The Los Angeles Dodgers reinstated Mike Bolsinger from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, and optioned utility man Charlie Culberson to Triple-A Oklashoma City as the corresponding move to clear room for the right-hander on the 25-man active roster. Bolsinger will start Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Bolsinger won the spring competition for the Dodgers’ fifth starter job, but on March 20, the day he was effectively selected as the winner, he suffered an oblique strain while warming up for a Cactus League start.
The 28 year old began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier this month, throwing a combined eight innings and posting a 2.25 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Bolsinger had seven strikeouts to three walks, and allowed one home run.
He was scratched from a third rehab start for Oklahoma City on Tuesday so that he could join the Dodgers rotation. Manager Dave Roberts estimated Bolsinger will throw roughly 80 pitches in his 2016 regular season debut.
“We’re optimistic he’ll get us through five (innings), and hopefully beyond,” Roberts said on Tuesday. By inserting Bolsinger into the rotation, other starters will take their next turn on an extra day of rest.
“I think it helps every starter. It’s well-documented every a high percentage of starters fare better when they get an extra day of rest,” Roberts said of the decision to temporarily expand to a six-man rotation.
The first-year manager added Bolsinger was not specifically reinstated as means to provide Kenta Maeda, who has struggled in his past four starts, with the rest he grew accustomed to over eight seasons spent pitching in Japan.
As of Tuesday, the Dodgers hadn’t yet decided a course of action for Bolsinger beyond his first start. Placing him in the bullpen is one option being considered. Bolsinger was 6-6 with a 3.62 ERA, 3.91 FIP and 1.36 WHIP in 21 starts for the Dodgers last season.
Culberson, who signed a Minor League deal with a non-roster invite to Spring Training, made the big league roster out of camp. In 15 games with the Dodgers (28 plate appearances), he batted .259/.286/.333 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
The Dodgers now have 13 pitchers on their active roster.
