The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped the second of a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night after starter Kenta Maeda was forced to leave the game in the second inning with a right hip strain.
With the Dodgers bullpen as taxed as it currently is, the organization opted to recall one of their top pitching prospects, Dennis Santana, ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Phillies.
Santana does not get the start in the game though, with Ross Stripling taking the mound for his sixth start of the season. Stripling has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball this year, going 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA, 1.98 FIP and 1.19 WHIP in 16 appearances (five starts).
He has struck out 50 compared to nine walks in 41.1 innings. Stripling has been nails while pitching at Dodger Stadium, posting a 1.37 ERA in 19.2 innings. He also has fared well in his five starts, pitching to a 2.42 ERA.
Santana could very well be following Stripling in the game, and if so it would be his first relief appearance of the season. In 10 starts between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, he is a combined 1-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, with 65 strikeouts and 16 walks in 49.2 innings pitched.
Getting the start for the Phillies is right-hander Zach Eflin, who was a Dodger for a very short period of time. Eflin came over to Los Angeles along with Yasmani Grandal in the trade that sent Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres.
He was then dealt to Philadelphia just a couple days later in the trade that brought Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers.
Eflin has made four starts for the Phillies this season, going 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA, 3.07 FIP and 1.18 WHIP with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 innings. He has also made four starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, posting a 4.05 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
The 24-year-old has faced the Dodgers twice in his career and hasn’t fared well. He has given up 11 hits and nine runs in 10 innings, which amounts to an 8.10 ERA.
The middle of the Dodgers lineup, Yasmani Grandal, Matt Kemp and Cody Bellinger, are a combined 3-for-10 against Eflin, with all three of them taking him deep once.
Breyvic Valera, who was recalled from Oklahoma City on Tuesday, gets his first start of the season for the Dodgers. His is playing third base as Justin Turner gets a day off.
Phillies young star Rhys Hoskins is out of the lineup once again in this game after fouling a ball off his face in the series opener. He hit a pinch-hit double in Tuesday’s game, although he is now likely headed for the disabled list.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
1B: Max Muncy
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Matt Kemp
CF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Chris Taylor
3B: Breyvic Valera
2B: Logan Forsythe
P: Ross Stripling
Phillies lineup:
2B: Cesar Hernandez
CF: Odubel Herrera
1B: Carlos Santana
RF: Aaron Altherr
LF: Nick Williams
SS: Scott Kingery
3B: Mitch Walding
C: Jorge Alfaro
P: Zach Eflin
