LA back to 16 pitchers on the active roster
The Dodgers on Monday recalled pitcher Andre Jackson from Triple-A Oklahoma City, adding another fresh arm to the pitching staff.
Jackson last pitched Tuesday in Triple-A, when he tossed four scoreless innings in Sacramento. He give the Dodgers a safety valve of another long reliever that was lost when Tyler Anderson stepped into the starting rotation on Saturday.
There’s likely a more immediate need of just-in-case innings as the Dodgers start a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, thanks to heavy bullpen usage in the three games in San Diego.
Against the Padres, the Dodgers used Daniel Hudson, Phil Bickford, and Alex Vesia on both Friday and Saturday, and had Justin Bruihl pitch in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday. Before the weekend series against the Padres, the Dodgers used a reliever on back-to-back days only once, with Blake Treinen pitching the first two games of the season.
No Dodgers pitcher has yet pitched three times in a four-day stretch this season.
Jackson does give the Dodgers 16 pitchers, as utility man Zach McKinstry was optioned to Triple-A on Monday. It was a transactionally busy two days for McKinstry, who was optioned before Sunday’s game but recalled soon after once David Price tested positive for COVID-19. The extra day allowed McKinstry to make his first appearance of the season in the majors, flying out in his only at-bat and playing the final three innings at shortstop.
The Dodgers have six more games with expanded rosters, before active roster limits of 26 players and 13 pitchers go into effect next Monday.