Brusdar Graterol relieved, optimistic he can pitch for Dodgers again this season

LOS ANGELES – Brusdar Graterol’s year flashed before his eyes Tuesday night. It was not a pretty sight.

“I felt a lot of pain. I heard a pop,” Graterol said through an interpreter of the hamstring injury that ended his first appearance of 2024 after just nine pitches. “Obviously at this point in the season, where we’re at in the season, I got a little scared and felt it was probably the end of my season.”

Graterol had to be helped from the field, tears in his eyes reflecting just that. The preliminary diagnosis was a Grade 3 strain of his right hamstring – severe enough that it might indeed have ended his season after only nine pitches. An MRI the following day showed a less severe injury, a Grade 1 strain.

“I got the news the next day after taking the MRI,” Graterol said. “It took a lot of weight off my mind. Mentally, how draining it was to come back from the first rehab and then to hear the good news it kind of alleviated what I was feeling.”

Graterol said the treatment he has received over the past few days led to enough improvement for him to play catch in the outfield Saturday afternoon. And it has given him hope that his season isn’t over after all.

“Today was the first day I actually was able to throw and it felt really good,” he said. “If I put in the work, I think it’s realistic that I can come back in three weeks. So I’m going to try to keep that date in mind and try to make that goal.”

Graterol has spent the past five months trying to get back on a baseball field. A shoulder injury first sidelined him midway through spring training. A key component of the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2023 when he had a 1.20 ERA and tied for the team lead in appearances, multiple setbacks left Graterol in limbo through the first months of this season.

“Frustrating,” Graterol said. “Frustrating with all the arm injuries, with all the things that have been going on with my arm and trying to control my head through all that process. Trying to come back, shut down, come back. That’s just been mentally draining. It’s been mentally tough. I’ve tried to stay positive, keep my mental stability in a positive direction, keep moving forward even though it’s been really frustrating this season.”

Physical therapy and shoulder-strengthening exercises finally allowed Graterol to progress through a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment and rejoin the Dodgers earlier this week – only to have his hamstring set him back again.

“It just took a long time,” he said. “Very frustrating, the whole process of it, trying to feel good again, trying to feel right again.”

REHAB PLANS

Mookie Betts and Chris Taylor took live at-bats against two minor-league pitchers (right-hander Jholbran Herder and left-hander Robinson Ortiz) again Saturday.

Betts (hand) is expected to take batting practice with the Dodgers before Sunday’s game and then join them on the flight to Milwaukee where he will be activated from the Injured List on Monday.

Taylor (groin) is scheduled to go to the Camelback Ranch training complex and continue to take live at-bats there before starting a rehab assignment at some point.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session on Tuesday then join the Dodgers in St. Louis next weekend. He is expected to throw live batting practice to hitters during that series.

Ryan Brasier (calf) is expected to continue his rehab assignment this week and join the Dodgers during the series in St. Louis.

Max Muncy (oblique) and Tommy Edman (ankle) were in the starting lineup for Triple-A Oklahoma City Saturday, beginning their rehab assignments.

BUEHLER BACK

Right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) is expected to come off the IL and start Wednesday against the Brewers. Buehler is coming off the best start of his rehab assignment Thursday for OKC – one run on one hit in 5 ⅓ innings.

“He’s in a good spot,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think physically he feels great. He obviously performed well. It still matters to go out there and feel good about your last outing before coming back. I honestly think this is as confident, as good as Walker has felt – physically and mentally – this year.”

UP NEXT

Pirates (LHP Bailey Falter, 5-7, 3.87 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 9-6, 3.54 ERA), Sunday, 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM