For Stripling, any opportunity is right
By Cary Osborne
One year ago, Ross Stripling viewed himself as a no-name in Dodgers Spring Training Camp. Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman had never seen him pitch in person prior to the first day he threw off a Camelback Ranch mound.
“I was trying to come in and prove something,” Stripling said.
A combination of circumstances and stuff — along with Roberts’ and Friedman’s confidence in the pitcher, who in 2014 tore his ulnar collateral ligament in Spring Training — led to Stripling earning a spot on the 2016 Opening Day roster.
One year later — after making his Major League debut with 7 1/3 no-hit innings in a rookie season where he showed value as a starter and reliever — Stripling feels he’s in a similar place to March 2016. He’s still trying to prove something.
“I think my mentality has to be the same — when you get the ball, you have to go out and get people out and have success,” Stripling said. “And that’s the way to pitch yourself into a job. I don’t think I want to view it as I have a spot and I’m going to lose it. I want to view it as the other way — like I don’t have a spot, and I have to pitch my way to it because it keeps you hungry and fighting for something.”
Stripling was the dark horse in the race for fifth starter last season when the competition included Mike Bolsinger, Brandon Beachy, Carlos Frias and Zach Lee. None of those players are with the Dodger organization today, yet again Stripling faces an uphill climb. There are two spots being jockeyed for this time around, with more distinguished competition — veterans Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Scott Kazmir and phenom Julio Urías.
“This year, there’s a lot of depth, a lot of people qualified for many roles and many spots,” Stripling said. “I’m kind of anxious to see how it plays out. They needed all that depth last year to get through the year, so I certainly understand why they keep bringing in that amount of depth to Spring Training. But now I view myself as more of a guy this year. I filled multiple roles last year, so I kind of think that’s where my value is — that I’d get as many opportunities as anybody in multiple different spots.”
Dave Roberts said Monday that Stripling could be a candidate for a bullpen spot. It’s logical. As a starter last season, the 27-year-old right-hander had a 4.52 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 75 2/3 innings. As a reliever, he had a 2.22 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 24 1/3 innings.
However, Stripling has never pitched on back-to-back days as a reliever. He has pitched on one day’s rest once in his career — in 2013, when he was in Double-A.
Stripling said he was told at the beginning of Spring Training he was competing as starting pitcher. That hasn’t necessarily changed, even though he has yet to go beyond two innings in a game this spring. With the Dodgers’ desire to conserve Urías, Kazmir working on his mechanics and McCarthy and Ryu working their way back from command and injury issues, respectively, there are no sure bets with fewer than three weeks to go before Opening Day.
Stripling prefers to be a starting pitcher. He feels that his stuff plays out better as a starter. But he has a desire that exceeds his preference — Stripling wants to make the Major League roster.
“I’d love to make the team,” he said. “I’d love to help the team win and obviously want to be in the big leagues rather than be in the minor leagues. So whatever it takes to get me there works for me.”
