The Los Angeles Dodgers have been plagued by a number of injuries to their starting rotation in recent weeks, but things are beginning to look up as a couple are finally getting healthy.
The club recently saw the return of Kenta Maeda, who logged five innings pitched against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Rich Hill may soon follow suit, as he made a rehab start for High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday and came out of it without any issues in regards to his blister.
Assuming there are no setbacks, Hill could very well return to the Dodgers’ rotation as early as next week. Potentially not too far behind is Clayton Kershaw, who’s currently nursing a lower back strain that has kept him sidelined since May 31.
For Kershaw, it’s his third disabled list stint with a back injury in as many years. However, he has already resumed playing catch and threw an extended bullpen session on Wednesday — his second of the week.
Among Kershaw’s spectators was Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who came away impressed with the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s work on the mound, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“It was good,” Friedman said of the throwing session. “I wasn’t looking to see anything more than just normal delivery, ball out of hand. And those boxes were checked. … Every step along the way has been good.”
While Kershaw looked sharp, Friedman conceded that there’s still no timetable on when the Dodgers ace will return to game action.
Kershaw previously missed a month of the season after experiencing left bicep tendinitis, so the club will understandably express caution and make sure the 30-year-old is completely healthy before he rejoins the starting rotation.
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