2016 Dodgers review: Josh Ravin

Josh Ravin finished strong in 2016 after would could have very well been a lost season.

What went right

Ravin joined the Dodgers bullpen in August, and though his time in the majors was relatively brief was pitching as well as anyone in relief down the stretch. Ravin posted a 0.93 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 10 games, striking out 13 while allowing only two hits and four walks in 9⅔ innings.

He struck out 13 of 35 batters faced (37.1%), a strikeout rate behind only Kenley Jansen (41.4%) and Grant Dayton (38.6%) among all 31 Dodgers to throw a pitch in 2016.

Ravin’s four-seam fastball averaged 97.65 mph, tops on the team, per Brooks Baseball (Pedro Baez was second, at 97.38).

Opposing batters were just 2-for-31 against Ravin in 2016, hitting .065/.171/.226. He didn’t allow a run until his 10th and final appearance of the season, a home run to Brandon Belt on Sept. 30 in San Francisco.

What went wrong

Ravin’s spring training got off to a rough start, missing about a week of camp with an intestinal flu that caused him to lose 20 pounds.

Then, within a few days of resuming throwing bullpen sessions, Ravin got into a car accident and broke his left arm. He needed surgery and was expected to miss 12 weeks.

On May 2, he was suspended 80 games after a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.

Later, he missed about three weeks in August on the disabled list with a right triceps strain.

It would have been interesting to see if Ravin would have made the Dodgers roster in either the NLDS or NLCS given how well he was pitching down the stretch, but he was not eligible to pitch in the postseason because of his PED suspension.

2016 particulars

Age: 28

Stats: 0.93 ERA, 13 K, 4 BB in 9⅔ IP

Salary: $515,000, of which he received a pro-rated portion during his time in the majors, but not during his suspension, totaling roughly $248,000.

Game of the year

Ravin pitched two scoreless innings on Sept. 15 against the Diamondbacks in Arizona, including three strikeouts, but that’s not it. Ten days earlier, also against the Diamondbacks but at Dodger Stadium, Ravin pitched the ninth inning after Jesse Chavez pitched the eighth.

That’s right — for the first time in history, Chavez, Ravin pitched at Chavez Ravine.

Roster status

Ravin has one year, 54 days of service time, and one option year remaining.