Brett Anderson will start for the Dodgers today in the first game of a three-game series in San Francisco against the Giants (7 p.m., SportsNet LA). Clayton Kershaw starts Wednesday.
Thursday’s starter remains TBA as of this writing.
It might be Zack Greinke, but Don Mattingly was weighing his options from the minor-league ranks over the weekend. The last time the Dodgers needed a fifth starter was last Tuesday. David Huff got the call at the last minute. Huff gave up four runs in four innings against what was supposed to be a matchup-friendly Seattle Mariners lineup, then was designated for assignment after the game.
So the decision on Thursday is far from straightforward, particularly if Mattingly is intent on giving Greinke an extra day of rest. The poll question is up. read on for a bit more on each candidate:
Zach Lee. Here’s the interesting thing about Lee, a 23-year-old right-hander: If he were making his next scheduled start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on time, he’d be on the hill today against the Nashville Sounds. As of this writing, however, Carlos Frias is listed as the starter. Lee was a first-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2010. For now, he’s listed as the starter for OKC on Wednesday.
Mike Bolsinger. The reigning Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week, Bolsinger hasn’t allowed a run in either of his first two starts. His WHIP is a microscopic 0.545. That’s a small sample size, but Bolsinger has done everything in his power to earn the call-up. The right-hander last pitched Friday, throwing five innings in Iowa.
Joe Wieland. The 25-year-old right-hander looks better on paper than in reality. He’s only allowed two earned runs and five hits in 10 innings in his first two starts at Triple-A. Statistically speaking, his stuff might play better against the Giants than Wieland’s, but that could be overthinking things. The Giants are slashing .233/.299/.341 as a team. The problem for Wieland is that he threw five innings Sunday and would be starting on three days’ rest.
Scott Baker. At one point, Baker was seen as the favorite to take the start against Seattle that ultimately went to Huff. The 33-year-old right hander has been impressive at Triple-A, allowing two earned runs, 10 hits, and striking out 16 batters in 17 innings. Similar to Wieland, his problem is that he threw seven innings on Monday and would be starting on two days’ rest.
Freddy Garcia. This isn’t inconceivable. The Dodgers lured Garcia, 38, back from Taiwan with a minor-league contract. He should be fresh since he’s only pitched two-thirds of an inning the last six days. He’s also been outpitched by everyone else on this list (7.36 EA, .286/.353/.500 opponents’ slash line). Like Baker, Garcia is not on the 40-man roster and the Dodgers would need to designate someone else — looking at you, Daniel Corcino — for assignment first.
Carlos Frias. The right-handder is on this list only because you can’t totally rule him out. He did start one game for Oklahoma City on April 10; his only other appearance at any level since spring training was a two-inning relief appearance for Oklahoma City four days ago. He’s listed as the OKC Dodgers’ starter today and that seems more plausible than San Francisco on Thursday.
Julio Urias. The name you’ve all been waiting for. Urias, a 19-year-old left-hander, would also have to be added to the 40-man roster from Double-A. He is the reigning Texas League pitcher of the week and hasn’t allowed a run in 10 ⅔ innings. In fact, he hasn’t allowed a run in a regular-season game since Aug. 13 of last season. If Urias is your pick, be prepared to explain why the Dodgers would start his free agent clock for a short-term starting assignment beginning on the road. He’s scheduled to start tonight for Tulsa, so be prepared to change your pick too.
David Huff. The Dodgers outrighted Huff to Triple-A after he was DFA’d. He hasn’t pitched since but remains in the organization. If the Dodgers decide to start a left-hander (against a Giants team that’s hit right-handers worse), it is more realistic to expect Huff to get the call-up than Urias. Both would have to be considered underdogs at this point.