Brusdar Graterol was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on Sunday after a back flare-up during a minor-league rehab outing, and the Dodgers have shut down his throwing as surgery is being considered.
The setback arrived as Graterol had only just begun to ramp up. He started a minor-league rehab assignment at the start of May and earlier this month threw a scoreless, eight-pitch inning for Triple-A Oklahoma City before making three more rehab appearances for the Comets. He has not been seen on a mound in a major league game since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
Dave Roberts said the move to the 60-day injured list came because Graterol’s back also “flared up” during his rehab assignment, and the organization expects him to miss a considerable amount of time after the setback. The club has announced Graterol will be shut down from throwing and remains without a clear timetable to return.
The injury compounds an already difficult stretch for Graterol. He underwent right shoulder labrum surgery on Nov. 14, 2024, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and the Dodgers had said at that time he would miss at least the first half of the 2025 season. Graterol had thrown less than eight innings for the Dodgers since the start of the 2024 season and had missed the entire 2025 season up to this point.
Brandon Gomes said on Monday that Graterol’s rehab has been shut down because of a back injury that might require surgery. “He’s worked really hard,” Gomes added, and “so we’re trying to exhaust all options.” A reporter, Katie Woo, has also reported that surgery is being considered.
The statistical picture that made Graterol a sought-after arm in recent years remains in the background: in 2023 he posted a 1.20 ERA in 68 appearances. Still, those numbers have not been matched by availability. Graterol missed the bulk of the current season and had logged fewer than eight innings for the Dodgers since early 2024 before attempting the rehab starts this month.
The immediate consequence for the Dodgers is clear: with Graterol shut down from throwing and no timetable for return, the club must proceed without a power arm that had been expected to bolster its bullpen depth. The team has said it expects him to miss a considerable amount of time after the setback, and the transfer to the 60-day injured list formalizes a longer absence.
The tension in the story is unavoidable: the rehab appeared to be moving forward — an eight-pitch, scoreless inning in Oklahoma City and three additional outings suggested progress — but a single flare-up on May 12 in Albuquerque ended that momentum. Roberts’ description that the back “flared up” during the assignment underscores how a promising sequence of minor-league work can be overturned in an instant.
What happens next is the question that shapes roster decisions. The Dodgers say Graterol will be shut down from throwing while they evaluate the injury, and team officials have not provided a return timetable. With surgery on the table and the rehab paused, Graterol’s availability for the rest of the season is uncertain, and the Dodgers must plan their bullpen without him for the foreseeable future.
