In a surprising move, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made a last-minute adjustment to their NL Division Series roster, swapping out injured right-hander Michael Grove for rookie Ben Casparius. The decision came after MLB’s medical director, Dr. Gary Green, reviewed Grove’s medical records and deemed him unfit to continue.
Grove’s brief appearance in Game 2 against the San Diego Padres on Sunday ended abruptly, as he surrendered a home run to Xander Bogaerts before striking out Jake Cronenworth. The 27-year-old pitcher’s season has been marked by inconsistency, with a 4-4 record and 5.12 ERA across 39 appearances.
Casparius, 25, will make his postseason debut in Grove’s place. The young right-hander has shown promise in his limited time in the majors, boasting a 2-0 record and 2.16 ERA over 8⅓ innings. His impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 12:4 suggests he may be able to provide a much-needed boost to the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Notably, Grove will be ineligible to participate in the NL Championship Series should the Dodgers advance, but he may be eligible to return for the World Series.
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