Doug Padilla, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

A birth and a beginning mark Rich Hill's debut with the Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- The birth of Rob Segedin's first child Tuesday night will transition perfectly into the beginning of the Rich Hill era with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Segedin, who hit a home run Tuesday then raced to the hospital for the birth of his son, Robinson, was put on the paternity list, opening a roster spot for Hill to start Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants.

Hill will be making his Dodgers debut more than three weeks after he was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in a trade that also yielded outfielder Josh Reddick. The Dodgers gave up pitchers Frankie Montas, Jahrel Cotton and Grant Holmes.

If the Dodgers have a pitch count for Hill in his first start since having a blister rip away from his finger in July, they are not talking about it publicly.

Hill was one of 27 different players the Dodgers have carried on the disabled list, matching a record set by the 2012 Boston Red Sox. Every day begins a new roster scramble, but perhaps none have been as seamless as Segedin bowing out for a day to make room for Hill.

"That worked out really well and we saw some pictures posted [of Segedin's son] so I know that the Segedins are pleased," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Rob's going to take a day today and spend time with his new baby."

Getting Segedin to agree to a minibreak wasn't so simple. He made his major league debut on Aug. 7 and tried to talk the Dodgers into no break, but Roberts insisted on it. The compromise was to let Segedin start Tuesday even though his wife had already been induced into labor at the time of first pitch.

Segedin made the most of it by hitting a home run against the Giants' Madison Bumgarner, leaving Dodger Stadium in the eighth inning to make it to the hospital and then seeing his son born just before midnight, approximately 50 minutes after the last out.

Whether Hill's debut is as dramatic remains to be seen. The Dodgers have played well since staff ace Clayton Kershaw has been out because of a lower back injury, but starting pitching has not necessarily been a team strength.

In the past 41 games, Dodgers starters have failed to go a full five innings 16 times. On the season, they have 30 starts of less than five innings.

Hill's debut comes at a key time since the club has six starting pitchers on the disabled list: Kershaw, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood and Scott Kazmir.

Segedin plans to be back with the Dodgers on Thursday so another roster move is on the horizon. But for now, the team will be satisfied to soak in Hill's debut.

"You know what, I'm just as excited as anyone [for Hill] and I know he's excited too to finally make his Dodgers debut," Roberts said. "I know he will go out there and compete. I don't know how perfect his execution will be and I'm sure he will expect the best of himself, but I know he will give us a chance to win the game tonight and that's all we can expect."

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