Already set to begin the season without Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler not having gone through a full Spring Training, the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation took another hit when Rich Hill suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee.
Hill sustained the injury near the end of what wound up being his final Cactus League start of the year, and still felt discomfort in a bullpen session days later. That prompted the Dodgers to send the veteran for an MRI, which revealed the nature of his knee strain.
Although the injury required Hill to start the season on the 10-day injured list, he’s continued to throw and keep his arm in shape. Hill then crossed a checkpoint last weekend by throwing his first bullpen session since the sprain.
According to Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times, he’s now set for a simulated game and will then head out for a rehab start:
Rich Hill is slated to pitch in a simulated game Friday at Dodger Stadium before making a rehab start with a minor league affiliate.
Hill had hoped to avoid a rehab assignment but acknowledged the Dodgers would likely opt for him to take that path prior to being activated. It’s unclear if Hill, like Kershaw, will be required to make multiple rehab starts.
Although the Dodgers are without their top three left-handed starters, Kershaw is poised to join the rotation on Monday for his debut. Hill may not be too far behind, and the same applies for Hyun-Jin Ryu as he’s made significant progress since suffering a strained groin.
