Editorials

Dodgers News: Zack Greinke Scratched From Scheduled Start

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE (Sept. 23, 3:00 p.m. PT): The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Carlos Frias will start Wednesday’s game in place of Zack Greinke. The start is Frias’ first with the Dodgers since June 30.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers scratched Zack Greinke from his scheduled start Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to calf soreness. A replacement has yet to be named. Greinke is expected to make his next start on Sept. 28 against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.



“It’s pretty minor,” Greinke answered when asked about the severity of his right calf soreness. “There’s a little discomfort.” Greinke said the soreness pales in comparison to what he battled in Spring Training last year. “It was worse then,” he said.

Greinke felt the tightness in his last outing and altered manager Don Mattingly of the issue in the days after the start. Mattingly said prior to Wednesday’s game scratching the right-hander was primarily done out of precaution and the club expects him to make his next turn, which is a sentiment Greinke echoed.

The Dodgers hold a still-comfortable six-game lead in the National League West and their magic number to clinch a third consecutive division title is down to seven with 12 games remaining on their regular season schedule.

However, the Dodgers have hit a bit of a lull, losing their last four contests — all at Dodger Stadium. The four-game home losing streak is the longest of the season for the Dodgers, and it’s one game shy of their overall season-high five-game losing streak (Aug. 18 – Aug. 23).

With Greinke and Clayton Kershaw due up next in the rotation, the expectation largely held the Dodgers would right the ship beginning Wednesday night and continuing Thursday before beginning a seven-game road trip Friday.

Missing a start may also have an impact on Greinke’s chances of winning the NL Cy Young Award as he’s locked in a tight race with Kershaw and Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who threw a complete-game shutout Tuesday night to record his 20th win of the season. Though it may also very well improve Greinke’s chances of ending with a historically-low ERA.

On the season Greinke is 18-3 with an MLB-best 1.65 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. Of note for the Dodgers, they entered Wednesday with just a half-game lead over the New York Mets for home-field advantage in the expected NL Division Series matchup.

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