Dodgers: How to best handle eight starting pitchers

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 31: Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on August 31, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 31: Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on August 31, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
Dodgers
OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 07: Rich Hill #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 7, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Rich Hill

One of my favorite Dodgers, D. Mountain may be back in the middle of this month. Hill has pitched nearly 50 postseason innings since joining the Dodgers, and he has a sub-3.00 ERA in that span.

More from LA Dodgers News

Wow. That’s just not something that can be said about most of the Dodger rotation. The only other pitcher with that much postseason work, Kershaw, since 2016 (when Hill arrived), has actually thrown over 75 postseason innings, but not quite with the stellar ERA Hill has.

But unlike Kershaw, Hill has been hurt for most of this season. His odds of starting in the postseason, beyond a role as an opener for Gonsolin, which in my opinion makes too much sense not to happen if Hill is right, will be limited.

Hill will probably not reach double-digit postseason innings, but any innings amount he can muster in what may be one of his last hurrahs, will be important to the Dodgers.

Think back to his domination in his last playoff start, the 6.1-inning, seven-strikeout start that got blown by Scott Alexander and Ryan Madson, ultimately giving the Red Sox the 3-1 lead and the edge in the series.

dark. Next. Ferguson making a bid for October roster spot

If Hill can come back and take down the top of the order, either at the beginning or middle of the game, especially when the top of the order involves a killer lefty, he should be the man for the job.