The Dodgers’ bullpen problems worsened Sunday after reliable reliever Jack Dreyer landed on the injured list with shoulder discomfort, adding another concern to an already depleted Los Angeles relief corps.
The timing could hardly be worse for Los Angeles, which is already navigating multiple bullpen injuries while attempting to stabilize late-game innings during a critical stretch of the season.
The club announced four roster moves simultaneously: right-handers Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott were recalled from Triple-A to fill the open bullpen spots, while left-hander Charlie Barnes was optioned down. Because Gervase and McDermott were already on the 40-man roster, no additional maneuvering was required, according to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors.
Dreyer, 27, had quietly put together one of the more reliable seasons in the Los Angeles bullpen before the shoulder flared up. In 20 appearances in 2026, he posted a 2.08 ERA with a 0.969 WHIP and 24 strikeouts across 21 2/3 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.00 ranked among the team’s best relief arms.
Jack Dreyer’s Injury and 2026 Season
Dreyer’s path to the majors was anything but conventional. The Salt Lake City native signed with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2021 after three seasons at the University of Iowa and a summer in the Cape Cod League, where he played alongside Seattle Mariners ace George Kirby. He bypassed Low-A entirely on his way through the system, reached Triple-A in 2024, and earned a spot on the 40-man roster that November. Baseball America ranked him the Dodgers’ No. 26 prospect heading into 2025.
Dreyer is a two-pitch reliever built around a mid-90s fastball that has touched 96 mph and a mid-80s slider that generates high swing-and-miss rates against right-handed hitters. Control has been the issue. After walking more than six batters per nine innings in 2023, Dreyer issued just 12 free passes in 57 1/3 innings in 2024, improving his strike rate by eight percent.
Dodgers Bullpen Depth Takes Another Hit
The Dodgers are already navigating life without star closer Edwin Díaz, who underwent elbow surgery and is not expected back for at least three months. Veteran reliever Brusdar Graterol, who missed all of 2025 recovering from labrum surgery, suffered a setback during a recent rehab assignment when his back flared up, pushing his return date back further, according to The Athletic‘s Fabian Ardaya. Graterol’s velocity was also down in his final outing — a red flag for a pitcher whose value is tied to triple-digit heat.
Arms like Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia have shouldered the load, but the organization is now relying on Gervase and McDermott, both with limited big-league track records, to hold the line while the cavalry remains grounded.
The Baltimore Orioles designated McDermott for assignment in April. Rather than release him outright, the Orioles traded the right-hander, who posted a 12.79 ERA in just 12 2/3 MLB innings, to the Dodgers.
Dreyer’s 15-day IL stint means the earliest he can return is late May. Given the nature of shoulder discomfort, Los Angeles will almost certainly exercise caution, meaning the actual return could push well into June.
With Dreyer now sidelined and the Dodgers still awaiting multiple key bullpen returns, Los Angeles faces mounting pressure to survive one of the organization’s most difficult stretches of pitching attrition in recent years.
Dodgers Bullpen Crisis Deepens With Jack Dreyer Injury Update