For much of his career, Brusdar Graterol has been a high-velocity safety net at the back of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen — a flamethrower whose 99 mph sinker could turn dangerous rallies into harmless groundouts. But as 2025 winds down, it’s becoming increasingly clear the big right-hander won’t be taking the mound again this season.
Graterol underwent labrum surgery on his right shoulder in November, holding out hope for a second-half comeback. That optimism has faded. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters this week — via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times — that the chances of Graterol pitching in 2025 are “slim.”
Dodgers Unlikely To Get Brusdar Graterol Back This Season
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“Graterol is in Arizona but isn’t throwing,” Roberts confirmed, adding that the Dodgers are taking no risks with a shoulder that has plagued the 26-year-old throughout his career.
It’s a disappointing turn for a pitcher who, from 2020–23, delivered 173 2/3 innings of 2.69 ERA ball for Los Angeles, combining one of baseball’s elite ground-ball rates (62.5%) with pinpoint control (5.5% walk rate). While his strikeout numbers never matched his velocity — just 18.9% of batters fanned — his ability to generate weak contact made him a key October weapon, including during last year’s World Series run.
Even in an injury-shortened 2024, Graterol returned late in the season to post a 1.20 ERA across 68 appearances, then pitched in Games 1, 3, and 5 of the Fall Classic. But recurring shoulder inflammation shut him down again, leading to offseason surgery.
The injury woes extend beyond Graterol. Dodgers insider Sonja Chen recently noted that right-handers River Ryan and Kyle Hurt — both recovering from surgery — are also unlikely to return in 2025. Ryan, who dazzled with a 1.33 ERA in 20.1 rookie innings last year, is just a year removed from Tommy John surgery. Hurt, similarly sidelined after just four career outings, also underwent Tommy John in July.
“There hasn’t been much information about the players rehabbing in Arizona,” Chen said. “Graterol is expected back by the end of the season, but I would be surprised if Ryan and Hurt return this year. They’re both about 12 months post-op, and that would be a relatively quick timetable.”
If there’s any bullpen relief on the horizon, it comes from other names. Michael Kopech — out since July 1 with a torn meniscus — began a rehab assignment this week. Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates are also trending toward late-season returns. In Graterol’s absence, Ben Casparius has stepped into a bigger role, giving Roberts a dependable bridge to the ninth.
Still, losing Graterol alters the complexion of the Dodgers’ relief corps. For a pitcher whose game depends so much on overpowering velocity, shoulder health is a career-defining variable. The Dodgers, deep-pocketed as they are, will almost certainly tender him a contract for 2026, betting on a full recovery.
For now, though, the reigning champions will have to navigate the stretch run without one of their most trusted arms — a reminder that in baseball, even the hardest throwers can’t outrun the clock on injury rehab.