After an All-Star start, a sudden surge in home runs and a stint on the Injured List leave Justin Wrobleski fighting for his place with the Los Angeles Dodgers in October.
Justin Wrobleski established himself as one of the most dependable pitchers in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation during the first half of the season. That performance resulted in the first All-Star selection of his career.
Recently, however, the left-hander has struggled to maintain that same level of success, and his outlook for the remainder of the season has become much more complicated.
The Dodgers placed Wrobleski on the 15-day Injured List with left forearm irritation, temporarily removing him from a rotation that has already undergone significant changes.
A concerning trend
Wrobleski surrendered 19 earned runs in 19.2 innings over his last four starts, causing his ERA to climb from 2.62 to 3.56 during that stretch.
The increase in home runs allowed has been particularly noticeable.
Wrobleski surrendered only eight home runs over his first 17 appearances (16 starts). Since July 28, however, he has allowed 11.
That stretch included consecutive starts in which he surrendered four home runs against both the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs.
Wrobleski again allowed two home runs during Saturday’s 4-1 home loss against the Milwaukee Brewers, but there were also encouraging signs within his performance.
The southpaw completed six innings while recording six strikeouts and issuing only a walk.
Despite the loss, Wrobleski and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts both believed the outing was considerably better than the final result suggested.
According to Joaquin Ruiz from the Los Angeles Times, Roberts felt Wrobleski pitched well outside of the two-run home run he surrendered to Joey Ortiz in the second inning.
Roberts considered the pitch to Ortiz the one significant mistake in an otherwise solid performance and was pleased with how Wrobleski handled the rest of his outing.
What does this mean for Wrobleski?
The forearm irritation changes the conversation surrounding Wrobleski.
Before the injury, the question was whether he could make the adjustments necessary to rediscover the consistency that made him one of Los Angeles’ most reliable starters earlier in the season.
The priority is different now.
Wrobleski must first get healthy enough to return before determining what role remains available to him during the final stretch of the regular season and potentially the postseason.
His earlier success should still work in his favor. Wrobleski has already shown that his best version can succeed against MLB hitters, and his first-half performance earned him recognition among the National League’s best.
His aggressive approach also remains an important quality. Even during his recent struggles, he has continued challenging hitters rather than allowing the home run problem to make him overly cautious.
His composure is equally valuable. Difficult outings did not cause him to abandon his approach, and Saturday showed he could continue providing length despite mistakes.
But the Dodgers’ rotation picture continues evolving, meaning Wrobleski may have fewer opportunities to reestablish himself once he returns.
How quickly his forearm responds and how effectively he pitches afterward could determine whether he remains part of Los Angeles’ rotation plans, shifts into another role, or finds himself fighting for a place on the postseason pitching staff.
