Dodgers go with relative unknown Ross Stripling as fifth starter
The Los Angeles Dodgers have had some hard luck with injuries to pitchers this spring raising questions about who would fill the back of the starting rotation.
Those questions were answered Friday — at least for now — when manager Dave Roberts named 26-year-old right-hander Ross Stripling the club’s fifth starter heading into the season next week.
You’re probably asking yourself, who? That’s understandable.
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Stripling never has pitched above the Double-A level but he made the most of his opportunities this spring winning the job over Carlos Frias and Zach Lee, both of whom started games for the Dodgers last season. Stripling is scheduled to make his major league debut April 8 in San Francisco and where he goes from there likely depends on how well he handles it.
Stripling was born in Pennsylvania, attended high school in the Dallas area and went to Texas A&M for college. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round in 2012 and has appeared in 55 minor leagues for the organization since then.
The reality is he wouldn’t be in this position at this point in his career if not for the rash of injuries that have hit the Los Angeles roster this winter and spring.
Los Angeles has gotten what it wanted and what was expected from ace Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda this spring. Maeda is now expected to be the No. 2 starter to open the season with Hyun-Jin Ryu continuing to deal with shoulder issues, Brett Anderson shelved with a bulging disc, Mike Bolsinger on the DL with an oblique strain and Brandon McCarthy out with Tommy John surgery.
Scott Kazmir and Alex Wood will be the third and fourth starters respectively.
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Stripling returned from Tommy John surgery last season and pitched 71.1 innings in the minor leaves with a 3.66 ERA with 59 strikeouts. he gave up five earned runs in 11 innings this spring finishing with a 4.09 ERA.
While Stripling will open the season as the team’s fifth starter, he is unlikely to still be pitching in September if the team is making a playoff run, no matter how well he does. He will be on an innings limit this season and likely won’t exceed 150 innings.
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Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
