Los Angeles Dodgers acquire starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez

It's not quite David Price, but the Los Angeles Dodgers nevertheless received some help today for the back end of their starting rotation, acquiring right-handed pitcher Roberto Hernandez from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for two players to be named or cash considerations.

“Roberto provides us with another big league starting pitcher, who has pitched well this year, particularly the last seven starts,” said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. “He has postseason experience and helps fortify the rotation down the stretch.”

The Dodgers fourth and fifth starters this season, Josh Beckett and Dan Haren, have been inconsistent recently, as Beckett has dealt with a nagging hip injury, and the aging Haren has just plain struggled.

When middle reliever Paul Maholm -- a potential replacement in the rotation -- tore the ACL in his knee recently, the need for another arm became that much more important.

Hernandez, who will turn 34 on August 30, has been solid in his last seven trips to the mound, going 3-3 with a 2.85 ERA (15 ER/47.1 IP) while averaging nearly 7.0 innings per start. During this stretch, Hernandez has limited opponents to a .194 average while allowing just one home run. On the season, the native of the Dominican Republic is 6-8 with a 3.87 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in 23 games (20 starts).

Hernandez made his big league debut in 2006 and spent his first seven seasons in Cleveland, having a career year with the Indians in 2007, going 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Hernandez made three starts for Cleveland during their 2007 postseason run, including a 9.0-inning start in which he allowed just one run on three hits vs. the Yankees in the ALDS. Following that season, Hernandez finished fourth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.

The 2010 All-Star has appeared in 237 games (197 starts) with Cleveland (2006-12), Tampa Bay (2013), and Philadelphia (2014). He has eight career complete games, a career opponents’ batting average of .268 and 755 strikeouts in 1,221.0 innings.

The Indians’ Opening Day starter in 2011 was formerly known as Fausto Carmona until 2012.  The name brought him legal difficulties in his homeland, when it was learned that it was a fictitious name he used in order to get a visa to the U.S.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services