The Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the more active teams at the trade deadline despite an offseason spending spree. Los Angeles has seen multiple injuries to key contributors throughout the season, leading to the front office needing to acquire more talent.
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Notably in the starting rotation, the Dodgers have been hit with all sorts of injuries. This forced Los Angeles to make a trade to acquire right-hander Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers in a blockbuster move.
Flaherty is a local Southern California kid, so coming home to play for the Dodgers was a dream come true. He made his first start for Los Angeles on the road against the Oakland Athletics last week, shutting down the Oakland offense completely. He threw six innings without allowing a run and struck out seven.
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The right-hander made his first start for the Dodgers at home on Friday and it was special for him throughout. Flaherty went 5.2 innings of work, allowed four runs, and struck out 10 batters.
He acknowledged that it wasn’t his best start but still enjoyed everything that came with it nonetheless. The fans at Dodger Stadium gave him a standing ovation, welcoming him to the team.
“Yeah, it wasn’t my best start, but it was my first one here, and … I don’t know if I was expecting it, but it was special,” Flaherty said of the ovation. “I enjoyed every second of it. This fan base is as dedicated and as loyal as they come. It’s a lot of fun.”
He is off to a great start with the Dodgers so far and the team has liked what they have seen from him. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised the right-hander after his second quality start for the team.
“One thing I’ve learned so far about Jack is that a situation, a moment, isn’t going to be too big for him,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He has the ability to make pitches when he needs to, and that’s huge.”
The Dodgers will likely be counting on Flaherty heavily down the line of the season. Los Angeles has seen their once large lead in the National League West division slim down to just 2.5 games so Flaherty could end up making a big difference in the division race.
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