BOSTON – Things are starting to get crowded in the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
Even with plans to roll out a six-man starting rotation, the Dodgers could finally have more healthy pitchers than spots in the starting rotation by the end of next week. Blake Snell completed his rehab assignment by pitching 4⅔ scoreless innings without giving up a hit for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday and is expected to come off the injured list and make his first start in four months against the Tampa Bay Rays next weekend.
Barring a subtraction at the trade deadline, that will give the Dodgers seven starting pitchers, potentially creating a competition for a spot between the least experienced starters, Emmet Sheehan and Dustin May, or spilling over into the bullpen.
“Things seem to change a lot in each week. So I think that I don’t want to put anyone into a corner right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ll just kind of read and react after this start.
“I just don’t know how it’s going to play out for Emmet and Dustin. But the goal is to get the best pitchers on your roster, in whatever role.”
One pitcher’s role is already changing. The Dodgers are moving former first-round draft pick Bobby Miller from the starting rotation at Triple-A and into the bullpen. Miller has regressed badly as a starter since his 11-4, 3.76-ERA rookie season in 2023 and hasn’t been able to turn it around at Triple-A. Miller has a 5.58 ERA with OKC this year.
“I think that this might be something that unlocks him – going hard for a shorter period of time, to get some confidence for him, which could help us here,” Roberts said.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani has built up far enough now that the Dodgers no longer plan to have a designated ‘piggyback’ partner ready to follow him in his starts. He is expected to pitch four innings in his next two starts.
“I think this whole year on the pitching side is sort of rehab, maintenance,” Roberts said of Ohtani, who threw a season-high 46 pitches in his most recent start. “We’re not going to have the reins off where we’re going to say, ‘Hey, you can go 110 pitches.’ I don’t see that happening for quite some time. So I think that staying at four (innings) for a bit, to then build up to five and we’ll see where we go from there.”
Ohtani will start each of the next two Wednesdays, backed up against an off day both times. That allows the Dodgers to avoid the dilemma of his diminished offense the day after he pitches. Ohtani has gone 2 for 20 with eight strikeouts and one home run in the five games he has played the day after pitching.
“It’s just if you have an opportunity to pitch Shohei at certain times, given what he’s taking on physically, then have a day to recover, that’s just logic too, right?” Roberts said. “It gives him the best chance to be the best player he can be.”
BETTS BACK
Mookie Betts rejoined the Dodgers in Boston Saturday and was back in the starting lineup Sunday against his former team.
“Obviously Fenway has a very special place in my heart,” Betts said. “So it’s always cool to come back, see all the changes and whatnot. But I’m very happy with where I’m at in LA. I love my life now. But there is a space for me to appreciate this and where I come from.”
Betts was away from the team briefly to be with his family in Nashville after the death of his stepfather.
“I needed to go home, be with my mom,” Betts said. “It’s somebody who’s been in my life from fourth grade until now. So that was tough for me and the fam. I just needed to be there for my mom, my brothers and sisters. Just a tough time. There’s no real way to really explain something like that. It’s just being there, spending time with your family.”
KIM SHOULDER
Infielder Hyeseong Kim has been “battling a (left) shoulder situation,” according to Roberts, and was out of the lineup Sunday.
“I think it’s been affecting his swing a little bit,” Roberts said. “He’s doing everything he can to be out there, be available. I think that’s some of the reason why there’s a little bit more swing and miss than there has been.”
Kim has struck out eight times in his past 13 at-bats, including a stretch of six in a row. But his offensive downturn goes back well before his recent shoulder discomfort. He is batting .204 in his past 20 games.
Roberts said Kim should be able to “manage” his shoulder injury and won’t be out for long.
“He’s not going to swing the bat today. Be available for defense, something like that off the bench,” Roberts said. “And my expectation is he’ll be in there tomorrow and then down on Tuesday versus (Reds left-hander Nick) Lodolo. So we’ll see. But I think that he’s in a better spot today.”
ROSTER MOVES
The Dodgers activated Blake Treinen from the injured list and recalled left-hander Justin Wrobleski from Triple-A before Sunday’s game. Right-handers Will Klein and Edgardo Henriquez were optioned to OKC.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 8-7, 2.55 ERA) at Reds (RHP Chase Burns, 0-2, 6.65 ERA), Monday, 4:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM