Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Rich Hill were at a loss for words in the immediate aftermath of Hill’s blister issue cropping up a mere three innings into his return. Some 24 hours later, Roberts was still without answers.
Hill was again placed on the 10-day disabled list. Whereas there was optimism and expectation for a quick return from the first DL stint, uncertainty is now abound. “We’re trying to figure out how to rest, because 10 days wasn’t enough,” Roberts said.
“I know he played catch [Monday] with a band-aid on it and felt good, but I can’t give a day of his return.” Hill is expected to test the blister on Tuesday with another round of catch, though sans a bandage.
What’s made his situation complex is the location of the blister. In contrast what’s common amongst pitchers, Hill’s irritation is at the pad of his left middle finger. Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt surmised it not only affects Hill’s curveball but fastball as well.
“It’s one of the more confusing injuries,” Roberts said. He reiterated the Dodgers are considering a multitude of options. Among them, albeit not likely, is shutting Hill down for an extended period of time.
But that brings its own set of challenges. “If you’re going to shut him down, you have to figure out for how long. He was shut down all winter, and [the blister] came back,” Roberts explained.
“We didn’t see this blister until his first start (this season). So you can argue that resting it isn’t the solution, because he had as much rest as he could.”
Furthermore, Hill would need to build back up to being a starter, essentially go through a second Spring Training, if he is shut down for a prolonged period. But even with that, Roberts would not fully dismiss it as an option. “Everything is on the table,” he said.
That includes potentially asking Hill to change his grip and/or placing the 37-year-old in the bullpen. Hill has already expressed a willingness to pitch in relief. Before resorting to any extreme measures, the Dodgers will first attempt to nurse Hill back to his starting role.
“We want to give him the ample opportunity to reset it and heal it,” Roberts said. “Once he does that, going on a rehab assignment and seeing if it will hold, then it will give us an opportunity to figure out what’s best for our ballclub. Rich, to his credit, is open to anything.”
