The Dodgers have decided to activate Mike Bolsinger and go with a six man rotation for the time being. Bolsinger is going to be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday and start against the Angels in Anaheim. The Dodgers have a brutal slog of games over the next several weeks. They are in the midst of playing 20 consecutive games without a day off. Their next day off is not until May 26th.
The main reason for the Dodgers making the decision of using a six-man rotation is because the club is concerned about Kenta Maeda’s workload. It appears that he is having some problems adjusting to the major league schedule. Maeda coming from Japan is used to pitching once per week, instead of the typical every five days in the majors. The NPB schedule is shorter than the MLB schedule. While we play a 162 game schedule over here, the NPB plays a 144 game schedule with the starting pitchers taking the hill only once per week. This would also give Ross Stripling a chance to rest as well. He’s coming off of Tommy John surgery just two years ago and the Dodgers have kept him on a strict pitch count.
The numbers seem to back up Maeda’s stamina issue. In his four starts where he has pitched on five days or less of rest he has a 5.16 ERA. On days where he has pitched with 6 or more days of rest he has a 1.50 ERA.
Kenta Maeda
5 or less days of rest
| 1 | 3 | .250 | 5.16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.2 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 1.324 | 7.9 | 2.50 |
6 or more days of rest
| 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.50 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0.917 | 8.3 | 2.75 |
The Dodgers are even more worried after another lackluster outing from Maeda. On May 11 Maeda allowed four runs on six hits over five innings in a loss to the Mets. In last night’s loss to the Angels he lasted just four innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits. He has now lost three consecutive decisions. Overall Maeda is 3-3 with a 2.87 ERA. He’s thrown 47 innings and made eight starts.
Maeda needs some rest. The Dodgers are counting on Bolsinger to be able to step in and give them some innings. Bolsinger was recovering from an oblique injury that had sidelined him since spring training. The 28-year old right hander made 21 starts for the Dodgers in 2015 and tossed 109.1 innings of work. He posted a 6-6 record with a 3.62 ERA while striking out 8.1 per nine innings.
The Dodgers will have to clear roster space in order to activate him to the major league roster. That means somebody is going to have to be cut to make room. So expect an announcement on Wednesday evening.
Since the 20 game grind, probably not a pitcher.
LAD appears to have hired another manager who does not know when a RP does not have it and therefore can’t take them out early enough in the inning. Felony Stupid again.
These players should not even be on the team
Crawford – His time is over
Hernandez – Needs to play every day at AAA
Howell – Doesn’t have it any more
Hatcher – Never really had it
The offense seems to be taking frequent days off. Getting another arm in the rotation is good news; the bad news is Bolsinger is another guy who doesn’t often pitch deep into the game. Maybe with a six-man rotation we could get another inning out of each starter and have fewer ugly BP innings.
Snider the Angels pitcher last night, had an era of nine, and tonight’s Angel pitcher, has an era at ten.
6 man rotation does nothing to improve the Achilles heel of this team, the bullpen. That is the fastest way for the team to improve in the standings, yet the FO does zero to even acknowledge its ineptness.
Did you guys see where Yadi Molina said that the Dodgers were stealing signs from the Cardinals? Yadi said that when Kazmir was on second base, he was giving signs to Corey, when Cory was up to bat.
The trick then is to get a pitcher on second more often.
Stealing signs? No!
It’s been going on for over a hundred years.
Maeda has issues adjusting to the Major League schedule? Where have we heard that was maybe going to be a problem?
I think it should be noted that Kiké Hernandez has been in the Major Leagues for three years and has hit as high as .307. If he wasn’t brought here to play, wtf was he brought here for?
Bolsinger tonight is another reason why you just let Maeda go until he’s thrown 100 pitches. Oh wait – he’s not adjusting to one less day of rest. He of tender elbow is being asked on pitch more often. What could go wrong with that? I think we will see.
Bolsinger won’t go 6.
I just checked the odds at Vegas insider. Dodgers heavy favorites. They think Kershaw is pitching against Weaver.
Bolsinger pitches tomorrow.
I knew that.
Ok. I misread it.
Why not give Kershaw an extra day? What, he couldn’t use it?
Badger I think Maeda’s problem, is that he has lost confidence in himself.
I thought you might know, and you were just being facetious.
1. You told us so.
2. Comic relief?
3. Not sure why they would want an extra inning out of the pen either.
A 6 man rotation with 6 quality starting pitchers is a good thing but a 6 man rotation with 1 quality starter and a weak bullpen, not so much. It’s not the pitchers stamina that gets them knocked out of games early. At least that is my opinion. It is poor performance….missing locations, getting behind in the count and not missing enough bats. Adding another starter in the rotation just puts 5 games between Kershaw starts and the bullpen is still the same.
Chili I think that is a good analysis, except missing bats, when it comes to the bullpen. The front office loves strike outs, but doesn’t seem to care, about the final
Performance, when it comes to the bullpen.
Yup that’s exactly what I was thinking. An extra pitcher just gets in the way of Kershaw on the mound. How is that a good thing? Guess they can work around that.
If the ownership won’t eat $30MM on Crawford, you think they’ll eat $28MM on Friedman’s contract?
Friedman is making $28,000,000 from the Dodgers!
I thought he was doing this GM thing from his den at his house as a community service for some traffic problems he had.
You could fool me.
He makes $7mm a year. He’s a replacement level management employee so he doesn’t earn his money. He has that in common with Crawford.
Badger does he have a opt out?
Wow Trayce is starting again!
Utley, 2B
Turner, 3B
Seager, SS
Kendrick, 1B
Pederson, CF
Thompson, LF
Puig, RF
Ellis, C
Kershaw, P
Why is Howie batting fourth? He probably has the least power on the team. Even Utley will hit more HRs, then Howie.
I’m beating a dead horse but I just do not understand why a club will keep a player like Crawford around. Pay him $20MM for playing or not playing, financially it is the same for them. If they release him, some other club will pay him the $500K minimum wage to play for them. So the Dodgers don’t have to pay that amount. They can pay that amount ($500K) to a younger, better player.
I imagine both Joc and Trayce are very close to that amount. Sending Trayce down and keeping Crawford doesn’t save them a cent, but which one would you rather have on the roster?
Apparently you don’t buy the idea that Crawford, a career .290 hitter, can still hit.
Probably no better than Thompson. Do you want to talk defense?
Sure. Overrated. Except up the middle. Gotta be strong up the middle.
How’s that?
Look, I like the guy. I always have. But it’s damn near impossible to defend him anymore. If we had no other options, I’d be fine with him in left. His defense is below average, but he’s not Manny out there. If he could still hit .290 I’d live with his -0.4 dWAR. But I don’t see .290. I see maybe .270. But before he gets there, I see the DL. I play Thompson. But, you know, with FAZ making out the lineup, it’s going to be platoon. Hello Carl.