Grove kicks off race for final rotation spot
by Christian Romo
An opening has appeared in the Dodger starting rotation, and the team has plenty of intriguing options to fill it.
Right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan will start the season on the injured list, according to Dodger manager Dave Roberts. Sheehan has been dealing with shoulder soreness. With the right-hander now out of the mix early on and Walker Buehler delayed for his 2024 regular season debut, Roberts said that starters Gavin Stone and Michael Grove are the front-runners to fill the role, with rookie Kyle Hurt and left-handed swingman Ryan Yarbrough also up for consideration.
Grove was excellent in his most recent audition, finishing his first Cactus League start on Saturday with six strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings in a 7–1 win against the Texas Rangers at Camelback Ranch. Grove came into the start having allowed six hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
“It was great today to get better results,” Grove said. “The last two or three (games) I feel like there’s been a lot of positive to take away. There’s just a couple of stretches I need to clean up — there’s plenty to work on there — but it’s been encouraging.”
Grove recorded five swinging strikeouts, showing good command of his breaking pitches. Roberts said that Grove made his best outing of the spring.
“The slider is always in play,” Roberts said. “The curveball he used a little more today. He attacked the strike zone, and (it was) a really positive outing for Michael.”
Grove made 12 starts for the Dodgers in 2023 and had a 6.75 ERA, averaging 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
“I’m just trying to make the team,” he said. “It’s going to depend a lot on who is healthy and what we look like as a team going into Korea. So I’m just going to keep trying to do my job when they give me the ball.”
Next up will be Stone, who is scheduled to pitch Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Stone has allowed four baserunners and one earned run over 5 2/3 Cactus League innings so far.
The right-hander made his MLB debut on May 3 and started four games in his debut season, finishing with a 13.50 ERA over 15 1/3 innings as a starter.
Hurt put up a Minor League-high 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings at Tulsa and Oklahoma City in 2023, later winning the organization’s Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 12, finishing an 11–2 win over the Padres with three strikeouts over two clean innings.
Hurt hasn’t allowed a run over three innings in Cactus League play over two games.
Yarbrough brings the most big-league experience among the four candidates, having made 68 starts over six MLB seasons for the Dodgers, Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays. As a starter, Yarbrough put up a 4.70 ERA over 46 innings for the Royals and Dodgers in 2023. He has given up one run over four Cactus League innings so far.
Notes
- Reliever Blake Treinen left the game on Saturday with a right rib contusion after taking a batted ball to the ribs from Ranger catcher Sam Huff in the fifth inning. He will receive an X-ray on Saturday night.
- Reliever Joe Kelly pitched a clean seventh inning, striking out two batters. He has given up four hits and one run over four Cactus League innings.
- Catcher Will Smith hit his first Cactus League home run, a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning against Ranger pitcher Diego Castillo.
