Dodger Thoughts

On August 6, 2016

In Postgame

Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Tie game, bases loaded, two out, full count.

Sometimes, the biggest moment of the game comes in the bottom of the ninth. For Ross Stripling and the Dodgers today, it was the top of the first.

Boston gift commemorates Scully’s big break

On August 6, 2016

In Broadcasting

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

From the bitter cold of Fenway Park in the fall of 1949, Vin Scully broadcast the Boston-Maryland football game without complaint, impressing the man who had given him the job, Red Barber. That ultimately led to Scully being hired by the Dodgers to start the 1950 season.

Today, Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski (third from left) and announcers Joe Castigilione and Dave O’Brien presented Scully with a framed copy of him the program from that game, along with an image of him at Fenway Park, as a going-away present.

— Jon Weisman

Dodger pitching continues to play numbers game

On August 6, 2016

In Health/injuries, Pitching, Pregame, Transactions

Scott Kazmir allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings during the Dodgers’ 9-0 loss Friday to Boston.

Red Sox at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Kiké Hernández, CF
Josh Reddick, RF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Ross Stripling, P

By Jon Weisman

Brandon McCarthy will start Sunday on four days’ rest after all, with the Dodgers postponing the anticipated activation of Rich Hill from the disabled list.

Dave Roberts told reporters today that Hill remains day to day because of remnants of a blister on a different part of his finger than the one that sent him to the DL in July.

McCarthy has thrown a total of seven innings over his past two starts, averaging 84 pitches.

Bud Norris was officially placed on the disabled list (retroactive to August 1), and Ross Stripling was officially promoted to start today’s game.

In 34 innings this month, the Dodgers have used 13 pitchers, with none pitching more than twice. Stripling will be their 14th pitcher in August, and Grant Dayton, recalled Thursday from Triple-A Oklahoma City, could soon be No. 15.

No reliever has thrown more than three innings in the past five days. Until things stabilize, Dodger pitching might continue to resemble a series of line changes that incorporate additions and subtractions from the minors and the DL.

Within the next two weeks, that could include the return of Brett Anderson, Louis Coleman, Casey Fien, Adam Liberatore, Hill and Norris from the disabled list. Jose De Leon, scheduled to pitch tonight for Triple-A Oklahoma City, is among those who continue to lurk in the minors. It’s not out of the question that the Dodgers will use 20 different pitchers in August alone.

Stripling, Hill projected to start this weekend

On August 5, 2016

In Health/injuries, Pitching, Transactions

By Jon Weisman

Ross Stripling is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Saturday against the Red Sox, with Rich Hill projected to make his Dodger debut Sunday, according to Dodger manager Dave Roberts.

Yasmani Grandal triples up Rockies

On August 4, 2016

In Postgame

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Taking the road less traveled, Yasmani Grandal enjoyed a diversion from his homer heroics of late.

Dodgers recall Grant Dayton, option Brock Stewart

On August 4, 2016

In Pregame, Transactions

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Josh Reddick, RF
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Howie Kendrick, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

Left-handed reliever Grant Dayton will return to the Dodger bullpen, with Brock Stewart being optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Dayton retired six of seven batters July 22 at St. Louis on July 22 in his Major League debut, which took place during extra innings. Since then, he has allowed a run in four innings with Oklahoma City while striking out six.

Overall, in 36 1/3 Triple-A innings this year, the 28-year-old Dayton has a 0.83 WHIP and 63 strikeouts.

Coleman, Liberatore head to DL, Toles optioned — Urías, Fields and Stewart recalled

In Health/injuries, Pregame, Transactions

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Adrián González, 1B
Kiké Hernández, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Brock Stewart, P

By Jon Weisman

A flurry of moves have been made by the Dodgers before tonight’s game in Colorado.

Louis Coleman (right shoulder fatigue) and Adam Liberatore (left elbow inflammation) have been placed on the disabled list. For Liberatore, the transaction is retroactive to July 30.

Joining the Dodgers from Triple-A Oklahoma City are pitchers Julio Urías and newly acquired Josh Fields. In addition, outfielder Andrew Toles has been optioned to Oklahoma City to make room for tonight’s starting pitcher, Brock Stewart.

Clayton Kershaw moved to 60-day disabled list

In Health/injuries

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw has been moved to the 60-day disabled list, an acknowledgment that he will not pitch for the Dodgers until their final series of August at the earliest.

Brett Anderson whiffs eight in four-inning rehab stint

In Health/injuries

In his second rehab outing of his comeback from March back surgery, Brett Anderson threw 64 pitches — 44 for strikes — in four innings Tuesday for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, striking out eight.

Pitching on four days’ rest, Anderson allowed two unearned runs on three hits, while walking one. The two unearned runs came in a first inning that featured two errors and a double steal of second and home.

At one point, Anderson struck out five consecutive batters.

— Jon Weisman

Dodgers extend affiliations with Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Great Lakes through 2018

In Minor leagues

By Jon Chapper

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced two-year extensions in their affiliation agreements with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers of the Pacific Coast League, the Double-A Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League and the Single-A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League, continuing their partnerships through the 2018 season.

Dodgers late for supper in Colorado

In Postgame

[mlbvideo id=”1002803383″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

A two-run double by Justin Turner in the eighth inning and a solo homer by Yasmani Grandal in the ninth couldn’t undo the damage of 19 Colorado baserunners in a 7-3 Dodger loss to the Rockies.

The latest turn in Yasiel Puig’s story isn’t the last

In Status report, Thinking out loud, Transactions

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Let’s separate Yasiel Puig’s fate as a baseball player from his fate with the Dodgers for a moment.

It’s certainly a convenient time to do it, with Puig on his way to Triple-A for the first time. He is a Dodger, and yet not a Dodger, and to say the least the baseball world is still processing it.

First comes the blame. Some say Puig had this demotion coming. Some say the Dodgers have mishandled his development. It’s easy to throw stones when there’s a free pile of ’em lining both sides of the Internet. No one’s claiming to be perfect, but no one should think it was easy.

What seems relevant to me is that it has never been in anyone’s interest to see Puig be anything less than the best he can be. That remains the case.

Maybe Puig’s next Major League game will be in another uniform. Maybe it’ll be in familiar, cozy L.A. whites before the next homestand is over. Maybe his next chapter won’t be written until 2017.

Even then, the next chapter will only be a chapter.

Starting pitching remains in flux for Dodgers

In Pitching

Rich Hill today met reporters for the first time as a Dodger.

By Jon Weisman

Though newly acquired left-hander Rich Hill is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, he will likely make a rehab start before his Dodger debut, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

Hill threw a bullpen session today, and said his finger blister was much improved, according to Gurnick. He hasn’t recorded an out since July 7, when he struck out 10 in six innings for Oakland in a 3-1 victory over Houston.

The Dodgers are also giving an extra day of rest to Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir, who were originally scheduled to start Wednesday and Thursday at Colorado. Maeda will start Thursday, with Kazmir taking the mound Friday against Boston. Kazmir remained in Los Angeles rather than making the trip to Colorado.

Also in Los Angeles is Bud Norris, who left his Sunday start after two batters because of right lat soreness. Norris is receiving back treatment, and the hope is that he would start Saturday for the Dodgers, though nothing is definite.

Rank Vin Scully’s Top 20 calls in Dodger history