Of the four players the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, only Rich Hill has yet to appear in a game with his new club.
Hill was the Dodgers’ answer to addressing a starting rotation that’s been ravaged by injury, struggled to pitch deep into games, and placed plenty of stress on the bullpen. However, the southpaw continues to be plagued by blister issues.
Hill was dealing with the effects of a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand at the time he was traded to the Dodgers.
He’s since developed remnants of a second blister after throwing at Dodger Stadium ahead of what was believed to be a target start date. Thus, Hill’s debut with the Dodgers was pushed back.
The southpaw was slated to take the mound Friday, but the start instead will be made by Ross Stripling, according to Andy McCullough of the LA Times:
Ross Stripling will start Friday. Rich Hill still isn't ready. "We don't have a date for when Rich will pitch for us," Dave Roberts said.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) August 10, 2016
Hill played catch on flat ground Tuesday afternoon but didn’t throw a bullpen session, as was previously planned. While throwing, Hill was watched by trainers and looked at his left hand on multiple occasions.
The southpaw said skipping the bullpen session was a precautionary measure and expressed confidence he’d start Friday. Hill last pitched in a Major League game on July 17 — though only threw five pitches before exiting because the blister ripped open.
His last true outing was July 7. As for Stripling, the start will be his second since he was recalled July 23. Los Angeles optioned Stripling to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 2 but recalled him Aug. 6 to start in place of an injured Bud Norris.
Stripling this season is 3-3 with a 3.79 ERA in 13 games (nine starts).
