While the Los Angeles Dodgers opened Spring Training with a bevy of options to fill out their starting rotation, performance and injuries removed some of the candidates. Scott Kazmir and Brock Stewart were among the Dodgers to begin the season on the 10-day disabled list.
The team’s first DL move once the season began was put Rich Hill on the 10-day DL because of a blister on his left middle finger. Hill’s stint on the disabled list was retroactive to April 6, which makes him eligible to be activated on Sunday.
The veteran left-hander missed a previously scheduled turn in the rotation against the Chicago Cubs, and was hopeful that would be the extent of it.
After testing his blister by throwing a bullpen session on Thursday, Hill said he will indeed come off the DL to face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Easter, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:
Rich Hill said he starts Sunday. #Dodgers
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 14, 2017
While the injury was a reminder of last season’s chronic blister trouble that sidelined Hill for five weeks, both he and the Dodgers maintained the latest issue was not serious. The 37-year-old even offered to pitch in relief as opposed to going on the disabled list.
The Dodgers will need to make a corresponding move in order to activate Hill on Sunday. They currently have an eight-man bullpen, as Josh Fields replaced Hill on the roster last week. Fields was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday so that Pedro Baez could be reinstated.
