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LOS ANGELES —— The Dodgers activated left-handed pitcher Rich Hill from the 10-day injured list this morning and he will make his first start of the season this afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2019 season is the last year in Rich Hill’s three-year contract, he will make $18M this year.
The corresponding move was placing Caleb Ferguson on the 10-day injured list. While no specific injury was noted in the announcement, manager Dave Roberts said this morning that Ferguson “came in with something on his left side” after his pitching appearance in Saturday night’s game .
In that appearance, he walked two and gave up a two-strike single, leaving the bases-loaded with no outs.
Roberts noted that anytime a player reports something in that oblique area, it is “a red flag.”
Hill was placed on the injured list on March 28th, retroactive to March 25th, with a left knee sprain. He made his first rehab start, pitching for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on April 17th.
Rich Hill threw four scoress innings with eight strikeouts in a rehab start for Rancho Cucamonga tonight and afterward said he’s ready to return to the Dodgers from a strained knee.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) April 18, 2019
Hill told the media he was ready to go but the Dodgers wanted him to do one more rehab start. Initially, he was going to pitch at Oklahoma City but with weather forecast iffy, the Dodgers sent him back to their facility at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
Rich Hill said he struck out 16 batters in 6 innings on "60-something" pitches in his rehab start in extended spring training yesterday. The other two outs were groundouts. He gave up a single. No mercy on them kids.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) April 23, 2019
Ferguson had made 13 appearances this season. In 13 innings he had given up five earned runs, 14 hits and eight walks. Ferguson also had 14 strikeouts.