The Los Angeles Dodgers shuffled their starting rotation to provide Noah Syndergaard with extra rest to continue working on his mechanics and have a mental break, but his return to the mound only lasted one inning.
Prior to throwing his first pitch of the game, third-base umpire Alfonso Marquez checked on Syndergaard and motioned to the dugout. Syndergaard walked off the field with a Dodgers trainer in order to receive treatment for a blister on his right index finger.
He allowed a leadoff single and walked Jesse Winker to put two on with nobody out, but escaped the small jam with the Dodgers’ 2-0 lead intact.
However, Syndergaard was removed from the game and replaced by Phil Bickford for the start of the second inning. A SportsNet LA camera captured Syndergaard showing his bloodied index finger in the dugout. The Dodgers’ initial statement on Syndergaard coming out of the game was due to a cut on his finger.
The severity would appear to suggest that the 30-year-old is likely going to miss an extended period. The Dodgers experienced similar trouble with Rich Hill after acquiring the veteran left-hander from the Oakland Athletics in August 2016.
If an opportunity is created in the Dodgers starting rotation, it presumably would be filled by Gavin Stone returning from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Michael Grove (right groin strain) and Ryan Pepiot (left oblique strain) are not close to beginning respective rehab assignments.
Syndergaard enters Tuesday’s start with a 1-3 record to go along with a 6.12 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
Dodgers confident in Noah Syndergaard
Despite some of Syndergaard’s struggles and inconsistency this year, manager Dave Roberts recently expressed confidence in the right-hander.
“My expectation is he’s going to have a lot of leash. I think he’s earned it,” Roberts said during the weekend.
“It’s not always linear as far as how players perform, but he’s really given himself to us as far as being open to trying to get better. So for me, it’s day-to-day, but I’m expecting him to pitch well and pitch well for us the rest of the season.”
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