The perpetual instability of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation figures to carry into the weekend. Brandon McCarthy and Ross Stripling each threw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, while Rich Hill did not.
Hill was on track to start Friday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but that’s now going to Ross Stripling. McCarthy is slated to start Saturday but that too could change after he throws a bullpen session Thursday.
This is where Brett Anderson enters the picture. He allowed two runs and threw 71 pitches over five innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday.
“He threw well and came out of it good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. The outing was Anderson’s first with Oklahoma City, but third overall since beginning a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 28.
He conceivably is ready to be activated from the 60-day disabled list, but the Dodgers aren’t certain of when that will occur. “There are a lot of moving parts and we still have to see where guys are at,” Roberts said. “It is nice to know if we want to plug Brett in, we can do that.”
Anderson could start Saturday in place of McCarthy, or just as easily slot into the rotation on Sunday. Anderson has a 2.25 ERA in three rehab starts.
He was projected to miss three to five months at the time of undergoing back surgery in early March. The southpaw went 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.33 WHIP and led the Majors with a 66.3 ground ball percentage last season.
Anderson set career highs in 2015 with 31 starts and 180.1 innings pitched.
