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When the Los Angeles Dodgers decided against shelling out a king's ransom for one of the top trade candidates on the proverbial board, like Jhoan Duran or Steven Kwan, it polarized fans to a major degree.
How, some wondered, could a team with serious playoff aspirations be so unwilling to go all-in on another World Series win when they remain so darn close to starting a dynasty? Why would they instead look for marginal upgrades like Brock Stewart and Alex Call instead of a can't-miss, surefire upgrade?
Well, while that decision will be debated for a very long time, the Dodgers won't even be able to make good on their own convictions, as, according to LA Times beat writer Jack Harris, Dave Roberts won't have Stewart for at least the immediate future, as he's heading to IL with shoulder inflammation.
“Brock Stewart is going on the injured list with shoulder inflammation,” Harris wrote. “Dave Roberts said he started feeling sore four days ago, and will go for more testing tomorrow. Edgardo Henriquez is being called up.”
Originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Dodgers, Stewart played parts of his first four seasons at The Show in Blue Heaven, making 36 appearances for the club before being waived and claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays in July of 2019. From there, he bounced around, going from the Chicago Cubs to the Chicago Deep Dish of the City of Champions Cup league and back to the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins, where he revitalized his career.
Back in Minnesota, Stewart became quite an effective bullpen option, recording an heading to IL with shoulder inflammation while allowing just 60 hits and 30 home runs. He drew interest from around baseball at the deadline and ultimately landed in Los Angeles once more, becoming the sort of early innings eater Roberts has been looking for.
Fortunately for LA, it does not sound like Stewart's injury will be season-ending, which means he could be back on the mound before the season ends. But for now, the Dodgers are down one more bullpen option and will need to get creative as the summer heats up in Southern California.
