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          Stats & Info

          Who misses the other more: Zack Greinke or the Los Angeles Dodgers?

          Zack Greinke's tenure with the Diamondbacks started slow, but has begun to pick up steam. Wil Perez/Icon Sportswire
          • Lee Singer
          Jun 13, 2016, 10:18 AM ET

          Zack Greinke is scheduled Monday to make his first start against the Los Angeles Dodgers since leaving Los Angeles and signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason.

          After a slow start to his Diamondbacks career, Greinke has started to hit his stride, posting a 2.57 ERA over his last eight starts (he had a 6.16 ERA in his first five starts). One key to Greinke's rediscovering himself has been the re-emergence of his slider. He has thrown it 24 percent of the time over his last eight starts (up from 18 percent in his first five), including 33 percent in his last start, his second-highest percentage in the last four seasons.

          Greinke was one of the elite starters in baseball during his three seasons with the Dodgers. He had the best win percentage of any pitcher over the past three seasons and ranked in the top four in ERA, WHIP and opponents’ OPS.

          Greinke’s run with the Dodgers was one of the best by any starter in franchise history. Greinke is one of three Dodgers starters to post a 2.30 ERA or better over a three-season span since the team moved to LA in 1958. Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw are the other two.

          Greinke teamed with Kershaw to form one of the best duos in baseball, ranking 1-2 in the majors in ERA during Greinke’s time as a Dodger. The duo combined for a 2.10 ERA, with the Dodgers winning 68 percent of their starts; all other Dodgers starters had a 4.03 ERA over that span.

          Who misses the other more this season: Greinke or the Dodgers?

          The argument for Greinke

          Greinke currently has a 3.84 ERA, which would be his worst over a full season since 2010.

          He went from a pitchers’ ballpark in Dodger Stadium to a hitters’ haven in Chase Field. Greinke has already allowed as many home runs in eight starts at Chase Field this season as he did in 17 starts at Dodger Stadium last season (eight).

          Greinke went from having a catcher regarded as one of the best pitch-framers in baseball (Yasmani Grandal) to one of the worst (Welington Castillo). Last season, Greinke ranked 14th among starting pitchers in runs saved above average from pitch framing (4.9); this season he ranks 65th (-0.5).

          The argument for the Dodgers

          That the Dodgers miss Greinke can be measured pretty simply: The Dodgers are 12-1 when Kershaw starts this season and 21-30 when anyone else does.

          Dodgers starters not named Clayton Kershaw have combined for a 4.18 ERA, below the National League average.