BALTIMORE — The Dodgers’ pitching plans had been thrown into flux once more Friday.
The crew’s scheduled starter for his or her collection opener in opposition to the Baltimore Orioles, Tyler Glasnow, was scratched with what supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned was again tightness. And in his stead, Shohei Ohtani was tapped to fill in on brief discover, providing to take the ball two days after having his personal scheduled pitching begin on Wednesday scratched due to an sickness.
“Shohei was as much as it, feels good bodily,” Roberts mentioned. “Desires the ball tonight.”
In line with Roberts, the crew is hopeful Glasnow’s concern is just not critical. They’re concentrating on to have him pitch once more early subsequent week.
“We simply didn’t wish to put him in hurt’s approach,” Roberts mentioned. “It’s not one thing the place we acquired to the purpose the place he’s harm or something like that. It’s again stiffness. So we really feel that to not take this begin will enable him to have the ability to begin hopefully early subsequent week.”
Within the meantime, Ohtani shall be on the mound Friday for the primary time since Aug. 27, when he accomplished his first five-inning begin of the season in his continued development again from Tommy John surgical procedure.
Roberts mentioned Ohtani’s begin Friday “could possibly be somewhat shorter,” given the short-notice nature of the way it got here collectively.
However he was additionally hopeful that Ohtani’s willingness to take the mound now — versus Monday, when he had been subsequent scheduled to pitch — might present the crew a much-needed jolt, as they attempt to bounce again from a sweep in opposition to the Pirates in Pittsburgh earlier this week.
“For a man who’s a starter that’s acquired a routine, that was going to pitch a pair days later, to then change course speaks so much to what this crew wants,” Roberts mentioned. “So I anticipate our guys to answer that.”
