Cleveland @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2024 ) Cleveland 3, LA Dodgers 1
Running thin on options in the starting rotation, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have left-hander Justin Wrobleski make his return, even after he was sent back to the minor leagues this week following a disastrous outing.
Wrobleski (1-2, 6.82 ERA) will start Saturday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians, less than a week after the rookie was rocked in an outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He gave up 10 runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings of the 14-3 loss on Sunday.
The following day, Wrobleski was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City, but the Dodgers need him again after right-hander Gavin Stone went on the injured list Friday with shoulder inflammation.
Pitching injuries, especially among starters, are not exclusive to the Dodgers, although the National League West leaders have been hit especially hard.
With Stone's injury, every Dodgers starter has now been on the IL, with the club's top two pitchers -- Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto -- still out. Yamamoto is expected to return from a rotator cuff injury Tuesday after missing three months.
"We're going to have enough pitching," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday. "The names might be a little bit different. I don't think anyone knows who or who's not going to be part of it."
The Dodgers' injury woes increased Friday when cleanup hitter Teoscar Hernandez was hit in the left foot by a pitch and is expected to go on the injured list. X-rays were negative.
Wrobleski is set to make his first career start against the Guardians, just like Dodgers rookie right-hander Landon Knack did on Friday when he pitched well yet could not match Guardians starter Matthew Boyd in Cleveland's 3-1 victory.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit a home run Friday to move closer to the first-ever 50-50 season with 45 homers and 46 stolen bases.
The Guardians (81-60) have a 4 1/2-game lead on the Kansas City Royals in the American League Central, while the Dodgers (84-57) lead the San Diego Padres by four games in the NL West.
The Guardians are experiencing their own injury hiccup, with right-hander Alex Cobb bumped from his scheduled outing Saturday because of a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand.
Manager Stephen Vogt characterized Cobb's issue as minor but the club elected to not take any chances this late in the season, especially with scorching temperatures in Los Angeles this weekend that could make the blister worse.
Cleveland will now have right-hander Gavin Williams (3-7, 4.55) move up a day after he was originally scheduled to face the Dodgers on Sunday. Right-hander Tanner Bibee will assume Williams' spot Sunday. Williams faced the Dodgers on Aug. 24, 2023, and gave up seven runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-3 loss.
Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor returned Friday after missing Wednesday's game against the Kansas City Royals because of back spasms.
Cleveland's Jose Ramirez has his own line on the second 40-40 season of 2024. Ramirez stole his career-high 35th base Friday and also has 34 home runs.
"Jose is one of the best players in baseball and he doesn't get talked about enough," Vogt said. "It's been really fun to watch what he's doing. Guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark and steal bases, it's a special talent and you have two of the best going at it this weekend."
--Field Level Media