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The Dodgers on Tuesday selected the contract of right-hander Nick Robertson from Triple-A after a stellar start for Oklahoma City.
Robertson, 24, has a 2.13 ERA in the offensive haven that is the Pacific Coast League, with 37 strikeouts against only seven walks in 25⅓ innings. Four of his eight runs allowed this season came in one outing on April 19. Since then, he has a 0.57 ERA with opposing batters hitting .148/.246/.185 against him.
He joins a Dodgers bullpen that has a 4.64 ERA, 26th among 30 major league teams, also ranking 24th in FIP (4.38), and 17th in strikeout rate (24 percent). The team has struggled to find consistent relief from pitchers outside of Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, and Caleb Ferguson, who have combined for a 1.98 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 16 walks in 68⅓ innings.
The Dodgers drafted Robertson in the seventh round out of James Madison in 2019. After a 4.43 ERA between Double-A Tulsa (44 games) and Triple-A (nine games) last year, Robertson was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, but did not get selected.
This year he’s increased his strikeout rate from 29.3 percent to 37.4 percent, and cut his walk rate from 10.1 percent to 7.1 percent.
Robertson is affectionately known as "Big Country" even though he says he's not that country.
— Alex Freedman (@azfreedman) June 6, 2023
Really credits the coaches in Tulsa last year for having a sit down with him to say he was throwing his FB too much and needed to focus on secondaries to become successful. https://t.co/4YVznDnGTm
Robertson was pitching his way onto a 40-man roster, with the only question was whether it would be during the season, in November, or if some other team picked him in this December’s Rule 5 Draft.
Robertson takes the open spot on the 40-man roster vacated Monday when utility man Luke Williams was claimed off waivers by Atlanta.
Tayler Scott was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the active roster for Robertson. Scott pitched one game in his first two stints with the Dodgers this season, tossing 1⅔ scoreless innings on Saturday with two strikeouts and a walk.
Robertson on the active roster joins fellow rookie Jonny DeLuca, the outfielder who was called up Sunday. DeLuca is expected to start Wednesday against Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson. Once DeLuca and Robertson appear in a game, that will make five Dodgers to make their major league debuts in 2023, joining Michael Busch (April 25), Gavin Stone (May 3), and Bobby Miller (May 23).
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