Stripling (neck) admitted after exiting early in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Angels that he's a "50-50" proposition for his next scheduled start July 30 in Colorado, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Stripling took the loss despite giving up only two runs on three hits and no walks over five innings, but he was fortunate to avoid more damage to his ERA and WHIP. According to the Associated Press, Stripling said his fastball velocity sat in the 87-to-88 mile-per-hour range in his final inning. Stripling, who revealed that he woke up with neck pain before deciding to pitch through the condition Wednesday, previously battled neck problems in spring training, which could prompt the Dodgers to act cautiously with him. Even if Stripling had entered the upcoming week in optimal health, he'd make for a dicey lineup choice while pitching at the hitters' paradise that is Coors Field.