Casparius recorded the final out in Sunday's 3-0 win over Tampa Bay to earn his second save of the season.
The Dodgers initially turned to Blake Treinen in the ninth inning, though he was able to record only two outs while allowing a hit and a pair of walks. Casparius was then called upon with the bases loaded, where he'd retire Yandy Diaz for his second save this year, both of which have come in the past 10 days. The 26-year-old Casparius should remain firmly in LA's ninth-inning mix due to Treinen struggling and both Kirby Yates (back) and Tanner Scott (elbow) being on the IL.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Secures first career save
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Casparius gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his first career save in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.
The right-hander got checked out for a calf injury after a shaky appearance Tuesday, but Casparius was thrust right into a high-leverage spot after an MRI came back clean and got the job done on 19 pitches (12 strikes). With Tanner Scott (elbow) and Blake Treinen (forearm) currently on the shelf, late-inning roles in the Dodgers' bullpen are wide open, and Casparius appears to be in the mix for closing opportunities along with Alex Vesia and Kirby Yates. It wouldn't be a surprise if additional competition arrived at the trade deadline, however.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Works in relief Wednesday
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Casparius notched a hold against Milwaukee on Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter over 1.2 scoreless innings.
Casparius got into a game for the first time since July 4, when he tossed three innings against Houston as a starter. Prior to that he had been working on a starter's schedule as a bulk reliever, but Wednesday's outing came in a traditional bullpen role. That appears to be Casparius' role moving forward, as Los Angeles' rotation is beginning to get healthy -- Tyler Glasnow returned from the IL and started Wednesday, while Blake Snell (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab stint Thursday. Casparius had also struggled in his previous four outings, allowing 17 earned runs over 15.2 frames during that span, so Wednesday's effective relief appearance was a positive step toward getting back on track.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Hit hard in loss
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Casparius (6-3) allowed six runs on nine hits and struck out three over three innings to take the loss versus the Astros on Friday.
Casparius had made his last two appearances as a bulk reliever behind Shohei Ohtani. His return to a starting role didn't go any better than his last turn out of the bullpen, as the Astros tagged Casparius for three home runs. He's now yielded seven long balls on the year while adding a 4.68 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 57:12 K:BB across 59.2 innings through 26 appearances (three starts). Casparius continues to provide multi-inning abilities for the Dodgers as they put together a patchwork solution for their rotation. With Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) nearing a return and Emmet Sheehan expected to be called up to pitch Sunday, it seems like Casparius is on borrowed time to stay in the rotation.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Expected to pitch Friday
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Casparius is expected to pitch in some capacity Friday versus the Astros, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Casparius last pitched Saturday against the Royals when he was tagged with a loss after giving up six runs on eight hits and a walk over four innings while operating as the bulk reliever behind Shohei Ohtani. It's unclear if Casparius will draw the start Friday or come out of the bullpen, but he'll look to get the sour taste out of his mouth from his last outing. The 26-year-old has posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 54 punchouts over 25 appearances, including two starts, with the Dodgers in 2025.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Adds another win
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Casparius (6-1) picked up the win Sunday against Washington, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts over five innings.
Casparius followed Shohei Ohtani for a second consecutive outing and completed five frames for the first time this season. All of the damage against Casparius came with one swing of the bat when Nathaniel Lowe launched a three-run home run in the third inning. In his last three outings, Casparius has allowed six runs with a 6:4 K:BB over 12.2 innings. He's in line to make his next appearance against Kansas City, though he may follow Ohtani again.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Set to follow Ohtani again
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Casparius will "most likely" work in bulk relief behind Shohei Ohtani on Sunday against the Nationals, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
Though Ohtani made his first appearance on the mound since August 2023 in Monday's game, he wasn't fully built up and tossed 28 pitches as a one-inning opener. Casparius was the second reliever into the contest after Anthony Banda and covered 3.2 innings en route to his fifth win of the season. Ohtani should be stretched out a bit more Sunday, but Casparius once again profiles as the Dodgers pitcher most likely to qualify for a win, making him an appealing streaming option against a Nationals squad that has stumbled to a 2-15 record thus far in June.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Working behind Ohtani on Monday
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Casparius is expected to pitch in bulk relief in Monday's game against the Padres behind starter Shohei Ohtani (elbow), who will serve as the Dodgers' opening pitcher, Jeff Spiegel of DodgerBlue.com reports.
After Casparius limited San Diego to one run over four innings in his second start of the season this past Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts said that the right-hander would be part of the rotation moving forward. Though Roberts implied that Casparius would be utilized as a traditional starter, the 26-year-old is instead on track to cover the bulk of the innings out of the bullpen Monday after the team elected to have Ohtani bypass another simulated game in order to make his 2025 debut as a pitcher. Ohtani is expected to be limited to 1-to-2 innings Monday and will likely need at least a couple more outings after that to get fully stretched out for a typical starter's workload, so it wouldn't be surprising if Casparius ended up piggybacking the two-way phenom the next time Ohtani's turn in the rotation comes up.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Captures fourth win Monday
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Casparius improved to 4-0 after striking out five and allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks over four innings out of the bullpen in Monday's 7-4 win over the Marlins.
Casparius was deployed in bulk relief Monday, entering in the second inning after Jack Dreyer opened the game with 1.1 scoreless frames. The rookie right-hander came away with his fourth win in his last five appearances and turned in his longest outing of the season, both in terms of innings and pitch count (70). He forced 12 whiffs, including four each with his slider and fastball. Casparius has benefited from the Dodgers' myriad injuries in the rotation and should continue working a bulk role for the near future. He tentatively lines up to make his next appearance Sunday in Arizona.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: In line for bulk-relief duty
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Casparius is in line to serve as the bulk reliever for the Dodgers on Monday in Miami behind opening pitcher Jack Dreyer, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Casparius hasn't pitched in more than a week, having struck out five over 3.2 scoreless innings on April 27 against the Pirates. He threw a season-high 54 pitches in that outing but has been used primarily as a starter throughout his minor-league career. Casparius could earn additional bulk relief outings and/or traditional starts as the Dodgers navigate injuries to Clayton Kershaw (toe), Blake Snell (shoulder), and Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) and continue to wait on Shohei Ohtani being available to pitch.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Joining rotation Monday
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Casparius is slated to either start of serve as a bulk reliever in Monday's game against the Marlins in Miami, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
MLB.com officially lists Casparius as the Dodgers' probable starting pitcher for Monday, though it's possible manager Dave Roberts makes a late change and deploys an opener in front of the right-hander. Either way, Casparius is poised to handle the bulk of the innings for the Dodgers on Monday and could be in store for multiple turns through the rotation while Los Angeles waits for the likes of Clayton Kershaw (toe), Blake Snell (shoulder), Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) to complete their throwing progressions. Kershaw is in the midst of a rehab assignment and is the closest to being ready to start for the big club, but Casparius might stick around as a member of a six-man rotation even after Kershaw returns. Including a brutal outing April 12 against the Cubs in which he surrendered six earned runs over 1.2 innings, Casparius has been stellar over his 11 appearances (one start) on the season, logging a 2.91 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB in 21.2 innings. He got stretched out to 3.2 innings and 54 pitches in his last relief outing April 27 against the Pirates, so Casparius could be capable of giving the Dodgers five innings Monday if he's economical with his pitch count.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: In conversation for starting role
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that the Dodgers are thinking about stretching out Casparius as a starter, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Roberts' comment came after Casparius improved his record to 3-0 by nabbing a win Sunday against Pittsburgh after taking over in the second inning for starter Tyler Glasnow, who was pulled due to a shoulder injury. Roberts said that Casparius "saved our tails" in regard to the righty's preservation of the bullpen and effective pitching -- he gave Los Angeles 3.2 scoreless frames, throwing 36 of 54 pitches for strikes and fanning five batters without issuing a walk. Casparius has been very effective as a whole this season, posting a 2.91 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB over 21.2 frames, and six of his 11 appearances have lasted two or more innings. Those numbers are all the remarkable given that the 26-year-old gave up six earned runs in a 1.2-inning outing against the Cubs on April 12; in Casparius' other 10 appearances combined, he's yielded just one run over 20 frames. The Dodgers' rotation depth is wearing thin due to shoulder injuries incurred by Glasnow and Blake Snell, though Tony Gonsolin (back) is expected to be activated from the IL ahead of a start Wednesday. Still, the team is likely to deploy a bullpen game Tuesday and is coming up on a stretch of 19 games in 20 days, so there may be an opening for Casparius to join the rotation at some point. He worked primarily as a starter in the minors, including in 2024, during which he started 19 of the 21 games in which he appeared between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Starting bullpen game
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Casparius will serve as the opening pitcher for the Dodgers in a bullpen game Wednesday against the Cubs, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Casparius' longest appearance this season came one week ago, when he threw three innings and 47 pitches against the Rockies. He last pitched Sunday, covering 1.2 frames versus the Rangers. The right-hander will be followed by a parade of Dodgers relievers.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Thriving with three early holds
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Casparius notched a hold against the Phillies on Saturday, striking out one batter in two perfect innings.
Casparius entered the game in the sixth frame and breezed through two perfect innings on 23 pitches (15 strikes). The 26-year-old has taken up a prominent place in the Dodgers' bullpen early in the season -- he leads the team's relievers with seven innings of work and is tied for the club lead with three holds. Casparius has excelled in his role thus far, as he has yet to allow an earned run and has a 7:2 K:BB while surrendering just three hits.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Opening in Game 4
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Casparius will serve as the Dodgers' opening pitcher Tuesday in Game 4 of the World Series against the Yankees, J.P. Hoornstra of DodgersNation.com reports.
It will be the first appearance during the World Series for Casparius, who had three scoreless outings versus the Mets in the NLCS. The Dodgers have not revealed who else will pitch Tuesday, but Brent Honeywell is a candidate for multiple innings.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Joins NLDS roster
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The Dodgers added Casparius to their roster as a replacement for Michael Grove (shoulder) ahead of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres on Tuesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Casparius has made just three appearances at the big-league level, with his last outing coming Sept. 27. The rookie right-hander pitched to a 2-0, 2.16 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 8.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits while generating a 12:4 K:BB. Casparius was able to go 4.1 innings in his most recent outing and could be utilized in a manner similar to Grove, who was frequently deployed as a multi-inning reliever this past regular season.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Dodgers optioned Casparius to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.
Casparius performed well during his bulk-relief outing Friday, giving up one run and striking out seven batters over 4.1 innings. However, the Dodgers will send him back to the minors in an effort to stack their bullpen with as many fresh arms as possible. Justin Wrobleski will be the choice to take Casparius' place on the active roster.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Fans seven in bulk relief
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Casparius (2-0) picked up the win Friday, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks over 4.1 relief innings in an 11-4 victory over the Rockies. He struck out seven.
Making only his third career big-league appearance, the 25-year-old right-hander took the mound at Coors Field after opener Ryan Brasier worked the first inning. Casparius wasn't daunted by the environment, tossing 55 of 85 pitches for strikes and setting a new career high in strikeouts. While he's unlikely to play a big role in the postseason for the Dodgers, Casparius may have put himself in the team's pitching plans for 2025. Between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, the 2021 fifth-round pick posted a 3.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 106:46 K:BB through 88.2 innings before providing Los Angeles with a 2.16 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 12:4 K:BB in 8.1 September frames.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Returns to Triple-A
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Casparius was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
Casparius will return to Oklahoma City after being called up Friday, pitching three innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five batters in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Rockies. In a corresponding move, right-hander Edgardo Henriquez was called up from Triple-A on Tuesday.
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Dodgers' Ben Casparius: Recalled from OKC
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The Dodgers recalled Casparius from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
With the Dodgers planning on using a bullpen day versus the Rockies, Casparius will come up from Triple-A to add a fresh arm to Los Angeles' pitching staff, replacing Zach Logue. Casparius owns a 3.36 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 67 innings with Oklahoma City and went unscored upon in one frame during his MLB debut Aug. 31.
