In a small change from what was previously outlined, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Hyun-Jin Ryu will be skipped in the three-game series with the San Francisco Giants. Kenta Maeda starts Monday at AT&T Park in Ryu’s place.
Roberts said the change is not health-related, and clarified the team is simply electing to provide Ryu with extra rest. The domino effect includes Clayton Kershaw now pitching Tuesday, instead of in the series finale.
That’s not necessarily expected to amount to the three-time Cy Young Award winner now facing the Washington Nationals, however.
With an off day Thursday, the Dodgers are tentatively planning to provide Kershaw with an extra day of rest before he faces the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, Sept. 18. He initially was receiving the additional rest before facing the Giants.
Depending on how the Dodgers align their ace over the remaining weeks in the regular season, Kershaw could last start on Saturday, Sept. 30, and take the mound in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on five days’ rest.
Maeda will face the Giants for the first time this season. He went 3-1 with a 4.58 ERA against them in 2016. Overall this season, Maeda is 12-6 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 25 games (23 starts).
Ryu is expected to start against the Nationals in the series finale on Sunday, Sept. 17. The game is part of a national broadcast for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. He threw a combined 14 shutout innings in back-to-back starts in front of an ESPN audience.
The Dodgers have utilized a six-man starting rotation during the current stretch of 17 games in 16 days, which concludes Wednesday.
