LOS ANGELES, CA—The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping to get back on track this week as they kick off a seven-game homestand after a disappointing 1-5 road trip.
They’ll do so with another fresh arm in the bullpen, as the team recently activated recently acquired right-handed flamethrower Seth Halvorsen prior to tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
Halvorsen, 26, was acquired from the Colorado Rockies on July 20th in exchange for prospects Nick Frasso and Landyn Vidourek. Since joining the Dodgers, he’s been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hasn’t allowed a run in six appearances.
The right-hander struggled with his control during his time in Colorado, walking 15 batters over 19 innings while posting a 4.74 ERA across 21 appearances. But there’s a clear reason Los Angeles was willing to take a chance on him: Halvorsen throws absolute gas.
His fastball averaged 98.8 mph this season after sitting around 100 mph over the previous two years, with the right-hander routinely touching 102 mph. He relies on his four-seamer 63 percent of the time while mixing in a slider and splitter.
If Halvorsen can improve his command and consistently attack the strike zone, he has the raw stuff to become a legitimate bullpen weapon. The Dodgers and pitching coach Mark Prior have also developed a reputation for helping pitchers unlock another level, with Anthony Banda serving as a recent example.
After never posting an ERA below 4.00 before joining Los Angeles, Banda recorded an ERA below 3.20 in each of his two seasons with the Dodgers and became a trusted option in key postseason moments.
The timing of Halvorsen’s arrival could also prove important. Despite having plenty of talented arms, the Dodgers have struggled on the mound recently, posting a 5.27 team ERA while going 1-7 since August 1st.
The acquisition of Tarik Skubal was supposed to make the Dodgers look nearly unbeatable, but their recent struggles have exposed some weaknesses. With Halvorsen now in the mix and reinforcements on the way, however, Los Angeles could soon be getting back to full strength. Blake Snell is scheduled to return to the rotation tomorrow, while Tyler Glasnow isn’t far behind.