Gavin Stone of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Reynaldo López of the Atlanta Braves will open the season as their team’s respective fifth starters. Both National League teams made the announcement Monday morning. The Braves optioned right-handers Bryce Elder and Huascar Ynoa to Triple-A Gwinnett. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts informed Stone that he would break camp as the club’s fifth starter.
Gavin Stone, Reynaldo López Named Fifth Starters
Stone put up a fantastic performance this spring, striking out eight of the 11 batters he faced in an exhibition game against the Korean national team in Seoul. The right-hander even proved before that outing what he was capable of doing, allowing just one run with a 9:1 K:BB over 9 2/3 innings of work. This comes as great news for Stone who struggled with the Dodgers last season and the Dodgers rotation has seen a ton of moving parts due to health issues. In the end, Stone won the job thanks to his encouraging results. He will slot into the back rotation for now, though it could be a constantly changing one this year.
While it looked like López would earn the spot, Elder faded down the stretch at the end of the 2023 season. López, meanwhile, moved to the bullpen early in the 2021 season with the Chicago White Sox, working as a reliever for the past three seasons. When the Braves signed López to a three-year, $30 million contract, the club made it clear that the plan was to stretch out the right-hander as a rotation option. He’s no stranger to the role, but more of his MLB success has come from short relief appearances.
Earning Their Keep
López has looked like a viable rotation piece, posting a 2.16 ERA with a 21% strikeout rate, 9.7% walk rate and 45.2% ground rate. On the other hand, Elder has been tagged for 11 runs on 15 hits with six walks and 13 strikeouts through 12 innings. Ynoa, who is still making his way back from Tommy John surgery, had his spring come to a halt by some shoulder soreness. He made his spring debut over the weekend, tossing one inning. If it weren’t for the shoulder issue, Ynoa could have been in the mix for the last rotation spot. Instead, he will be a depth option in Gwinett.
For the Dodgers, other pitchers could bump Stone out of the rotation later in the season. Walker Buehler will slot in somewhere whenever he is ready to go. The same for Emmet Sheehan, who could get back in there as soon as he recovers from his shoulder issues. Dustin May underwent surgery last summer and could rejoin the club at some point. Clayton Kershaw, who also had offseason surgery, is targeting a return later this summer. There is plenty of talent for both the Dodgers and the Braves as both clubs seem likely to be in good shape, regardless who is on the mound.
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