The relief core got some reinforcements.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are sending right-handers Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling to the bullpen to make room for two starters about to return from the disabled list.
Left-hander Alex Wood is scheduled to come off the disabled list and pitch Tuesday against San Francisco. He went on the DL on Aug. 4 with adductor tendinitis. Lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu is healed from a strained groin that has sidelined him since early May. Ryu is expected to be activated and start on Wednesday.
Stripling will be ready for bullpen action on Tuesday and Maeda on Wednesday.
Stripling started the season in the bullpen, but after making a spot start in May, he took off en route to an All-Star campaign as a starting pitcher.
Meanwhile, Maeda was in the bullpen for the stretch run last season, and was one of the Dodgers best relief options during their run to the World Series in 2017.
The Dodgers are using a closer-by-committee approach in the bullpen with Kenley Jansen sidelined because of an irregular heartbeat.
