Injury updates: Kershaw, Turner, Maeda, Hill
LOS ANGELES -- Manager Dave Roberts went rapid fire as he provided updates on the injured Dodgers on Friday. Here's a breakdown:
• Clayton Kershaw's back, which put him back on the disabled list, is pain-free and he was able to play an aggressive catch on Friday.
"Clayton is doing well," Roberts said. "He played catch today, moving around really well and has no symptoms, and so I'm not sure when his next 'pen [session] is, but where he's at right now, really moving in the right direction."
• Rookie Dennis Santana's MRI revealed a right rotator cuff strain, which forced his being scratched from Thursday's start at game time. His right arm is in a sling and he's expected to be placed on the disabled list.
• Justin Turner missed another start Friday with continued pain in his previously broken left wrist, which Roberts said is Turner's "new normal" and will need to be managed, perhaps for months. Roberts said Turner would probably start on Sunday and might start on Saturday.
"With J.T., it's one of those things where we've got to get to a point where if he does play and there is some discomfort, for it to sort of maintain that sort of comfort level and not to dip down a couple notches," said Roberts. "So in Colorado, it trended down. Thought we had it after the off-day. Giving him yesterday, today and we'll evaluate tomorrow. So it's not a definitive no for tomorrow. I see him playing on Sunday and available today."
"Yeah, there's some pain," Roberts added. "But how sharp it is, I really can't speak to it. That's more of a J.T. question, but for right now, the next couple months, it's kind of the new normal for him. That's just kind of what it is. To expect him to be pain-free for the next couple of months is probably not going to happen, so how can we keep it so it's tolerable is the question."
• Kenta Maeda, on the disabled list with a sore right hip, had an aggressive bullpen session on Friday and could return to the Dodgers' rotation next week.
"Kenta's 'pen today, very aggressive, higher intensity, threw the ball well," said Roberts. "Probably close to 40 pitches. Executed all of his pitches. So to see him available to make a start for us here sometime next week seems more possible, which is encouraging for all of us."
• Thursday's bullpen game, in which nine relievers pitched, required the Friday recall of relievers Pat Venditte and Adam Liberatore. Brock Stewart, one of the nine who pitched on Thursday, was returned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Venditte is a switch-pitcher.
"We brought up two humans and three arms," said Roberts.
• Rich Hill will throw a four-inning simulated game on Saturday to further test his healing left middle finger, which he said has responded dramatically to frequent laser treatments, up to nine per day. Hill will throw with the finger uncovered.
• Reliever Tony Cingrani, who went on the disabled list in Pittsburgh, has a rotator cuff strain, but Roberts said he's confident Cingrani will need only the minimum 10 days on the DL before returning.
• Hyun-Jin Ryu has begun throwing off the lower part of the bullpen mound as he slowly recovers from a badly pulled groin muscle. He still is not expected back until after the All-Star break.
• Niko Hulsizer, the Dodgers' 18th-round Draft pick this week, signed for $125,000. The Morehead State outfielder won the TD Ameritrade Home Run Derby last summer and showed renewed power after dealing with a broken hamate bone this spring.
• An hour before Friday night's game, right-handed starting pitcher Daniel Corsino was in the outfield playing catch. He is in a taxi-squad situation and will probably be activated on Saturday. Corsino has been at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he was 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA.