March 8, 2021 9:49 AM : Dunning allowed one walk over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Dodgers.
Analysis: Dunning, who was acquired from the White Sox in the Lance Lynn trade, is vying for a rotation spot and may have surged ahead of Kyle Cody and Hyeon-Jong Yang in what was his Cactus League debut. All three pitched Sunday and Dunning was the best of the lot. "I liked the way [Dunning] competed," manager Chris Woodward told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. "He didn't get ahead of a ton of guys because his alignment was a little off and he felt like he was yanking everything. But when he needed to make a pitch, he trusted his sinker and was able to get out of the inning." Cody allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over two innings prior to Dunning's appearance, and Yang was tagged for a run on two hits, including a home run, following Dunning. Woodward indicated earlier this spring that Dunning, who has thrown just 34 innings since 2018, would be on an innings count, so if he does end up in the rotation, expect a piggy-back situation for the right-hander