Dodgers' 'pen grinds out big win after early exit for Kershaw (toe pain)

PHOENIX -- Before the Dodgers opened a crucial four-game showdown with a 10-9 nail-biting win over the D-backs on Friday night at Chase Field, manager Dave Roberts was almost giddy at the return to the lineup of Freddie Freeman, who had missed the last three games due to the lingering effects of a fractured right middle finger.

“I think this is as healthy as we’ve been, which is really encouraging,” Roberts said. “... Just [having a healthy] bullpen, the starting position players, with the depth, all that stuff and getting Freddie back in the lineup, it’s fun. It was fun to write tonight’s lineup out.”

Freeman had a homer and three RBIs in the first two innings, L.A. had a three-run lead and there was no concern about broken fingers in the Dodgers’ dugout. But one batter into the D-backs’ half of the second, Clayton Kershaw’s left big toe pulled a rug out from under the good vibes.

Kershaw, who had allowed two runs on two hits in a 25-pitch first inning, allowed a leadoff homer to Corbin Carroll on the second pitch of the second and was removed from the game after a visit from Roberts and a trainer with what the club announced was left big toe pain.

“I just couldn’t really push off,” Kershaw said. “It’s frustrating when everything else seems to be feeling great. No matter what I did, I couldn’t find a comfortable way to push off on my toe. Super frustrating.”

Roberts said postgame that the issue was caused by a bone spur that Kershaw has had to navigate for “maybe a couple of years.” Roberts said Kershaw told him they may have a problem after the first inning, so Joe Kelly was already warming up in the bullpen when Carroll homered.

While the rotation certainly had its question marks even before Kershaw exited, the bullpen is loaded. Even without Brusdar Graterol (right hamstring strain), Los Angeles is in as good a position as any club to roll out an unplanned bullpen game when its starter exits after one-plus inning. On Friday, the Dodgers deployed Kelly, Alex Vesia, Ryan Brasier, Michael Kopech, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen and Anthony Banda to cover the remaining eight innings.

Roberts said he really didn’t want to go to Banda for a third straight day, but he was forced to call on the lefty to protect a five-run lead in the ninth. The D-backs plated four, but the 31-year-old veteran held on.

“I put the team in a really tough spot, having the bullpen cover eight innings,” Kershaw said. “But the team did amazing, they battled and grinded. And the bullpen is hanging after today, and I’m disappointed that I was the culprit of that, but they did an unbelievable job.”

Kershaw and Roberts both said they had to wait to see what Saturday brings before deciding how this injury is going to affect Kershaw’s immediate future, but Roberts said he’d “be shocked if we don’t have to make a move.”

The Dodgers’ rotation is already without Tyler Glasnow (right elbow tendinitis) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (right triceps tightness), not to mention Tony Gonsolin (2023 Tommy John surgery), River Ryan (’24 Tommy John surgery) and Dustin May, who is out until ’25 following elbow and esophagus surgeries.

Yamamoto is the closest to returning. He’ll make his second rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but that outing is only expected to be for three innings and he’ll almost certainly need at least one more start before rejoining the Dodgers.

Glasnow is being brought back slowly and there’s no guarantee that he’ll even return this season.

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Gavin Stone is set to start against the D-backs on Saturday, and Jack Flaherty is scheduled for Monday’s finale. The Dodgers have yet to announce Sunday’s starter. Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller won’t take the mound this series, so Sunday’s start will likely go to lefty Justin Wrobleski, who is currently at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Wrobleski filled in for Buehler with four starts in July and made another spot start on Aug. 16, posting a 4.68 ERA over 25 innings. The 24-year-old is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Dodgers’ No. 6 prospect.

As the Dodgers try to navigate this crucial series with a suddenly overworked bullpen, the good news is they will be able to add two players on Sunday without sending anyone down due to MLB’s September roster expansion to 28 players, though they are limited to carrying 14 pitchers.