Just when it appeared matters couldn’t get any worse for the Los Angeles Dodgers and their starting rotation, they did. Dennis Santana was due to make his first MLB start Thursday in the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
But the rookie was scratched from the outing minutes before first pitch. Santana felt discomfort in his right lat while warming up, which prevented him from throwing his slider. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was forced to rely on a bullpen game for a second time in the past week.
His group of relievers did not include Tony Cingrani, who was lost to the 10-day disabled list Thursday morning because of shoulder discomfort. Moreover, the Dodgers bullpen was less than 24 hours removed from picking up for Caleb Ferguson only recording five outs.
As for Santana, he’s due to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Dennis Santana was scheduled to make his first major-league start Thursday in Pittsburgh. But the rookie was shut down while warming up in the bullpen and scratched from the start due to soreness in his right lat muscle. He will undergo an MRI in Los Angeles on Friday, the Dodgers’ overworked healthcare coverage put to the test yet again.
Santana joined the Dodgers last week and made his MLB debut by following Scott Alexander out of the bullpen in the opener of a three-game set at Coors Field.
Should he require a stint on the disabled list, the Dodgers may be forced to call on Manny Bañuelos for spot starts. Ferguson may be another option but considering his struggles, the young lefty might very well remain with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Though, Kenta Maeda is believed to be nearing a return from a hip strain. Roberts recently said Maeda will likely be the first among Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu to be activated off the DL.
