Brandon Morrow not expected to appear in Spring Training game

It looks as if we’ll have to wait a little longer until we can see Brandon Morrow back in a Dodgers uniform. Morrow, who is currently a non-roster invite, has yet to appear in a game so far.

When asked when we can potentially see him in a game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that’s a ways down the road.

“He’s on a throwing program,” Roberts said to the media on Saturday. “As far as a spring training game, I don’t see that happening. He’s on a slower program. Having him build up arm strength is the goal.”

This shouldn’t come as a total surprise, as Morrow hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since July of 2018. He missed the rest of the 2018 campaign and all of 2019 due to injury, then was released in 2020 and didn’t see action for any club. It makes sense the Dodgers want to be careful with him.

Entering the spring, that appeared to be the plan all along.

“With Brandon, just to think he’d be on a regular program wasn’t realistic,” Roberts said. “He’s been great. He understands the situation that would put him in the best spot to help us this year.”

Roberts also added that this has nothing to do with anything new popping up injury wise, this just has to do with him being essentially out of baseball for nearly three years.

Dodgers news and notes

• Roberts doesn’t have a date yet, but he expects David Price to make his cactus league debut at some point next week.
• Keibert Ruiz, who was late to camp due to troubles with his VISA, is currently in Arizona. Roberts hopes to have him in a game next week.

Game info

First pitch: 12:05 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA