The Los Angeles Dodgers reinstated Brandon McCarthy from the 10-day disabled list and optioned Scott Van Slyke to Triple-A Oklahoma City. McCarthy starts Saturday in a nationally televised game against the Kansas City Royals.
He returns after landing on the DL on June 26 due to right knee tendinitis. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts projected the right-hander would be activated “10 or 11 days” from this DL stint beginning.
While it was tendinitis that sidelined McCarthy, the roster move did come one day after he lost control against the Colorado Rockies and threw threw wild pitches.
The sequence was similar to the yips that derailed McCarthy last season, though he and Roberts maintained the trouble is not the same situation.
McCarthy threw a four-inning simulated game earlier in the week with High-A Rancho Cucamonga. On the season, the 33-year-old is 6-3 with a 3.25 ERA, 3.19 FIP and 1.11 WHIP in 13 starts.
Van Slyke is sent back to Oklahoma City two days after he was recalled. Van Slyke drew a walk as a pinch-hitter on Thursday, but was soon after picked off first base.
He’s 5-for-41 with one double, two home runs, three RBI, seven walks and 15 strikeouts in 48 plate appearances over 29 games (seven starts) with the Dodgers this season.
