BALTIMORE — The Dodgers’ starting rotation has had a lot of moving parts this week.
Tyler Glasnow was scheduled to start Friday in Baltimore, but he was scratched early in the afternoon due to back stiffness.
Originally scheduled to start Wednesday in Pittsburgh then pushed back to this weekend then pushed back to Monday – Shohei Ohtani took the ball and started in Glasnow’s place on Friday night against the Orioles.
“Coming into today, early this afternoon, Tyler reported having back tightness,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “To not kind of tempt fate we just figured with back tightness and with the back – the hope is we push him back a few days and he can make a start early next week. We just didn’t want to put him in harm’s way. And Shohei was up to it, feels good physically and wants the ball tonight.”
Glasnow has had issues with back stiffness in the past and spent time on the injured list with it at midseason last year. But Roberts said this doesn’t seem to rise to that level.
“I think it’s more just trusting the player, knowing that he wants to be out there, feeling like we got ahead of it early. And it’s not something where we got to the point where he’s hurt or anything like that. It’s back stiffness. So we feel that to not take this start will allow him to be able to start hopefully early next week.”
Monday would be ideal since the Dodgers planned to start Ohtani that night after pushing him back due to a cough and congestion. Emmet Sheehan started in Ohtani’s spot on Wednesday and could start Monday on four days of rest (which the Dodgers try to avoid).
“He says he feels good. Talking to the trainers, everyone that needs to know signed off on it and most importantly Shohei,” Roberts said.
Ohtani is very regimented in how he prepares for each start – a routine that has been thoroughly disrupted by his illness and the moving start date.
“Over the course of a long season, it’s understandable things like this could happen,” Ohtani said through his interpreter after pitching 3⅔ scoreless innings against the Orioles. “Obviously last time, Emmet picked me up and pitched really well. Even though there are times where I might not be able to do the routine that I usually do, this is one of those situations where you just have to move on and be a good teammate.”
Roberts said Ohtani’s willingness to change directions just about five hours before game time was admirable.
“He is learning, as most people are, that he’s capable of making adjustments,” Roberts said. “I think routine is great. But I also think that the desire, the will to read and react, to adjust, that’s still possible too. Shohei to his credit wants to pick us up and I really admire him for that.”
The rest of the weekend’s pitching plans remain unchanged with Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to start on Saturday and Clayton Kershaw on Sunday.
SMITH STATUS
Catcher Will Smith said his injured right hand was feeling better each day since he was hit by a foul tip on Wednesday. He ran in the outfield and played catch during Friday’s pre-game workout but said he has not tried gripping a bat yet.
Roberts referred to the injury as a bone bruise. A year ago, Smith suffered a bone bruise in his left ankle on an awkward slide and it affected his swing throughout the second half of the season.
Though he had a pinch-hit, walk-off home run on Sunday and a three-hit game on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Smith was experiencing another second-half dropoff. Even with those highlights, he hit .197 in his last 20 games before the hand injury and .236 since the All-Star break.
“That’s a good question. I don’t know that answer,” Roberts said when asked how the hand injury might affect Smith’s offense when he returns to the lineup. “A bone bruise like that is probably going to be there for the rest of the season. How much it impedes his swing or throwing – don’t know that answer. The swelling is just not going to be completely gone by this season. I think it will be manageable and i hope it’s not too affecting.”
Smith’s backup, Dalton Rushing, also went down with an injury in Friday’s game, fouling a ball off his right shin. The Dodgers’ depth at the position is thin. Triple-A catcher Chuckie Robinson will likely join Ben Rortvedt on the active roster on Saturday.
REHAB ROUNDUP
Max Muncy continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City Friday night, going 1 for 2 with a single and a walk. After playing third base for five innings on Thursday, Muncy was at DH on Friday.
Reliever Alex Vesia pitched another perfect inning in his second rehab appearance, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Vesia could be activated from the injured list soon.
Utility man Tommy Edman got the night off after playing three games this week on his rehab assignment. He and Muncy are expected back with the Dodgers next week.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-8, 2.82 ERA) at Orioles (LHP Trevor Rogers, 8-2, 1.39 ERA), Saturday, 4:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM