Hill will begin the 2018 campaign as the Dodgers' fourth starter, toeing the mound at home against the Giants on Sunday.
While Hill's 3.32 ERA in 2017 would suggest he is the Dodgers' third best pitcher, manager Dave Roberts likely wanted to slot his only right-handed starter, Kenta Maeda, smack dab between all four of his southpaws. The 38-year-old took a step back in production from his shocking breakout in 2016, but he still maintained his ability to miss bats at a high clip (11.0 K/9) without suffering a huge dip in control (3.3 BB/9). The main culprit of the jump in ERA from 2.12 to 3.32 was a 1.2 HR/9, his worst mark since his time with the Cubs in the early 2000s when he was a fantasy afterthought. Hill dealt with lingering blister issues, which may have factored in to the slight regression, but the numbers he posted over 135.2 innings last year were good enough to warrant consideration in most formats.