LOS ANGELES _ A solution to the logjam in the Dodgers' starting rotation, which features six men deserving of opportunity but only five available spots, emerged Sunday afternoon, when Hyun-Jin Ryu slid into second base.
The exertion, manager Dave Roberts said a day later, caused Ryu to feel "a little tightness" in his glute muscle. The Dodgers diagnosed Ryu with a left hip contusion and placed him on the 10-day disabled list. Roberts suggested Ryu would not miss more than one start.
"We don't want to put him in harm's way at all," Roberts said.
The severity of the injury is not believed to be high. Ryu (1-4, 4.05 ERA) jogged through the Dodgers' clubhouse to his locker Monday afternoon, before his injury was announced.
Last week, after strong performances from Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda, Roberts indicated the team would need to hold difficult discussions to decide who would leave the rotation. They received a reprieve because of Ryu's condition.
The Dodgers intend to remain cautious about their pitchers, with only Clayton Kershaw expected to make every turn in the rotation. Brandon McCarthy is less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery. Wood underwent elbow surgery last summer. Rich Hill continues to deal with blisters. Ryu missed almost all of 2015 and 2016 with an injured shoulder.
"To expect these guys to go out there and throw 200 innings, very unrealistic," Roberts said. "It's not going to happen. They're aware of that."
The club recalled reliever Josh Fields, who had been optioned to triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday to make room for fellow reliever Grant Dayton.
