The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to recall Landon Knack from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday to start in the series opener against Cleveland Guardians.
Knack is joining the Dodgers rotation because of Clayton Kershaw going on the 15-day injured list due to left big toe inflammation. That was caused by a bone spur in Kershaw’s toe, which cut his last start to just one-plus innings.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed after the game that Kershaw has sporadically felt the effects of the bone spur over recent seasons.
Kershaw has continued to play catch while wearing a walking boot but the Dodgers aren’t yet certain of a timeline for his potential return this season.
Meanwhile, Knack is returning after last being with the team during the middle of August.
The right-hander is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) for the Dodgers this season. While with Triple-A Oklahoma City throughout the year, Knack has gone 4-3 with a 3.71 ERA across 14 games (12 starts).
He last pitched on Aug. 28, throwing four innings out of the bullpen to piggyback with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first start of his rehab assignment.
Can Landon Knack be optioned?
The Dodgers have optioned Knack back to the Minors five separate times this season. That is the maximum number allowed per year under the collective bargaining agreement, however one of Knack’s options came after the Dodgers opened the season in South Korea with the Seoul Series.
MLB allowed for an exception to be made with players on the respective Dodgers and San Diego Padres rosters, so that being optioned after being part of the Seoul Series did not count toward the annual limit of five.
Therefore, the Dodgers can still option Knack back to Oklahoma City once more this season if they wish to do so.
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