Brusdar Graterol Back Flare-Up Puts Surgery in Play
brusdar graterol’s back flared up during a minor-league rehab outing on May 12, and the Dodgers are now expecting him to miss a considerable amount of time. Surgery is being considered, a sharp turn for a 27-year-old reliever who had already missed the entire 2025 season.
May 12 Rehab Setback
Graterol had started a minor-league rehab assignment at the start of May when the outing on May 12 changed the direction of his return. The setback came before he could build any real momentum toward rejoining the Dodgers’ bullpen.
The right-hander’s recent stretch has been brief and fragile. He has pitched less than eight innings for the Dodgers since the start of the 2024 season, which leaves little margin for another interruption after another lost season.
Dodgers' Relief Depth
The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Graterol during the offseason by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.8 million, a sign they still valued what he could bring when healthy. That value was built on his 2023 season, when he posted a 1.20 ERA in 68 appearances and emerged as a high-leverage reliever.
They acquired him ahead of the 2020 season, and his role has carried increasing weight since then. But the latest back flare-up pushes the conversation away from usage and back to availability, which has been the issue for most of the past two seasons.
Friedman, Free Agency, 2027
Graterol is set to become a free agent, so the Dodgers are no longer dealing with a long-term control window that might allow them to wait out another rehab cycle. The article also says Andrew Friedman and Co. would not consider him an option for the bullpen in 2027.
Katie Woo reported that surgery is being considered, and that is the strongest sign yet that this is not a short reset. For a pitcher whose 2023 numbers once pointed to a late-inning future, the immediate reality is much harsher: more time away, a harder path back, and another season lost before he could finish a rehab assignment.
