With 80% of his opening day starting rotation on the disabled list, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a prediction Saturday afternoon: Kenta Maeda would be the first member of the quartet to pitch again this season.
This did not qualify as a bold proclamation. Clayton Kershaw is expected to miss more than a month with another lower back strain. Hyun-Jin Ryu is not projected to return from his torn groin muscle until after the All-Star break. And while Rich Hill threw his first bullpen session without bandages on his blistered finger on Saturday, he will need to make at least one minor league rehab outing before the team feels comfortable using him in a big league setting.