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Kenta Maeda has been stingy with the free pass in his inaugural major league season, especially of late. He tries to keep it going against a team that doesn't walk that much in the Dodgers' second game against the Phillies on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Maeda has 32 walks in his 125⅔ innings so far this season, his 6.35-percent walk rate ranking 32nd among 90 qualified major league starters, and better than the 7.73-percent walk rate for major league starting pitchers in 2016.
But lately, Maeda has barely walked anybody. He has no walks in any of his last three starts, with 13 strikeouts during that span, and in his last five starts has a total of one walk and 31 strikeouts in 29 innings.
On the season, Maeda has walked two or fewer batters in 18 of his 22 starts.
On Tuesday night he faces a Phillies team that ranks dead last in the National League with 280 walks, 23 fewer than any other team. Philadelphia also ranks last in the NL with a 6.69-percent walk rate.
Phillies roster move
Philadelphia placed pitcher Zach Eflin on the disabled list on Tuesday with patellar tendinopathy in both knees, one day after taking the loss in his start on Monday. Eflin told reporters he is unsure if he will pitch again in 2016, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Left-handed pitcher Elvis Araujo was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.