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In rainy and wet conditions in Washington D.C., Rich Hill lasted just two pitches into his start in the Dodgers’ second game of a doubleheader against the Nationals, leaving with a blister on his left hand.
Hill threw two pitches to Trea Turner, both fouled off, before getting visited by team trainers and manager Dave Roberts. After a quick assessment, a very exasperated Hill walked off the mound.
He appeared to pop a blister after his first pitch to Turner, and Hill was shown ripping skin away from his finger on the SportsNet LA broadcast.
Because if I had to see it, you have to see it. pic.twitter.com/QkmLx9QCDv
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 20, 2018
This was Hill’s middle finger, the same one that had a cracked nail and infection that caused him to miss three weeks.
Blister problems are no stranger to Hill, who spent two different stints on the disabled list in 2017 with a blister on his middle finger, missing one start in early April then sitting out a month after just one start back.
Hill also missed a month in July and August 2016, right when the Dodgers acquired him at the trade deadline from Oakland. Hill made just six regular season starts in his two months with the Dodgers that year.
Hill will certainly miss time with this blister. It’s just a matter of how long.
It sounds like Rich Hill will miss significant time. Dave Roberts described Hill’s blister as sliced open and said he will require a rehab assignment to prove his readiness. “This is as bad as I’ve seen it,” Roberts said.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) May 20, 2018
Rich Hill said his blister is on the padding and it ripped just as bad as in 2016, but it’s not as big.
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) May 20, 2018
#Dodgers Rich Hill: "As frustrating as it is for everyone I feel like it’s three times worse for me. I want to go out there and pitch. That’s it. And this is preventing me from doing that. Not a fun time."
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 20, 2018
When Hill left Saturday’s game he had an 0-2 count on Turner, which was inherited by reliever Scott Alexander.
Alexander finished the strikeout of Turner and then struck out his next two batters faced as well. He got credit for the first strikeout because of MLB Rule 10.16:
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