The Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation has been put to the test early in the 2018 season, with four of the five starters of the Opening Day rotation already spending time on the disabled list.
The only one who hasn’t is left-hander Alex Wood, who has done a nice job of leading a rotation full of replacements in Walker Buehler and Ross Stripling. To their credit, the right-handers have stepped up to the challenge.
Wood nonetheless has dealt with some minor cramps in his left hamstring in a couple of his starts, and for that reason, his next outing this weekend against the Colorado Rockies was pushed back to Sunday.
Buehler will then start on Saturday, and Friday’s series opener may be started by recently-called up prospect Dennis Santana in what will be a bullpen game, via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
Pitching for the Dodgers will be “Johnny Wholestaff,” a group of relievers manager Dave Roberts will employ in place of left-hander Alex Wood, whose start was pushed from Friday to Sunday because of concerns over the cramping in Wood’s left leg.
“It will essentially be a bullpen day,” Roberts said. “We’ll rely on three, four, five different arms to get us through.”
The right arm of rookie Dennis Santana, one of the team’s top pitching prospects, probably will be a factor. Roberts said Santana, who was recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, could start.
If Santana doesn’t get the start, it could go to either Scott Alexander or Tony Cingrani, due to the Rockies typically having left-handed bats at the top of their lineup.
That ‘opener’ strategy is something that the Tampa Bay Rays have toyed with this season and had some success with. All 10 of Santana’s appearances in the Minor Leagues this season have been starts though, so it may make more sense to let him start and save the relievers for later in the game.
Pushing Wood back to give him extra rest is not a bad idea as the Dodgers cannot afford to lose another starter right now with Kenta Maeda recently being placed on the disabled list with a hip injury. Additionally, Clayton Kershaw came out of his start with a tight back and will undergo an MRI.
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