The Los Angeles Dodgers have been plagued by injuries to the starting rotation in recent weeks, losing a trio of left-handers in Rich Hill, Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu for extended amounts of time.
The constant turnover in the rotation has led to newfound opportunities for the likes of Walker Buehler and Ross Stripling, who have each helped keep the Dodgers’ depleted starting corps afloat.
Now in the wake of Kenta Maeda being placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hip strain, Dodgers pitching prospect Dennis Santana is next in line to potentially make an impact in the starting rotation.
Earlier this week, Santana received his long awaited call to the Majors and is expected to make his debut on Friday against the Colorado Rockies.
Ahead of his first career start, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Santana for not only his talent on the field, but his ability to digest information as well, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I’ve really grown fond of Dennis in the last couple of years,” said Roberts. “He’s got a live arm, a heavy sinker and a really good slider. He’s got a way about him that is very endearing. He’s a really good competitor, but he’s got a softness and likeability. He’s receptive to information and teaching and constructive criticism.”
Santana initially began his 2018 campaign with Double-A Tulsa, where he compiled an impressive 2.56 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 38.2 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts to only 14 walks.
The right-hander then earned a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he only made two starts before being called up to the Majors. In those outings, Santana posted a solid 2.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 11 innings with 14 strikeouts compared to two walks.
Most notably, Santana tossed six shutout innings while accumulating 11 strikeouts against the Nashville Sounds in his debut with the team. That performance earned him Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for May 14-20.
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