Inside The Dodgers

Is the Dodgers' New Star Pitcher Jack Flaherty Healthy?

Maren Angus-Coombs

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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Jack Flaherty was almost a New York Yankee.

Reportedly, they backed out of a deadline-day deal, and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With the Chicago White Sox not moving Garrett Crochet, Flaherty ended up being the best pitcher traded at the deadline. The Dodgers brought Flaherty home to Los Angeles in exchange for catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney.

Because the Yankees backed out, it raises a the question of whether the newest Dodger is healthy or not?

According to sources cited by the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees backed out of a preliminary trade agreement with the Detroit Tigers for Flaherty after reviewing the right-hander’s medical records.

“I think Jack Flaherty is an exceptional starter and I had difficulty matching up with the Tigers on Jack Flaherty,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday on a conference call after Tuesday’s trade deadline. “I certainly would have loved to have him as a choice for us as well as anybody else that potentially could have upgraded our rotation. All I can speak to is that — unfortunately, you get a lot of different reports going out there.

“At the end of the day, I would have brought Jack Flaherty in if I could have matched up. I had difficulty matching up and that was the reason I don’t have him. Simple as that.”

Flaherty's lower back seems to be the issue that prevented New York from completing a deal, according to Rosenthal. The injury forced him to miss a start at the beginning of July and receive two injections in three weeks.

“I can’t comment on medical stuff with trades,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters in Detroit. “You would have to ask the other teams. Jack is healthy. If we didn’t trade him, he was going to start for us on Thursday.”

Since returning from his missed start, Flaherty has made three starts, producing a combined 1.53 ERA in 17.2 innings. He appears to be healthy judging by his two starts against the Cleveland Guardians and one against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Burbank native has a 2.95 ERA in 106.2 innings this season.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declined to comment, citing the same restrictions in talking about players’ medical histories.

Once the Yankees backed out, word spread quickly across the league. But, only the Yankees and Dodgers reviewed Flaherty’s medicals, a process that begins only after a trade agreement is in place.

Ultimately, New York didn't land its coveted starting pitcher and the Dodgers did.

Detroit is happy with their return but it does make one wonder if the Tigers would have gotten more if Flaherty had a cleaner medical history.

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.

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