Los Angeles Dodgers Brandon McCarthy to Return Sunday
By Nick Fustor
Just as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost ace Clayton Kershaw to an injury, veteran righty Brandon McCarthy is set to rejoin the rotation. His return could be enough to keep the team afloat until Kershaw’s return.
Losing an ace in MLB for any amount of time is a bummer. But losing a superhuman pitcher like Clayton Kershaw is such a blow that it’s enough to make the release of Blink 182’s new album California that much less exciting.
While the Dodgers lost their best player in Kershaw until after the All-Star break, their rotation has enough depth to trudge on without looking like a complete mess. With Kenta Maeda exceeding expectations, Scott Kazmir bouncing back from a rough start to the season and Julio Urias slowly adapting to the majors, the Dodgers have a solid trio to keep things afloat until Kershaw’s return.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
After acquiring Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves, it seemed as if the Dodgers would have another veteran capable of eating up some innings in the next few weeks. Then in his debut, Norris dominated in a fashion so unexpected that the joy of Kershaw’s injury quickly disappeared from the rest of the league.
And if Norris isn’t enough to bring Dodgers’ fans hope of catching the San Francisco Giants sans Kershaw, the news of Brandon McCarthy’s return is yet another beacon of hope amidst the dark shadows covering Dodger Stadium.
McCarthy has never been an earth-shattering force on the mound, but he’s been one of the more reliable groundball righties – when healthy – throughout his career.
The 32-year-old signed with the Dodgers last year and subsequently tore his ulnar collateral ligament after just four starts, but will now return as an important factor in the middle of the Dodgers’ rotation.
Despite struggling in his four starts last season, McCarthy can be the pitcher to keep the Dodgers’ pitching staff fifth best in the league.
After a shaky season and a half with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013 and 2014, McCarthy was traded to the New York Yankees and emerged as one of the best pitchers in the majors. In 14 starts with the Yankees, McCarthy managed a 2.89 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and a career-best 6.31 K/BB ratio.
During that season, McCarthy had effectively earned outs by getting 52.6 percent of the batters he faced out with groundouts while also striking out at a higher rate than ever before in his career. That season, he struck out 175 batters while also finishing with 32 starts, which were both career-highs.
While his ERA before 2014 had never been eye-popping (either good or bad), his FIP has always been relatively solid – which shows the effectiveness of his pure pitching.
If McCarthy can stay healthy this season, he’ll likely be one of the Dodgers’ best rotation options as he’s transitioned into a pitcher that can effectively limit home runs while also striking out batters when necessary.
Next: A's Spend Big in International Market
With Hyun-Jin Ryu rehabbing, the Dodgers suddenly have an abundance of options for their rotation – which will likely force Urias down to the minors or to the bullpen. The Dodgers have typically relied on solid veterans in their playoff runs, and that’s exactly what they’ll get in McCarthy.