The Dodgers have suffered more than their fair share of injuries this season, but they have received several positive updates in recent days. For one, young right-hander Bobby Miller could soon rejoin the rotation. After a strong rookie season in 2023, Miller has missed most of his sophomore campaign with a shoulder injury. However, his latest rehab appearance last Friday went well, and afterward, manager Dave Roberts suggested Miller could be ready to return without another rehab start – although, as more time passes without an update, it seems that Miller will likely make one final rehab start after all (per MLB.com)
Miller allowed seven runs on 11 hits and six walks over 11 2/3 innings across his first three starts in 2024 before landing on the IL. However, he is coming off a breakout 2023 season in which he pitched to a 3.76 ERA and 3.93 SIERA over 22 starts (124 1/3 innings). Still just 25 years old, he looks to be a fixture in the Dodgers rotation for years to come.
The Dodgers currently have a starting five of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Gavin Stone, James Paxton, and Walker Buehler, so they don’t need to rush Miller back from the IL. That said, with no off days in their schedule until June 23, the Dodgers could certainly use a sixth starter to help shoulder the workload.
More injury updates from around the NL and AL West…
- Sticking with Dodgers starting pitchers, Clayton Kershaw could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment of his own. The long-time Dodgers ace has yet to pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery last November. However, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that Kershaw was scheduled to throw a third simulated game, and after that, he could be ready to start a rehab assignment. This seems to put him on track to come back sometime next month. “Sometime in July” was always considered the earliest possible timeline for Kershaw’s return.
- Meanwhile, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that reliever Brusdar Graterol will throw a bullpen session this week. The right-hander has been out since spring training with a shoulder injury, and he suffered a setback in late April, forcing him to shut down his throwing program. Graterol played a key role in the Dodgers bullpen last season, pitching to a 1.20 ERA and 3.31 SIERA over 68 appearances, racking up seven saves, 19 holds, and leading the pitching staff in Win Probability Added (WPA).
- Finally, moving over to the American League, Max Scherzer could rejoin the Rangers rotation as soon as next week (per Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today). The three-time Cy Young winner is scheduled to make a third rehab start on Friday, after which he could be ready to return to the majors. His second rehab appearance went well, and barring a setback, his outing with Triple-A Round Rock on Friday could be the last rehab start he needs. Wilson reports that Scherzer could make his 2024 debut as early as June 19, although he suggests the Rangers could opt to give Scherzer some extra rest, pushing his start back to June 21.
Texas might have a really nice looking rotation in August/September with deGrom returning, too.
Yeah but it will take a hit in late September when deGrom hits the DL again
Kind of mean. But probably accurate.
perkins – When deGrom pitches he’s the best pitcher in baseball. If he pitches in October it’s possible he along with Scherzer and Eovaldi will lead the Rangers to consecutive AL championships before falling to the Brewers in the World Series.
Fever—All that is true. I’d like to see it actually. Just resigned to the likelihood that it won’t come to pass
deGrom will never make 20 starts in a season again his career if he continues to try and throw 100+.
Show me any pitcher in the last 20 years that has thrown that hard that didn’t become an injury nightmare or end up as a reliever.
Ryan – You certainly have a point, although injury nightmare is kinda vague. Is Cole an injury nightmare? Not yet IMO, same thing with Hicks.
But overall you’re right, upper 90’s SP’s don’t last very long these days.
There will always be a guy or two that is anomaly, but even Cole is now falling victim to injury. I don’t think this will be the last we see of Cole’s forearm/elbow issues.
Hicks just had TJS a couple years ago, didn’t he?
DeGrom was typically a reliable SP until he started averaging 99 on his fastball a few years ago. I think we will see some guys get away with it a bit longer if they are younger and already had a TJS relatively recently, but someone like DeGrom in his 30’s throwing that hard is a ticking time bomb.
Ryan – Everything you wrote sounds reasonable.
Yes Hicks had TJS back in 2019, he’s been healthy since 2022 and this year has been converted to a solid SP.
I am a Reds fan (it’s tough), but I agree that the Brew Crew are sneaky good. It seems they don’t get the respect they should be getting which is not a suprise. Both the Reds and Brewers are skipped over quick due to the media market size.
I promise you neither Brewers or Reds going anywhere and won’t be in the World Series.
Running – I agree the Dodgers are not a lock to win the NL. Too much questionable pitching, Ohtani has never been in the postseason and Mookie has been awful in it.
Tony – Sorry but it’s kinda silly to make a promise like that in June.
You have no idea which players on which teams will suffer injuries, or who will be acquired before the trade deadline.
A year ago did you think it would be the Rangers and DBacks in the WS?
That’s why they play the games.
If MIL can trade for 1 B- SP and one more hitter I can see them getting into the NL Championship series. Maybe knocking off the Braves, Phillies, Padres along the way.
If the LAD fortify their pitching/get healthy I think they will make it to the WS. They could get knocked off but . . .
I believe PHI will add somebody impactful OF? and ATL GM AA will work his magic to add a SP and hitter.
I would not be surprised if ATL can get Luis Robert OR Arozarena from the GreySox and Rays. I hope they don’t.
79-83 Pirates vs. 80-82 Tigers in the World Series please, so we can see what a sham the post season tournament is. Plus they were close to adding two more teams I believe.
Non – My understanding is MLB will be expanding the postseason field to 14 as soon as they add two expansion teams. Should be relatively soon now that the Rays and A’s situations seem to be resolved.
I certainly give credit to Brewers for their season to date accomplishments, but any team banking on the likes of Bryce Wilson and Wade Miley in a playoff series isn’t likely to go far in October.
Scott – I think they acquire pitching help at the deadline, like Crochet or Pivetta.
“When Degrom pitches…best pitcher in baseball”…The term “best pitcher” should never be used with guys who miss as much time as they pitch. When you have to qualify someone with “when they pitch” they are not in the conversation for “best pitcher”. It’s a complete insult to guys like Gerrit Cole, Pedro Martinez, Felix Hernandez, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, Max Scherzer and Greg Maddux etc.,Guys who spent their whole careers as “best pitcher”(types)and could actually be depended on to pitch most of the time(in their primes).
mlb – Haha ….. that’s why I specifically wrote “when they pitch”, to account for the time lost to injuries.
Verlander lost two seasons to injury right before coming back with a 1.75 ERA and Cy Young award.
To say a pitcher is no longer great while he’s injured is silly.
“Injured is silly”…Is a car that only runs half the time “great”?..Or a wife that’s faithful only half the time?…Part of being a “great” athlete/pitcher is actually playing a high percentage of the time.
mlb – If the car runs when you really need it to, yes it is.
Perfect example is Eovaldi. When the Rangers signed him they likely fully expected regular season trips to the IL. He has had a lengthy injury history. But when he pitches in the postseason, he’s lights out. That’s exactly why the Sox got him in 2018 and why the Rangers got him before 2023. And guess what? He was instrumental in winning championships each time, because he’s a great pitcher.
This is one of those situations where each of us is entitled to our opinion based on how we view “greatness”, so no sense in arguing about it. Agree to disagree.
@ fpg
I definitely know what your saying, the cardinals had Jamie Garcia who was a devastating lefty and was a key player in the 11 playoffs/ws. Jamie’s problem is that he was made of glass and was always hurt which sucked because he was on track to being one of the best.
Worth mentioning that Glasnow is already only 34 innings away from his career high. Ticking time bomb if you ask me. Hopefully with some pitchers coming back they can spread out his starts and he can last a full season for the first time in his career.
Most of the rotation for the Dodgers are ticking time bombs if you look at either their past records of injuries or they are just coming back from injuries. The Dodgers have been pretty lucky so far in that regard. I don’t know if they will be able to maintain that sort of luck all year, but maybe?
What injury are you predicting? Or just something, because, you know it has to be something?
RE: ticking bombs. When you have 7 or 8 good SPs, you can manage the fear of injury a little easier.
Miller is hoping to rejoin the rotation, but I probably wouldn’t rely on him, who is returning from a shoulder injury, to help “shoulder the workload”.
I see what you did there.
Pretty amazing the Dodgers remain in first place after losing the equivalent of an entire starting rotation to injury this season.
“Pretty amazing”…I tend to agree and that wouldn’t even include the whole Julio Urias DV thing and the less than ideal injury recovery of Walker Bueler. The Dodgers pretty much own first place in the NL West(every year) literally no matter how many injuries they have.
mlb – True, but until the Dodgers win a legit WS it’s fair to question them. Maybe it will be different this year with Ohtani and Yamamoto, as they say “stay tuned”.
Urias is/was a free agent so he didn’t ever really figure into the Dodgers’ 2024 plans.
The way baseball is sorting these days we have 4-5 superteams and the rest are middling or worse and playing for a second place wildcard, if anything. Not real good for the sport, but good for the business of baseball apparently.
There are some surprise teams but not too many. Cleveland at 42-22 is crazy. KC is a nice story too. There are also some underachievers in the AL that could make big turnarounds – such as Texas and Houston. The middling pack of teams hovering around .500 in the NL will sort itself out I suspect in the summer with some “good” but not super teams emerging from that group.
playing for a second place wildcard, if anything.
===========================
The offset to that is that the 2nd WC can still win the WS. TX and AZ last year. Philly in the prior year.
And the uber-market teams have no guarantees either. The NYM and SFG this year. The NYM, NYY, and SDP in 23.
It feels like enough high-payroll teams have bad years, and enough good teams get shot down in the playoffs to balance everything out.
We’ll see about some of these surprise teams (and the underachievers) but my point is if you look at the standings we’re already seeing 6-8 game leads in most of the divisions and many more teams are below .500 than above. It’s getting more lopsided every year it seems to me, with most of the real races for wildcards not for division titles. Last year IIRC only one division race hadn’t been decided a couple of weeks before the end of the season but lots of wildcard races remained in play. Is that what MLB had in mind with this new postseason format? If so, they sure are getting it.
Yes, most of the division races aren’t highly competitive so far. Slightly different topic, but of the top 7 teams in the league (by W-L), only three are in the top 10 in payroll (NYY, LAD, Phi). The other 4 teams, Milw., Balt., KC, Cleve. are in the bottom 10 in payroll.
Interesting observation. But it’s difficult to see the fairy tale in KC continuing or the Brewers ending up in the top 7.
must be an accident
Kyle Hurt has started a rehab assignment. Hopefully we’ll hear something about Dustin May soon.
What do they do w/May ? Think his body has shown he’s not viable as a starter anymore. He’s got lights out stuff n maybe an inning @a time let’s em do his best Josh Hader impression n add lil more giddy-up to his fastball. Can he pitch back-to-back days on the mound ?
I’ve had May tagged for the bullpen, possibly as a closer, for quite awhile, but not for body issues. He’s basically a two-pitch guy who can be intimidating over short stretches.