When the Dodgers signed Tommy Kahnle to a two-year deal after the 2020 season, they knew what they had been paying for. The understanding was that he was coming off of Tommy John surgical procedure that summer season and that he would seemingly not be out there in any capability till the 2022 season.
However Dodgers followers have but to see Kahnle throughout Spring Coaching this 12 months. That has been a little bit of a priority since he’s such a big part of Dave Roberts’ bullpen plans proper now. When he’s prepared, he’ll seemingly slot in as a high-leverage man taking down the eighth inning.
However we now know that Kahnle is not going to be able to go for the Dodgers by Opening Day. The OC Register’s Bill Plunkett spoke with him at camp this week, and he mentioned that he plans to make use of the month of April as an prolonged camp.
“Kahnle acknowledged that he gained’t be able to open the season within the Dodgers’ bullpen and as a substitute will spend April going via the equal of ‘a full spring coaching,’ almost certainly pitching for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis.”
However each time the Dodgers do get Kahnle again into the combination of issues, he can be large for them. In 2019, Kahnle was placing out nearly 13 batters per 9 innings pitched, and that strikeout share was one of many tops within the league that 12 months.
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Kahnle threw just 20 pitches in 2020 earlier than needing to bear surgical procedure, placing out 3 of the 5 batters that he confronted in a lone inning. The Dodgers paid him out simply over $5 million for 2 years, which actually comes right down to a aim of retaining him for the 2022 season.
However when he’s prepared, Kahnle can be a pressure out of the pen.
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