The Dodgers have made a handful of roster moves, according to Doug Padilla of ESPN. Los Angeles has activated left-hander Brett Anderson from the 60-day disabled list and placed right-handers Brandon McCarthy (hip) and Josh Ravin (triceps tightness) on the 15-day DL. The club has also recalled righty Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Anderson, who underwent back surgery in March, will make his season debut Sunday against Pittsburgh. Injuries have been the main theme throughout the promising 28-year-old’s career, unfortunately, as he was unable to log more than 83 1/3 innings in any individual season from 2011-14. Last year was the first time Anderson eclipsed the 100-inning mark since 2010, and he set a career high with 180 1/3 frames and recorded a 3.69 ERA. Behind Anderson’s strong run prevention were a league-best 66.3 ground-ball percentage and a stellar walk rate (2.3 per nine innings).
As a result of his output last season, his first as a Dodger, the team tendered Anderson a $15.8MM qualifying offer in November. He elected to accept it, and he’ll now provide the Clayton Kershaw-less Dodgers another southpaw starter to team with Scott Kazmir. The soon-to-return Rich Hill, who has been dealing with blisters on his pitching hand, could give Los Angeles a third lefty as early as next weekend.
As has been the case with Anderson, injuries have consistently derailed McCarthy, who’s headed to the DL for the second time this season after lasting just 1 2/3 innings in his Saturday start. The 33-year-old missed most of 2015 because of Tommy John surgery and has come back to post a 3.63 ERA and 9.87 K/9 in in 34 2/3 innings this season. While those are strong numbers, McCarthy has taken significant steps backward in his latest four starts, perhaps thanks in part to the injury. Dating back to July 27, McCarthy has thrown 12 1/3 innings and allowed 10 earned runs on 17 walks and 11 hits. McCarthy has done a terrific job limiting walks throughout his career, making his recent control issues troubling.
The Dodgers continue to have more than a quality rotation’s worth of injured starters, yet they’re 65-51, handily in possession of a National League Wild Card spot and only one game behind NL West-leading San Francisco. Along with Kershaw, McCarthy and Hill, righty Bud Norris and lefties Alex Wood and Hyun-jin Ryu are also on the shelf. As mentioned, though, Hill is nearing a comeback, and Norris is also on the brink of a return, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Utlimately, it’s going to come down to how they do in the playoffs, but the Dodgers made the right move to to give Greinke all that cash. He’s pitching injured in year 1 of 6 with the DBacks.
“Rich Hill will be pitching as early as next weekend.” Ha! This is like the Padres and their “Tyson Ross is starting a rehab assignment next week” that they’ve been doing for like three months now. I bet Hill and Ross don’t see another inning this year.
Yeah, a shoulder injury and blisters, pretty much the same thing.
Anyway on McCarthy, describing what’s going on with him in his last two starts as a control issue is kind of an understatement. His fastballs were as wild as anything you will see in the major leagues.
McCarthy’s sudden control problems kinda reminds me of a case of the “yips” along the lines of Steve Blass of many years ago. At the time he was one of the best control pitchers in the game and just lost it, not unlike McCarthy. Here’s hoping its just a hip.
Who’d have thought that McCarthy would end up on the DL again? Kinda like “the Mendoza line”, they should just rename it “The McCarthy List”.
And now he’s back on the DL
LOL what a freaking loser Anderson is. 15.8 million for one inning of 45.00 ERA ball. Way to bet on yourself, Brett. The problem with the so called “injury bug” this year relates to the front office and its affinity to bargain shop for players with substantial injury histories. Hope Clayton is healthy and ready to go soon, the rotation (Maeda aside) is a disaster without him.
Ya what a loser, why’d he have to have back surgery. He’s an idiot
And Anderson is injured after one whole inning. Sprained his wrist diving for a ground ball.
After this season, alien abductions would look normal.