Kenta Maeda activated from disabled list to start for Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Wednesday activated Kenta Maeda from the disabled list to start their series finale against the Rangers at Dodger Stadium.

Maeda missed two weeks with a strained right hip, and he comes back at a time when the Dodgers are scrambling to fill their starting rotation on a day-to-day basis. Since Maeda’s last start on May 29 the Dodgers have placed three other starting pitchers — Clayton Kershaw, Dennis Santana, Walker Buehler — on the disabled list, two of whom (Kershaw, Santana) were not even on the active roster the last time Maeda pitched.

Maeda left that May 29 start with two outs in the second inning, starting a vicious stretch of bullpen taxation. Five times in the last 13 games the Dodgers bullpen has been needed for six or more innings. Beginning with that May 29 game Dodgers starting pitchers have pitched 51⅔ innings, and relief pitchers have thrown 64⅓ innings.

In 11 games this season, including 10 starts, Maeda has a 3.61 ERA and a 2.83 FIP in 52⅓ innings, with 68 strikeouts and 18 walks.

This is Maeda’s ninth career interleague start, and his first career appearance against the Rangers.

To make room for Maeda on the active roster, Daniel Corcino was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City one day after recording the Dodgers’ first three-inning save of the season.

Corcino used options in 2013 and 2014 with the Reds. He was optioned in 2015 by both the Reds and Dodgers, but was designated for assignment by both teams and only totaled 11 days on optional assignment, less than the 20 days required to exhaust an option season.

In two games with the Dodgers, Corcino posted a 2.25 ERA in four innings, with three strikeouts and no walks, in his first major league action since 2014.