With Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler ruled out as possibilities, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was down to deciding between Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu for his Opening Day starter.
Hill may have been the favorite to receive the nod, but suffered a sprained MCL while throwing one of the final pitches of a Cactus League start on March 17. Hill still experienced pain in a bullpen session two days later, prompting an MRI that revealed the injury.
Thus, he too was eliminated from consideration for a start on Opening Day and began the season on the 10-day injured list because of the strained left knee.
Saturday saw Hill throw his first bullpen session since the injury, which went well but still has the veteran left-hander seeking a solution with his knee brace, per Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times
Rich Hill settled on one word to summarize his 20-pitch bullpen session at Coors Field on Saturday afternoon. “Uneventful,” Hill said, “which is good.”
“The brace is pretty constricting so it’s something we’re still trying to get that out and figure out what are the right kind of adjustments [that] maybe need to be made,” Hill said. “Because I put it on, it feels right, and then you go and throw and it slides around and it moves and it drops and whatever it does. So that’s what’s been that we’re trying to make as consistent as possible too.”
Hill was initially scheduled to throw his bullpen early last week but instead opted for another session of catch on flat ground. He and the Dodgers maintained the delay and change in schedule was not indicative of a setback.
“I know it’s been a slow process of healing, but it has been consistently getting better every single day,” Hill said at the time. “It’s something I’m excited about. My arm feels great, body feels great. My knee is coming along well.”
If there’s an obstacle, it’s with the knee brace he’s been fitted with. Hill has voiced his frustration with some of the discomfort it’s causing and didn’t seem keen on potentially wearing it once he’s reinstated.
