Dodgers’ Alex Vesia Exits Game 5 After Apparent Injury

Dodgers left-handed relief pitcher Alex Vesia exited Game 5 of the National League Division Series after suffering an apparent injury.

Michael Kopech entered the game in place of him in the top of the eighth inning.

The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya shared the news via Twitter/X.

Vesia suffered the injury while warming up.

Here’s how the injury took place.

It’s unclear how Vesia injured himself while warming up, but it’s never a good sign when you are taken out of the game by trainers.

Prior to the injury, Vesia pitched fantastic. He only threw six pitches, but five of them went for strikes, and he struck out Padres rookie Jackson Merrill to get the Dodgers out of the seventh inning. If the Dodgers get out of his series alive, they could be without Vesia, depending on how serious this injury is.

The 28-year-old has been huge for the Dodgers all season long. In 67 appearances this season, Vesia has a 5-4 win-loss record with an elite 1.76 ERA, 87 strikeouts, five saves, and a 0.99 WHIP in 66.1 innings and a 1.6 WAR.

His 2023 season was one to forget, and a lot of it had to do with the adjustment of the pitching clock; however, those days are far behind the left-handed reliever, and it showed in this game. Prior to the season, he agreed to a $1 million contract for 2024 in salary arbitration.

Vesia is in his fourth season with the team and has been elite for most of it. Overall, he has been one of the Dodgers’ highest-leverage relief pitchers and more consistent ones. In four seasons, Vesia had collected a 15-10 record, 2.57 ERA, and 284 strikeouts in 227 games.

Vesia told her media, including Jacks Harris of the Los Angeles Times, that he felt cramping on his right side.

“Alex Vesia said he felt cramping on his right side, which is why he called out the trainer. Said he didn’t want to risk trying to pitch through it in such a close/important game,” tweeted Harris.

The left-handed reliever took himself out of the game, and at the end of it, it happened to be a smart move.

The Dodgers will now face the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series, and the hope is that Vesia will be available and ready to go sometime in this series.

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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