Young Dodgers Starter Taking Advantage of Opportunity in Front of Him

Who will be the Dodgers' fifth starter?

The Dodgers' front office has put together one of the better starting rotations in the league. After the top-end potential of Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, what makes the Dodgers special is their overall depth. 

In addition to veterans Clayton Kershaw (currently on the injured list) and James Paxton, Los Angeles has some quality young arms to work with.

There has been some thought as to who the final rotation spot would go to beyond Glasnow, Yamamoto, Paxton and Bobby Miller. Many believed it would be right-hander Emmet Sheehan, since he made 11 starts and posted a 4.85 FIP and 1.193 WHIP as a rookie.

But Sheehan has dealt with some injuries this spring, opening the door for another one of the Dodgers' talented young pitchers. That would be righty Gavin Stone, who has been making the most of his chances this season. 

... Sheehan experienced some shoulder soreness and only re-started a throwing program on Saturday after being shut down for a week. That would seem to open the door for Gavin Stone. Stone has made three appearances in Cactus League games already, allowing just three hits and a walk in 5 ⅔ innings. He said his “head space and command” are both improved this spring after posting a 9.00 ERA over 31 innings as a rookie last year.

— Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register

Stone has done what he can so far, making his case to be in the rotation. He is a hard-throwing pitcher that the front office has been high on for some time. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has liked what he has seen from Stone but did mention that there are still ways to go before any final decisions are made.

“He’s having a good spring. He’s been consistent with his strike-throwing, his command. He’s been efficient."

— Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, via The Orange County Register

If Stone can continue to perform well, he might leave the Dodgers no choice. They want to field the best possible team this season, and Stone could very well be a part of that.