Stripling taking Hill's spot in rotation

PHOENIX -- Ross Stripling will start Tuesday night’s game and Tony Gonsolin will be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his MLB debut and start Wednesday’s game for the Dodgers against the D-backs, manager Dave Roberts announced before Monday's series opener.

Stripling opened the season in the rotation because of injuries to Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, going 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA in six starts. Roberts said the right-hander will take over the rotation spot vacated by Hill, who has a strained flexor tendon and is out indefinitely. Stripling hasn’t pitched more than two innings since an April 25 start, when he went 4 2/3 innings, and Roberts said he’s hoping for four innings in this start.

Stripling will square off with D-backs lefty Robbie Ray in the 6:40 p.m. PT matchup, available live on MLB.TV.

Gonsolin, ranked as the Dodgers' No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, pitched nine scoreless innings in Spring Training. The right-hander suffered an oblique strain in April and returned a month ago after missing six weeks. He has worked up to five innings and 85 pitches for OKC.

Gonsolin is being inserted as the sixth starter, giving the rotation an extra day of rest during a stretch when the Dodgers are playing 18 games in 18 days. Julio Urias was used as the sixth starter last week. Roberts said Urias will back up Stripling on Tuesday, and if he’s not used in that game will be available to back up Gonsolin, who figures to make only one start because of a scheduled off-day next Monday. Gonsolin, the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season, will be in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Worth noting
Roberts, who already is starting Joc Pederson at first base, said he still plans to start Austin Barnes at second base in the series and possibly give Russell Martin playing time at third base as the lab experiments continue.