Assuming full health holds up throughout camp, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have an abundance of starting pitchers to select from in order to round out their rotation come Opening Day of the 2017 season.
Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda are locks, which leaves 40 percent of the rotation to be determined. Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brock Stewart, Ross Stripling and Alex Wood reported to camp vying to fill the remaining two spots. To a lesser degree so too is Julio Urias, though he’s a candidate to remain in extended Spring Training.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said there is not a set timeline on when decisions pertaining to the rotation would need to be made. However, he added body of work throughout the spring will play a factor.
Kazmir and Ryu were the first pitchers to face live hitters in camp, with each throwing on Sunday. After his session, Ryu expressed confidence in being part of the Dodgers rotation come Opening Day, according to Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
Hyun-Jin Ryu says he feels like he can be ready to make the Dodgers rotation to start the season. He threw live BP today.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) February 19, 2017
For that to become a reality, Ryu acknowledged he must demonstrate the ability to remain healthy and pitch well, via Eric Stephen of True Blue LA:
Ryu, who has 1 MLB start in last 2 seasons: "There are definitely things I have to prove to the organization to make the starting rotation."
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) February 19, 2017
Separate arm injuries have limited Ryu to just one start over the past two seasons. He missed all of 2015 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, then was unable to pitch again after debuting last season due to left-elbow trouble that eventually required an arthroscopic debridement.
Ryu trained in Japan during offseason and began throwing bullpen sessions in January. He was said in better shape than year’s past at that point.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the club had received positive reports on Ryu’s throwing sessions, but the club ultimately would not be able to make a full judgement until watching him in camp.
Ryu went a combined 28-15 with a 3.17 ERA, 2.97 FIP and 1.19 WHIP, throwing 344 innings and making 56 starts through his first two seasons with the Dodgers. The 29-year-old is owed $7 million this season and next, and his contract includes performance bonuses.
