Under The Knife 5/22/23

Pitch Clock Blues

In lieu of an intro, read Travis Sawhick’s great article on injuries and the pitch clock, then, let’s get right to it:

JULIO URIAS, SP LAD (strained hamstring)

Note what I said in the Sawchik article above: I’m watching the leg injuries, and here we have a hamstring strain to one of the few Dodgers left standing, and arguably their best pitcher, Julio Urias. It’s said to be a simple strain and that it won’t be much longer than the minimum 15, but overall, it’s not good to ever lose an ace, let alone when so many others are down.

Losing him to a leg injury is especially worrisome, in that it’s a clear sign the team’s energy levels are trending down. I’ve watched the game and don’t see a single incidence where I can say “oh, there’s where the injury happened”, which to me usually means it happened before and he’s pitching through it. Given how off he was (but still good), that seems likely.

That means the Dodgers rotation is decimated, down to a Clayton Kershaw that the team knows could break any second; Tony Gonsolin, who missed the start of the season; Noah Syndergaard, who hasn’t thrived or even changed as a Dodger; and Gavin Stone, who’s made one career start. That’s not what you think would hold a lead in the NL West, but stranger things have happened in baseball. I think the Dodgers are going to have to make an acquisition sooner rather than later and this Urias injury only reinforces that belief.

Bobby Miller will be called up to start on Tuesday, drawing Spencer Strider for his debut. The Dodgers certainly hope he’s a long term solution, but the big righty has to stay healthy as well but the 2020 draftee has only has some minor issues while on his way to LA.

PEYTON BATTENFIELD, SP CLE (inflamed shoulder)