The Los Angeles Dodgers may be prepared to cut one player who has been a disappointment on the field this season.
The Dodgers lost 8-6 to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday for their fourth straight defeat. Starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard once again put the team in a hole to begin the game.
Syndergaard was given a 2-0 lead in the first but allowed Cincinnati to score two to tie it. Then in the third, the Dodgers scored four to go up 6-2. Syndergaard allowed four right back to let the Reds tie the game.
Syndergaard exited the game after allowing six runs on seven hits (including two home runs) over three innings. Though he took a no-decision, his other stats have gotten worse.
Syndergaard is now 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. The one positive in his stats is his strikeouts to walk ratio, which is at 4.2. The problem is that Syndergaard is not missing bats. His average fastball velocity (92.3 mph) is way down compared to his career average (96.9) and even down from last season, when he was averaging 93.8 mph.
The 30-year-old pitcher knows the reality of the situation. He even admitted recently that it’s tough making starts when he doesn’t have all the weapons he used to possess. The Dodgers were trying to give Syndergaard opportunities to turn things around, but he has not been able to do so. At some point — likely very soon — the Dodgers might have to make the choice to cut Syndergaard loose.
