The Dodgers have officially moved right-hander Kirby Yates onto the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 21st, due to a right hamstring strain. This decision comes with a corresponding move for fellow righty Roki Sasaki, who was reinstated from the IL after missing time earlier this season. Manager Dave Roberts shared the news with reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, who highlighted the team's strategic shift in a recent update.
Yates, 38, signed a one-year contract worth $13 million with the Dodgers in the offseason. He had been performing exceptionally well during his 2024 season with the Rangers, posting a 1.17 ERA over 61 appearances. However, the 2025 season has been a different story. Yates was placed on the IL in mid-May after a right hamstring injury and missed nearly three weeks. In August, he also faced lower back pain, leading to another three-week absence. This makes his third IL stint of the year, with 41 1/3 innings thrown and a 5.23 ERA. His 29.2% strikeout rate is solid, but his struggles with the long ball—allowing nine home runs this season—have been a major concern.
While the Dodgers haven’t matched Yates’ 2024 production, the move isn’t a complete loss. Many online fans speculate it’s a ‘phantom’ IL stint to get him out of the way, but almost every member of the Dodger bullpen has been struggling. Relievers like Michael Kopech and Brock Stewart have also been placed on the IL, raising questions about the team’s approach to managing injuries. The Dodger bullpen currently carries a collective ERA of 5.69 in September, which is better than four major league teams. This raises the stakes: the club likely doesn’t want to lose more arms, especially those already battling injuries.
The Dodgers have a strong chance of winning the NL West but may not qualify for a first-round bye. Without Yates, they’ll face the Wild Card round without their top reliever. If Yates were reinstated for the NLDS, he’d need to recover quickly and prove himself worthy of a roster spot by then. The question remains: is this a necessary sacrifice, or a sign of deeper structural issues in the team’s approach to player health and strategy?
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