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Dodgers Considering Options For Game Seven Starter

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts declined the opportunity to definitively name his game seven starter after tonight’s win, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group and others (via Twitter).

Tony Gonsolin lines up for the job after stepping in to start game two for Clayton Kershaw. Gonsolin is not the guy the Dodgers would plan in a vacuum to take the ball in a must-win moment, but he nonetheless remains the most likely to see chunk innings tomorrow night, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (via Twitter). The 26-year-old Gonsolin served as as swingman the past two seasons for the Dodgers, performing ably to a 2.60 ERA/3.02 FIP across 86 2/3 innings. His game two start was his first and only postseason appearance, however. He lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up 5 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7.

Kershaw will be on just two days rest after back spasms scratched him from his originally-scheduled game two start. Roberts will check in with him tomorrow to see about the possibility of appearing in relief, notes Gurnick. Kershaw in relief hasn’t always ended the way the Dodgers would have liked, including last postseason when he surrendered back-to-back home runs to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto to tie a similar win-or-go-home game five of the NLDS. Still, he’s a weapon if he’s available. In that same game against the Nationals, remember, he entered the game to retire Adam Eaton – which he did, via strikeout. It was only when pushed to another inning that the Nats’ big guns got the best of him.

The Dodgers could turn to Julio Urías in a similar capacity, though Urías would be throwing on three days rest after tossing over 100 pitches in game three’s shellacking. After tonight, Walker Buehler is probably the only arm on the roster who is absolutely outside the realm of possibility. Closer Kenley Jansen could also be a difficult call. He’s returned to form, but an outing tomorrow night would be three consecutive games and four in the last five.

Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register put forth an interesting suggestion (via Twitter): Brusdar Graterol could function as an opener to be followed by Gonsolin and Urías. The hard-throwing Graterol has to be pretty high up the list in terms of likelihood of seeing action – especially since he didn’t make his way into game six. Putting him out there to start the game would certainly be interesting. He was a starter for most of his minor league career with the Twins, after all.

Clayton Kershaw Scratched From Game 2, Tony Gonsolin To Start

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1:40PM: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times (Twitter links) and other reporters that chances are “very good” that Kershaw will pitch in the NLCS but he won’t be starting Game 3.  Kershaw’s back spasms developed during his bullpen session on Sunday, Roberts said.

11:57PM: The Dodgers have optimism that Kershaw can be back for Game 4, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets.  “If his back improves relatively quickly,” there’s a chance Kershaw could even be ready for Game 3.

11:02PM: Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his scheduled start in today’s Game 2 of the NLCS due to back spasms.  Tony Gonsolin will instead take the ball to start against the Braves.

Kershaw has dealt with back problems at various points during this career, including a bout of back tightness that put him on the injured list for the first week of the 2020 season.  Naturally, the timing couldn’t be much worse for Kershaw to again suffer back woes just hours before the start of Game 2, and the question now becomes when exactly the longtime Dodger ace will be able to pitch again.

Depending on the severity of the spasms, Kershaw could potentially start Wednesday’s Game 3, though that would seem to be a quick turn-around.  Assuming the spasms are minor, Kershaw could be held off until Game 4 on Thursday, in what could be a series-deciding game should Los Angeles fall behind 3-0.

The Dodgers had been relying on Walker Buehler and Kershaw as the cornerstone of their postseason rotation plan, with the duo starting the first two games of each playoff series thus far.  Dustin May started Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres, and some combination of May, Gonsolin, and Julio Urias was expected to handle the third and fourth starter duties for the remainder of the playoffs, the Dodgers also making liberal use of their bullpen.  Alex Wood was also added to the Dodgers’ NLCS roster to provide even more pitching depth given the lack of off-days throughout the series.

More immediately, Gonsolin now faces the immediate and unexpected pressure of having to keep Los Angeles out of an 0-2 series deficit in his postseason debut.  Gonsolin has impressed over his two MLB seasons, posting a 2.60 ERA, 3.77 K/BB, and 8.6 K/9 over 86 2/3 innings, starting 14 of his 20 career games.  It is something of a tribute to the Dodgers’ depth that a promising young arm like Gonsolin wasn’t even a full-time starter for them heading into October, but he will have a stiff test in a Braves lineup that crushed right-handed pitching this season.

Dodgers Updates: Starters, Urías, Ríos

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke to a number of reporters today, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Roberts addressed a number of issues heading into their NLCS match-up with the Braves. First and foremost, as with the two rounds before, Walker Buehler will start game one, and Clayton Kershaw will start game two. Anything beyond that is too early to call.

Julio Urías was a key contributor for the Dodgers against the Padres, and according to Roberts, he will continue to see “meaningful innings,” per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (via Twitter). Urías’ role has changed year-to-year as health and performance have allowed, but come playoff time he tends to – like Kenta Maeda before him – transition into a key bullpen weapon for Roberts. His outings have lengthened this postseason, however, as he’s thrown a total of 8 innings over 2 appearances with a full week of rest between them. In this unprecedented 7-game series in 7 days, Urías could be asked to fill any number of roles.

The same can be said for Dustin May, who managed to both start a game and pitch out of the bullpen in their 3-game NLDS sweep of the Padres. Though he totaled just 3 innings – likely less volume than they could have gotten from him had his usage been limited to a single start – spreading out his outings allowed Roberts to “maximize his impact on multiple games,” per Plunkett. Of course, Roberts was able to follow up May’s 1-inning “opener” outing in game three with Urías for five innings, a luxury he may or may not have in a longer series.

In all likelihood, others on the staff are going to have to provide some length. Tony Gonsolin would have started a game four against San Diego, and he threw a simulated game today. That probably lines him up again for a potential game four or five. He could also come out of the bullpen, of course, as he has on occasion the last two seasons. Roberts and others aren’t just hiding the ball when they say pitcher usage depends on the outcomes of the first couple of games – it really depends on the outcomes of the first couple of games.

On the other side of the ball, Edwin Ríos is about 75% healthy, per Plunkett. He’s a game-time decision, per say, for the NLCS. He was left off of the NLDS because of a groin injury, and if there’s any doubt about his recovery, the Dodgers are likely to be prudent and either go with Gavin Lux again or add another arm to their 14-man staff. Ríos at his best provides a power bat off the bench (or at designated hitter), which could still be useful even if he’s not healthy enough to play the field. While they’re not likely to plan it this way, if there’s any team that has the versatility and depth to carry a single-use bat, it’s the Dodgers.

Dodgers To Start Buehler, Kershaw In First Two NLDS Games

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is sticking with a familiar formula for his playoff rotation, telling reporters (including Jack Harris and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw will start the first two games of the team’s NLDS matchup with the Padres.

Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May are on tap to start Games 3, 4, and 5, though the three pitchers wouldn’t necessarily be deployed in that order.  As always, the Dodgers will be flexible with their pitching arrangement during the postseason.  “There might be a situation where those guys [Urias, Gonsolin, May] are available in any of the preceding games as a side day to then make a start,” Roberts said.

It also isn’t out of the question that Buehler returns on short rest to pitch in a possible Game 5, though the first step for the Dodgers is making sure that Buehler can get through as much of Game 1 as possible.  Two separate trips to the injured list due to a blister problem limited Buehler to just 11 2/3 innings after August 21, and he tossed only four innings (73 pitches) in Game 1 of the Dodgers’ wild card series with the Brewers.

Whether Buehler could pitch longer against the Padres is still up in the air, as Roberts said he will “keep an eye on him each inning….I can’t say it’s scripted or when we’re going to deploy our guys in the pen.”  The final five innings of the Game 1 victory over Milwaukee were handled by Urias (three innings), and then an inning each from Blake Treinen and Kenley Jansen, with the reliever trio holding the Brewers scoreless.

Jansen’s outing wasn’t without some shakiness, however, which left Roberts saying that Jansen is still the team’s closer, but no longer the automatic option in save situations.  “There are still going to be times that I might need him in a different inning, and he’s on-board with whatever to help us win baseball games.  It’s a title, but I think that in practice, there are certain innings and certain parts of the lineup that I think he’s the best option.”  While Jansen has a 1.97 ERA over 50 1/3 career postseason innings, he also has a few infamous meltdowns on his resume — over his last eight World Series appearances, Jansen has a loss and is only 1-for-4 in save chances.

Though the L.A. pitching staff is well rested after their two-game sweep of the Brew Crew, the Dodgers will still add some more depth, as Roberts intimated that he will add an extra pitcher to the NLDS roster.  Los Angeles deployed 15 position players and 13 pitchers on its wild card series roster, but one of those position players will be left out of the NLDS in favor of another arm, likely right-hander Dylan Floro.

Dodgers Activate Clayton Kershaw

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The Dodgers have officially activated LHP Clayton Kershaw ahead of today’s game, the team announced. Right-hander Mitch White has been optioned to create a spot on the active roster. Kershaw is set to take the mound for the Dodgers this afternoon against the Diamondbacks.

Kershaw will make his season debut after missing his scheduled Opening Day start due to back tightness. He’ll be a timely addition to the Dodgers’ rotation not long after Alex Wood was forced to the 10-day injured list with a shoulder issue.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner is entering his age-32 season and is coming off a 2019 campaign that saw his end-of-year ERA climb above 3.00 for the first time since his rookie year in 2008. It’s a testament to Kershaw’s sheer dominance throughout his prime, and we mustn’t forget that even a slightly lesser version of Kershaw is still one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Last year, he garnered an eighth-place Cy Young finish after notching 189 strikeouts in 178 1/3 innings of work. As alluded to, he finished with a 3.03 ERA (a career year for plenty of pitchers), and his 2.1 BB/9 was the highest it’s been since 2012.

Dodgers To Activate Clayton Kershaw

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The Dodgers will activate star lefty Clayton Kershaw, manager Dave Roberts told reporters including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (Twitter link). He’ll make his season debut on Sunday.

Kershaw had been sidelined to this point with back tightness. That’s not necessarily a major concern in and of itself, but the surefire future Hall of Famer has had particular troubles in that area over the years.

Thankfully, it seems this flare-up was a minor one. Kershaw, 32, has rather clearly declined in recent years. He was nevertheless capable of spinning 178 1/3 innings of 3.03 ERA ball in 2019.

Injury Notes: Simmons, Odorizzi, Kershaw, Bowman

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There’s still no official timeline on Andrelton Simmons’ return from his latest ankle injury, but the Angels shortstop said Thursday that his injury isn’t as bad as the ankle issue that cost him more than a month of his 2019 season, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The slick-fielding shortstop hasn’t undergone an MRI to this point and noted that his range of motion is already improving.

Simmons had two separate IL stints for problems in the same ankle last year and limped to a .264/.309/.364 slash line in 424 plate appearances. However, his 2017-18 numbers with the Angels had seemed to indicate an upward trajectory with the bat: .285/.334/.419 in 304 games. A strong 2020 output might cause teams to view the 2019 season as an outlier for Simmons, a free agent this winter, but the recurrence of ankle troubles shortens his window to perform and serves as a red flag for interested clubs. Obviously, it’s also a critical loss for an Angels club that spent significantly this winter and hopes to return to the the postseason in this year’s expanded format. Simmons is among this generation’s most gifted defenders and leads all MLB players, regardless of position, with 192 Defensive Runs Saved since his 2012 debut. (Kevin Kiermaier is second … at 115.)

Some more injury updates from around the game…

  • Jake Odorizzi threw a bullpen session yesterday and feels that his lower back strain has healed, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. However, the right-hander will still face some live hitters at the Twins’ alternate training site over in St. Paul before he’s activated from the injured list. Odorizzi tabbed Monday as a potential date to face hitters. Right-hander Randy Dobnak could get another start as Odorizzi finalizes his rehab. The 30-year-old Odorizzi enjoyed a career year with the Twins in ’19, pitching to a 3.51 ERA with 10.1 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and 0.91 HR/9 in 159 innings. He accepted a one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer last November and will be a free agent again this winter.
  • Clayton Kershaw could join the Dodgers’ rotation as soon as Sunday or Monday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Thursday evening (link via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). The three-time Cy Young winner and five-time NL ERA leader was scratched from his Opening Day start just hours before first pitch due to back tightness and replaced by rookie Dustin May. Since Kershaw hit the IL, the Dodgers have also lost Alex Wood, prompting them to bring up another young right-hander, Tony Gonsolin, to take the ball in tonight’s game. Kershaw tossed a bullpen session yesterday, and all indications right now are that his IL stint will be rather brief.
  • The Reds announced yesterday that they’ve reversed their option on right-handed reliever Matt Bowman and instead placed him on the 10-day injured list due to an elbow sprain. That’s both an ominous diagnosis for the 29-year-old Bowman and important distinction with regard to service time. Because Bowman was determined to have an injury that existed prior to being optioned to alternate camp, he’s been brought back up and placed on the Major League injured list, where he’ll receive MLB service time and MLB pay. The Reds didn’t offer a potential timeline for Bowman, who tossed 32 frames for them a year ago and recorded a solid 3.66 ERA with 25 strikeouts against 13 walks (three intentional) with just two homers allowed.

Clayton Kershaw Expects To Make 2020 Debut Soon

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Just hours before their season began Thursday, the Dodgers unexpectedly placed left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw on the injured list because of back stiffness. Fortunately for Los Angeles, though, it doesn’t appear Kershaw will be out for long. The 32-year-old threw from 90 feet Friday and offered a positive update on his status, telling Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and other reporters he’s optimistic that he’ll return soon.

With Kershaw down for Thursday’s opener against the archrival Giants, the loaded Dodgers turned to right-hander Dustin May as their starter. The hard-throwing 22-year-old proceeded to turn in an effective performance with 4 1/3 innings of seven-hit, one-run ball, adding four strikeouts against zero walks in an 8-1 Dodgers romp.

Of course, even though the Dodgers’ first game went well in Kershaw’s absence, there’s no question they’re a better team with the eight-time All-Star and three-time National League Cy Young winner in their rotation. Kershaw wasn’t at peak form last year, yet he still notched 178 1/3 innings of 3.03 ERA/3.86 FIP pitching with 9.54 K/9 and 2.07 BB/9.

The Dodgers will be glad to welcome Kershaw back when he’s ready, but there’s no timeline for his return as of now. For the time being, then, May will continue to complement budding ace Walker Buehler, Ross Stripling, Julio Urias and Alex Wood in the Dodgers’ rotation.

Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List, Recall Dustin May

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The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed scheduled Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw on the injured list and recalled right-hander Dustin May from their alternate training site. The team has termed Kershaw’s injury as “back stiffness” and will surely provide more details in the near future. Kershaw had been slated to take the hill against the Giants just under four hours from now. May will take the ball in place of Kershaw tonight.

Kershaw incurred his current injury in the weight room earlier this week, manager Dave Roberts tells reporters, adding that right now he’s unsure as to when the left-hander will be able to return (Twitter links via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). May was made aware of the possibility of this switch last night, per the manager.

With Kershaw suddenly and unexpectedly shelved, the Dodgers’ rotation will now consist of May, Walker Buehler, Ross Stripling, Julio Urias and Alex Wood. It’s still a talented group with plenty of intriguing option in reserve — Tony Gonsolin, Mitchell White and Josiah Gray among them — but it’s clearly a thinner group than anticipated just a few weeks ago when both Kershaw and David Price were still in the picture. That said, the ability to cultivate this type of depth is one of the reasons that the Dodgers have been so successful under the current front office regime.

In turning the ball over to the 22-year-old May, Los Angeles will entrust the season’s first start to one of MLB’s premier pitching prospects. The 6’6″ May made his big league debut in 2019, pitching to a 3.63 ERA with a 32-to-5 K/BB ratio in 34 2/3 frames before adding 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the NLDS. A third-round pick back in 2016, May notched a combined 3.38 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019, including a 2.30 ERA in 27 1/3 frames in a supercharged Triple-A offensive environment.

May is widely regarded to be one of the game’s 25 best overall prospects, so it’s not as though the Dodgers are simply crossing their fingers and hoping that a minor league call-up can hold his own while filling in for an injured star. May is expected to be a key part both of the team’s future and its success in 2020, although he’ll obviously be asked to contribute sooner than the organization had initially anticipated.

NL Notes: Kershaw, Martinez, Freeman, Farmer

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Let’s take a look at the latest notes from the National League:

  • Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw was something of a surprise offseason Driveline Baseball student, Pedro Moura of The Athletic reports (subscription link). It’s by now common to hear of hurlers spending time at the renowned clinic, but the most accomplished pitcher of his generation? Kershaw says he was mostly intrigued by learning “how to create the most efficiency with your body, and how to create the most power with your body.” President of baseball ops Andrew Friedman calls it a testament to the superstar lefty’s curiosity. No doubt a devastating postseason exit played a role. It’ll be interesting to see how the effort translates as Kershaw attempts to continue to evolve as he ages. (Long-time division rival Mason Saunders prefers a somewhat different offseason regimen.)
  • The Cardinals seem hopeful that righty Carlos Martinez can return to being a quality rotation piece in 2020. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the club still feels Martinez has exceptional talent. But it’s equally clear there’s still uncertainty. Manager Mike Shildt says Martinez is “out here giving himself a legitimate shot to compete” for a starting job, but notes that “what he does during the work and how he recovers between games that are going [to matter] as we start to ramp it up.” In other words, as Goold puts it, the organization believes Martinez must “embrace a more consistent between-start and pregame approach.” Whether Martinez can find his groove could make quite the difference in the Cards’ 2020 outlook, particularly with Miles Mikolas set to miss time.
  • We heard chatter about Freddie Freeman’s late-2019 elbow issues, but it seems the injury was a fair bit more debilitating than the Braves slugger let on. As Jeff Schultz of The Athletic reports (subscription link), Freeman dealt not only with pain, but with quite a lot of difficulties relating to his efforts to deal with the agonizing bone spurs in his joint. Schultz writes that the star first baseman relied heavily upon pain pills just to be able to play. But that came with other problems: “He had gotten into bad habits, cutting his swing short, because of the injury. The lack of sleep and accompanying stress made things worse.” The story speaks to Freeman’s determination, but it’s also a bit worrisome to read of his travails. Thankfully, it seems offseason surgery has eliminated the need for such drastic measures in 2020.
  • The Reds roster remains fun to watch even as Spring Training gets underway. The team placed some bat-first bets around the lineup but also installed Freddie Galvis at shortstop. He’s currently without a reserve complement, but the Reds are now looking to find one in a somewhat surprising place. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes, Kyle Farmer will be given a shot at adding reserve shortstop to his already lengthy list of responsibilities. The 29-year-old has plenty of amateur experience at the position and has spent a bit of time there as a pro, but he has primarily been tasked with playing behind the dish and at third base since being drafted. It seems the Reds are comfortable playing Farmer just about anywhere on the infield; he could be an interesting asset if he’s able to improve upon last year’s tepid offensive showing.
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