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Los Angeles Dodgers: Player grades for the month of April

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10: Manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to a game against the Oakland Athletics e at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10: Manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to a game against the Oakland Athletics e at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers /

Starting pitchers:

  • SP Clayton Kershaw: C

Much like with Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw has not been bad thus far this season, he just has not been Clayton Kershaw-like. Kershaw enters May with a 2.84 ERA and a 1-4 record that should be at least 3-2. He is walking batters at a much higher rate as well. Kershaw will get in his groove, however, April was not a great month for him.

  • SP Alex Wood: C-

Alex Wood has not been that good this season. After starting the season with eight shutout innings against the San Francisco Giants, Wood has allowed 16 earned runs in 27 innings pitched. While he did have another good showing against the San Diego Padres, Wood got beaten up by the Oakland A’s the start before.

Right now, Wood seems to be a six innings, three or four runs allowed kind of pitcher. That is the kind of production you see out of a fourth or fifth pitcher in the rotation, not out of your second-best.

  • SP Hyun-Jin Ryu: A+

Meanwhile, Hyun-Jin Ryu has filled in as the best pitcher on the Los Angeles Dodgers this month. Ryu has been the opposite of Alex Wood; he had a bad first start this season and responded with four great starts, all four the Dodgers should have won.

Since starting the season with a 7.36 ERA through one game, Ryu has responded by allowing four earned runs in 24.2 innings. That is good enough for a 1.46 ERA in his last four starts.

  • SP Kenta Maeda: C+

Kenta Maeda has not been great this season, but has done his job and can put the Dodgers in situations to win. With Maeda, the motto is to put everything into every pitch; giving the Dodgers five or six innings at most.

With a 3.76 ERA, Maeda has done just that. He has been slightly better than Alex Wood has this season, his grade being higher due to his spot in the rotation.

  • SP Rich Hill: D

Rich Hill has been the worst pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers thus far. Right now, a cracked fingernail on his throwing hand is making Dave Roberts juggle the starting rotation.

However, before hitting the DL, Hill was not necessarily lights out as he has been in the past. Hill has thrown 15 innings in his three starts and has allowed 10 earned runs in the process. After tossing six scoreless innings to start the year, Hill allowed 10 runs in his next nine innings pitched.

  • SP Walker Buehler: A

Walker Buehler has made just two starts but he has looked great in both starts. While he was the beneficiary of some great defense in his starting debut, Buehler’s ceiling is obviously high as a flamethrower at the MLB level. Buehler has allowed just two runs in 10 innings pitched; the two runs coming on a softly hit groundball base hit and a wild pitch.

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