The Dodgers introduced they’ve recalled right-hander Landon Knack and left-hander Justin Wrobleski. In corresponding strikes, they’ve optioned righty Michael Petersen and positioned righty Gavin Stone on the 15-day injured record with proper shoulder irritation.
At this level, it’s the trail ahead for Stone is pretty unclear. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says the younger righty shall be shut down for about 10 days and the plan from there’ll rely on how he feels at that time, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on X. It’s prone to be a notable growth no matter how that performs out, each on account of Stone’s sturdy efficiency this yr and the opposite accidents within the membership’s rotation.
Stone made his main league debut final yr, making eight appearances, together with 4 begins. He didn’t discover speedy success, as he allowed 31 earned runs in his 31 innings for the marketing campaign, which means he got here into 2024 along with his earned run common at a good 9.00.
However Stone has taken a major step ahead up to now this summer time. He has made 25 begins for the Dodgers and logged 140 1/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA. His 20% strikeout charge, 6.4% stroll charge and 44.2% floor ball charge are all pretty near common for a beginning pitcher this yr.
Subtracting that sort of stable efficiency could be unwelcome for any membership but it surely’s particularly notable for the Dodgers, who’ve been struggling by way of an enormous slate of rotation accidents this yr and up to now as properly.
Stone is definitely the one pitcher on the membership at present certified for the ERA title, as he leads the crew in each begins and innings pitched. That’s on account of nearly each different pitcher on the employees spending a minimum of a while on the IL. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin Might, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan are all at present on the IL. Now that Stone is becoming a member of them, that offers the membership eight viable starters at present on the shelf.
Might, Ryan and Sheehan are performed for the yr on account of main surgical procedures. Yamamoto goes to be reinstated subsequent week however isn’t absolutely stretched out, having thrown 53 pitches in his most up-to-date rehab outing. Glasnow is a couple of steps behind Yamamoto, as he’s taking part in catch however hasn’t but taken the mound, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Instances. Kershaw hit the IL every week in the past on account of a bone spur in his toe and has an unsure timeline. Gonsolin is attempting to return again from final yr’s Tommy John surgical procedure however shall be restricted to reduction work, at finest.
For now, the rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Knack and Wrobleski. That group shall be welcoming again Yamamoto quickly however, as talked about, he isn’t absolutely ramped up and would possibly want a piggyback. Flaherty has some damage questions of his personal, as he had again points earlier this yr with the Tigers, which reportedly scuttled a commerce with the Yankees and led to his touchdown with the Dodgers as a substitute. Buehler has a 5.67 ERA this yr and Miller is at 7.79. Knack and Wrobleski every have lower than 50 main league innings pitched.
It’s a lower than perfect scenario for a membership that’s nonetheless taking part in significant video games. The membership’s 84-56 file is tied with the Phillies for the very best in baseball, however the Central-leading Brewers are simply three video games again, which means a bye by way of the wild-card spherical is not any assure. The division isn’t completely sewn up, both, because the Padres are simply 5 video games again of the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks 5.5.
Even when the Dodgers cruise into the postseason, having a banged-up rotation may cause hassle in a brief playoff sequence, because the Dodgers know properly. They received 100 video games final yr however their rotation was in shambles by the point the postseason rolled round, which led to them being rapidly swept by the Diamondbacks.
At this level, it’s nonetheless technically potential that the Dodgers might have a postseason rotation consisting of Flaherty, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Stone and Kershaw, however there are query marks with every of them. That might maybe result in somebody like Buehler, Miller or Knack sliding into the combination merely on account of a scarcity of different choices.
