The Los Angeles Dodgers will call up a rookie from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace the injured Clayton Kershaw on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, that Landon Knack will finally have a chance to join the Dodgers’ big-league rotation.
It remains to be seen whether Knack will stay with the major league club until the end of the regular season and into the playoffs, but his first opportunity comes Friday against the Cleveland Guardians.
This will be Knack’s sixth appearance for the Dodgers this season. He has a 2-2 record with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) for Los Angeles.
In 14 games (12 starts), Knack is 4-3 with a 3.71 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ starting pitcher, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday, only one day after leaving his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning due to a bone spur on his left big toe.
It wasn’t surprising to see Kershaw fall on the IL. Manager Dave Roberts stated that the 36-year-old lefty has been suffering with a bone spur on and off for “years.” Friday, it flared up so badly that he had trouble pushing off the mound.
According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw is wearing a walking boot to aid in his recovery from the consequences of a bone spur.
On Tuesday, Harris said on X (previously Twitter): “Clayton Kershaw came out on the field to play catch in normal shoes earlier, then went inside, put on a walking boot, and is now back out here throwing with it on.” Over the weekend, Dave Roberts stated he anticipated Kershaw would need a boot to recuperate from his toe injury.
Knack has been able to combine a low-90 mph fastball with a curveball, slider, and changeup.
“I’ve done a good job mixing and keeping people in-between, showing that I have four pitches that I can throw for strikes and continue to use all four as a weapon” , Knack said to Harris in July. “Just proving to myself that I can stay here, pitch here for a long time.”
