Can Rich Hill break DL losing streak?
So far in 2017, each pitcher that has started for the Dodgers after being on the 10-day DL have lost their first start.
Strangely enough, it started with Rich Hill who had made only start in 2017 before he found his way on the 10-Day-DL. He came back to start on 4/16 and lost 3 – 1 getting all of nine outs while giving up two runs.
Ryu was next in line. He came off the DL just in time to get his second start at Coors. Ryu lost 10 – 7 on 5/11 giving up five earned runs in four innings.
Brandon McCarthy was the 3rd pitcher to give it a shot. He came off the DL yesterday and lost to the Giants 8 – 4 on 5/15 giving up six earned runs in five innings. He wasn’t hit hard but that is baseball.
Ryu and McCarthy had both been coming off superlative starts before hitting the DL.
Hill, on the other hand, is a different blister beast. Hill will need to answer some questions:
- Can he pitch long enough to be effective in the rotation given his blister problems?
- If he alters how he throws the curve so as to minimize the effect on the blister can he also be effective?
- If he throws fewer curves so as to minimize the effect on the blister can he also be effective?
Each starter besides Kershaw is trying to make their case to stay in the rotation. Is this good or bad? To much pressure or maybe the pressure will keep everyone at a high level?
I don’t know but so far, McCarthy and Ryu have both made a case for pitching out of the bullpen. Hopefully, Rich Hill does not make the same case.
- Posted in: 2017 Dodgers ♦ Uncategorized
- Tagged: Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu, Rich Hill
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 
One pitch, one inning at a time with Hill.
Ya never know what the hell
will happen with Hill
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Those are good questions…will altering his plan to compensate for the blisters turn Hill back into a pumpkin?
You hear about pitchers getting blisters from time to time but the only other pitcher with a reoccurring blister condition that I remember was Ismael Valdes. I just googled “ismael valdes blister” and I see articles about blister issues for him written in basically every year of his career. That is a discouraging google search.
Hopefully with the reemergence of Alex Wood, the Dodgers’ season won’t hinge on the thin skin of Hill’s left middle finger.
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Yes, the Valdes blisters were frustrating. A lot has been made how Hill remade himself by throwing his best pitch the curveball more than anyone else in baseball but he has to answer if using the curveball that much is what is causing the blister. The Dodgers could really use Hill to be a part of the rotation if he can pitch like he did for Oakland. The Dodgers bet heavily that he is that guy, but the odds don’t look good that he can handle the workload, even the minimal workload the Dodgers have thrown at him since being acquired.
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