It’s no secret the 2019 season didn’t go as planned for Rich Hill as he missed significant time due to a number of injuries. Trouble arose in Spring Training and the Los Angeles Dodgers began the season without the veteran left-hander on their Opening Day roster.
Hill recovered from a flexor tendon strain to make it back to pitch in the postseason, but it was clear that he still was not 100% healthy and the result was him only lasting 2.2 innings in his lone October start.
The 39-year-old is now a free agent and has a desire to play again, whether that be a return to the Dodgers or another team taking a chance on him. His free agency stock took a bit of a hit as it was revealed he recently underwent elbow surgery.
Hill dealt with an elbow issue in June that he received a platelet-rich plasma injection for, forcing him to miss nearly three months of action. Hill previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011.
While this time he did not require a second one, he did have a procedure called “primary revision,” which is designed to fix elbow issues for players that previously underwent the full reconstructive Tommy John surgery.
This surgery does require at least seventh months of rehab, so Hill will likely not be able to pitch until June or July of 2020. Despite that, he claimed there’s been significant interest in free agency, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Hill said based on his agent’s conversations at the recent GM Meetings 10 teams have some interest in signing him.
Hill has still been a productive pitcher when healthy, so it is not all that surprising to see him receiving interest. In 13 starts this year, he went 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 4.10 FIP and 1.13 WHIP with 72 strikeouts and 18 walks in 58.2 innings.
The Dodgers are likely one of those teams that are in contact with Hill and his agent considering he has expressed desire to remain in Los Angeles after spending the last 3.5 seasons with the organization.
With Hill expected to miss half the season, a signing team presumably would receive a bit of a discount. That is another reason why the Dodgers will likely have interest in him.
They boast enough pitching depth to get through the first half of the year, which would allow for Hill to avoid rushing the rehab process. He could return and either start or relieve for down the stretch of the season as the Dodgers look to end their World Series drought.
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