Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin product Dylan Dodd is set to make his fourth MLB start on Thursday night when the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies at 6:20 p.m. at Truist Park.
The 24-year-old left-hander last started for the Braves on May 4 against the Marlins in Miami, throwing six innings in making a spot start before the Braves sent him back to Class AAA Gwinnett.
Dodd carries a 2-1 record with a 6.46 earned run average in 15 1/3 innings with the Braves this season. He has struck out seven and walked four. Aaron Nola (4-3, 4.31 ERA) is making the start for the Phillies.
Dodd has spent most of his season in Class AAA, where he has compiled a 1-3 record with a 6.67 ERA in six starts. He's coming off a productive start this past Saturday for the Gwinnett Stripers, throwing four shutout innings and only yielding three hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts.
"If he can have a good start or two, he has a shot at maybe getting called back up," said Mark Dodd, Dylan's father and the BHRA baseball coach said this past Saturday before Dylan made his latest start with the Stripers. "He got roughed up a couple outings, so that's why they're not rushing him back up."
The Phillies mark the fourth different team Dodd has thrown against in the majors this season after he made his MLB debut on April 4 against the Cardinals in St. Louis. He threw five innings and recorded the win, giving up one run on six hits in his first start with the Braves that drew a strong contingent from his hometown to Busch Stadium. Dodd lost his next start to the Padres on April 9, giving up seven runs on 10 hits and only lasting 4 1/3 innings before he was then sent down to Gwinnett for nearly a month.
The Braves are in first place in the National League East and lead the second-place Mets by 5 1/2 games. This is the first game this season between the Braves and the Phillies, who last met in the National League Division Series last October that Philadelphia ended up winning.