Tanner Scott Hits Turbulence As Dodgers’ Ninth-Inning Role Turns Unstable

Tanner Scott’s early dominance gave way to recent struggles, throwing the Dodgers’ bullpen hierarchy—and fantasy closer landscape—into complete chaos.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott (66) earns a save in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Twenty appearances into his first season with the Dodgers, Tanner Scott showcased newfound command (one walk over 20.2 innings). He secured nine of his 11 save chances, leading to a 1.74 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts. 

Tanner Scott, White Castle Special. 🤮🍔🍔🍔 pic.twitter.com/d4PMTnJq1b

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers Bullpen

With Tyler Yates landing on the injured list on May 18th with a hamstring issue, Scott looked poised to pile up saves for the winning Dodgers. Unfortunately, his left arm blew up in three of his next five outings (nine runs, 11 hits, two home runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts over 4.2 innings), leaving the fantasy market wounded and questioning what happened. The Dodgers even pitched him in the seventh inning in his last game against Cleveland.

On his down stretch, his fastball has been between 95.5 and 96.8 mph while continuing to throw a high-volume slider. Suddenly, his ERA climbed to 4.62, but his WHIP (1.116) paints a winning picture. 

Is Ben Casparius (no runs or hits over his last five innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts) the next man up? He has never recorded a save in his pro career.

A trip to the injured list deemed Tyler Yates expendable in the high-stakes market over the past two weeks. The early injury reports suggested that he would be out for two to four weeks. At the very least, he should be added in deep formats this week.

Alex Vesia picked up six saves in 2024 and 2025 while giving up the lead in one-third of his tries. He surrendered a three-run home run to Angel Martinez on Wednesday afternoon, costing Tanner Scott a couple of earned runs. On the year, Vesia has a 3.38 ERA, 1.201 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 24.0 innings.

Based on closing experience, Yates should be a viable add this week while waiting for an update on his return to Los Angeles. He faded over his last seven innings (five runs, 12 baserunners, two home runs, and eight strikeouts).

Scott’s improved command should lead to better days, and the Dodgers will push him back to high-leverage innings after a couple of good innings.