Dodgers News: LA Planning for Intriguing 6-Man Starting Rotation for a Bit
The Dodgers get a big weapon back today with the return of Dustin May. The lanky right-hander re-joins the rotation 15 months after undergoing season ending Tommy John surgery.
With the return of May, the Dodgers rotation gets a little more full. He joins ace-in-the-wings Julio Urias, All-Stars Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson, as well as veteran lefty Andrew Heaney. Moreover, with Clayton Kershaw sidelined, top pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot has taken a couple turns in the rotation for now. And earlier this week, Dave Roberts said that will remain the case.
The manager said that the team will keep Pepiot in the rotation once May returns which means, you guessed it, the Dodgers will be running with a 6-man rotation for at least a little bit.
Dave Roberts said Ryan Pepiot will stay in #Dodgers rotation after Dustin May returns. They will go with 6-man rotation for time being
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 17, 2022
With just seven weeks of regular season left, easing back on at least a pair of starters at the top of the rotation seems to be a focus for the LA front office. Tony Gonsolin has already thrown more innings than he ever has as a big leaguer and Julio Urias is well on his way to surpassing the 200 innings pitched mark for the first time in his career.
Dodgers Regular Season Schedule and Results
Last season, the rotation faltered in October after essentially being forced to ride Urias and Walker Buehler into the ground. And now Buehler is injured and out for the rest of 2022.
If all goes well enough, Pepiot could see another 3-5 starts with the big club before the return of Clayton Kershaw, who is currently on the injured list while dealing with a lower back issue.
All in all, the depth seems to be in a much better spot than it was a year ago. Now it’s just about keeping guys healthy and under a reasonable workload until the real season begins in October.
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