SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Things are looking up for the Dodgers -- especially if you don't think 10 starting pitchers are too many.
"Hyun-Jin Ryu's going to be pitching on Friday," manager Dave Roberts said before Monday's game with the Rockies.
Ryu's appearance would be his season debut in the Cactus League, though it's not entirely clear whether he'll pitch in the official Cactus League game or if the Dodgers will set up a "B" game to accommodate the overflow of starting pitchers they are trying to get up to speed. Julio Urias is also scheduled to pitch Friday.
"They're both going to be pitching Friday," Roberts confirmed. "One could be pitching on a back field, or one's going to be in relief. Something like that. They'll both be pitching the A game probably."
Roberts has no qualms about the abundance of viable starters in the big league camp, despite the challenges of scheduling.
"It's a good [problem] thing to have," Roberts said. "It just boils down to guys being flexible, because obviously guys want to pitch on the main field in the "A" game. For us, just to see them and build them up, that's the most important thing. The guys are understanding. There's a lot of arms, and there's only so many innings out there."
In other health news, 2016 National League Rookie of the Year Corey Seager hoped to get back in the lineup Tuesday, though Roberts was in no hurry to commit to penciling him in at shortstop. Seager has been experiencing minor back discomfort and has missed the last three games.
"I don't know [if he'll play Tuesday]," Roberts said. "It's about how he continues to respond to treatment. We'll go through the day and see how he responds at the end of the day - that will be more telling. I would rather not play him an extra day or two on the conservative side than to go earlier."
Despite his caution, Roberts was clear that Seager is continuing to move forward rather than backward.
"I'm definitely confident it's still minor," Roberts said of the back discomfort. "He's doing more activity today, but obviously he's not in the lineup today."
Roberts seemed to like the idea of potentially getting Seager into the game Wednesday, knowing there's a day off to follow on Thursday and a night game on Friday, potentially giving Seager nearly two full days between successive games.
"You can always get at bats here," Roberts said. "You can go to the other side. The number one thing is for the training staff to feel confident that he's 100% and that we don't regress."
Seager played in three Cactus League games before an awkward throw in Friday's game sidelined him with minor back discomfort.