LOS ANGELES _ Unsteady for most of his second season in the majors, Kenta Maeda has lost his spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation. The team will shift him into the bullpen starting this weekend against Cincinnati, with Maeda expected to appear in an extended relief outing on either Friday or Saturday.
Manager Dave Roberts revealed the decision before Wednesday's game against Washington. Maeda (4-3, 5.16 earned-run average) put himself in jeopardy with a pair of abbreviated outings last week, failing to pitch into the fifth inning in both games. He has struggled to finish at-bats, and Roberts remarked on a slew of "noncompetitive" pitches when facing Milwaukee on Sunday.
Given the team's constantly shifting rotation of starters, Maeda could experience only a temporary stay in the bullpen. For now, though, the team intends to stick with a five-man unit. Maeda rates sixth on the depth chart.
"We need him to get back on track, get some momentum," Roberts said. "I don't know what day he's going to pitch, but he's open to it, and it shows who he is as a teammate."
Rich Hill will start on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. Alex Wood returns from the disabled list on Saturday. Hyun-Jin Ryu, who made a brief appearance as a reliever in May, will start on Sunday. Ryu (2-8, 4.08 ERA) has outperformed Maeda this season, and has taken the spot from his teammate.
"We're going with the guys we feel are giving us the best chance to win right now," Roberts said.
