Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Corey Seager, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
A.J. Ellis, C
Trayce Thompson, CF
Scott Kazmir, P
By Jon Weisman
The trouble with Yimi Garcia’s pitching arm remains localized in his bicep, Dave Roberts said this afternoon, but so far there’s been no progress for the 25-year-old righty since he went on the disabled list April 23.
“Not a whole lot of improvement,” Roberts said. “He’s disappointed, because after not picking up a baseball for three or four days, you’d expect that to kind of subside. … I don’t know when he’s going to pick up a baseball.”
Garcia has a career 3.12 ERA (120 ERA+) with 81 strikeouts in 75 innings for Los Angeles.
As for the active members of the Dodger bullpen behind Scott Kazmir tonight, all should be available for action, with the possible exception, I would expect, of Louis Coleman, who threw 10 pitches Monday and 20 Tuesday. J.P. Howell has also worked the past two games, but with only nine pitches combined.
As he indicated Tuesday, Roberts is looking for an improved performance from Kazmir, who pitched six shutout innings in his Dodger debut but has allowed 14 runs in 13 innings since.
“No. 1 is fastball command, and No. 2 is to see how his changeup is, because that’s been his best secondary pitch, and over his last couple of starts, he hasn’t really been able to get the depth and finish hitters with it,” Roberts said. It’s a swing-and-miss pitch, so I think if his change is good, presenting it as a strike and having the depth, then he’ll be in a good place.”
jpavko
release him already! He hasn’t progressed in 3 years
Jon Weisman
That’s just a preposterous comment. It has to be parody. In the second half of 2015, Garcia had a 1.86 ERA and 15 strikeouts compared with 14 baserunners. Opponents OPSed .458 against him. In the eight games this year before he was hurt, Garcia pitched shutout ball seven times. His stats are all solid, and he’s 25 years old. On what planet would someone like be a candidate to be released?