PITTSBURGH -- The Los Angeles Dodgers know who will not be starting on Wednesday at Milwaukee. Tougher to narrow down is who will get the ball on the next-to-last day of the road trip.
Right-hander Nick Tepesch, called up to start Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, was designated for assignment one day later. Infielder Chris Taylor was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his place on the roster.
The Dodgers will not be using Brandon McCarthy or Hyun-Jin Ryu on Wednesday. Neither is far enough along in his respective injury rehab assignment to give the Dodgers the innings they would need. Frankie Montas won’t be the guy. He had a recurrence of the rib injury that has cost him most of his season so far.
Carlos Frias or Ross Stripling don’t figure to be the guy, either. Frias was just sent down and couldn’t come back so quickly unless there was a pitching injury. Stripling was sent down to slow down his rising innings totals and has not built his innings back up to be able to start again.
Manager Dave Roberts said a bullpen day has been discussed, but without knowing how much use the bullpen will get between now and Wednesday, no commitment can be made in that direction.
“That Wednesday, we’re trying to figure out where we’re at in the pen and how we will be at that point and time,” Roberts said. “But it’s a conversation that everything should be on the table to win that day.”
The Ryu-McCarthy duo is getting close, especially the Ryu side, but there is too much risk associated with either to come back next week.
“I think it is tempting and how those guys feel and they have been there and done that, but when you are dealing with two guys who are coming off injury, to put our team in a compromising position if they can only go so many pitches, that is the question we’re weighing,” Roberts said. “But it kind of goes to where we are in the pen leading up to that Wednesday start. I think that will give us a lot more clarity on what direction we should go and can go.”
An unsettled rotation raises the question of whether Julio Urias will get another start beyond his scheduled outing Monday in Milwaukee.
“I think we’re trying to talk through that,” Roberts said. “There is no final decision yet, but these games are [as] important as any games in the season for us, especially where we’re at with the health. I think that everything should be a possibility, certainly.”