Knebel looks to recapture top form, justify Dodgers’ gamble
GLENDALE, ARIZ. » Corey Knebel was one of the best relievers in baseball during the 2017 season.
He made the All-Star team, converted 39 of 45 save opportunities for the Milwaukee Brewers with a 1.78 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 76 innings. He set the MLB record for consecutive relief appearances with at least one strikeout (45).
But 2017 is a long time ago now. Knebel has pitched a total of only 68-2/3 innings in the three seasons since his careerbest year. And they haven’t been very good innings.
A hamstring injury limited him early in 2018 and he landed back in the minors but he made 57 appearances for the Brewers (88 strikeouts in 55-1/3 innings). He never took the mound in 2019, undergoing Tommy John surgery and returning with diminished velocity and effectiveness in the shortened 2020 season.
The Brewers grew tired of waiting to see the 2017 version of Knebel again and were set to non-tender him in early December, cutting ties and making Knebel a free agent at age 29. Before they could, the Dodgers swooped in, trading for Knebel and rolling the dice on a low-cost addition that could pay off with a dynamic, high-leverage relief option.
“I mean, it shocked me,” Knebel said of the December moves. “I was very excited to hear I wasn’t getting DFAed or non-tendered, especially going to a World Series team. ... But it was a shock.”
But Knebel quickly recognized the positives in it.
“Of course. Look, if they’re going to go out of their way and trade for me right there, of course, they see something that maybe I didn’t last year,” Knebel said. “I couldn’t get any of what I wanted last year, throwing strikes, getting the velo up, getting outs and doing things. They know it’s there and, yeah, it gives you a little bit of confidence.”
Knebel attributes last year’s struggles — including an average velocity of 94.4 mph on his fastball, a full 3 mph down from 2017 — to “learning how to pitch” again following Tommy John surgery. On the advice of his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Knebel started studying video of his throwing motion for the first time. He found his arm slot had changed since the surgery and he wasn’t using the lower half of his body effectively.
“I’m feeling like I’m ... a lot closer (to 2017) than I was last year,” Knebel said.
“One of the main things I’ve been trying to work on is lower body position, I guess. Once I get everything synced, then it starts clicking a little more. I had a couple times last year where there was some velo and I changed things about my mechanics so I know the velo is there. I know the arm is healthy so that’s everything. All I know is I have to get my legs in the right position, be able to explode in my lower half. Everything will kind of click there.”
The Dodgers are very familiar with what Knebel looks like at his best. He pitched in six of the seven games between the Dodgers and Brewers in the 2018 NLCS, allowed just two hits while striking out 10 of the 24 batters he faced.
“I’m certain the arm is healthy, he’s healthy,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Now, it’s just getting his body, the lower half, everything kind of where it needs to be so mechanically he stays synched up and we keep him healthy.
“The thing with Corey is that he’s done it. He’s a great makeup guy, great worker and the skill set is really good. So my expectation is that he’s a leverage reliever for us and going to pitch some big innings.”
Welcome day
Roberts addressed the full squad for the first time before Tuesday’s workout and reminded them what it took to win last year’s World Series. He also addressed the absence of longtime Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who passed away in early January. The Dodgers have set up a locker at Camelback Ranch for Lasorda.
“I talked about Tommy and his passing and what it meant for me personally and all of us that knew him for him to make the trip out to Texas to Arlington to watch us win the World Series,” Roberts said.
“It’s gonna be different. It’s gonna be strange. I always enjoyed our interactions and seeing him once you start playing games, seeing him make his way to the dugout, talking to coaches, talking to players and just seeing that No. 2 Dodger jersey around . ... I was spoiled in the sense that I had a lot of one-on-one conversations with him throughout spring training as well as throughout the season.”
Also
Outfielder Cody Bellinger was scheduled to participate fully in Tuesday’s workout. Bellinger underwent surgery on his right shoulder in November. “I do expect him to be ready for Opening Day. If he’s not, we’ll adjust and that’s okay,” Roberts said . ... Roberts said he has not decided on an Opening Day starter yet. “I do expect that announcement to be sooner than later,” he said. “We’re still talking through some things. I do know we’ve got a lot of viable candidates for Opening Day.” Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was scheduled to make his ninth Opening Day start last July but was replaced by Dustin May at the last minute after Kershaw injured his back.