Knack is the third Dodger to make his debut during this series against the Nationals. Eduardo Salazar was optioned to Triple-A after getting called up on Tuesday but not pitching
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LOS ANGELES — Landon Knack was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start the Dodgers’ series finale against the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon, the third consecutive game in which Los Angeles will have a player making their major league debut.
The 26-year-old right-hander had a 4.02 ERA in three starts to open the season in Triple-A, with 16 strikeouts (a 27.1-percent strikeout rate) and four walks in 15⅔ innings. Knack has lasted at least five innings in each outing so far in 2024.
Knack follows reliever Ricky Vanasco’s major league debut on Monday, and outfielder Andy Pages debuting on Tuesday.
The Dodgers added Knack to the 40-man roster in November, though he also made his major league debut last season. During the final week before the All-Star break, when the team was scrambling with several pitching injuries, Knack was at Dodger Stadium for a few days on the taxi squad in anticipation of a possible call-up. But that didn’t come to pass then, which sets us up for his MLB debut on Wednesday.
Knack will be the third pitcher drafted by the Dodgers in 2020 to start for them this season. Knack was drafted in the second round out of East Tennessee State that year, after first-rounder Bobby Miller, with Gavin Stone picked in the fifth round.
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To make roster room for Knack, Eduardo Salazar was optioned after getting called up Tuesday but not pitching. Salazar getting sent down means Kyle Hurt stays on the roster after pitching two innings in starting Tuesday’s bullpen game.
Hurt got only one swinging strike in his 24 pitches on Tuesday, and allowed four hard-hit balls (with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph). The first three of those were hits by Washington’s first three batters of the game. But the Nationals didn’t score off Hurt, thanks to a great relay from right fielder Teoscar Hernández to second baseman Kiké Hernández to catcher Austin Barnes.
“He just didn’t feel his best tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said after Tuesday’s game. “For me, it was just find a way to dig deep and give us another inning, because of where we’re at, we’re in a good spot today with the bullpen. That extra inning was huge, and we needed that from him. So he delivered, and he showed me something.”
