LOS ANGELES ― Wednesday in Cincinnati, Noah Syndergaard will make his next scheduled start for the Dodgers. That seemed less than assured – if not outright unlikely – given his performance earlier this week against the Washington Nationals.
Syndergaard allowed five runs in five innings in the Dodgers’ 10-6 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday afternoon. Afterward, he told reporters “I would give my hypothetical first-born (child) to be the old me again. I’ll do anything possible to get back to that.”
An All-Star early in his career with the New York Mets, Syndergaard is 1-4 with a 6.54 ERA in his first 11 games since signing a one-year, $13 million contract with the Dodgers.
Game number 12 will be at Great American Ball Park, where the Reds have struggled to hit at their home ballpark. They’ve also struggled more against right-handed pitchers than lefties. If Syndergaard can’t get his season untracked in Cincinnati, it’s worth asking where – or if – he can.
“When he makes that start, I’m going to feel the same way I do every time he takes the mound: that he’s going to pitch well and he’s going to turn,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
As for the source of that optimism, Roberts said: “Just trying to continue to bet on (Syndergaard). And also looking at the guys we have on IL, the potential alternatives, I think netting it out just made the most sense.”
The Dodgers are currently without two of their best pitchers, left-hander Julio Urías and right-hander Dustin May, who are recovering from injuries. Rookies Michael Grove, Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone have filled in. Stone was recently optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 14.40 ERA after three starts, while Grove and Miller are starting Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Syndergaard is averaging 92 mph with his two-seam and four-seam fastballs this season. In 2019, he averaged 98 mph on both pitches, then lost the 2020 season to Tommy John surgery. His fastballs averaged 94 mph last year with the Angels and Philadelphia Phillies, and Syndergaard picked the Dodgers in free agency due to their reputation for reviving pitchers’ careers.
The results have yet to follow.
“It really sucks,” Syndergaard said Wednesday. “Right now I just feel like I’m the only weakest link on this team. I want to go out there and compete and be successful for the other guys in this clubhouse. But it’s just not working out.”
BULLPEN BLUES
The bullpen struggled in Wednesday’s loss too, allowing seven runs over the final four innings.
Thursday, the Dodgers acquired relief pitcher Ricky Vanasco from the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league pitcher Luis Valdez. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Zack Burdi for assignment.
Vanasco, a 24-year-old right-hander, went 9-10 with a 3.84 ERA in 53 games (39 starts) over parts of five seasons (2017-19, 2022-23) in the Rangers’ system. He was designated for assignment on May 29.
Vanasco appeared in only two Double-A games after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, an injury he suffered in spring training. He missed all of 2020 and 2021 because of Tommy John surgery and the ensuing rehabilitation process.
The Dodgers have yet to assign Vanasco, but Triple-A right-hander Tayler Scott was present and accounted for Friday.
Scott, however, was merely a taxi-squad replacement in case of an injury. Just when it appeared a 26-man roster move was imminent, Roberts hit the brakes on a bullpen shuffle.
“The past couple weeks, our ’pen has done a fine job,” Roberts said. “Phil (Bickford) just seems to make one bad pitch an outing and get beat by it. (Brusdar) Graterol, just an uncharacteristic outing for him (Wednesday) but he’s throwing the baseball really well. (Caleb Ferguson)’s been good and across the board. I think that outing, that day, was not indicative of how these guys have been throwing recently.”
ALSO
Julio Urías’ 30-pitch bullpen session on Saturday will be on the main Dodger Stadium mound because “we can capture a lot of information that we really can’t do in the ’pen,” Roberts said. If that goes well, Urías will face hitters “two or three days later.” … Freddie Freeman was named the National League Player of the Month for May. The first baseman ended the month on a 20-game hitting streak, during which he set the franchise record for most extra-base hits in a month (24). He hit safely in all but two games last month.
UP NEXT
New York Yankees (RHP Gerrit Cole, 6-0, 2.93 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Michael Grove, 0-1, 8.44 ERA), Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Fox (Ch. 11), 570 AM
