Joe Wieland expected to start for Dodgers this weekend vs. Padres

Joe Wieland is expected to start for the Dodgers this weekend against the San Diego Padres, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke under condition of anonymity because the right-hander hasn’t yet been officially recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City.

Wieland will start Saturday or Sunday, the person said.

The game at Petco Park would mark a homecoming of sorts for Wieland, who was acquired by the Dodgers as part of the off-season trade that sent Matt Kemp to the Padres.

Once considered one of the top prospects in the Padres system, Wieland has been slowed in recent seasons by arm trouble. He pitched in four games for the Padres last season, including two starts. He earned his first career victory on Sept. 24 by limiting the Colorado Rockies to three runs over 5 1/3 innings.

In two starts for Oklahoma City this season, Wieland is 2-0 with a 1.80 earned-run average. He last pitched on Sunday, when he tossed five scoreless innings in a rain-shortened game.

Zack Greinke is scheduled to start Friday in the series opener against the Padres. Brandon McCarthy is currently listed as the starter for Saturday.

By inserting Wieland into the rotation this weekend, the Dodgers would allow Brett Anderson and Clayton Kershaw to make their next starts on an extra day of rest. Anderson is scheduled to start Monday at Dodger Stadium against the San Francisco Giants, followed the next day by Kershaw.

Wieland will be the third pitcher the Dodgers have used this season to take sidelined left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu’s place in the rotation. David Huff started for the Dodgers on April 14 and Mike Bolsinger started for them on Thursday.