The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered another setback on Saturday night—not only on the scoreboard in an 11-9 loss to the Angels, but also in the bullpen, where veteran right-hander Kirby Yates exited the game with what is now believed to be a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.
Yates was pulled in the seventh inning after walking Jo Adell and immediately grabbing at his right hamstring in visible discomfort. He was charged with three runs over just one-third of an inning, surrendering a two-run homer to Logan O’Hoppe before leaving the mound. The team initially described the injury as “right hamstring tightness,” but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts later clarified that it’s likely a mild strain.
“I don’t see how it’s not an IL [situation],” Roberts told The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett following the game, adding that Yates would undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the full extent of the injury.
While Yates’ line from Saturday was far from flattering—two earned runs and just one out recorded—it may not fully reflect his performance this season. In fact, beneath the surface, the numbers suggest Yates has been far better than his 4.34 ERA would indicate. According to MLB trade rumors, A sky-high .385 BABIP has inflated that figure, but his underlying metrics tell a different story: a 1.90 SIERA, .282 xwOBA, and an elite 38.8% strikeout rate—one of the best in baseball.
Compared to his successful 2024 comeback with the Texas Rangers, Yates might be pitching even better in 2025, despite the unfavorable luck. Through 18 2/3 innings, he’s posted a 3.86 ERA with 31 strikeouts and one save, offering consistent high-leverage relief in a bullpen that has been stretched thin.
A Piling Injury Toll for Los Angeles Dodgers’ Pitching Staff
If the MRI confirms the hamstring strain, Yates would become the 14th Dodgers pitcher on the injured list—a staggering number that doesn’t even include Shohei Ohtani, who is still recovering from UCL surgery. He would join fellow high-leverage arms Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, and Michael Kopech on the shelf, further thinning a bullpen that leads all of Major League Baseball in innings pitched.
The heavy workload has drawn concern from Roberts, who emphasized earlier this month that the current usage model is unsustainable.
“Absolutely not, we (don’t) want to lead the league in bullpen innings,” Roberts said.
“It just seems like certain guys – and I could go back on each starter – but you’re still trying to manage their health and … [be] mindful of the innings that the bullpen is taking on and trying to stagger as much you can, and manage leverage and all that stuff.”
The loss of Yates, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Dodgers this past offseason, puts even more pressure on a depleted staff already struggling to get length from its starters. With Roki Sasaki recently added to the IL, the Dodgers’ injury woes seem unrelenting, and the front office may need to promote another arm from Triple-A Oklahoma City as early as today.
A Season of Attrition—and Concern
While the Dodgers have long been lauded for their depth and ability to withstand injuries, the 2025 season is testing those limits. With the Padres, Giants, and Diamondbacks all staying competitive in the NL West, even a franchise as resilient as Los Angeles can’t afford to rely on patchwork solutions indefinitely.
Yates’ injury, while hopefully minor, underscores a larger issue: the Dodgers’ current pace of bullpen usage is not only unsustainable, but risky. If the team is to weather the storm and maintain its division lead, they’ll need healthier contributions from their rotation—or reinforcements from outside the organization.
For now, all eyes are on the MRI results for Yates. But regardless of the outcome, the Dodgers may be entering a critical stretch where their famed depth will be tested more than ever.