The Los Angeles Dodgers were hoping that left-hander Rich Hill would make a successful return to the rotation on Thursday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles, but Hill appears to have re-aggravated a knee problem that gave him troubles in the first month of the season:
Rich Hill experienced an issue with his left knee during the first inning and will undergo further examination, as I just reported on our @MLBONFOX telecast.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 12, 2019
Hill was only supposed to pitch a couple innings, but he only made it through two-thirds of an inning before being lifted from the game. The veteran got through the first two batters of the inning, but then he imploded, hitting a pair of Orioles and walking two more before coming out of the game.
The 39-year-old had not pitched since mid-June after suffering a forearm flexor strain, and the Dodgers were looking to ease him back into action with the hopes of making him part of the playoff rotation.
However, this latest setback does not bode for Hill. With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, there is limited time for the Dodgers to get their staff in order.
Luckily, Los Angeles has not had much of an issue compensating for Hill's absence. Walker Buehler has continued to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, and Clayton Kershaw is stringing together another quality season.
That said, fellow Dodger left Hyun-Jin Ryu has been woeful in his last four starts while also dealing with arm fatigue. Ryu will get the ball against the New York Mets on Saturday, and the Dodgers would love to see him return to form given that they lack another quality left-hander in the rotation.
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