2015 Dodgers review: Daniel Coulombe, the up & down man

A look at the 2015 season for left-handed pitcher Daniel Coulombe, in which up-and-down took on multiple meanings.

What went right

Coulombe struck out 23 percent of batters faced in Triple-A Oklahoma City, and during the year in the majors and minors combined was effective against right-handed batters, holding them to .235/.329/.331 with 37 strikeouts and 19 walks.

Coulombe's five major league appearances were largely forgettable, and largely in mop-up duty. The Dodgers' relative standing in the games at the time he entered in relief were ahead seven runs, down four, down two, ahead nine and down seven.

The left-hander was optioned to Triple-A six different times before the All-Star break, but I'm counting this as a positive because Coulombe totally embraced his role as an extra arm often used and quickly discarded to keep the rest of the bullpen fresh.

"They told me coming into this year that I'd most likely be an up-and-down guy, so just be ready for it. It's a lot of traveling, but it's better being that guy than not being that guy," Coulombe said in June. "It's definitely a challenge, but I enjoy it."

What went wrong

Coulombe allowed at least a run in all five of his appearances with the Dodgers, with his 40 batters faced hitting .265/.375/.441 against him.

In the majors and minors combined, Coulombe had more walks (15) than strikeouts (14) against left-handed batters, allowing his same-handed foes a .387 on-base percentage despite the .263 batting average against.

Coulombe was designated for assignment on Sept. 6, then traded to Oakland for cash four days later.

2015 particulars

Age: 25

Stats: 5 relief appearances, 7.56 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 6 BB, 7 K in 8⅓ IP

Salary: somewhere near the major league minimum of $507,500.

Game of the year

On June 4 against the Cardinals, Coulombe allowed two runs in 2⅓ innings but also struck out four. The Dodgers lost 7-1, but this was truly a "take one for the team" effort, by both starter Carlos Frias and Coulombe, who combined for nine innings in the first day after a long road trip and two days after a doubleheader, providing the rest of the staff a day of rest.

Coulombe was optioned back to Oklahoma City the next day, naturally.

Roster status

Coulombe is now with Oakland, on their 40-man roster.