Originally published by DodgerBlue.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen has been one of the better units in baseball this season despite several key pitchers missing an extended amount of time due to injury.

Entering play Sunday, the group ranked third with a 3.25 ERA, fifth with 343.2 innings pitched and was tied for 11th with 2.1 WAR.

Joe Kelly, Michael Grove and Ryan Brasier are just a few of the key contributors who have been out for several weeks, while Brusdar Graterol has missed the entire season to this point because of right shoulder inflammation.

Dodgers injuries

Joe Kelly

Kelly made his second rehab appearance with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday and threw another scoreless inning, needing just 13 pitches. “Very efficient, stuff’s good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kelly.

“He’s had two (rehab appearances). Really hasn’t been tested, but from all the reports that I get, been positive. Not sure when his next one is, but I still stand by the four-ish outings to then really have that conversation to get them back with us.”

Kelly’s next rehab assignment will likely be for the Quakes, but his final one could come with Triple-A Oklahoma City. “He likes being close to home. He likes being close to the nest,” Roberts noted.

“So I’m sure at some point we’re going to get him to Triple-A, but I would assume the next one is still going to be closer to the nest.”

Roberts had previously forecasted Kelly would not return until after the All-Star break but more recently acknowledged the right-hander could “surprise” him by making enough progress to accelerate that timeline.

Kelly and Clayton Kershaw both pitched in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday morning.

Brusdar Graterol

Graterol continues making strides in his recovery and could be inching closer to starting a rehab assignment but otherwise there isn’t much clarity.

“He threw, he’s at CBR,” Roberts said. “I know he threw a simulated game. I don’t know the results of it, so assuming that, I think it went well. Graterol is progressing as I understand it.

“Don’t have a timeline, but I do think that he is trending in the right direction.”

Michael Grove

The Dodgers have been without Grove since the middle of June when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right intercostal strain. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, he is still dealing with some soreness and hasn’t resumed throwing.

“Michael is in town right now. He is not going to travel with us this next road trip. Don’t know where he’s at right now,” Roberts explained.

“I still think that lat, just trying to make sure that we (don’t rush it). He’s interesting because he was still pitching with some soreness, but then there was a point that we had to IL him.

“And so if we’re going to run the exercise of putting him on the IL, let’s really put it to bed. And so that’s what we’re trying to do. So I just don’t know right now exactly where he’s at in his rehab.”

Ryan Brasier

Like Graterol, Brasier is throwing at Camelback Ranch, but the Dodgers are exercising caution with him due to the delicate nature of calf injuries.

“He is in CBR. I know he’s throwing, I just don’t know when his time to return is,” Roberts said. “The calf, like the oblique, is a tricky one. So I know that he’s been moving his arm, feels good, but I still just don’t have a whole lot of clarity with Ryan.”

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