Rich Hill scratched from Friday start as Dodgers wait for blisters to heal

The debut of Rich Hill with the Dodgers has been delayed for a second time as he continues to battle blisters on his left hand. After Hill skipped a bullpen session Tuesday, the team scratched him from his scheduled start on Friday against Pittsburgh.

“We just feel that it’s prudent to take a little more time,” Manager Dave Roberts said before Wednesday’s game against the Phillies. “We don’t have a date on when Rich is going to pitch for us.”

Ross Stripling will start on Friday. The rest of the weekend remains in flux. The team hopes Brandon McCarthy can start on Saturday, but he will throw a bullpen session on Thursday to test his fastball command. If McCarthy cannot go Saturday, rookie Julio Urias is primed as a replacement.

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Sunday could belong to Urias or Brett Anderson, who completed his third rehabilitation outing with triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday. Anderson has missed the entirety of the season after undergoing back surgery in March. Brock Stewart is scheduled to pitch on Sunday for Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers acquired Hill, along with outfielder Josh Reddick, from Oakland on Aug. 1. The team hoped Hill could lead a rotation lacking Clayton Kershaw and any consistency. Hill has been battling blisters since July 7, and exited a July 17 start after only five pitches. He has been rehabbing ever since.

Now the Dodgers will wait for his fingers to heal.

“If we weren’t winning baseball games, it might be a little more enhanced,” Roberts said. “But I think that Rich is doing everything he possibly can. There’s only so much you can do. It’s the hand we’re dealt, he’s dealt, and we’re dealing with it.”

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