Dodgers can’t be sure what to expect from Ronald Belisario

Ronald Belisario returns Saturday from his one-game suspension, and that’s a good thing, right?

It could be very good. Or it could be nothing but trouble.

Belisario has been wildly inconsistent this season. He’s had both horrific and terrific stretches. And right now, he’s in the midst of the former.

In his last five games, Belisario has surrendered 11 hits and eight runs while striking out four in 4 1/3 shaky innings for a 16.62 earned-run average. In his 10 games previous to that, he gave up just one earned run in 9 1/3 innings (0.96 ERA).

Overall, he has hardly been the dominant reliever the Dodgers thought they had back in the fold last season when he went 8-1 with a 2.54 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP and was striking out 8.7 per nine innings.

This season overall he is 3-5 with a 4.94 ERA, a 1.81 WHIP and is striking out 7.0 per nine innings. Belisario said he is healthy, and is uncertain why he is struggling, particularly right now.

“I don’t know,” Belisario said. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in a slump.”

He currently has an 11.32 ERA with runners in scoring position. Inherited runners too often find their way home when Belisario enters the game.

It’s not just Brandon League who is crippling the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen-Belisario-League back end of the game plans. It’s impossible for the Dodgers to know which Belisario they’re going to get.