The Dodgers’ first significant lineup change of the season may be underway, with Juan Uribe headed to see a specialist about his injured left wrist.
Uribe, with a .257 on-base percentage and .265 slugging this season in 36 plate appearances (one walk, one double) has missed two games already on this road trip. The trip to the specialist is “an indication that the club is concerned the injury — incurred during a slide — could be something serious,” writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
I’m not so sure a great many Dodger fans will be crushed by this news. Uribe’s value to the Dodgers has mainly been reduced to his defense at third base.
In the short term, Jerry Hairston Jr., Adam Kennedy and Justin Sellers can all play third base for the Dodgers. If Uribe goes on the disabled list, Josh Fields (.949 OPS at Triple-A Albuquerque) might head to the big club, as could infielder Luis Cruz (.995 OPS).
If the Dodgers wanted to get crazy, they could bring up Double-A third baseman Pedro Baez (.838 OPS at Chattanooga), a once-highly regarded prospect who has been beset by injuries.
Update: Gurnick now writes that Uribe “was examined by the Brewers’ team doctor on Thursday and will not see a specialist in Houston, as was considered.”
underdog
My god Kemp is strong. Not a news flash but wow.
Jason Ungar
We knew he was gonna be good, I think we all did right?? ….but maybe not this good!! It’s so fun to watch!
foul tip
Is what Kemp did what they mean when they say someone spat on a fastball? Before he hit it, that is.
Anonymous
So, what is the financial hit for dumping Uribe?
Is that even possible? For some reason I have no idea how this works in baseball.
Jon Weisman
They’re committed to paying Uribe no matter what he does.
Anonymous
Ah… So, they are on the hook for the next two seasons. Super. Maybe we can package him and Loney for ___________?
Anonymous
Anybody else surprised the Brewers haven’t plunked Kemp yet?
Jon Weisman
Looked like Kemp homered on the kind of pitch that struck him and Raul Mondesi out for years.
Anonymous
That’s the kind of pitch Manny consistently would hit out
T.M. Brown
I wish the crew would hush about the Ryan Braun thing since they’re apparently committed to saying he was innocent of PEDs when he got off on as shady technicality. I know each announcer has got to bring his or her own flavor to the booth but when you’re doing a Dodgers broadcast I would think you’d have to say “What Would Vin Do?” and Vin definitely wouldn’t be offering up conjecture on things like that.
In other news: KEMP SMASH.
Anonymous
Chad Moriyama convinced me it wasn’t shady. His site is linked on the right at DT.
Anonymous
Am I the only one growing weary of the Lyons/Collins editorializing on behalf of Ryan Braun?
Anonymous
I have actually switched over to listen to the Brewers broadcast. Much better.
Anonymous
Apparently not. :-)
Louis Rasky
If it turns out Uribe has to go on the DL, would love to see Fields come up along with Sands. I know it sounds impossible, since they would have to DFA Kennedy or send down Sellers, but Uribe does represent a bit of power and given how bad the bench is giving Sands a chance as an extra bat could be good.
Anonymous
Where does Sands play?
Terry Pruett
And…you’re assuming Sands can hit major league pitching.
Anonymous
I was thinking about this yesterday, but after looking at Sands’ performance so far in Albuquerque, unless he goes on a tear, we won’t be seeing him again until September.
Anonymous
I’m I reading it right–that Hairston at age 36 has played about 20 games at third base. It can’t be wise to play him there.
Anonymous
You are wrong. 117 games, 93 starts, 59 complete games as of yesterday; lots of errors though.
Anonymous
Inning could’ve been worse. The phrase “…activity in the Dodger bullpen…” is a chilling one these days.
Anonymous
Brewers announcers again talking about the play at home last night, saying the dude was out.
Louis Rasky
Sands would be a bench option and spell Loney on occassion. Believe that Sands can hit better than Kennedy.
John G. Blanchard
foul tip… the phrase is “pissing” on a ball… and yes, he did. At least that’s phrase on the diamond.
Anonymous
Maybe Hairston can play 3B after all.
Anonymous
Yeah, I’ll take Jerry at third base.
Anonymous
I shot my mouth off about Hairston at third before I reviewed the rest of the game Hairston had. My bad.
Anonymous
Listen, he’s as much of a surprise as the original Jamey and Aaron Miles last year. Let’s hope it continues.
Louis Rasky
Example of how bad the bench is. If Ellis gets out. I walk Kemp and force the Dodgers to use one of their fine pinch hitters: Selllers, Kennedy, AJ Ellis, since Wright is up after Kemp.
Anonymous
The way you keep middle infielders from throwing a foot down to block your head first slide is to go spike high next time. Take a leg-full of spikes and see how willing you are to try it again.
Anonymous
Strap it on. Let’s go Javy.
Anonymous
I’m sorry… Uribe who?
Anonymous
Javy got away with two ball 4’s to Aoki. OK. Now we can take two of three in Houston and it will be a successful road trip. Good afternoon, all!
Anonymous
Feeling much better now.
Anonymous
I’m dedicating that Dodger win, Kemp’s home run and Javy’s save to my son Tom, who turns four today. That okay with all yous?
Anonymous
Happy birthday, Tom!
Adam Luther
Mattingly wants to expand replay especially on game ending close plays. I’m not a proponent of it (slows the game down even more), but the more I think about it, the most exciting play in baseball is the play at the plate…and if replay is involved you’re going to see more attempts to try and score in hopes that the replay will be favorable if the call is questionable. And you can bet that “properly blocking the plate – giving a corner, etc.” will come into question upon all those reviews. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/dodgers/story/2012-04-19/Don-Mattingly-instant-replay/54414894/1
Anonymous
Managers should get 2 calls per game to use to overturn any close calls. We use this system in cricket to try to eliminate umpire mistakes
Anonymous
You might have this exactly backwards. It depends on what your priors are about the direction of human error. Do we think that there are more mistakes calling safe runners out, or calling out runners safe? If it’s 50/50, replay shouldn’t affect behavior. If we think that false safe calls are more frequent than false out calls, the replay should reduce risk-taking. If we think that false out calls are more frequent without replay, then replay should increase risk-taking.
Anonymous
latest proposals call for review by officials not on the field but who have access to video of the game as in hockey; shouldn’t delay the game any more than an argument with an umpire.
Anonymous
The booth is where all replay officials should be. Modern technology now gives us a better look than the human eye. And it’s a whole lot faster than any umpire conference on the center of the diamond.
Anonymous
Three 1-run games, all of which could easily have gone the other way. The Dodgers were the beneficiaries of some breaks in the first 10 games, the victims in the next two. 10-3 looks mighty fine to me.
Anonymous
If this were April 1st, we might all think a 10-3 start would be a prank. Sure looks good to me too.
Anonymous
Just so!
underdog
Agreed.
They definitely could have won 2 out of 3, if a call here or there went differently. Milwaukee’s tough at home, some tough pitchers, too. I’ll take it. Now want to see at least 2 out of 3 in Houston, which isn’t as easy as some may think but the Dodgers *should* do that.
Anonymous
Well, I certainly wouldn’t have imagined a 10-3 record to start the season would have had 8 different pitchers with wins – but none of the 8 being Kershaw!
underdog
Seriously! That’s baseball for ya. Especially early in the year, where stats are often screwy. I’m hopeful Kersh will get a win at some point… ;)
Anonymous
Just woke up in Aus, saw the highlights, saw Jerry’s 2 great plays and therefore I won’t lose any sleep over Uribe
Anonymous
You might have been the first person ever to lose sleep over Juan Uribe except for those of us who experience night terrors when visited by what appears to be a ghostly apparition of Emo Juan Uribe.
Anonymous
Do you really think that Colletti is that ridiculous; to have never lost sleep over the effect his signing Uribe might have on an owner who doesn’t like to throw away $21 million.
Anonymous
Yeah, I had a dream that he actually started to hit :)
underdog
I have to say, as one who wondered aloud why Jamey Wright was on the roster (and I’m glad Lindblom is, too) — he was certainly terrific today, right when the pen needed it the most. He was bailed out at the very end by Hairston’s great play but pitched supremely well. Guerra was much better than he was on Monday, too. WHEW, is all I can say.
Jon Weisman
NPUT
Anonymous
X’d