Stripling (back) said Sunday that he expects to be activated from the 10-day disabled list next weekend during the Dodgers' series with the Rockies, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Rather than bringing Stripling back from the 10-day disabled list when rosters expanded Saturday, the Dodgers have elected to wait until the right-hander builds his arm up to the point that he's capable of covering multiple innings. Though Stripling will head to the bullpen once reinstated from the DL, building up his pitch count beforehand would allow him to slot into the rotation later in September if a starter succumbs to an injury. He'll likely throw a simulated game or two this week, and if all goes well, Stripling could be available in relief for the big club as early as Friday.