Daniel Hudson was the same age (27) when he moved from the Arizona rotation to the bullpen in 2014 as Dodgers right-hander Michael Grove is today, and even if the transition was more out of necessity than design – Hudson underwent Tommy John- surgeries in 2012 and 2013 and had to relieve pressure on his elbow – it was still a blow to his ego.
“It’s kind of tough at first, it’s almost like a demotion, especially when you’re young and you’ve already started your whole career,” said Hudson, now a 37-year-old Dodgers setup man who called games. for the World Series-winning Washington Nationals in 2019.
But then you kind of get over that and you see it as, ‘No, this is my chance to show that this is my niche, this is my place on the team, and I’m going to go there one day or another. two innings with what I have and [dominate].’”
Grove, a starting pitcher in 18 of his first 25 big league games in 2022 and 2023, did not view his move to the bullpen as a demotion this season, but he has clearly adopted the bulldog mentality described by Hudson, much to his regret his side. and the Dodgers’ advantage.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from West Virginia struggled in his first four games as a tall man and middle reliever, giving up 10 earned runs and 13 hits in 7 ⅔ innings (11.74 ERA) of his first four games .
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But Grove has been so effective since April 10 that he has moved to a setup role, along with Hudson, right-hander Blake Treinen and left-hander Alex Vesia to help shore up an injury-plagued bullpen that lost closer Evan Phillips and setup men Ryan . Brasier and Joe Kelly in the past three weeks and is still without Brusdar Graterol.
Grove was 2-2 with a 2.16 ERA in his last 14 appearances before Monday night’s game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, a stretch in which he allowed four earned runs and eight hits, striking out 26 and walking four in 16 ⅔ innings, losing his lead. his ERA to 5.18 in 18 games on the season.
As of Monday, the bullpen as a whole has gone 6-2 with a Major League-best 1.28 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 24 walks in 84 ⅓ innings of 26 games since April 21, a stretch in which the Dodgers went 20-6.
Treinen, who missed most of the past two seasons due to shoulder injuries and the first five weeks of 2024 due to broken ribs, did not give up a run in six innings of his first six appearances. Vesia has not allowed a run in 15 ⅓ innings of his last 14 games, lowering his ERA from 4.05 to 1.23.
Versatile left-hander Ryan Yarbrough has given up one run in 12 ⅓ innings (0.73 ERA) over his last six games. Hudson has been a mainstay of the bullpen all season, going 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA and two saves in his first 20 games, striking out 20 and walking one in 19 innings.
“There’s a lot of good things happening in the bullpen and our pitching staff as a whole, but getting used to Grover has been the biggest one for me,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “He pitched in situations in the seventh and eighth inning, and [what he’s done] has been huge.”
Grove has primarily relied on an 90.5 mph slider that Baseball Savant notes has much more vertical drop (36.6 inches) than horizontal break (4.8 inches). He held opponents to a .167 average (10 for 60) in at-bats that ended with the pitch.
Grove has replaced a four-seam fastball that averaged 90.8 mph last season with a livelier sinking two-seam fastball that averages 90.5 mph with a 15.0-inch drop and a horizontal break of 11.1 inches, while maintaining his cut fastball of 90.6 mph and 80. -mph knuckle curve.
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According to Baseball Savant, Grove’s chase rates have improved from 22.3% in 2022 to 27.2% in 2023 to 31.9% this season. His strikeout rates have increased from 18.1% in 2022 to 24.2% in 2023 and 31.1% this season.
The sinker has armed Grove with a new pitch to neutralize left-handed hitters, who are hitting .148 this season (four for 27) with no home runs and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 537 on him after hitting .352 this season (45 for 128) with six home runs and a 1.025 OPS from him last season.
“Honestly, he’s turned into a weapon,” Hudson said of Grove. “He’s starting to really trust his slider and his sinker in the zone, and he’s starting to make more attacks. It was great, really fun to watch.”
Before he could adjust to his new role, Grove, a 2018 second-round pick who emerged as a starter through the Dodgers farm system, had to accept it.
That was easier to do after the Dodgers acquired ace Tyler Glasnow from Tampa Bay and signed the right-hander to a five-year, $136.5 million extension, Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal signed veteran left-hander James Paxton to a one-year, $7 million contract last winter.
Former top prospect Walker Buehler also returned from a second Tommy John surgery in early May, and three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is expected to return from shoulder surgery this summer.
“Everyone wants to start, and I believe I can start, but we also have a really unique collection of talent with Walker coming back and Kershaw coming back,” Grove said. “My ability to make an impact on the team lies in the role I have now.
“I want to play in the big leagues, and I want to play for this team that wins a lot of games and has a chance to win in October, and part of that is making sacrifices and doing what’s best for you and for the team. . I understand that.”
Grove got his feet wet in the bullpen last season, making six appearances in the regular season and two in the NL Division Series loss to the Diamondbacks, but he’s fully immersed there this season and leaning on the team’s veterans for advice .
“They helped me with my preparation so I knew when I could start the game, knowing how the score and the situation and who has been throwing a lot the last few days can dictate a lot of that,” Grove said. “I do my best to know a little bit every day what is expected of me.”
The biggest challenge for Grove and most young starters transitioning to the bullpen is learning how to maintain your physical and mental energy before and during games, how to throw enough to stay sharp without putting too much strain on your arm.
“It’s the daily work before the game, I try to keep that at a volume where it doesn’t pile on you too much and it’s enough that you feel ready for it every day,” Grove said. “There has been some kind of balance there.”
Grove doesn’t know if his move to the bullpen will be permanent, but he has pitched well enough in relief to fill an important role on a championship-caliber club.
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“We have a lot of good players in this room and it’s about finding what everyone can do individually to help us win a World Series,” Grove said. “That’s kind of my focus right now.”
Grove does his part and pitches well enough to go from a low-leverage long-relief role to a high-leverage short-relief role. Each of his last seven appearances before Monday night came in the seventh inning or later.
Grove replaced Paxton in the seventh inning of a 3-3 game Friday night and retired Cincinnati pinch-runner Jacob Hurtubise at first base, struck out left-hander Jake Fraley on a 75-mph curve and got Santiago Espinal to pop. to second base. The Dodgers went on to win 7-3. Grove struck out two of three batters in the seventh inning of Saturday night’s 4-0 win over the Reds.
“It has been a transition for Michael to be able to work shorter periods and be available more often, and he continues to adapt,” said manager Dave Roberts. “But what he has done is fantastic. He is a valuable piece.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
