CINCINNATI –– A new face showed up in the Dodgers’ clubhouse this week.
asserted
face → show → clubhouse
The team is hoping he can be an X-factor in its postseason push.
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he → hop → push
Six weeks ago, the Dodgers swung a surprise trade deadline day deal to acquire former All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals.
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Dodgers → swing → Royals
But not until Wednesday was he finally ready to join the active roster, getting activated off the injured list ahead of a game in which the Dodgers could clinch a National League West division title with a win.
uncertain
Dodgers → join → win
In a corresponding roster shuffle, the club optioned reliever Paul Gervase to triple-A and designated for assignment outfielder Ryan Ward to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
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club → optione → roster
“Kind of wild,” Bubic said, glancing at the sheets of plastic rolled up above his locker at Great American Ball Park in anticipation of a postgame clubhouse celebration.
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Bubic → say → celebration
“I haven’t technically contributed anything to this team so far.
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I → contribute → team
But it’s obviously a cool environment to walk into …
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it → ’ → ?
Bubic, 29, went somewhat overlooked during the Dodgers’ flurry of trade deadline moves
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Bubic → overlook → moves
He arrived in an unexpected move from Kansas City at the cost of only minor-league reliever Carlos Duran.
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He → arrive → Duran
He hadn’t pitched in a game since mid-May because of elbow and shoulder injuries.
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He → pitch → injuries
“Given the timing of when the deadline was, and that I had just [started throwing] back off the mound the day before deadline day, to be honest I wasn’t completely expecting [getting traded],” Bubic told the California Post.
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Bubic → give → Post
Nonetheless, the Dodgers were drawn to his track record, which included an All-Star selection as a starter last year but also extensive experience pitching out of the bullpen.
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which → draw → bullpen
“I’ve pretty much pitched in every role in my career so far,” Bubic quipped.
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Bubic → pitch → career
And in recent weeks, the team has been encouraged by his performance during a minor-league rehab stint in triple-A Oklahoma City, which included six scoreless appearances with nine strikeouts and only two hits and two walks allowed.
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which → encourage → strikeouts
“[The most important thing was] the strike-throwing, getting back to that,” Bubic said, after issuing 26 walks in nine starts at the beginning of the year, leading to a 4.11 ERA before his injury.
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Bubic → get → injury
“Maybe just being in a one-inning, or a one-plus-inning stint, added a little bit more sense of urgency for me.
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being → add → me
Now, the pending free agent will return to the majors, where the Dodgers hope he can fill a valuable swingman role.
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he → pende → role
The team has other candidates for such a job, including starters Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan.
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team → have → Wrobleski
Bubic, however, offers a different look as a crafty southpaw who compensates for a low-90s mph fastball by generating extension from his 6-foot-3 frame and inducing soft contact and ground balls.
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who → offer → contact
“He’s a little sleeper play,” manager Dave Roberts said of Bubic last month.
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Roberts → ’ → Bubic
“He has a funky throw, has good stuff, has pitched out of the bullpen.
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He → have → bullpen
He’s kind of cleaned some things up with his throw, too.
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He → clean → throw
So we’ll see.”
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we → see → ?
Assuming Bubic makes the Dodgers postseason roster, it will mark his second time pitching in the playoffs.
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it → assume → playoffs
In 2024, he was part of a Royals team that was eliminated in the American League Division Series.
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that → eliminate → Series
This fall, he’s hoping to be part of a much longer October campaign, relishing an opportunity that a couple months ago he didn’t expect to get.
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he → hop → that
“It was definitely a flip of the switch a little bit,” he said of getting traded to the Dodgers.
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he → say → Dodgers
“For me, considering the situation I’m coming into, I just want to contribute in any way.”
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I → consider → way
The Aporia
