The Los Angeles Dodgers have become painfully familiar with blister trouble since trading for Rich Hill last season, as the southpaw has dealt with the issue on three notable occasions.
But on Thursday, it was Brandon McCarthy who was forced to an early exit because of a blister. Granted, it wasn’t necessarily the determining factor to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removing McCarthy after just four innings.
He’d allowed a two-run home run to Adam Wainwright, already thrown 85 pitches, and Brett Eibner represented the tying run as the pinch-hitter with nobody out in the top of the fifth.
While McCarthy was affected by a blister, he doesn’t believe the issue is comparable to what Hill has dealt with, or serious in nature, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“I’ve dealt with them before,” McCarthy said. “I’ve never had them as serious as Rich [did]. His seem to be on a different level. Hopefully this is one that they take care of, get out in front of, and a couple days later, the whole thing dries out and we move on.”
In addition to now dealing with a blister on the index finger of his throwing hand, McCarthy is also suffering from tendinitis in his knee. That forced Roberts to remove the 33-year-old after six relatively efficient shutout innings.
McCarthy said he’s dealt with the tendinitis since Spring Training. An MRI on his right knee didn’t reveal any additional injury. Assuming the blister does not force McCarthy to miss any time, and he remains on a regular turn, he’ll next start against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
