LOS ANGELES — Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw will throw a bullpen session on Sunday, then pitch to one or two hitters in game-simulation conditions, manager Don Mattingly said on Saturday.
“That continues to go in the right direction,” Mattingly said of the rehab work by Kershaw, who’s on the disabled list because of a teres major strain in his back. “We’ll see where that goes.”
The manager termed Sunday’s step as “a little up-and-down sim game” but added that it’s “too early for a timetable” on when the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner might return to the rotation.
“He’s got to eventually go out and pitch somewhere [before that],” Mattingly said.
Puig out of lineup as Mattingly continues rotation
LOS ANGELES — Yasiel Puig‘s non-start Saturday against the D-backs is just part of the Dodgers’ evolving four-outfielder rotation, manager Don Mattingly said before the game at Dodger Stadium.
Mattingly said Puig did not reinjure his left thumb in the 12th inning on Friday when he attempted to make a diving catch on a ball hit to short right field by Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt.
“I don’t think anything happened on that play in extra innings,” Mattingly said. “His thumb has been wrapped up after every game [since his injury on a headfirst slide into first on April 5].”
Puig, who’s batting .235, missed three starts because of the thumb injury but started six of the next seven. He tied his career high with three walks Friday but also struck out three times.
Left fielder Carl Crawford (.234) and right fielder Andre Ethier (.212) returned to the lineup Saturday after not starting against D-backs lefty Wade Miley, with Matt Kemp (.179) starting again in center.
Asked about the slow starts by the four outfielders, Mattingly said he doesn’t think it has anything to do with the rotation that remains a work in progress. Kemp, who got a late start, has 39 at-bats. The other three are in the 47-52 range.
“Everybody’s pretty regular still,” he said. “Andre and Carl have been out against four left-handers; Matt and Yasiel have been pretty regular, too. I just feel we’re not swinging the bats as well as we can yet.
“Matt hit some balls hard last night. Carl’s been been hitting balls hard right at people for the past week.”
Worth noting
• Right-handed reliever Brandon League (right hand, leg) and catcher Tim Federowicz (wrist, groin) reported they were available Saturday after getting dinged Friday. Drew Butera caught Dan Haren in Federowicz’s place.
Federowicz was struck on the wrist by a late Goldschmidt swing, and the pitch struck him in what he described as “the unmentionables” as a result.
“I can’t believe he swung that late,” Federowicz said. “I don’t think I was any closer than normal.”
• Right-handed reliever Chris Withrow, who walked three and threw two wild pitches, allowing his first earned run, in 1 1/3 innings Friday, said he “got out of rhythm [in the ninth]. I think I was rushing a little bit. I’m just going to get back to basics. I think it’s an easy fix.”
It was not his first extended stint. Withrow (0.96 ERA) pitched two innings April 4, and most of his Minor League background was as a starter, so sitting between the eighth and ninth was not likely a cause for the sudden wildness.