LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers traded right-hander Ross Stripling to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday for two players to be named.
Stripling, 30, went 3-1 with a 5.61 ERA and 27 strikeouts in seven starts this season for Los Angeles. The veteran has spent his entire pro career with the Dodgers, cracking the major league roster in 2016 and earning an All-Star selection in 2018.
Stripling is headed to Toronto to rejoin longtime Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, who left for an $80 million free-agent deal in the offseason. The Blue Jays have dramatically bolstered their pitching staff at the deadline with the additions of Stripling, Robbie Ray and Taijuan Walker.
Although Stripling is a steady, dependable arm, the major league-leading Dodgers have a wealth of rotation candidates even after tremendous upheaval in their starting pitching since last season.
Behind stars Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, the Dodgers will choose among Julio Urias, Alex Wood and promising youngsters Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin to make the starts in their playoff push. Wood has made only one start this season because of shoulder inflammation, while Buehler will miss one upcoming start on the injured list with a blister on his pitching hand.
The Dodgers nearly sent Stripling and outfielder Joc Pederson to the Los Angeles Angels in a trade for infielder Luis Rengifo earlier this year during the original spring training. Angels owner Arte Moreno scrapped that trade when protracted negotiations over the Dodgers’ acquisition of Mookie Betts from Boston delayed the deal.
Toronto also acquired Jonathan Villar from Miami at the trade deadline.