Kyle Hurt, Gavin Stone Among Pitchers in Mix For Dodgers’ Fifth Rotation Spot

The injuries have started for the Los Angeles Dodgers, specifically with their starting pitchers.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan will begin the regular season on the injured list. The Dodgers did not want to start the season this way, but it means completion will brew for the fifth rotation spot.

According to Dave Roberts, it will be up to four starting pitchers.

All eyes will be on Gavin Stone, Michael Grove, Kyle Hurt and southpaw Ryan Yarbrough.

Stone is the one with the most promise. He is the number six ranked prospect, according to MLB.com. He’s killing it this spring training with a 1.59 ERA, a 2-0 record in three stars, four strikeouts in 5.2 innings and a 0.71 WHIP. It’s not a large sample size, but there’s no denying his stuff.

As for Kyle Hurt, the number seven prospect, he’s also a worthy candidate. In three innings, Hurt has recorded a 0.00 ERA, three strikeouts, 1.00 WHIP, and a 1-0 record in two games this spring.

We’ve seen Grove in spring and the past couple of seasons. He was solid in his outing against the Texas Rangers on Saturday. However, he is super inconsistent; at moments, he looks fantastic, and other times, he gets tattooed all over the diamond.

Finally, we have the veteran Yarbrough. The 32-year-old was brought to Los Angeles at the last trade deadline and performed just fine. This spring, he’s looked great in his outings, recording a 2.25 ERA, six strikeouts, and a 0.75 WHIP in four innings and two starts.

Whoever it is, one thing is sure: the Dodgers will need to hold their breath on their starting rotation to stay relatively healthy. The season hasn’t started, and the Boys in Blue are already suffering from injury issues. They are already without starters, such as Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.

It seems like this will be a common thing once again in 2024. Let’s hope the injuries aren’t as severe as they’ve been in the past. Buckle up for another wild ride on this front.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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