More updates on the starting rotation – Think Blue Planning Committee

Los Angeles Dodgers fans can likely look forward to a beefed-up roster when division rival San Francisco comes to town for a four-game series next week.

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow will start against the Giants on Wednesday. The 30-year-old right-hander is returning from a stint on the injured list after a bout with lower back pain. Many fans assumed the injury was not serious, but rather a planned hiatus.

Glasnow was the clear ace of the team for the first half of the season before a series of quality starts threw Gavin Stone into the fray. Regardless, Glasnow has struck out 143 opponents in 109 innings of work, and his .927 WHIP is among the best in the majors.

There will be plenty of excitement at Dodger Stadium on Thursday when Clayton Kershaw takes the mound in a regular-season game for the first time since last September. Kershaw’s first attempt to return from shoulder surgery came in June, but he was sidelined briefly after dealing with persistent muscle soreness. He did, however, make his third rehab start Friday for Triple-A Oklahoma City in Round Rock, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out two in four innings of work.

“I want to be a part of it, I want to be one of the top five guys we have,” Kershaw said after the kickoff. “Obviously, we’re in a tough spot right now. We’ve got to hang in there a little bit longer … if they need me now, I’m ready.”

Earlier in his career, Kershaw was known for his durability, consistently logging 198-plus innings per season from 2010-15. In recent years, however, he has struggled with health issues due to numerous injuries. He has not reached that innings mark since then, often being sidelined by back problems. The biggest concern in 2023 has been his shoulder, though he has been among the team’s leaders in starts with 24.

Glasnow and Kershaw join a makeshift rotation that currently includes Stone, veteran left-hander James Paxton and youngsters Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack. After hanging around in the MLB’s Top 5 starting rotation by ERA for the first half of the season, the Dodgers now rank 12th in combined ERA for starting pitchers with a 3.96 mark — one of the lowest marks we’ve seen in years.

In addition, young right-hander Bobby Miller may be getting back into his old groove. On Saturday, he threw four scoreless innings for OKC, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out four.

Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto still doesn’t have a timeline for a return from a rotator cuff injury, though he’s still making progress with a throwing program. Skipper Dave Roberts told reporters this weekend that the former Japanese superstar continues to add to his distance.

“Yamamoto is stretching it out a little bit more than 100 feet,” Roberts said. “I think it’s closer to 125, something like that, 130. But until he comes down a hill, we don’t really know that much.”

Meanwhile, Paxton will face primetime on Sunday night, as the Dodgers look to sweep the Red Sox, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. Los Angeles time.