Dodgers News: Maeda, De Leon, Anderson And Others Scheduled To Pitch vs Diamondbacks

We found out a few days ago that Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda was going to start today’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but what we did not know, at least until now, is what other pitchers were going to go today for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Well, we have the full list now.

Based on the reports, it’s looking like Maeda will pitch the first two innings, much like Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir did in the first two games, and then he will come out for the rest of the game. That means that other pitchers are going to have to replace him on the mound, and we know who they’ll be.

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From Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register a little bit ago:

Also sked to pitch for #Dodgers today after Kenta Maeda – Jose De Leon, Luis Avilan, Chris Hatcher, Jamey Wright Chris Anderson (#1 in 2013)

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 5, 2016

There’s the list. After Maeda, we’ll get to see right-handed phenom Jose De Leon on the mound. De Leon is the team’s third best prospect and was a 24th round pick in 2013. Last season, the 23-year old racked up 163 strikeouts in 114.1 innings. He was fantastic. But he’s just the tip of the iceberg today.

After him, we’ll see left-handed reliever Luis Avilan, right-handed reliever Chris Hatcher, non-roster invitee and veteran Jamey Wright, and former Dodgers first round pick Chris Anderson come in for mop-up duty. Anderson hasn’t had the professional success some had hoped when the team picked him 18th overall in 2013.

Best guess is that after Maeda’s two innings, De Leon will also get two innings followed by an inning apiece from Avilan, Hatcher, and Wright. From there, it, at least for now, appears that Anderson will get the final two innings to himself unless there’s a change late in the game.

So, that’s the Dodgers’ pitching plan for today as they take on the Diamondbacks. The game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA and MLB.TV, with the first pitch being at 12:05 PM Pacific Time. It’s strictly a television game, meaning there will be no radio broadcast of it. Go Dodgers!