As expected, the Dodgers have activated the legendary southpaw Clayton Kershaw to start on Saturday. Justin Bruihl was selected as Triple-A to open the listing slot, according to MLB.com’s Juan Toribio.
Veteran Nampaw was at his best before a weak back put him on the 33-day injury list. He returned to 1.80 ERA/2.27 FIP over 30 innings with a stunning 32 to 3 hit ratio.
Kershaw’s return could not have come at a better time, given Walker Buehler’s current health situation is uncertain. The Dodgers are chasing a one-game lead against the Padres in the division. It’s too early to think about rankings, but with the competition in the NL West recently, there’s not much to go wrong. Despite that, the Dodgers’ +109 run difference is the best in the National League by a decent margin (the Mets are second with +68). Even without Kershaw, the Dodgers’ rotation resonated with a 2.71 ERA leading the league.
Bruihl, 24, has been a key peg to coach Dave Roberts’ side since his debut last season. Over two seasons, the California-born player had 3.34 ERA/4.35 FIP in 35 career innings. This season, Bruihl has 3.86 ERA/4.79 FIP in 17 appearances for a total of 16 1/3 innings. Bruihl has been left-handed with a .250 / .273/.250 line without a punch in 35 appearances this season, but he has given it back to the powerhouses, who hit .269/ .394 / .539 in 34 appearances.
