Dodgers option Brock Stewart to Triple-A Oklahoma City

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers optioned pitcher Brock Stewart to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday to make room for the activation of Rich Hill, who starts the series opener against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

Stewart appeared in two games in his two stints with the Dodgers this season, allowing a run on four hits in 2⅔ innings in relief, with three strikeouts and a walk.

It makes sense that Stewart is the odd man out, because even with Hill back the Dodgers have two other starting pitchers on the disabled list in Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-jin Ryu. With a Ross Stripling getting at least one more start this week against Cincinnati, Stewart is likely next on the totem pole. Keeping him starting in Oklahoma City will have him ready to step into the rotation if he is needed.

Then again the Dodgers could have had Stewart start both times they called him up, last Monday in Arizona and on Sunday in Mexico, but both times turned to Stripling instead, so we’ll see.

Stewart this season in Triple-A has a 2.41 ERA in four starts with 20 strikeouts and six walks in 18⅔ innings. He pitched 5⅔ innings in each of his first three starts and was pulled early in his fourth start four days before he was first called up to the majors.

Hill has a 6.00 ERA in three starts this season, with 16 strikeouts and seven walks in 15 innings. He allowed three combined runs in his first two starts and seven runs in his third start. He missed three weeks on the disabled list with a cracked fingernail on the middle finger of his left hand.