The injury bug has struck the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen for the first time this season.
As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to begin a three-game series against the struggling New York Mets, an injury has struck the bullpen.
The Dodgers announced that they have placed right-handed bullpen piece Ben Casparius on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
To fill his spot, the Dodgers recalled right-hander Kyle Hurt from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
For the 27-year-old Casparius, he has not gotten off to the best of starts in his 2026 campaign.
In five appearances for Los Angeles, he has posted an ERA of 9.64 in 4 2/3 innings and a WHIP of 2.14 with four strikeouts.
His last outing came in the Dodgers' loss against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon, and Casparius was struggling in his inning of work.
He was shelled for two earned runs and walked two Rangers while giving up two hits.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed to the media on Monday what Casparius felt after his latest outing.
Roberts said that after the game, Casparius didn't "feel great" and later underwent some manual testing on his shoulder.
It was determined that he had inflammation on his right shoulder, and he is expected to undergo an MRI on Monday.
"We just felt it was prudent to put him on the IL," Roberts said.
In his place, Hurt will be making his first stint with the Dodgers in 2026.
Hurt is coming off a successful Tommy John rehab and was a key bullpen piece to watch for coming into Spring Training.
Though he did not make the Opening Day roster, the Dodgers felt that beginning the season down in Triple-A would benefit his come-up as a long reliever.
Hurt has been throwing the ball exceptionally well with Oklahoma City. His 5.79 ERA is inflated by a bad outing earlier in the year, but the presentation of his swing-and-miss arsenal has shown tenfold.
Oklahoma City pitcher Kyle Hurt (31) pitches during a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Baseball Club and the Albuquerque Isotopes at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. -- © NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN IMAGNIn six games for the Comets, he has struck out eight batters in 4 2/3 innings pitched, and his fastball-changeup mix has grown brighter as the season wears on.
"He's been throwing the baseball well," Roberts said on what he's seen from Hurt down in the minors. "The stuff we like. He hasn't pitched a whole lot here.
"For Kyle [Hurt], we see him as a neutral guy," Roberts said. "Gets left, gets right out. Can do an up-down and yeah, I am excited to have Kyle back here."
Roberts continued that, even with a quick turnaround on the news of Casparius' injured list stint, he's "the beneficiary of things changing."
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