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“I feel all right,” Justin Wrobleski said after pitching for six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. As the Los Angeles Dodgers lost the game 4-1, Wrobleski allowed 4 runs, including 2 homers to the opposing team. Despite the loss, he claimed to feel fine physically. But that did not last long.

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To add to the Dodgers’ recent woes, Wrobleski landed on the injured list the day after with inflammation in his throwing arm.

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“The Dodgers recalled RHP Kyle Hurt and placed LHP Justin Wrobleski on the injured list with left forearm inflammation,” wrote the team on X.

The Dodgers announced the latest development ahead of their 6-2 loss against the Brewers. With Sunday’s loss, the Dodgers lost the four-game set 3-1. Considering their recent rough patch, this series was crucial in the race to the playoffs. The Dodgers could have become the NL leaders. Instead, they are now two places down, ranking third in the NL.

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Justin Wrobleski is having a breakout season with the Dodgers this year. The 26-year-old southpaw holds an impressive 11-5 record with a 3.56 ERA in 21 outings so far. However, Wrobleski’s splits belie his struggles on the mound, especially in the second half.

Wrobleski went into the All-Star break with a 10-2 record and a 2.69 ERA across 100.1 innings. However, in his 5 starts in the second half, Wrobleski struggled to hold off opposing batters. Since the All-Star break, he posted a 1-3 record with a 6.92 ERA across 26 innings.

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Wrobleski has allowed 19 homers this season. During his last five outings alone, he has allowed 11 home runs in total. The number is a sharp contrast to the 8 he surrendered in the entire first half.

When speculation arose about whether the workload had been catching up to Wrobleski, manager Dave Roberts dismissed the concerns.

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“You know, I don’t know if that’s entirely accurate in the sense of what he threw in the Minors, what he threw in the postseason,” Roberts reportedly said. “But regardless, is it sustainable? We’ll see. And at some point in time he’s going to go to the ‘pen anyway with the guys we have coming back.”

Last season, Wrobleski pitched 66.2 innings in the big leagues, making a combined total of 123.1 innings, including Triple-A. This year, Wrobleski has already thrown a career-high of 126.1 innings. After Saturday’s start, Wrobleski claimed he was feeling fine physically.

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“It’s just part of a long season, part of something I got to get ready for years to come,” Wrobleski said, per NY Post. “Just trying to lean on people that have done it, and just again continue to try to take care of my body the best I can and feeling as good I can right now.”

As his workload has piled up, the LHP has not recorded a win in August. Manager Roberts wanted to move him into the bullpen to manage his workload, but now Wrobleski is on the 15-day IL.

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The Dodgers are already facing multiple pitching injuries. Shohei Ohtani still remains shut down from pitching due to knee inflammation and right biceps issues. Tyler Glasnow (lower back spasms) and Blake Treinen (right elbow inflammation) are now on the 60-day IL. With Wrobleski’s forearm inflammation, their pitching staff is now further depleted. The Dodgers bullpen is also overtaxed. But much to the Dodgers’ relief, Glasnow and Ohtani are nearing their return, which would bolster their rotation.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have also recalled Kyle Hurt from Triple-A. It now remains to be seen how they fare in the coming games.

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Written by

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Srijanee Chakraborty

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Srijanee Chakraborty is a MLB Writer at EssentiallySports, with a specialty in reporting on trade decisions and off-field stories. She started her career as a fact-checker, and that background still shapes how she reports today, digging past the box score for the story behind the numbers. She holds a master's degree in English and a postgraduate diploma in Mass Communication. Outside baseball season, she follows professional tennis closely and keeps a running list of favorite fictional characters she'll defend in any argument.

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Deepali Verma

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