Dodgers Manager Names 2 Pitchers Expected to Pitch In Thursday's Cactus League Opener

Which pitchers will play Thursday?

Los Angles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that Michael Grove and Gavin Stone are expected to pitch for the Dodgers in their Cactus League opening game against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, per dodgersnation.com.

Michael Grove and Gavin Stone will pitch on Thursday in the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener.

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) February 20, 2024

The announcement came after Roberts revealed that the team would not be starting offseason addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the Cactus League opening game. However, Yamamoto will likely be one of the Dodgers' starters for their regular season opener in Seoul, Korea. Tyler Glasnow will likely be the other starter in Korea.

Both Grove and Stone are two pitchers in need of more experience heading into the 2024 season. 

The 27-year-old Grove made his MLB debut in 2022 after the Dodgers drafted him in the second-round of the 2018 MLB Draft. In 2023, Grove appeared in 18 games and posted a 2-3 record, 6.13 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. In 2022, Grove went 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA in seven appearances.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Stone recently made his MLB debut in May of 2023. Stone went 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP last season.

Getting these guys up to speed is crucial with several Dodgers pitchers coming back from injury, including Walker Buehler, Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson and J.P. Feyereisen. While the Dodgers believe the latter three can be back for the regular season opener, it's important to have depth in case anyone has a setback.