Although Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Rich Hill would potentially throw a bullpen session early this week, his first since suffering a strained MCL, that has been pushed back to the weekend.
Instead, Hill will again throw off flat ground Wednesday, and is targeting Saturday for a bullpen at Coors Field. “It was a very soft kind of schedule; it was tentative when we would throw that bullpen,” Hill explained of the change.
“This is a situation I feel that if you take one or two extra days and make sure it’s 100% healed as opposed to rushing, even if it’s only a day or two earlier, that you can be back to square one. I feel comfortable with that, as much as I want to be out there competing and helping us win games.”
Roberts echoed Hill’s sentiment. “With Rich and all of our guys, there’s kind of a plan but you have to be willing to adapt,” Roberts said. “With him, as he’s coming back, when he’s ready to get off the mound, that’s the day he’s going to. Right now, we pushed it back a little bit.
“It’s just got to feel right. It’s not necessarily any type of setback; it’s just so unpredictable. Right now, as we set the calendar, Saturday looks like the day. If that’s the day, great, if not then we’ll adjust again.”
Hill and Roberts maintained the change in schedule was more erring on the side of precaution and not indicative of any sort of setback. “Everything feels great, everything is going in the right direction,” Hill said.
“I know it’s been a slow process of healing, but it has been consistently getting better every single day. It’s something I’m excited about. My arm feels great, body feels great. My knee is coming along well.
“The way I would look at it is, the flat ground was good the other day, we’re going to do another one, and then getting off the mound is a test because you’re going to put more stress on that ligament. As far as the healing process has gone, it’s been substantially much more optimistic than when it first happened. I’m pleased with the way it’s been healing the last three or four days. The big test is to get off the mound and see how it responds.”
Hill’s preference is to not require a rehab assignment prior to being reinstated from the 10-day injured list but he is understanding that one is likely. Roberts did not fully commit to such, though intimated it would be likely.
