Chad Billingsley will start rehab assignment on Sunday

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MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports that Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday. The right-hander is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent on April 25 last year.

The Dodgers have had tremendous production out of all five slots in the starting rotation, so it’s hard to imagine Billingsley pushing anyone out when he’s ready. As a result, the Dodgers could use Billingsley out of the bullpen.

Billingsley, 29, hasn’t pitched since April 15 against the Padres last season. The right-hander is earning $12 million this season and the Dodgers have a $14 million option on him with a $3 million buy out for the 2015 season.

Dodgers place pitcher Noah Syndergaard on injured list with no timetable for return

dodgers syndergaard
Katie Stratman/USA TODAY Sports
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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”