Dodgers Rotation Update: Rich Hill to Return This Sunday

The Dodgers’ healthy rotation is going to get an extra dose of fire this weekend. Rich Hill will make his season debut in Los Angeles after missing the first few weeks of the season with a left knee MCL strain.

Dave Roberts said Rich Hill will start Sunday in Los Angeles.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) April 23, 2019

Rich Hill was long considered to be the main guy for starting on Opening Day after Clayton Kershaw went down with a shoulder injury. The 39-year-old journeyman had a good Spring showing, tossing 11 innings allowing four runs, and did not allow a walk. Hill got a few rehab starts in before getting the move back to the big league club, most recently throwing to a bunch of kids at Camelback Ranch in Arizona.

Rich Hill reluctantly went and made an additional rehab start against extended spring training hitters and struck out 16 in 6 innings and that is hilarious.

— Joe Davis (@Joe_Davis) April 23, 2019

Sixteen strikeouts in any setting is pretty ridiculous, but to do it in extended Spring Training is pretty hilarious. Imagine Rich Hill, in all of his fire and passion, blowing batters away and buckling their knees. He allowed just one jam-shot single (by his recollection), and was absolutely dominant. This comes just a few days after an equally dominant outing at High-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Hill will jump back into a rotation consisting of Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill, and Kenta Maeda. No corresponding move has been made for Ross Stripling, but it is likely that he will move back onto a long-relief type of role. Julio Urias made the move back to the bullpen when Kershaw returned early last week.

The Dodgers have one of the best starting rotations in the National League up to this point, ranking fourth in earned run average and second in batting average against.