Dodgers News: RHP Michael Grove Explains Sudden Velocity Jump During Last Outing
Michael Grove shocked the baseball world when he came out firing in his first start off the injured list against the Yankees last Saturday.
Grove, who averaged 93.9 mph on his fastball entering that start, threw three pitches at 97 mph or more in just the first inning alone, and ended up finishing with 10 such pitches across his five innings. His fastest pitch was an incredible 98.1 mph, and it was his 71st pitch of the game.
Michael Grove looks electric right now.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 3, 2023
His fastball has topped at 98.1 mph and he has four strikeouts and 11 swings-and-misses through three innings.
Outside of one mistake to Jake Bauers he has dominated this Yankees lineup. https://t.co/QqPvndeUTK
After the game, Grove was asked about this incredible jump in velocity. Surprisingly, he said it was just a “small change.”
“Really just evaluating my delivery and how to use my legs a little bit better. It was nothing crazy. It was a small change, but it let me get behind the baseball a little bit better,” Grove said. “I felt like I could get a little bit more out of my body. So just kind of breaking down and troubleshooting.”
Whatever “small change” he made seemed to work wonders, and could earn him a much longer stay in the Dodgers rotation. Julio Urias is set to return on Sunday, and one of Grove, Bobby Miller or Noah Syndergaard would have had to lose their spot in the rotation.
However, with Syndergaard now on the injured list for the time being, Grove should get an extended run in LA’s starting rotation.
As long as Grove continues to pitch well, he’ll maintain his spot in the rotation for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers are unlikely to rush Syndergaard back as they try to get him right, and both Ryan Pepiot and Dustin May are out until after the All-Star break at the earliest.
So, Grove has an incredible opportunity to seize a massive role in this Dodgers rotation.
Grove has already proved that he can not only make adjustments at the MLB level, but greatly improve his game. That’s a great sign for a young player looking to carve out a role. He made his sixth start of the season today in Philadelphia.
Clayton Kershaw Saves the Dodgers Again
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw gave his team 7 strong innings against the Reds on Thursday, saving a beleaguered bullpen and putting an end to a four game skid.
“It was huge,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They’re all big. But considering how we lost the last couple of games, four in a row, the state of the bullpen. It seems like every time Clayton is taking the mound, this is a must-win or he’s gotta go deep and cover innings. He did just that. We needed every bit of it.”
Via MLB.com
Kershaw picked up his 2,900th career strikeout on Thursday, fourth most on the leaderboard among active pitchers and 21st all-time. He’s 32 Ks behind Zack Greinke for 20th.
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