Ryu heads to injured list (neck) as May debuts
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LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers’ summer tryout camp will include rookie Tony Gonsolin starting Monday night instead of Cy Young candidate Hyun Jin Ryu, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday for precautionary reasons with a sore neck.
Ryu, healthy enough to throw six scoreless innings at Coors Field on Wednesday, said he awoke on Thursday with soreness on the left side of his neck. He said it wasn’t serious, but he didn’t want to pitch with it and risk compromising his mechanics.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ryu is expected to miss only one start, so it’s sort of a summer break for Ryu, who started the All-Star Game last month.
“It’s not a big deal,” said Roberts.
Gonsolin, who pitched a four-inning save at Coors Field on Tuesday before being sent down, was recalled on Friday and threw off the Dodger Stadium mound to get acclimated. His only other MLB appearance was a four-inning start in Arizona.
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The Dodgers on Friday also optioned reliever Dylan Floro to Triple-A Oklahoma City, selected Dustin May to make his MLB debut starting Friday night and moved Scott Alexander to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for May. Alexander is out indefinitely with left forearm and thumb nerve damage.
Because of their runaway division lead, and refusal to part with high-value prospects to shore up the bullpen, the Dodgers are looking internally at May and Gonsolin as possible October pitching-staff solutions.
“They both have a high ceiling,” said Roberts.
Worth noting
• Alex Verdugo (left knee soreness) returned to the lineup on Friday after being scratched Thursday, but AJ Pollock was not in the lineup after leaving Thursday night’s game with a slight groin strain. Roberts said Pollock was probably available off the bench, but was uncertain if Pollock would start Saturday.
Also questionable was Matt Beaty, who felt soft-tissue soreness in his back when he was thrown out trying for a triple in the sixth inning Thursday night and came out of the game in the eighth inning.
“I don’t know if it was a slide, but whatever it was, it was on that play,” said Roberts.
For protection, the Dodgers brought Kyle Garlick up from Oklahoma City and put him on the taxi list.
• New lefty reliever Adam Kolarek took ground balls at first base on Friday. Twice this season with Tampa Bay, Kolarek was moved from the mound to first base for a batter, then brought back to the mound to resume pitching.
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• SportsNet LA will simulcast an additional five Dodgers games on local broadcast station KTLA 5 this season. The five-game schedule will feature all Saturday games, beginning Aug. 31 when the Dodgers visit the D-backs, and conclude with an afternoon contest against the Giants on Sept. 28 for the club’s final Saturday game of the regular season. The schedule will also feature a home matchup against the Giants on Sept. 7, a road game vs. the New York Mets on Sept. 14 and a matchup vs. the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 21.