Nationals @ Dodgers April 16, 2024: Dodgers call up Pages, Hurt to help stop losing streak

(Photo: Cody Bashore)

The Dodgers arguably had their worst loss of the season last night, as ace Tyler Glasnow allowed six runs on eight hits and the offense only mustered up four hits and two runs against a rookie making his first career start. Nick Ramirez and Ricky Vanasco did save the bullpen by each tossing two perfect innings, which should set them up well for a bullpen game today. The Dodgers have dropped four of their last five and need a win today to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. The urgency appears to be there, as they called up Andy Pages (Bruce’s third-ranked prospect) to inject some life into a roster spot that has provided next to nothing on offense this season.

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7:10 P.M. Los Angeles
SS Abrams (L) SS Betts
DH Winker (L) DH Ohtani (L)
RF Thomas 1B Freeman (L)
1B Gallo (L) RF T. Hernández
2B Garcia (L) 2B K. Hernández
3B Senzel LF Taylor
LF Rosario (L) CF Pages
C Millas (S) 3B Rojas
CF Young C Barnes
P Corbin (L) P Hurt (R)

The Dodgers are using a bullpen game to fill in Bobby Miller‘s rotation spot this turn around. Kyle Hurt gets the start and Ryan Yarbrough is also expected to take down some innings today.. Hurt appeared in two games in March for the Dodgers. He allowed a run over two innings in the final game in Seoul, and took the loss in the third state-side game against the Cardinals after allowing the Manfred runner to score in the 10th inning. Hurt started two games for OKC after being sent down and allowed three runs in four innings. He’s maxed out at 52 pitches in an outing so far this season, but is reportedly expected to go around 40-45 pitches tonight. Yarbrough has thrown 14 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Dodgers and has allowed five runs (four earned). He got the bulk role in the Dodgers’ first bullpen game of the season and allowed four runs over 4 1/3 innings. He’s maxed out at 75 pitches this season.

The Dodgers face another lefty today in Patrick Corbin. Corbin has (impressively) led the NL in losses in each of the last three seasons. It’s been a rough few seasons for Corbin to say the least. He’s made 94 starts over those three years but has a 5.75 ERA/5.19 FIP and a 1.543 WHIP over that time. His 2024 hasn’t started any better, as he has an 8.44 ERA/4.35 FIP and 1.983 WHIP in three starts. He’s allowed 27 hits and 15 runs in 16 innings, and it’s not even really a case of one nightmare start. He allowed four runs in each of his first two starts (4 1/3 and 6 innings, respectively) and allowed seven runs in 5 2/3 innings last time out against the Giants. Corbin saw the Dodgers once in 2023 and allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings, but the Nats beat up on Noah Syndergaard and Brusdar Graterol for a 10-6 win. When he saw the Dodgers in 2022, he allowed six runs with two outs in the first inning before getting pulled. He’s seen the Dodgers 25 times in his career and has a 4.42 ERA over 124 1/3 innings.

Corbin generally throws a sinker, slider, four seamer and changeup (exclusively to righties). This is the first season Baseball Savant has Corbin throwing a cutter (23.1 percent of the time). He’s allowed a .271 wOBA off the cutter and a wOBA above .450 off the sinker, slider and four seamer. He’s yet to allow a hit on his changeup, but has only thrown it 12 times.

Pages gets the start in center and hits seventh in his debut. Chris Taylor starts in left and Enrique Hernandez starts at second with Miguel Rojas at third. Austin Barnes catches, which is excellent news for people going to the early game tomorrow (me).

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All the roster moves.

Shoutout Bruce for making me not really have to write much about Pages. Go read his words.

Along with Pages and Hurt, the Dodgers also called up Eduardo Salazar. Salazar made his big league debut last season as a Red and allowed 11 runs in 12 1/3 innings over eight outings. Four of those eight outings were scoreless, including two games against the Dodgers in Cincinnati. His lone MLB win came against the Dodgers on June 6, when he tossed a scoreless top of the ninth before the Reds scored three in the bottom of the inning for a 9-8 win. Two days later, Suarez allowed three hits and a walk over two scoreless innings against LA. Salazar has only allowed five runs in 15 2/3 innings at AAA this season.

Vanasco and Ramirez were both optioned after their appearances last night, and Taylor Trammell was designated for assignment. Kind of a bummer that he didn’t get much of a real look in his time in LA, but his 40-man spot will be taken by Suarez.

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Pages should get a solid chance to prove himself in the bigs, as Jason Heyward is expected to miss some more time.

In other injury news, Walker Buehler‘s next step is at AAA.

He could return to the Majors next week, so having him across the country makes sense. Dodgers will be at Washington and Toronto next week.

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First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.

About Alex Campos

I've been writing about the Dodgers since I graduated from Long Beach State, where I covered the Dirtbags in my senior year. I'm either very good or very bad at puns.