The Dodgers are turning Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds into a piggyback assignment, and Landon Knack is back in the mix.
Los Angeles recalled the right-hander for the series finale, while Bobby Miller was optioned in a corresponding move. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Wednesday’s game that Knack will share the workload with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who is set to start.
"Justin Wrobleski will start and he and Landon Knack will take the bulk of the game tomorrow. Bobby Miller is being optioned for Knack, Dave Roberts said."
Knack’s latest big league outing came against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 12, when he worked 2.2 scoreless innings in a win at home. For the season, he has made four MLB appearances and logged 7.2 innings, allowing five earned runs while striking out six.
But the bigger picture has been much better. Since Aug.
5, Knack has put together a sharp run across Triple-A and MLB, giving up just four earned runs over 17.2 innings for a 2.04 ERA. He’s also been excellent in September at Triple-A, throwing 7.2 scoreless innings over two outings.
His last MLB appearance was efficient, too. Knack needed just 36 pitches to get through those 2.2 innings against Kansas City. His fastball reached 94.4 mph, well above his 93.3 mph season average, and he posted a 25% whiff rate in the outing, an improvement over his 21.7% mark in a limited sample.
If he carries that form into Thursday, he could earn more runway with the Dodgers, though that may be a tough ask with the team’s crowded schedule down the stretch.
Miller’s move comes after he was asked to cover 2.1 innings on Wednesday when Blake Snell was knocked out after the first inning. That workload made him a poor fit for Thursday’s planned bullpen day, and his performance didn’t do much to help his case.
He allowed five baserunners, with three hits and two hit batters, gave up two runs, and struck out one over 2.1 innings. One of the runs scored after he had already left the game.
Miller’s season with the Dodgers might not be over, but his path to a postseason roster spot looks very thin after the return of All-Star Kris Bubic.
The Dodgers will try to wrap up their four-game set against the Reds on Thursday as they continue chasing a bye for the Wild Card round. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. PT.
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