Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that McCarthy will "potentially" get an extra rest day before his next start, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

This shouldn't affect those setting weekly lineups, as McCarthy will still be in line for a home start against Philadelphia next weekend, extra day of rest or not. The 33-year-old was sharp again Sunday, tossing seven innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts to one walk in a win over Arizona. McCarthy now has a 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 22:8 K:BB over 24 innings this season.

McCarthy allowed two runs on five hits while walking three and striking out eight over five innings for a no-decision in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

The 99-pitch outing actually raised his ERA to 1.96, but the 33-year-old veteran right-hander hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his three starts so far. McCarthy, a groundball artist, is striking out 8.47 hitters per nine innings and is a strong back-of-the-rotation fantasy starter. He becomes even more attractive pitching for one of the NL's best teams and in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.

McCarthy (2-0) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four over six shutout innings Wednesday to get the win in a 2-0 victory over the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

He got staked to a 1-0 lead right out of the gate thanks to an Andrew Toles leadoff homer, and McCarthy (with some help from the Dodgers bullpen) took it from there. The right-hander now has a 1.50 ERA over his first two starts of the season, and he'll look to keep rolling Monday at home against the Diamondbacks.

McCarthy (1-0) tossed six innings of two-run ball Thursday, walking one and striking out four in a 10-2 win over the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran rewarded manager Dave Roberts' decision to start him in the rotation with a quality start in his 2017 debut. McCarthy was his usual aggressive self, pounding the zone and throwing 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes. The 33-year-old's control was the key takeaway from this start after he posted a career-worst 5.8 BB/9 in his return from Tommy John surgery last season. Those in standard mixed leagues shouldn't overreact to a strong start from a pitcher who hasn't posted an ERA below four since 2012. That said, McCarthy is a rosterable option in deeper and NL-only formats in the right matchups. His next start start comes against a potent Cubs lineup, which definitely doesn't fall in the "right matchup" category. Proceed with caution.

McCarthy will start the Dodgers' fourth game of the season, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

McCarthy was making the squad regardless of where he pitched, but manager Dave Roberts confirmed Wednesday that the 33-year-old will start the year off in the rotation while Alex Wood heads to the bullpen. He started nine games for the Dodgers in 2016, accumulating a 4.95 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 40.0 innings.

McCarthy is one of the final two pitchers competing for the last spot in the Dodgers rotation along with Alex Wood, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Dave Roberts said McCarthy will be making the squad regardless of how the spring closes. Whoever loses the competition for the starting role will have a spot in the bullpen and will likely have the inside track for any spot start opportunities should the Dodgers suffer an injury to a starter. McCarthy has thrown 86 innings as a reliever with a brutal 5.13 ERA, so he may not be well suited to the role should he wind up losing this job battle to Wood.

McCarthy is expected to make the Dodgers' rotation, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 33-year-old was already trending in that direction this spring, seeing a gradual increase in his workload with each start. McCarthy's 2016 season was marred by injuries, and he was ineffective when he was on the mound (4.95 ERA and 1.38 WHIP). His 5.8 BB/9 was an outlier last season, and may have been a result of pitching through injuries. The veteran righty has displayed improved control (7:1 K:BB ratio) over 13 innings this spring while maintaining his low-to-mid 90s fastball velocity. When healthy, McCarthy possesses deep-league value as a pitcher with decent strikeout potential and a favorable home park.

McCarthy's usage in Wednesday's win over the Mariners hints at a starter's role.

EDGE Analysis

The results were poor for the veteran arm (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 K), but his 60-pitch workload hints at the role the Dodgers envision for him. His velocity is back up to the low-to-mid 90s range it was over the past few seasons, and the gradual increase in pitch count indicates that management does not view him as a bullpen arm. There is still plenty of time left for the dust to settle around the competition for the club's final two rotation spots, but McCarthy has moved into a favorable position.

McCarthy started Friday's split-squad game against the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on two hits over two innings.

EDGE Analysis

Friday's stat line is a microcosm of what type of pitcher McCarthy is. The quick two-run homer showed how hittable he can be at times, and the five-straight outs following the home run shows that he can be an effective starter. If you look past his two injury-marred seasons, McCarthy posted a sparkling 4.3 K/BB ratio over a four-year period spanning 2011-2014. With a fastball velocity in the low-to-mid 90s and big movement, there is potential for a bounce-back campaign. There is some deep sleeper potential in the 33-year-old's arm, but he has two big hills to climb; winning a rotation spot and overcoming his injury woes.

McCarthy threw two innings in a simulated game Sunday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Dodgers have been progressing the veteran starter slowly this spring after two injury-plagued seasons in LA, but manager Dave Roberts commented that McCarthy looked good and was executing his pitches throughout the session. If he can stay healthy all spring, the right-hander should be in the mix for one of the final rotation spots up for grabs.