LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers, facing a sudden need for arms, are shaking up their pitching staff this week.
They are planning on calling up pitching prospect Landon Knack to pitch at some point this week, likely Tuesday or Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, league sources told The Athletic.
They will also call up right-hander Kyle Hurt, who broke camp with the club as a reliever but still has a long-term future as a starter, a league source said. Hurt was the Dodgers’ No. 11 prospect on Keith Law’s list published in The Athletic in February, while Knack was No. 15.
Ricky Vanasco, signed to a split contract this winter, will also come up as a fresh arm for their bullpen, league sources said.
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For Knack and Vanasco, their first appearance would mark their major-league debuts. Both Vanasco and Hurt were among those spotted at the ballpark Monday as the Dodgers and Nationals met at Dodger Stadium’s center field plaza to honor Jackie Robinson.
Knack, 26, was the Dodgers’ second-round selection in 2020 and has steadily remained one of the club’s prized pitching prospects even as he dealt with injuries. He had a 2.51 ERA last season in 22 starts between Double A and Triple A, earning Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year honors. He was added to the big league roster for the club’s season-opening series in Seoul, South Korea, but didn’t appear in either of the two games. In three starts at Triple A this season, he has a 4.02 ERA.
Hurt, 25, has just three big-league appearances to his name but has flashed premium stuff that has played in a relief role and reinvigorated hope that he can remain a starter long-term. On Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pointed to Hurt as a possibility to join the club, though he noted Hurt was only built up to 45 pitches.
It’s possible Hurt could be an option to piggyback with Knack for a potential start, or serve as length for a bullpen game along with swingman Ryan Yarbrough.
Vanasco is a former Rangers prospect who the Dodgers have since converted to a reliever, where his mid-90s fastball and high-movement curveball have put him on the organization’s radar. The 25-year-old has struck out eight hitters in four innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas/ USA Today)
