Advertisement

Dodgers’ Brandon McCarthy has tendinitis in right knee but expects to make next start

Brandon McCarthy improved to 5-1 with a 3.28 earned-run average after six scoreless innings Saturday against the Cubs.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Share

Brandon McCarthy expects to make his next start — and avoid a 15th trip to the disabled list — after an MRI exam on Saturday confirmed that the Dodgers right-hander has patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

McCarthy was pulled from Saturday’s 5-0 defeat of the Chicago Cubs after throwing 79 pitches over six scoreless, two-hit innings to improve to 5-1 with a 3.28 earned-run average in eight starts this season.

McCarthy said the knee has bothered him off and on throughout the season and flared up in the fourth inning Saturday.

Advertisement

With the Dodgers up by five runs and plenty of fresh arms in the bullpen, manager Dave Roberts didn’t want to risk more serious injury by pushing McCarthy beyond six innings.

“There have been really good days and some bad days,” said McCarthy, who missed most of the previous two seasons because of elbow injuries. “Yesterday was the first day where it got pretty sore. I didn’t feel it at all the start before.

“It’s been there all year, so we’ve learned how to kind of get around it. Some days you go a little harder on it, some days you go a little less. It’s day-to-day management.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeDiGiovanna

Advertisement
Advertisement