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Dodgers’ Michael Grove ready for 2023 debut Monday

April 2, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― When spring training was all said and done, Michael Grove didn’t expect to see his name on the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster. He was already in Oklahoma City, keeping his arm loose in near-freezing weather, preparing for the start of the Triple-A season.

Two days after the Dodgers told him to pack his bags, Grove was re-packing for Southern California. Pitcher Ryan Pepiot had an oblique strain and was a surprise addition to the injured list on the morning of Opening Day. Grove, not Pepiot, was suddenly in line to fill the rotation spot of injured right-hander Tony Gonsolin.

Grove will make his regular season debut Monday against the Colorado Rockies.

“I guess it was a little awkward,” he said of the last-minute change of plans. “That’s the nature of the business ― just have to be ready when my name’s called, whenever that may be. This time it was before the season started. I’m just trying to be ready mentally and physically.”

Spring training was a bit of an adventure for Grove. In his final outing, he retired one of the five Arizona Diamondbacks hitters he faced in the first inning, then was removed from the game. The relaxed Cactus League rules allowed Grove to return to the game when the second inning began. He pitched another four innings without allowing a run.

Prior to that game, he had allowed one walk and struck out 14 batters across 12⅓ innings. He’d also allowed three home runs among five earned runs in all.

Underneath those uneven statistics, there were encouraging signs. Grove has tinkered with his slider in an attempt to elicit more movement from the pitch. In the game against the Diamondbacks, the pitch averaged 2,448 rpm, according to Statcast; last season it averaged 2,274 rpm.

It was only one game, but the results were encouraging. The Diamondbacks swung and missed at Grove’s slider eight times and put the ball in play only once. There is reason to believe it could be an even better pitch Monday.

“In Arizona, it’s cold, dry air, and altitude,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Get to sea level and the ball does a little bit more as far as spin. Michael can really spin the baseball. I do think that slider and curveball will play up.”

Roberts said Grove figures to get two or three starts if Gonsolin returns from his sprained ankle later this month as expected. Pepiot’s injury could take even longer to heal. For his part, Grove said he isn’t thinking about what a strong debut Monday would do for his long-term future in the Dodgers’ rotation.

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Only recently, Grove was told what he needed to do to get back to the major leagues. Now that he’s back, it’s a matter of doing the same things in order to stick around.

“For me it’s just consistency and making sure that my pitches are in a good spot,” Grove said. “I have a little different arsenal this year than last year. Sequencing-wise, making sure that I’m using pitches in the right spot.”

ALSO

Max Muncy was not available one day after he absorbed a baseball to the groin. Chris Taylor started at third base and Mookie Betts got the start at second base in place of Miguel Vargas, who had a scheduled day off. Roberts said he doesn’t believe Muncy’s injury will require an injured-list stint. … Tony Gonsolin’s threw 40 pitches over two “innings” in a bullpen session. Roberts said his next appearance on a mound will come Wednesday against live hitters at the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility in Arizona. … James Outman stole the Dodgers’ first base of the season in the seventh inning.

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Dodgers (RHP Michael Grove) vs. Colorado Rockies (RHP Ryan Feltner), Monday, 7 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570-AM

Orange County Register

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Dodgers’ Michael Grove ready for 2023 debut Monday

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