SAN DIEGO Most of this week, Jack Flaherty has been in a state of stagnation. Due to a flurry of trade rumors, the right-hander, who was supposed to start Monday afternoon in Detroit, was removed from his start and instead sat in the dugout. On the day of the trade deadline, when the Tigers played the Cleveland Guardians, he was also sitting and waiting to find out what would happen to him.
Flaherty assumed he would be touched. His agent, Ryan Hamill of CAA, called him when he was sitting in his soon-to-be-vacant home clubhouse at Comerica Park. A.J. Hinch, the manager of the Tigers, stayed around to bid farewell to a right-hander who restored his career’s upward trend.
It will take a few more days for Flaherty to take the mound. He will, however, make his Los Angeles Dodgers debut on Saturday night in the hopes of showcasing an impact arm that could play a role in their October pitching plans.
“I think everyone deep down wants to play for their hometown team,” said Flaherty, who pitched at local Harvard-Westlake High School. “Getting the opportunity is just special.”
Pitching for his hometown team, Flaherty brings the excitement of being the top trade deadline pitcher with him. He was traded at the deadline the previous season with little anticipation; by the time the postseason arrived, the Baltimore Orioles had consigned the former St. Louis Cardinal to their bullpen.
Jack Flaherty is here. pic.twitter.com/sovmnWKUND
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 31, 2024
Flaherty is currently experiencing a rebirth in his career. At the age of 24, Flaherty placed fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting, making him one of the best young arms in the game.
“That second half, he was just about the best pitcher in baseball,” said Tommy Edman, the pitcher’s teammate with the Cardinals that season and, now, again with the Dodgers.
Following were injuries and frustrating inconsistencies. A one-year deal with the Tigers gave him the opportunity to prove his worth again. That is been made possible by a variety of mechanical changes.Flaherty has made 18 starts and has a 2.95 ERA. His speed has increased somewhat to 93.5 mph. Using a slider that moves more precisely than it did a year ago, he has abandoned his cutter.
“Mentally you make some changes and physically you make some changes,” Flaherty said. “We dove into some things.”
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes observed changes that simplified matters and condensed Flaherty’s arm motion. Flaherty, according to assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness, rediscovered his explosiveness, transforming fleeting moments of his former, dominant self into something more durable.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see him kind of get back to the Jack Flaherty we all were accustomed to watching when he first came into the league,” McGuiness said. “When that guy’s got power with that slider and he’s able to really use that slider to his advantage, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball. … It wasn’t too long ago that this guy was doing this every start.”
There is a little break when he gets to Los Angeles. Due to worries about the right-hander’s back, the New York Yankees reportedly abandoned a possible deal to acquire Flaherty on Tuesday, according to The Athletic. Flaherty missed a start last month because of a lower back injection he had to have twice.
Since then, he’s posted a 1.53 ERA in three starts.
“I just know that I feel good,” Flaherty said Wednesday. “I’m ready to go.”
General manager of the Yankees Brian Cashman stated that the team’s desire to acquire Flaherty was not hindered by Flaherty’s back. Dave Roberts, manager of the Dodgers, stated the team feels “very comfortable” that Flaherty’s back won’t be an issue for the final months of the season before he hits free agency.
The Dodgers’ rotation outlook already has enough uncertainty as it is.
It is anticipated that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will throw a bullpen session on Friday, which will be his first mound appearance since he injured his rotator cuff in June. On Wednesday, Clayton Kershaw made just his second start following shoulder surgery in the off-season. Even though Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler are key players for the club, they both had difficult seasons in Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres, Tyler Glasnow finished seven innings, setting a new career high for innings pitched (121). Although their rookie starters have the second-best ERA in MLB (3.04), the Dodgers would rather rely on more seasoned pitchers in October.
The uncertainty surrounding the club’s rotation has already had a cascading impact on the bullpen. The Dodgers lost their third five-run lead in a 16-day span on Tuesday, the same day they received their first strong start since June 26 (when Gavin Stone pitched a shutout against the Chicago White Sox).
“We just haven’t really been good as a staff in the last 30 days,” Roberts said.
Only months after he had stabilized his career, Flaherty was brought in to provide more stability.
“It’s fun,” Flaherty said. “You want those expectations. You want to be a part of that. You want to be part of a team with those expectations. That’s what I came up with in St. Louis, expecting to win, wanting to win, being a part of that. If they bring me in for that, then hopefully I can contribute in as many ways as possible.”
(Photo of Jack Flaherty: Nick Cammett / Associated Press)
