by Rowan Kavner
More bullpen games are ahead for the Dodgers, who had to tweak their starting pitching plans earlier this season when Dustin May was lost for the year and now must adjust again with Trevor Bauer on administrative leave.
How the Dodgers piece together their fifth spot in the rotation with Bauer out remains to be seen. Manager Dave Roberts hasn’t unveiled who will start Sunday, but the most obvious candidate to take down the bulk of innings is 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price, who started the majority of bullpen games earlier this year as the Dodgers waited for Tony Gonsolin to build up after May’s injury.
“If they want me to start, yeah, it’s an opportunity that I’ll take,” Price told reporters Saturday. “I’m sure they have four or five plans at this point. I’m sure they have a lot of things they’ve thought about doing over the next however many days we have until the All-Star break to get us to that break. If that’s me starting, then I’ll start.”
Price made three starts as an opener earlier this year, pitching as few as 1 2/3 innings and as many as 2 2/3 innings in those appearances. The left-hander has accepted a role in the Dodger bullpen this year, where 19 of his 22 appearances have occurred after spending 12 seasons — including five All-Star seasons — as a Major League starter.
He said it’s been more mentally challenging as a reliever this year. But while he does miss starting and being in the dugout with his teammates, he also understands why the Dodgers went with May and then Gonsolin in the rotation. He reiterated he’s willing to pitch in any role the team desires going forward.
“I like to see these young guys get their time out there and learn,” Price said. “That’s the only way they can get better.”
More young options could be on the way, particularly with Gonsolin still building back up after dealing with shoulder fatigue. Roberts said right-handed pitcher Edwin Uceta is expected to be recalled Sunday, giving the Dodgers another possibility for an opener in the series finale. He also said top pitching prospect Josiah Gray, who has only started one game at Triple-A this year while dealing with a right shoulder impingement, could be another option soon.
If the Dodgers do go with Price for the bulk of the innings, Roberts said he doesn’t expect him to go more than about 40 pitches. Price’s season high in a game this year is 50 pitches on June 1 — his last time serving as an opener.
Price, who hasn’t pitched since June 26, will be well-rested heading into Sunday. Roberts said there would be a cost to making Price the fifth starter, because they’ve liked having him available to impact multiple games in a week. But stretching him out as a starter is something he said the Dodger staff will likely discuss.
“Just knowing where we’re at until we get to the break, it’s going to be two days where we need a starter,” Roberts said. “So there’s not a whole lot you can do in that time.”
Quick Hit:
- Scott Alexander, who has been out since May 2 with left shoulder inflammation, is expected to be activated Monday or Tuesday.
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