by Cary Osborne
The Dodgers began the weekend with the return of World Series MVP Corey Seager on Friday. Today they activated their new three-time Cy Young Award winner. On Sunday, they will likely activate their MVP outfielder.
Max Scherzer, one day after being acquired from the Washington Nationals in a six-player trade that also brought the Dodgers All-Star shortstop Trea Turner, was activated on Saturday, among a flurry of other moves that impact today’s game.
Scherzer is targeted for this first start as a Dodger on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium against the Houston Astros.
Mookie Betts, on the injured list with right hip inflammation, confirmed he will be in the Dodgers’ starting lineup on Sunday, making his first start since July 17.
“I feel pretty good and will be ready to go tomorrow,” Betts said.
Scherzer’s addition to the active roster coincides with Tony Gonsolin going on the injured list for the second time this season with right shoulder inflammation. Gonsolin missed the first 60 games of the season with the same ailment. He started on Friday and labored through 1 2/3 innings, walking five and allowing two runs.
“Everyone around him — the training staff, strength and conditioning, everyone’s doing the best they can to keep him feeling strong. And he’s not in a situation where he’s going to harm himself, it’s just more of a comfort strength, sort of thing,” said manager Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers used eight relievers in Friday’s game and are going with a bullpen game today. They added some fresh arms by calling up pitchers Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta. In corresponding moves, they optioned outfielder Luke Raley and pitcher Brusdar Graterol to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Mitch White is starting today’s game for the Dodgers. Roberts said the target for him is 40–60 pitches.
Back to Betts
Betts said there wasn’t one play that caused his hip injury, calling it “weird.” He last appeared in a game on July 19 as a pinch hitter. In his two games before that in Colorado, he was 7-for-9 at the plate with four doubles and a home run.
Betts hadn’t been on the injured list since 2018. He said he hasn’t dealt with injuries like this in his eight-year Major League career.
“This is the first time. I wish it would have come from like I ran into the wall or something, not just from out of nowhere,” Betts said. “That would have made a little more sense. But it is what it is. Just got to deal with it. And so hopefully we’ve done a good job, the training staff has done a great job and helped me get to where I’m at now. Hopefully we can just kind of keep (the injury) at bay.”
Betts, who began his professional career as a second baseman and has made two appearances at the position as a Dodger, acknowledged the possibility of seeing action there to limit his running, similar to the Dodgers moving Cody Bellinger from center field to first base earlier this week to help with his hamstring soreness.
“I think there’s definitely been some discussion of just trying to limit the miles,” Betts said.
Next for Kershaw
The Dodgers will decide on Sunday on next steps for Clayton Kershaw in his rehabilitation process. Roberts said there was some residual soreness after his three-inning simulated game on Tuesday.
“The main thing with Clayton is to get him back so he stays back for the duration of the season and through the postseason. So right now, there’s no hard date or deadline right now,” Roberts said.
Mookie Betts is next to return; Gonsolin goes on IL was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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