Dodgers News: RHP Noah Syndergaard Working Through Some Mechanical Issues
The Dodgers called up number 2 pitching prospect Gavin Stone this past Wednesday. It seemed oddly timed the club. The starting rotation was finally healthy after the return of Tony Gonsolin and it seemed like the 1-5 would be settling in for a nice run.
But that Stone rumor came out and it led to speculation online. Was someone hurt? Were the Dodgers setting up the rotation for the upcoming series in San Diego (yes, that's part of it). But Dave Roberts revealed the move was also made in part to buy time for Noah Syndergaard to work on his mechanics.
Syndergaard was originally scheduled to pitch against the Padres in San Diego over the weekend, but it's now unclear when he will start next.
The manager confirmed that Syndergaard would be given some extra time to work through his mechanics and get a reset.
“There are some mechanical things that we just want to continue to work through. I think that giving him a couple days of potential bullpens in between the start I think will allow him that reset. He pitched fine his last turn, which I think was his best in a handful of starts. But there’s certainly more in there and Noah expects more in there from himself too.”
While Syndergaard did pick up his first win as a Dodger recently, he has struggled with a 6.32 ERA in 6 starts this season and has been tagged for 3 losses.
The Dodgers hope that giving him extra time will help him get back on track.
Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Julio Urias will pitch in the upcoming series against the Padres, with Tony Gonsolin likely to follow on Monday in Milwaukee. The team has yet to decide what comes next for Stone.
The Dodgers have a reputation for revitalizing pitchers' careers, and Syndergaard hopes to be the next success story. He has been working with pitching coach Mark Prior and others to try to recapture his old form, but so far, his velocity has been trending downward. Only time will tell if the Dodgers' efforts will pay off and Syndergaard can get back to being a dominant pitcher.
