The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated left-handed reliever Alex Vesia from the injured list and optioned right-hander Ben Casparius to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a late-season roster shakeup. With the Dodgers playoff race heating up in September, every bullpen move carries weight—and this one signals a calculated push toward October.
Vesia, sidelined since August 21 due to a right oblique strain, returns at a critical time. Before the injury, the six-year veteran posted a 2.75 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 52.1 innings, appearing in 59 games. His shutdown stuff and postseason experience will be vital as the Dodgers bullpen news continues to evolve heading into the stretch run.
The southpaw looked sharp in his rehab stint, tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts for Triple-A Oklahoma City. His return provides a much-needed left-handed weapon in high-leverage situations for a team with a slim 0.5-game lead in the NL West over the San Diego Padres.
To make room on the roster, the club optioned Casparius, a reliable innings-eater who has contributed steadily throughout the season. The 26-year-old right-hander owns a 4.64 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 46 appearances in 2025. While not overpowering, his ability to handle long-relief situations has provided valuable depth when the starting rotation has struggled to go deep into games.
The Dodgers took to their official X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce the roster move with a brief update.
“The Dodgers activated LHP Alex Vesia and optioned RHP Ben Casparius.”
Fan reaction has been mixed. While some welcomed Vesia’s return, others were frustrated by Casparius’s demotion—voicing confusion about why other arms weren’t considered.
Whether Vesia’s return strengthens the bullpen or exposes a gap in long relief will become more clear in the coming days. For now, his injury update and the demotion of Casparius headline another strategic move in the Dodgers playoff race as they battle for control of the NL West.
