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 will likely 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 more likely 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 rapid success, as he allowed 31 earned runs in his 31 innings for the marketing campaign, that means he got here into 2024 along with his earned run common at a fair 9.00.
However Stone has taken a major step ahead to this point this summer season. 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 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 at the moment certified for the ERA title, as he leads the group in each begins and innings pitched. That’s on account of nearly each different pitcher on the employees spending at the least a while on the IL. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin Might, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan are all at the moment on the IL. Now that Stone is becoming a member of them, that provides the membership eight viable starters at the moment on the shelf.
Might, Ryan and Sheehan are finished for the yr on account 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 Occasions. Kershaw hit the IL per week in the past on account of a bone spur in his toe and has an unsure timeline. Gonsolin is making an attempt to come back again from final yr’s Tommy John surgical procedure however will likely be restricted to reduction work, at greatest.
For now, the rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Knack and Wrobleski. That group will likely be welcoming again Yamamoto quickly however, as talked about, he isn’t totally 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 very best state of affairs for a membership that’s nonetheless enjoying significant video games. The membership’s 84-56 document is tied with the Phillies for the very best in baseball, however the Central-leading Brewers are simply three video games again, that means a bye by way of the wild-card spherical isn’t 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 could cause bother in a brief playoff collection, because the Dodgers know nicely. 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 attainable that the Dodgers may 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 combo merely on account of a scarcity of different choices.
