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TRANSFER: Los Angeles Dodgers just confirms another departure of …
Pirates sign ex-Dodgers lefty reliever to shore up bullpen
The Pirates signed reliever Justin Bruihl to a one-year deal and added him to the active roster on Thursday, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.
The left-hander, who had been released by the Reds earlier this week, could be a much-needed piece in Pittsburgh’s beleaguered bullpen. The corresponding move has not yet been announced.
Justin Bruihl joins Pittsburgh Pirates’ beleaguered bullpen
Bruihl came up in the Dodgers’ organization and made his major league debut in 2021. His rookie season showed signs of promise. He only allowed runs in three of his 21 big league appearances and boasted a stretch of 10 straight scoreless outings. He mostly featured as a middle reliever for Los Angeles, earning three holds as a rookie and turning in three scoreless appearances (two innings total) in that season’s National League Championship Series.
Bruihl functioned as a “taxi squad” player for the Dodgers, bouncing between Triple-A and the majors until he was dealt to Colorado at the Trade Deadline in 2023. His stats last year reveal a concerning trend; his ERA ballooned to 5.46 (14.73 in seven appearances with the Rockies) with 11 walks to 22 strikeouts.
The lefty had spent the first months of the 2024 season with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. He seems to have found his form a bit. He currently holds a 2.31 ERA across 19 appearances.
Bruihl lost a bit of velocity on all three of his pitchers – sinker, cutter, and slider – between 2021 and 2023, which may have caused his struggles. His sinker, for example, lost two miles per hour over the three-year span, but in 2024, his sinker has rested in the high 80s and touched 91.3 mph. Bruihl’s control still seems spotty at times (he’s issued 10 walks and hit five batters this year), but he has proven that he can be used in high-leverage situations as well as across multiple innings.
Surprisingly, Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been its weakest point this season. Since April 15, the group has a 4.70 ERA, and the Pirates can certainly use a middle-inning lefty. Their bullpen lefties hold a collective 5.21 ERA this year. Ryan Borucki, who performed admirably in 2023, has been shelved since early April with left triceps inflammation. Aroldis Chapman, the only lefty reliever currently on the active roster, could be termed “effectively wild,” touching 104 mph but also sporting a 10.1 walks per nine innings.
Pittsburgh Pirates set for tough matchup against Los Angeles Dodgers
The Pittsburgh Pirates returned home on Monday after losing an interleague series to the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. Now, Derek Shelton’s group will have one of their tougher home stands of the year.
Starting on Tuesday, the Pirates will have six straight home games against the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (38-23) and the American League Central’s Minnesota Twins (33-26).
The Dodgers come to Pittsburgh on the heels of taking two of three from the Colorado Rockies at home and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Dodgers’ 38-23 record puts them four games behind the National League East’s Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in the National League.
This season, the Dodgers offense has been amongst the best in the league, to no one’s surprise thanks to the future Hall of Fame trio of Mookie Betts, Fredie Freeman, and the $700 million man himself, Shohei Ohtani. This season, the Dodgers are averaging 4.8 runs per game. Their pitching has been solid throughout the season as well, allowing just 3.4 runs a night.
So far this month, the Dodgers are off to a solid start with a 2-0 record, scoring eight runs while allowing just one earned run, albeit against the Colorado Rockies, the bottom dwellers of the National League West.
Last season, Los Angeles took four of seven games from the Pirates but the Pirates did defeat the Dodgers twice last April when the National League West power made their visit to the Steel City for a three-game series.
