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 listing 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 might be shut down for about ten days and the plan from there’ll depend upon how he feels at that time, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on X. It’s prone to be a notable improvement no matter how that performs out, each because of Stone’s robust 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 rapid success, as he allowed 31 earned runs in his 31 innings final yr, which means he got here into 2024 together with his earned run common at an excellent 9.00.
However he has taken a big step ahead up to now this yr. He has made 25 begins for the Dodgers and logged 140 1/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA. His 20% strikeout fee, 6.4% stroll fee and 44.2% floor ball fee are all pretty near common for a beginning pitcher this yr.
Subtracting that type of stable efficiency could be unwelcome for any membership nevertheless it’s particularly notable for the Dodgers, who’ve been struggling by way of an enormous slate of rotation accidents this yr and prior to now as nicely.
Stone is definitely the one pitcher on the membership presently certified for the ERA title, as he leads the workforce in each begins and innings pitched. That’s because 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 Could, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan are all presently on the IL. Now that Stone is becoming a member of them, that offers the membership eight viable starters presently on the shelf.
Could, Ryan and Sheehan are accomplished for the yr because of main surgical procedures. Yamamoto goes to be reinstated subsequent week however isn’t totally stretched out, having thrown 53 pitches in his most up-to-date rehab outing. Glasnow is just a few steps behind Yamamoto, as he’s enjoying catch however hasn’t but taken the mound, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Instances (X hyperlink). Kershaw hit the IL every week in the past because of a bone spur in his toe and has an unsure timeline. Gonsolin is attempting to come back again from final yr’s Tommy John surgical procedure however might be restricted to aid work, at finest.
For now, the rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Knack and Wrobleski. That group might be welcoming again Yamamoto quickly however, as talked about, he isn’t totally ramped up and may 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 him 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 best scenario for a membership that’s nonetheless enjoying significant video games. The membership’s 84-56 report 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 bother in a brief playoff sequence, because the Dodgers know nicely. They gained 100 video games final yr however their rotation was in shambles by the point the postseason rolled round, which led to them being shortly swept by the Diamondbacks.
At this level, it’s nonetheless technically doable 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 would maybe result in somebody like Buehler, Miller or Knack sliding into the combination merely because of a scarcity of different choices.
