WASHINGTON _ Rich Hill's quest to pitch in the playoffs this season, an improbable aspiration less than a month ago after reinjuring the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, will come to fruition Monday when he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals.
Hill is slated to log four innings. His pitch limit will be about 60. It is the next step in his return after logging two innings and three innings in his final two starts of the regular season. And though Hill's knee still presents a risk, manager Dave Roberts insisted Hill would start regardless of the result of Game 3.
"We're prepared, Rich is prepared," Roberts said before Sunday's game.
Hill said he had a standard bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, throwing 20 to 25 pitches with his usual intensity after tossing three scoreless innings against San Francisco in the Dodgers' regular-season finale. The 39-year-old left-hander will continue wearing a knee brace to be safe, but said he believes the knee has improved enough to make it optional.
"The ball came out really well," Hill said. "Felt like I was able to spin the ball the way I wanted to. And those are really the two things."
Roberts said piecing together the remaining innings after Hill's exit Monday would depend on how he deploys relievers Sunday. The situation also could affect his thinking. One option: Having Walker Buehler pitch out of the bullpen on short rest. The right-hander threw 100 pitches across six scoreless innings in the Dodgers' Game 1 win. He's made one relief appearance over the last two seasons.
"Anything is possible," Roberts said.
That was the mindset Hill assumed when he aggravated his knee injury Sept. 12. He returned 12 days later and nearly didn't last the first inning. He was limping and grimacing as he issued two walks and a reliever started warming up. But he escaped and pitched a clean second inning to get back on track. Less than two weeks later, Hill, an impending free agent, will start a playoff game in what could be his last appearance as a Dodger.
"The motivating factor to come back is I believe that I have something to give," Hill said, "and I can help this team win."
