Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals What Tanner Scott Needs to Fix Amid Major Struggles

The Dodgers signed All-Star Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract in January. At the time, it was presumed the team had found its closer — not just for 2025, but for several years to come.

Not only won't Scott represent the National League in Atlanta this week, he's leading all pitchers in blown saves (seven) in his first season in Los Angeles.

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Although his 19 saves have allowed him to maintain his job as the Dodgers' closer, Scott's 4.09 ERA — boosted by eight home runs allowed in 44 innings, more than any Dodger reliever — have made for many tense ninth-inning adventures.

Sunday in San Francisco, manager Dave Roberts discussed what he's seen from his closer to this point in the season.

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“When using the slider – it’s just in-zone too much,” Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group. “He’s got to be able to move the fastball around a little bit. He’s got to be able to shorten the slider at times, when needed, when to strike it when needed."

Opponents are hitting .305 against Scott's slider, with a 9.4 percent barrel rate (a measure of the quality of contact batters make with the baseball). League-wide, batters are hitting .224 against sliders this season with a 5.7 percent barrel rate.

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Although Scott's whiff rate on the pitch is a robust 34.5 percent, that's down from his whiff rate of 38.8 percent in 2024, when he was selected to the National League All-Star team for the first time.

Added up, the numbers suggest Scott is not as effective in fooling opponents with his breaking ball as he should be. Considering he's thrown literally nothing but fastballs and sliders this season, Scott needs the pitch to be better.

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“Essentially, he’s a two-pitch pitcher," Roberts said, via Plunkett. "They hunt a certain zone. And when it doesn’t get to where it needs to, then there could be slug. And that’s kind of what it is. That’s kind of as simple as it gets.”

Scott was off to an outstanding start last season with the Miami Marlins (1.18 ERA, 19 hits allowed in 45.2 innings) when he was traded to the San Diego Padres on July 30. That allowed the Dodgers to see plenty of Scott up close in the regular season and the NL Division Series down the stretch.

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Scott did not allow a run in five of his six appearances against the Dodgers as a Padre, giving them little reason not to offer the 30-year-old left-hander a big free agent contract after the season. It's too soon to call the contract a bust, but it's uncomfortably late in the season for the Dodgers to be waiting on Scott to return to form.

More than an appearance in the All-Star Game, Scott might be glad to have a few days to regroup.

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