The Dodgers have placed righty Bud Norris on the 15-day DL, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. He’ll be replaced in the rotation by Ross Stripling, at least for the time being.
Los Angeles had other pitching news as well. Just-acquired lefty Rich Hill will make his debut with the club on Sunday. And though Clayton Kershaw hasn’t yet resumed throwing, manager Dave Roberts says he’s hopeful that the game’s best pitcher will be on the hill at some point in September. Lofty prospect Jose De Leon was also considered for the assignment in place of Norris, but it seems he’ll receive at least one more minor league start before tasting the majors.
Norris, acquired recently from the Braves, has provided a 4.34 ERA in 29 frames since his acquisition. He carries an impressive 9.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in that span, and had helped to solidify a staff that has seen immense turnover. Now, Norris joins the other Dodgers arms that have cycled in and out of the rotation as health permits.
Keeping track of the comings and goings from the Los Angeles rotation has proven quite the task this year. As the team’s current depth chart shows, injury returnee Brandon McCarthy still seems a part of the staff after his poor recent outing, but he has been pushed back in favor of Hill. Even when the team’s newest hurler is activated, the team will have five legitimate MLB starters sitting on the DL. Whether or not the organization continues to seek depth in the August trade market remains to be seen, but that probably can’t be counted out at this point.