Dodgers: Rookie Dennis Santana Scratched for Soreness

Dennis Santana was scratched from his scheduled start against the Pirates on Thursday. Alana Rizzo reported he was pulled from the start due to “right lat soreness.” Dave Roberts had told Rizzo earlier that Santana was struggling to throw his slider during warmups. The Dodgers would have to resort to a bullpen game as a result.

Roberts told me that while Santana was warming up in the bullpen, his slider just didn’t look right. Didn’t elaborate as to whether he was injured.

— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) June 7, 2018

The injury could not come at a less convenient time for the Dodgers. Wednesday night’s game saw the majority of the work fall to the bullpen. Caleb Ferguson was knocked around early and pitched just 1.2 innings. Thursday afternoon’s game featured nine relievers. That was good for an all-time record for Los Angeles.

Only two pitchers were able to go more than one inning of relief in this one. Pedro Baez pitched two innings, while Erik Goeddel threw 1.2 innings. I am sure minor league help is on the way for the weekend.

Postgame Interview

Postgame, Roberts had this to say about the decision to scratch Santana last minute:

“When he tried to reach back and throw the slider there was some discomfort there.” Roberts went on to say that after repeated attempts the soreness was still present. At that point, he decided to pass on Santana, opting to platoon the bullpen instead.

Roberts stated that Santana will get an MRI when the Dodgers return to Los Angeles on Friday. It is not yet clear how serious an issue Santana’s soreness may indicate.