With only nine games remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still sorting through options for a fourth starter in a potential postseason rotation. On Thursday, Brett Anderson was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list.
He faced the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a four-game series, and allowed four runs on six hits (one home run) and had two strikeouts in five innings. The outing was Anderson’s first in the Majors since Aug. 22, and just his third start of the season.
“I kind of look at this as my first actual start with everything being healthy and feeling good,” he said after the Dodgers’ come-from-behind win. “Execution still wasn’t where I would like it to be, but it was closer.”
Anderson specifically lamented two pitches — a fastball that Nick Hundley hit for an RBI double, and a hanging breaking ball DJ LeMahieu homered on. Hundley’s hit was the second of three straight for the Rockies in the second inning.
“Outside of that second inning, I thought he threw the ball well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “For his first start back, I thought it was pretty good.” Anderson bounced back to set the Rockies down in order in the third.
He retired nine of the last 11 batters faced. Anderson missed the first four and a half months of 2016 while recovering from March 3 arthroscopic back surgery to repair a bulging disc. Each of his previous two starts were cut short due to injury.
“It’s finally good to not be a full detriment to the team. I’ll take the positives out of it more than the negatives,” Anderson said. “My body feels good. I still feel like I’m a good pitcher when I’m able to go out there healthy.”
The Dodgers now hand the ball to Scott Kazmir on Friday night, and it’s possible Brandon McCarthy will sneak a start in prior to season’s end. Anderson said he’s aware of the auditions essentially being held, but is “happy to be out there and not have to worry about the blister, back, or wrist. Just go out there and worry about executing pitches.”
