Dodgers find themselves in unexpected position with rookie rotation

PHILADELPHIA — After spending millions to rebuild their starting rotation last winter by acquiring Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and James Paxton, the Dodgers did not expect to be in this position.

But they will reach the All-Star break this weekend with three rookies and an open spot in their rotation with left-hander James Paxton the only experienced starter.

“It’s one of those things – it’s where we’re at,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s an opportunity for those guys. If you had told us in spring training that we would be where we’re at with the depth of our starting pitching, I would have doubted it. But we are.

“I just look at it as these guys are getting a good opportunity in a playoff race, in a pennant race. I try not to fret too much or worry too much about the guys who can’t help us right now – hoping that they’ll be back soon.”

Glasnow could miss as little as one start and return shortly after the All-Star break. But Yamamoto has yet to begin a throwing program and has to be considered a question mark even after he returns from a strained rotator cuff. Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to re-start his rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. And Walker Buehler has taken his quest to regain his form to a training facility unaffiliated with the Dodgers’ organization.

In the meantime, Gavin Stone, Landon Knack and Justin Wrobelski (scheduled to make his second major-league start on Saturday) will hold down the rotation.

“The challenge is to let them fight through their own messes, situations, games to not protect them – quote-unquote protect them – to then open up the bruising the ego, the confidence type of thing,” Roberts said of handling a rookie rotation. “You can only do that so much because you’ve still got to take care of the guys in the ’pen. Versus the veteran guy you feel that they’ve already had the scars, the battle scars and if they’ve got to wear it, they’ve got to wear it. That’s just part of it. With the younger guys I’m more sensitive to their psyche.”

Roberts pointed to Wednesday’s game as an example. Stone ran into trouble in the fifth inning and Roberts took him out despite the fact that Stone had thrown only 77 pitches at that point.

“We’ve got a guy who can make the All-Star team in Gavin Stone. He’s having a heckuva year,” Roberts said. “But as I saw that inning play out, I thought (Anthony) Banda had the best chance to strike him out. But if you look next year or beyond, it’s a no-brainer. Gavin Stone is going to stay in the game even if his pitch count starts to get up in that particular inning. It’s just watching and trying to be sensitive to those guys.”

The Dodgers used another way to protect a rookie starter Thursday. Left-hander Anthony Banda started the game, opening for Knack so he could face the two dangerous left-handed hitters batting first and third in the Phillies’ lineup – Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

“I think Landon has pitched out of the ’pen so it really was an easy one for us today,” Roberts said. “I don’t think Wrobelski has done that so that would be a little bit more of a conversation. You want to put a younger player, certainly making his second start, in a good, comfortable spot. But going forward it’s certainly not crazy (to expect more frequent openers).”

Paxton is scheduled to start Friday in Detroit with Wrobelski going on Saturday. Sunday is likely a bullpen game.

KELLY REHAB

Veteran reliever Joe Kelly’s third rehab outing did not go well Wednesday night.

Kelly threw 25 pitches for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Only eight were strikes and he retired just one of the five batters he faced. He allowed a single, walked three batters and struck out one. All four batters he allowed to reach base eventually scored.

Kelly has been out with a shoulder injury since May 5 and is on the 60-day injured list.

“It wasn’t good,” Roberts said of the report on Kelly’s outing.

“You know, Joe is a guy that you count on in big spots and big games. He might be bored. I’m not saying it’s an excuse because it’s not because if it is it’s a bad excuse. But he might be bored.”

UP NEXT

Dodgers (LHP James Paxton, 7-2, 4.24 ERA) at Tigers (LHP Tarik Skubal, 10-3, 2.37 ERA), Friday, 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM