On June 26, 2010, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton owned a 0.83 ERA and a 48/5 K/BB ratio over 32.2 innings. Since then, he has thrown 40 innings, posting a 6.75 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 33/30. Monday night, his struggles continued as he blew a save and took the loss in a game against the Marlins, and on Tuesday, general manager Ned Colletti has told the media that Broxton has been removed as the team's primary closer.
Jonathan Broxton Removed As Dodgers’ Primary Closer
Broxton hasn't been removed as the closer entirely - he's just going to share the closing opportunities with Vicente Padilla and Hong-Chih Kuo. In theory, Broxton's job will be restored once his results and confidence come back, but there's no guarantee that they will any time soon, if ever.
Broxton's fastball velocity is down from where it used to be in his better days, and he's been leaning more heavily on his slider in a possible indication that he knows he doesn't have the same heat. The velocity may come back, but its disappearance is a mystery, and one wonders if something happened on June 27, 2010, when Broxton was allowed to throw 48 pitches in a game against the Yankees. Since then, things haven't been the same.
Kuo is currently on the disabled list, but he’s eligible to return in just a few days. Padilla, meanwhile, is fresh off the DL himself. He and Kuo have combined to throw 4.2 innings on the year.
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