasn’t the one potentially battling an injury. However, Bickford did turn out to be that pitcher, and is now on the injured list for at least the next two weeks.
While I do think Bickford may be battling some back tightness, this does seem like more of a phantom IL situation to me.
Bickford has been struggling as of late, allowing 10 earned runs in his last 6.1 innings pitched. Overall this season, Bickford has allowed 22 earned runs in 27 innings, giving him quite the inflated 7.33 ERA.
Bickford will now be out for at least the next two weeks, but if I had to guess, I don’t think we’re going to be seeing him back with the Dodgers for a long time. Bickford is out of options, so the only way the Dodgers could get him off the active roster without designating him for assignment would be placing him on the IL.
As for Scott, he’s back with the Dodgers after being recalled and sent down two weeks ago. Scott didn’t end up making an appearance in the few days he was up, but will now get an opportunity to play with the big league club.
In 19.2 innings at the Triple-A level this season, Scott has allowed just three earned runs, good for a 1.37 ERA. Hopefully he can translate that to the MLB level.
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ANY true baseball expert can see that Will Smith, while being a very good hitter, is not a good catcher. Three things make this true; he doesn’t catch or frame like Realmuto, or even his teammate, Barnes. He has an average throwing arm, and most important, is an awful pitch caller. Yesterday, he proved it with NY’s Bauer. He banged Grove once for a 2 run dinger off a heater, AND then dumb ass Smith calls a heater again (instead of a spinner) with 2 strikes and 2 outs, and bingo another 2 run dinger for a .228 hitter! And that was THE ballgame!!
Smitty did the opposite with Luis Garcia on Wednesday. Hard stuff got him all game, and then, late in the game, Smith decides to call a slurve from AAA Graterol, who can’t master his fast ball to move, let alone master curve-slurve, off speed pitches. Don’t get me started on this overrated trade bait!
Smith is NOT what LA’s needs behind the plate. He can’t rise to elite catcher, and Barnes can’t even sniff elite as a catcher nor hitter!
Lastly, the Dodger front office should be excoriated, and S. Jaffe removed as Prez, for allowing Corey Seager to leave! These geniuses (Friedman included) even had a second chance to keep a lesser SS, Trea Turner, and blew that too! Both swings and misses.
Imagine Seager in this line-up???!!! It’s almost as if this front office pulls questionable moves when it comes to putting WS type talent, as a group, on the field to WIN WS’s!
One good thing. Bickford is on his way outta here.
Joe Vecchio
The Vecchio Factor Says…