Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the media ahead of the series finale between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday. The three-game series was evenly poised at one game apiece with all to play for in the series finale between two fierce National League rivals.
Ahead of the contest, the Dodgers manager addressed some difficult questions surrounding the ailing pitching rotation of the defending champions. While the Dodgers already had three starting pitchers, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki, on the IL, one more active starter joined the injury list two days ago.
Dave Roberts is Considering Activating a Reliever to Starting Rotation Amidst Tony Gonsolin Injury
Host of Dodger Talk and a senior baseball analyst with the MLB Network, David Vassegh shared the latest update on what the Dodgers manager said about their pitching rotation in the pregame interview on Wednesday. As per the analyst, the ballclub is considering transitioning reliever Ben Casparius to the starting rotation amidst Tony Gonsolin’s right elbow injury, which has sidelined him from the mound indefinitely.
With the injury to Tony Gonsolin and how thin the rotation is, Dave Roberts said today is possibly the beginning of #Dodgers transitioning Ben Casparius back to a starting role.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) June 11, 2025
Casparius has been a relief pitcher since making his big league debut with the Dodgers in 2024. But this season, the organization has already experimented twice by putting the RHP in a starting role. Out of 22 games he has pitched in this season, he has started two of those games, with the latest coming in the series finale against the Padres on Wednesday.
Caparius has a 4-1 record, with an ERA of 2.86, a 1.02 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched this campaign. The RHP has been showcasing good command on the mound and possesses a decent pitching arsenal to keep the hitters guessing. The organization will be hopeful that their reliever makes a smooth transition to the starting rotation until some of their aces completely recover from their injuries.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Defeated the San Diego Padres in Series Finale
The Dodgers came out with an important win on the road, which helped them defeat their arch NL rivals, the Padres, in their own backyard. It was a bullpen game for either ballclub as the Padres looked to cut the deficit to the division leaders in the NL West standings. It was a feisty rerun of the 2024 NLDS, but yet again the Dodgers triumphed over the Padres.
The @Dodgers emerge victorious in their first series of the year against San Diego. pic.twitter.com/xSo7OO6bXD
— MLB (@MLB) June 11, 2025
They won the contest 5-2 as both Teoscar Hernandez and Michael Conforto crushed a home run each while Casparius and other relievers pitched valiantly to close out a decent bullpen game win for the traveling team. The Dodgers, who are 41-28 for the season, will now head home to kick off a ten-game homestand at Dodger Stadium.