The Dodgers will be without lefty reliever Tanner Scott for the remainder of their NLDS against the Phillies and all of the NLCS, should they reach it.
Scott, who is dealing with a lower body abscess, according to manager Dave Roberts, was replaced on L.A.’s NLDS roster by fellow lefty Justin Wrobleski before Thursday’s Game 4 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are not ruling out a return for Scott in the World Series, if they advance that far. A win on Thursday night would send the Dodgers to the NLCS for a second straight year.
The injury caused Scott to miss the Dodgers’ 8-2 loss in Game 3 on Wednesday, and his absence was felt. After battling his command to toss a scoreless seventh, Clayton Kershaw struggled greatly in the eighth, giving up five runs (four earned). Once the game began to get out of hand, it could have been a soft landing spot for Scott, who has struggled in his first season as a Dodger.
Scott has yet to make an appearance this postseason. After signing a four-year, $72 million deal to join the Dodgers this past offseason, Scott proved unreliable as the team’s de facto closer, posting a 4.74 ERA with an MLB-worst 10 blown saves.
The Dodgers used four relievers in Game 3. In addition to Scott, the others who did not pitch were Roki Sasaki, Alex Vesia and Emmet Sheehan, who have emerged as the team’s most reliable leverage arms this postseason. The team was able to reserve that trio for Game 4, another chance for L.A. to clinch at home.
