Brusdar Graterol is officially back on the mound, and Dodgers fans have every reason to be excited. On Saturday, the hard-throwing right-hander took a major step in his long-awaited return, beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Facing the Round Rock Express, the Texas Rangers' affiliate, Graterol delivered a perfect fourth inning—retiring all three batters on just eight pitches, striking out one along the way.
For a pitcher known for his elite groundball rate (career 61.2%), this outing was classic Graterol: two groundouts and a strikeout, with his four-seam fastball averaging 95.1 mph. While that velocity is down from his peak, it's a promising sign for a player who hasn't seen game action in 549 days—since pitching in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
That World Series appearance was followed by shoulder surgery in November 2024 to repair a torn labrum, which wiped out his entire 2025 season. Spring training this year was a slow build, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts emphasizing patience: "With Brusdar, he's shown that we can count on him in the biggest of spots. We just gotta get him up to the velocity. It's an intentionally slow build up."
Graterol started the 2025 season on the injured list, continuing his rehab at Camelback Ranch. But now, for the first time in 19 months, he has a game under his belt. This rehab assignment is essentially his spring training—so expect a methodical progression as he works his way back to the big leagues.
When healthy, Graterol has been one of the Dodgers' most reliable relievers since joining the team in 2020. His career numbers speak for themselves: a 2.78 ERA and 3.20 FIP across 188 regular-season games, with 148 strikeouts and just 33 unintentional walks. In the postseason, he's been even more dominant, posting a 1.85 ERA and 2.86 FIP in 25 appearances. However, injuries have limited him to just 10 games in the 2024 regular season and postseason combined, with shoulder inflammation and a hamstring strain taking their toll.
The Dodgers showed their faith in Graterol this January, agreeing to a one-year, $2.8 million deal to avoid salary arbitration. He's set to become a free agent after this season, making his comeback all the more crucial—both for the team's bullpen depth and his own future. For now, every pitch is a victory, and this perfect inning is a glimpse of the elite arm that could be back in Dodger blue very soon.