Notebook: Stewart fifth starter, González inching closer
07/25 Twins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. PT:
Chris Taylor LF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Cody Bellinger 1B
Yasmani Grandal C
Joc Pederson CF
Chase Utley 2B
Yasiel Puig RF
Kenta Maeda P
by Rowan Kavner
The mystery fifth starter has been solved.
Brock Stewart will start Wednesday, with a spot in the rotation opened up after Clayton Kershaw (back) and Brandon McCarthy (blister) went on the 10-day disabled list Monday.
Manager Dave Roberts said Monday there were a variety of options, including Stewart, a combination bullpen day or the Dodgers looking into the system to call someone up. They elected to go with Stewart and plan to use Stewart again on the next turn.
Stewart has not started a game for the Dodgers this year but has thrown at least two innings of relief in each of his six appearances this year. He hasn’t allowed a run in 13 innings. Stewart did start each of his three games this year at Triple-A Oklahoma City, throwing a season-high 52 pitches in his final start June 11, allowing one run in 3 1/3 innings.
Roberts said he’s not sure exactly how built up Stewart is yet, so he expects pitchers to throw behind him.
“To expect him to go five innings, probably unfair, depending on the pitch count,” Roberts said. “I know that he’s thrown 40-something for us, most he’s thrown is low-50s this season, mid-50s. It’ll be somewhere in the 50–60 pitch range, something like that.”
Roberts said he believes Stewart, who made seven appearances last year for the Dodgers including five starts, has similar fastball characteristics to 2016, but he believes Stewart’s change-up and slider look better.
Ross Stripling was another possibility to make the start, according to Roberts.
“But I think that having Brock, giving him a chance to potentially build up a little more made sense,” Roberts said.
González closing in on rehab assignment
Adrián González recovered nicely from a heavy workload this week, showing his manager that he’s not far off from a return.
Roberts said he hasn’t had a conversation yet with González about when specifically he’ll go on a rehab assignment, but the next road trip is a possibility.
“I wanted to get him to have a few, three, four, five days of regular team activity, be a full participant,” Roberts said. “It’ll probably be once we go on the road. We’re going to be gone and it would make sense more to get him on the road, so obviously we’ve got the Giants coming in and I think at some point in the next couple days I’ll have a conversation with Adrián.”
González last played June 11 before being tabled with a back injury. Roberts said he’ll likely need a week at the minimum of rehab assignments once he goes out.
“Where he’s at, really encouraged,” Roberts said. “It’ll be good to get him out playing, and we’ll see when we get him back.”
Kershaw update
There’s still no timetable on a return for Clayton Kershaw, who won’t pick up a baseball until he’s asymptomatic, according to Roberts.
“With this back strain, it really varies from individual to individual, so with Clayton we’re going to let the first three, four, five days kind of settle and not do a whole lot,” Roberts said. “We’ll know more as his medicine takes, and I think we’ll go from there.”
Maeda starts
Kenta Maeda makes his 16th start of the season Tuesday, coming off two straight five-inning, one-run performances.
Against the American League this season, Maeda is 3–0 with a 1.06 ERA, winning all three of his starts against the Angels, Royals and White Sox. He hast the Twins on tap Tuesday.
