The Los Angeles Dodgers have made an addition to their bullpen, bringing in a pitcher for the third time who is a new face on the 40-man roster. Conner Greene was placed on the active roster prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Greene was a waiver claim from the Orioles, with the Dodgers making the acquisition on Monday. The right-handed pitcher had an ERA of 14.73 in three games as a rookie prior to his joining L.A. He allowed six runs on seven hits in 3 ⅔ innings with five strikeouts and a walk. The 26-year-old Santa Monica High School graduate will hope to fit right in with the Dodgers as he grew up as a fan of the team.
“We had a good chat earlier,” manager Dave Roberts said on the back of the development. “He’s got really big stuff, with the fastball, a couple of breaking balls, and a changeup. I think for us, and my message to him, and from the pitching coaches, was just go be yourself, let us support you, and help us support you to get outs.”
The Dodgers went into their match with the Phillies as the 20/29 favorites – the opposition was attached to odds of 5/4. The best online sportsbooks have the Dodgers as the favorites for the World series too, at 10/3. The Houston Astros are next in such regard at 11/2.
The Dodgers have also welcomed the likes of Kevin Quackenbush and Justin Bruihl, with the players called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City and added to the roster this past weekend. Both players pitched on Sunday, taking the team’s number of used pitchers to a franchise-record 32 on the season.
Greene, meanwhile, will wear the No.71 for Los Angeles and has an option year left after using options in 2018 and 2019. The team sent outfielder Zach Reks to Triple-A Oklahoma in order to make room for Greene on the roster. Roberts now has 13 pitchers and 13 position players, including nine relievers, at his disposal. However, it could be a different case by Thursday, depending on whether the team opts to use a bullpen game or fifth starter to come into the rotation for the series finale against Philadelphia.
Mitch White is available as a part of the taxi squad after pitching five innings on August 5 in Oklahoma City. Roberts has said he’s going to be in play. Using a fifth starter or bullpen game will afford Julio Urias and Walker Buehler an extra day of rest. It will be much harder to get those moving forward as the Dodgers are embarking on a 23-day period during which they will be playing 22 games.
Mookie Betts Scratched
In other news, Mookie Betts has been scratched from the team’s lineup; the outfielder is looking at a move to the injured list. Betts has been dealing with a right hip problem and it has been a problem for most of the second half of the campaign. The player came in on Monday’s day off and complained about soreness in the area.
“Just achy, sore; basically can’t play,” Roberts said. “I don’t know what other tests we’re going to do, but to envision an IL happening, it’s very probable. … I’m frustrated for Mookie, because he wants to go out there and he can’t physically do it.”
The team referred to the injury as “inflammation” when the outfielder was put on the injured list in July yet a cortisone injection did not make it any better. Asked if another shot was a possibility, the manager said everything is on the table, though surgery doesn’t seem to be an option right now. Betts could go under the knife at the close of the season, however.
“I think that as we go forward, get through the season, I’m sure that will be discussed,” he explained. “I don’t think anyone knows what type of surgery that would require.”
Betts, 28, featured in three games on the back of the All-star break prior to finding himself on the injured list, returning on August 1st and playing five games before getting the day off on Sunday.
Roberts is worried the hip problem could be one the team will have to deal with for the rest of the season if Betts does return to the IL.
“We’ve given it days, and it almost seems like when he comes off the off-day, it’s worse,” he lamented. “I think everything’s on the table right now. We’re having conversations, tests, and I think we’ll know more later.”
