Dodgers: Three Big Questions Left For the Second Half of the Season

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the second inning of the MLB game against the San Diego Padres during the MLB game at Dodger Stadium on July 06, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

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LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 19: Rich Hill #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on June 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Will Rich Hill return to the rotation and can he stay healthy?

One of the few curveballs thrown at the Dodgers in the first half was a forearm strain for Rich Hill. As things stand now, Hill is supposed to pick up a baseball soon and begin working his way back to the rotation. Dave Roberts has said that a September return remains the proposed timeline for Hill’s recovery.

Returning in September leaves Hill with little margin for error in his recovery. He will need to return by early September to begin working up his pitch count and showcase himself for the fourth spot in the Dodgers’ playoff rotation. If he proves to be healthy the spot is his to lose, but if he has a setback or doesn’t pitch effectively then LA will need to find a new fourth playoff starter.