LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped pitchers Jeff Weaver and Jon Garland and added Hiroki Kuroda before Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kuroda is expected to start Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday.
He has been trying to recover from a herniated disc in his neck.
Also added was rookie third left-handed reliever Scott Elbert, who was inactive against St. Louis.
Garland won three times after he was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in July, and did not pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series.
"We just felt with (Philadelphia), we wanted the option of another left-hander," Manager Joe Torre said on the Dodgers' Web site.
Right-hander Vicente Padilla will start Game 2 on Friday, while southpaw Randy Wolf will start Game 4 on Monday.
Southpaw Clayton Kershaw started Thursday's opener.
