The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Rich Hill on the 10-day injured list with a left forearm strain, optioned Matt Beaty to Triple-A Oklahoma City and recalled JT Chargois and Josh Sborz.
Hill underwent an MRI on Thursday, which revealed a strained flexor tendon. He pitched just one inning against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday before pain forced him to an early exit. Hill later revealed he’d experienced some elbow tightness in his last two starts.
Although the veteran had managed to push through that, he felt a more intense pain after throwing a curveball to Donovan Solano in the first inning. The pitch landed for a strike but Hill walked off and around the mound before remaining the game.
Hill got through a 1-2-3 first inning, bookended with strikeouts, but signaled to the dugout after throwing a warmup pitch when he returned to the mound to start the second and was promptly removed after a brief discussion with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and a trainer.
While Hill did not feel comfortable or able to remain in the game, he voiced optimism the injury was not more than a forearm strain. Hill underwent Tommy John surgery, which he recalled was preempted by a popping feeling in his elbow, and that was not present with his latest trouble.
Moreover, Hill said a preliminary ultrasound conducted at Dodger Stadium suggested the ligament remained intact. The roster move guarantees Hill will miss at least one turn in the rotation, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Dodgers hold him out until after the All-Star break.
Beaty has impressed over separate stints with the Dodgers, batting .286/.310/.393 with three doubles, one home run and nine RBI over 23 games.
Chargois joins the Dodgers for a third time this season. He’s appeared in two games, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run) in 1.2 innings pitched.
For Sborz, it’s a second time he’s been recalled. While the Dodgers’ second-round selection in the 2015 MLB Draft was with the team for six games, he did not make his MLB debut. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 25 games for Oklahoma City this season.
