The Los Angeles Dodgers erred on the side of caution earlier this week and placed Rich Hill on the 10-day disabled list because of inflammation in his left middle finger. The trouble is not related to chronic blisters that have dogged Hill, but instead a cracked fingernail.
He voiced some frustration in being put on the DL and on Friday deemed himself capable of starting. Hill was scheduled to take the ball in the series opener against the Washington Nationals.
With the veteran southpaw on the shelf until at least Wednesday, the Dodgers simply used the off day to move their rotation up. However, that did not apply to Kenta Maeda, who is receiving an extra day of rest before his next start.
As a result, the team is in need of a spot starter for Monday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins.
A formal announcement has not been made, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did rule out Wilmer Font, Ross Stripling and other plausible options from the bullpen, per Dodger Insider:
Roberts said the Monday starter will be announced tomorrow. He said it won’t be someone from the bullpen.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 21, 2018
Roberts’ comments suggest the team will turn to calling up top prospect Walker Buehler or Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Buehler is listed as the probable for OKC’s game on Sunday afternoon.
Manny Bañuelos, who is penciled to start Monday for the Dodgers’ top affiliate, could be another candidate to instead pitch in a Major League game. However, unlike Buehler and Stewart, the southpaw is not on the 40-man roster.
Stewart last pitched Wednesday, when he allowed two runs in 5.2 innings. Stewart is 2-2 with a 4.48 ERA in 24 games (nine starts) over parts of two seasons with the Dodgers. Buehler went 1-0 with a 7.71 ERA in eight games as a call-up last season. He’s yet to make an MLB start.
