Prior to Sunday’s 7-2 win over the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told members of the media during his pregame scrum that right-hander Kenta Maeda was about to throw a bullpen session to determine if the 30-year-old Senboku-gun, Japan native would be activated from the 10-day disabled list (right hip strain), with every intention that he would start Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium.
Interestingly, very little was said of Maeda’s bullpen session after its conclusion … or during Roberts’ postgame interview on Sunday afternoon.
Asked if there was any clarity with regards to who his starters would be on Tuesday and Wednesday, Roberts seemed a bit reluctant in his answer.
“No, there isn’t,” Roberts answered. “We’re still trying to talk through with Kenta – I actually have a meeting with him right now – and just to kind of give him clarity on are we going to do it or not. Saw some good things in his pen today, but just want the assurance that he can sustain a complete start and put himself and the team in the right situation. So, we’re going to kind of finalize that right now.
“As far as Tuesday, that’s another thing we’re going to talk through and make that decision is what we know,” He added.
So basically, Maeda is a definite maybe for Wednesday.
However, Tuesday’s starter is now pretty much etched in stone.
Late Monday morning, ThinkBlueLA learned that left-hander Caleb Ferguson had been called back up to the Dodgers and will make his second major league start on Tuesday opposite (very) veteran right-hander Bartolo Colon.
As you may recall, Ferguson made his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on June 6 – a game that the Dodgers would eventually lose by a score of 11-9. And even though the soon-to-be 22-year-old (on July 2) Columbus, Ohio native did not figure in the decision, he allowed four runs on two hits, with three strikeouts and three walks in his brief 1.2 innings of work – a clear sign of the butterflies the young lefty was experiencing.
But even after his less-than-stellar debut a week earlier, Ferguson most certainly deserves a second chance to make a first impression.
Good luck, Caleb! We’re behind you 100 percent!
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UPDATE: On Monday evening, AM 570 LA Sports Dodger Talk host David Vassegh tweeted out that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had confirmed that Caleb Ferguson would indeed pitch on Tuesday and Kenta Maeda on Wednesday.
Who is going on the DL for him to return before 10 days at OKC (optioned June 7)? Turner to DL with Paredes or Corcino optioned and Farmer recalled? I thought Corcino might get the start as he has done well at OKC and Tulsa as SP. By the way, Ferguson is a LH’er, not RH.
The ‘official’ roster moves won’t be announced until Tuesday afternoon, but I definitely see Corcino as one of the two.
No clue on the second one.