JP Feyereisen Reveals His Potential Role in the Dodgers' Bullpen This Season
The Dodgers' bullpen had a 3.42 ERA last season, third-lowest in MLB. They did that without some of their most exciting arms in Blake Treinen and J.P. Feyereisen.
The Dodgers acquired Feyereisen from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, after he underwent surgery to repair his rotator cuff and labrum. Prior to the injury, he did not surrender a single earned run in 24.1 innings in the 2022 season.
Now, after a year of rehab, he looks ahead to 2024 and what his role will be on the star-studded Dodgers. In an interview with Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation, Feyereisen talked about his potential role in the bullpen next season.
"I'm going to guess I'm going to be in those middle innings, maybe in a certain time when my repertoire seems fit for the certain lineup we're facing. We have every back arm that you could want with the boys we have in the bullpen. It doesn't really bother me what my role is. Hopefully I can help the team and throw some innings."
The bullpen has plenty of options for high-leverage situations. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman brought back Joe Kelly after declining his 2024 contract option. Treinen is coming back from injury. Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips are still on the team, ostensibly to handle late-inning relief situations.
Using Feyereisen as a middle reliever is evidence of the glut of talent in the Dodgers' bullpen. He has some of the best stuff in baseball when he's healthy.
While the sample size is small, Feyereisen has a career ERA of 2.31 and a 1.00 WHIP. Provided he can bounce back from his injuries, he has the talent to close a game out if the need arises.
For now, the Dodgers will use him in the middle innings to help shorten the game as much as possible. If Treinen can also return to form, then this could be the best bullpen in baseball.
