The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen has been struggling without closer Kenley Jansen as of late, so with Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu coming off the disabled list, they decided to move two starters in Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling to the bullpen.
Maeda made his first relief appearance on Tuesday night, giving up the winning run to the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning of a 2-1 loss.
Stripling was originally supposed to be available on Tuesday as well, but before the game Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that he no longer would be due to a back issue that was not previously known to the public.
It turns out that Stripling’s back flared up over the weekend in Colorado, and he is now scheduled to meet with back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday, via Pedro Moura of The Athletic:
Ross Stripling is going to see Dr. Robert Watkins, a back specialist, tomorrow. His back flared up after he threw a bullpen, flew, and ate dinner at a high-top table Sunday night.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) August 15, 2018
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who has dealt with back issues each of the last three seasons, has also met with Dr. Watkins in the past, so it normally wouldn’t be a good sign if Stripling needs to see him. Stripling does not feel that the issue is that serious, though:
Stripling said the pain is in his lower back. He expressed hope he’ll be fit to pitch in a few days.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) August 15, 2018
With the Dodgers in the midst of a five-game losing streak, with the bullpen faltering in each of those games, losing someone as important as Stripling right now is not ideal for the club.
Depending on how things go with Dr. Watkins, it is entirely possible that Stripling requires a stint on the 10-day disabled list so he can get 100 percent healthy and the Dodgers can bring in an extra arm to reinforce their bullpen.
