The Los Angeles Dodgers traded two minor leaguers for former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty and now the question is whether or not he will start for Manager Dave Roberts' team soon.

Roberts' team has announced that Flaherty is set to make his Dodgers debut this weekend, good news to the ears of fans who are waiting to see what the sub-3.00 ERA ex-Detroit pitcher can do in Tinseltown.

The news came as Flaherty's “special” reaction to the deal was revealed. The AL contending New York Yankees also thought about acquiring Flaherty, revealing the top reason why they decided not to pursue him toward the end of the trade deadline season.

Detroit Tigers catcher Carson Kelly (15) looks for a foul ball beside starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (9) in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Flaherty set to go on Saturday vs. SD

Flaherty will start Saturday vs. the third-place Padres, a team just 5.5 games back of Dave Roberts' squad in the NL West.

The game will be played at Petco Park in San Diego, a venue that would appear to favor San Diego under normal circumstances. The Padres have a losing record at home while the Dodgers have a winning record on the road, adding to the pressure on the former Tigers starter to perform.

Flaherty is a native of Burbank, Calif. with a 2.95 ERA on the season so far and 133 strikeouts. He has walked just 19 batters in over 100 innings.

Kershaw, Cease take the mound on Wednesday 

Meanwhile, Wednesday's pitching matchup is sure to produce fireworks between the two SoCal teams.

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Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers' historically great pitching ace, will take on Dylan Cease, the latter of whom is fresh off of a thrilling no-hitter for Manager Mike Schildt's team.

Cease's performance was just the second no-hitter in the long, storied history of the Padres' franchise. Now, he will have the unenviable task of taking on Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani had a walk and scored a run in Tuesday's one-run loss to San Diego. He did not record a hit.

For the Dodgers to win on Wednesday, the team's stars, Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani, must carry the water against the red-hot Cease and the surging Padres' batting order.

The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, but the Padres are gaining momentum and looking for a way to climb up the standings. This weekend will ultimately prove to be an important one for Dave Roberts' team as they seek to put more distance between themselves and Schildt's team in hopes of holding on to another pennant in what has quickly become a cramped race in the NL West.