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 While the Dodgers have not officially announced their pitching
plan, the National League team inserted prospect Zach Lee to start
Friday's spring training game against Texas putting Kershaw and Ryu
on track to launch the regular season.
Los Angeles, who won the NL West last year with a 92-70 record, are
kicking off the major league season against division rivals the
Arizona Diamondbacks (81-81 in 2013) at the Sydney Cricket Ground on
March 22 and 23.
The 25-year-old Kershaw, who in the offseason signed a seven-year,
$215 million deal that was the richest ever given to a pitcher, has
claimed the Cy Young award as top pitcher in the league twice in the
last three years.
The left-hander is likely to start the first game, followed by Ryu.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly would not confirm his plans, but he
has told the pitchers their roles, according to mlb.com.
Ryu became the first Dodgers pitcher to hurl four innings this
spring in his outing on Wednesday, and the Korean said he would be
ready to face Arizona in the Australia games.
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"I threw 55 pitches tonight and 75 next time, so in three weeks I'll
be ready if called upon," said Ryu, who signed a six-year, $36
million deal before the 2013 season with the Dodgers, who also paid
a $25.7 million posting fee to negotiate with him.
The left-hander rewarded the Dodgers with a strong 14-8 record with
an earned run average of 3.00.
Ryu said he was looking forward to seeing former Korean team mate
Koo Dae-sung, who taught Ryu how to throw a changeup and will play
for the Australian national team in exhibitions against the Dodgers
and Diamondbacks prior to the season-opening series.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; editing by Julian Linden)
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