SAN DIEGO — Eric Lauer didn’t realize he had said anything surprising.
“A lot of that was kind of taken out of context,” said Lauer, the newest Dodger, of comments he made in April expressing his “hate” for the opener strategy the Toronto Blue Jays were employing.
“There was no ill will there. There was no hurt feelings. It was a very simple question, I thought, ‘How do you feel about an opener?’ I think if you ask most starters in the league, they would probably have the same response, that they don’t like it. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not willing to do it. It doesn’t mean that I’m not a team player. I’m not gonna have a problem if there is somebody in front of me. It’s part of the game, it’s become part of the game, and we’re all here to win ball games. It’s not about any individual player.
“So that (reaction) was a lot more than I expected that to turn into. And I got a lot of hate for that, I cleared it up with the pitching coach, I cleared up with (Blue Jays pitching coach) Pete (Walker) and (Blue Jays manager) Schneids (John Schneider) right away. There was no ill will there, there was no crap talking or anything about him to them, like we all understood where it came from. It was just a little more blown up than I expected it to be, and I ever wanted it to be. So there’s no problem with an opener, I’ll say that.”
Lauer’s 6.69 ERA and the league-leading 11 home runs he allowed probably had a lot more to do with his being designated for assignment by the Blue Jays last week than saying he “can’t stand” pitching behind an opener.
The Dodgers acquired Lauer in exchange for cash considerations and added him to the active roster on Tuesday, sending right-hander Wyatt Mills back to Triple-A. Lauer will be available to pitch out of the bullpen on Wednesday against one of his former teams (the San Diego Padres). The plan then is to start him next Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium, essentially taking Blake Snell’s place in the starting rotation.
“It’s good to just have that clarity and that understanding of, this is what we see out of you, this is where we’re going to use you, this is what we need, this is what we want,” Lauer said. “And when it lines up with what I want and what I feel I can do the best to help the team, I think that’s a really good spot to be in.”
The Dodgers are certainly familiar with Lauer’s best. The 30-year-old left-hander has started 13 times against them during his time with the Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Blue Jays. His 7-2 record and 2.90 ERA in those starts is the most wins he has against any opponent. He held them scoreless for 5⅔ innings during last year’s World Series, including 4⅔ during the 18-inning Game 3.
“I think just throughout my career I’ve always had a really big respect for the Dodgers organization as a whole,” Lauer said. “You always hear very good things about the organization and the coaching, how they handle things, how they handle players. I think I’ve always looked forward to that.
“I just think it’s a good place to be. It’s an organization that’s used to winning. I’m here to help that continue.”
SNELL SCOPE
As expected, Snell underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the surgery and was able to use the ‘NanoNeedle’ device, according to sources. A less invasive procedure, Snell’s recovery time could be decreased by as much as a month from the usual 2-3 month recovery time.
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal underwent the same procedure using the ‘NanoNeedle’ on May 6 and began a throwing program roughly a week later. He has already thrown bullpen sessions twice in the past week.
The Dodgers are hopeful of a similar recovery for Snell.
ALSO
Outfielder Michael Siani was claimed on waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. Siani was playing for Triple-A Oklahoma City until last week when he was designated for assignment after the Dodgers acquired Alek Thomas from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 3-2, 0.82 ERA) at Padres (RHP Randy Vasquez, 5-1, 2.68 ERA), Wednesday, 5:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM