PHILADELPHIA _ After losing Tuesday night for the fourth time in three weeks, Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez informed manager Dave Roberts that he could pitch Wednesday. Roberts made a counter offer.
"I asked him to sit with me in the dugout for the next couple days," Roberts said before his team faced the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. "He's going to hang out with me. We'll talk about things. Just to get him away from the 'pen, ease his mind a little bit."
Baez gave up four runs in Tuesday's loss. His earned-run average in September is 20.77. He may have pitched his way off the playoff roster.
Roberts stopped short of condemning Baez on Tuesday. He stressed the importance of carrying the team's best 25 players in October. It is hard to fashion an argument for Baez being a member of that group. He has a 6.14 ERA since the All-Star break and a career-worst 1.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Dodgers are still sifting through a handful of right-handed relievers to join Kenley Jansen and Brandon Morrow on the playoff roster. Josh Fields looks like a safe bet. Baez is competing with Ross Stripling and rookie Walker Buehler. "We've got some good arms," Roberts said.
Roberts insisted that Baez was not being punished for his performance.
"Absolutely not," Roberts said. "If (Yasiel) Puig was down, and wasn't playing, and he had to sit with Puig for a couple days, that might be a punishment."
