In the life of a major league relief pitcher, highs and lows are part of the landscape.
The nature of a one-inning role makes volatility in performance inherent. Even small struggles or brief stumbles can snowball into icy, elongated slides.
It’s why, while rags-to-riches stories might be common in MLB bullpens, so too are tales of the inverse. Even established big league relievers can be susceptible to ruts from which some never recover. Once the avalanche starts, it can feel impossible to halt.
Twelve months ago, it looked like Dodgers lefty Alex Vesia was about to be buried.