Having used five relievers in a shellacking at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the series opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers hoped to get length and quality innings out of Kenta Maeda on Saturday.
Instead, the Diamondbacks turned Chase Field into a mock Home Run Derby. Maeda only managed to go five innings, matching his longest outing — previously done so twice — this season. He was spotted a lead by Kiké Hernandez’s home run that opened the game.
The Diamondbacks hit back-to-back home runs and led, 3-1, after the first inning. According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intimated Maeda might not make his next turn in the rotation
“We’re definitely going to hang with him,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We’re going to talk and see what’s best. Long term — yes. Short term — we’ll have a conversation and see what’s best for him.”
The right-hander would next start on Thursday in the four-game series finale against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Maeda allowed five runs on nine hits in 2.2 innings last season in what’s his only career start at the Giants’ home stadium. The outing was Maeda’s last of the 2016 regular season.
Maeda’s Achilles’ heel has largely been lack of an effective fastball and missing over the plate. Three of the homers the Diamondbacks hit were on a fastball.
Beyond the career-high four home runs allowed in the Dodgers’ 11-5 loss to the Diamondbacks, providing length has been a challenge for Maeda. Including the postseason, he last completed more than five innings in a start on Sept. 11, 2016.
While the Dodgers may envision skipping Maeda in his next start, doing so is much easier said than done. Their ballyhooed depth has already been stretched thin, as Scott Kazmir and Brock Stewart remain on the disabled list.
Hip tightness forced Kazmir to an early exit in an extended Spring Training game, and Stewart is targeting a return from shoulder inflammation in late May. Julio Urias might soon join the Dodgers, and though he’s lined up to start on the same day as Alex Wood — Wednesday — the young left-hander might instead take the ball on an extra day of rest.
