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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.
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By Jon Weisman
Brandon McCarthy and the Dodgers had only one bad inning today out of nine, but it counted.
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By Jon Weisman
When this year’s Dodger transactions are tallied, let’s not forget Brandon McCarthy being acquired in exchange for 14 months of suffering.
In his third start since completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, McCarthy again asserted himself against the void of opposing bats, throwing six shutout innings for the Dodgers at Arizona tonight.
McCarthy sliced up the Diamondbacks on only 77 pitches — fewer than 13 per inning — allowing three hits and no walks while striking out eight. He wasn’t fazed at all by a delay of more than 10 minutes after he had thrown only two pitches, when home-plate umpire Dale Scott took a foul ball to the face mask and ultimately had to leave the game.
So far in this comeback season, McCarthy has thrown 16 innings with an ERA of 1.69, walking four, striking out 22 and looking every bit like a key second-half figure for the Dodgers.
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Adam Liberatore has become a key face in the Dodger bullpen. (Not pictured: Adam Liberatore)
On Pups in the Park Day at Dodger Stadium, Adam Liberatore struck out both batters he faced to set a Dodger record with his 24th consecutive scoreless appearance, helping preserve a 4-3 Dodger victory over San Diego.
The 29-year-old Liberatore has thrown 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings during the streak, retiring 54 of 66 batters, 23 of them on strikeouts. Two of 14 baserunners he has inherited have scored, both harmlessly enough in Dodger victories.
By Jon Weisman
It was like he never left, or that he was gone too long.
Either way, Brandon McCarthy was a sight for no longer sore eyes Sunday at Dodger Stadium, striking out eight in five shutout innings of a triumphant return from Tommy John surgery, in the Dodgers 4-1 sweep-completing victory over Colorado.
Brock Stewart took in his first home game as a Dodger on Friday. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers).
By Jon Weisman
Brandon McCarthy has officially been activated from the disabled list by the Dodgers, 14 months and three days after he had Tommy John surgery.
Brock Stewart, who struck out seven while allowing five runs over five innings in a spot start for Los Angeles on June 29, has been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In other business, the Dodgers outrighted minor-league pitcher Yaisel Sierra to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Sierra, a right-hander from Cuba, has been pitching for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Additionally, Layne Somsen has been outrighted, while Ian Thomas was released. Both pitchers had been designated for assignment.
Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
If you’re wondering whether the Dodgers fast-tracked Brandon McCarthy’s final furlong of Tommy John rehab because of their current injury crisis, that’s not the case.
It is fair to say, though, McCarthy’s readiness timed out well with the Dodgers’ needs.
“This is right where I wanted to be,” McCarthy said today, about 21 hours before his 2016 debut. “I was the one who said, ‘Let’s go.’ I felt that I had gotten to a place with my stuff and feeling-wise that I felt confident about being here, and if there was a need for me, I said, ‘Put me in.’ ”
Brandon McCarthy throws at Spring Training in February. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Alongside Yosuke Nakajima, McCarthy leaves his final 2015 start.
By Jon Weisman
Brandon McCarthy is starting Sunday for the Dodgers. Not the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Not another Dodgers farm team. The Los Angeles Dodgers.
McCarthy last pitched for the Dodgers on April 25, 2015, shortly before he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The expectation at the time was that he would be out until July 2016, and here we are.
Dave Roberts, who revealed the McCarthy news today, said there is no specific pitch limit on McCarthy, who turns 33 on July 7. In his fourth and most recent rehab start, McCarthy went five innings and 72 pitches for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He’ll be on five days’ rest
“He’s a full go,” Roberts said. “We kind of sped it up a little bit because of the circumstances, but Brandon’s excited about getting back and being active, and we expect him to pitch well on Sunday.
“With the circumstance of what happened to Kersh in Pittsburgh, we figured we had some options. In talking to Brandon and figuring out where he’s at, with this trade, things kind of fell in line with his start date.”
Julio Urías, whose turn in the rotation was to come Sunday, will instead make an Independence Day start on five days’ rest.
Oklahoma City Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
A year after being drafted in the sixth round by the Dodgers, Brock Stewart turned in a reasonably solid 2015. He had a 2.84 ERA in seven starts for low Single-A Great Lakes, then got the half-step promotion to Rancho Cucamonga.
Things were moving in the right direction. The right-hander got roughed up for eight runs in his first start for the Quakes and logged a 5.43 ERA for them, but progress is progress. In 2016, he’d have every opportunity to move up another level.
Or two …
Or three …
Remarkably, after beginning 2016 at Single-A, the 24-year-old Stewart has climbed all the way to the Major Leagues, where he will be making his MLB debut for the Dodgers as their starting pitcher against Milwaukee tonight.
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By Bart Harvey
Highlights from the Dodger farm system for June 22, including Brandon McCarthy’s latest rehab outing and a Double-A walkoff homer …
By Jon Weisman
Tonight’s starting pitcher, Julio Urías, has thrown 58 professional innings this season. Dave Roberts said Thursday that the plan was to give Urias two more starts, then evaluate.
Most interpreted this as Roberts saying that Urías would be shut down in the manner of Ross Stripling, who hasn’t pitched in a game since May. To be clear, though, that wasn’t stated explicitly by Roberts, who simply said, “we’ll go from there.”
Last year, Urías threw 80 1/3, and the year before, a career-high 87 2/3. Even in the unlikely event of two complete games, Urías would still be at 76 innings on the year. Two six-inning outings would put Urías at 70. Presumably, Urías can go incrementally above the 80-plus inning range that he has previously reached.
So the question would be whether it makes sense to use all those innings now, while the Dodgers wait for the return of Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood from the disabled list (and longer down the road, Brett Anderson). Or do they have Urías take the break, and the ramp him up again in the second half of the season, when the rotation might be more crowded — not that there couldn’t be other setbacks.
Andre Ethier poses with former Dodger infielder Mark Ellis prior to Monday’s game.
By Jon Weisman
Some items to catch up on …
By Cary Osborne
Hyun-Jin Ryu will pitch in a game Sunday — the first time he has toed the rubber for a game since March 17, 2015 in Spring Training.
Dave Roberts said today that Ryu will start his rehab assignment in Rancho Cucamonga, where he will pitch possibly two innings.
The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start in San Bernardino, where the Quakes will take on Inland Empire.
Roberts said he anticipates Ryu making four or five appearances before he’s ready to return to the Dodgers.
In addition, Brandon McCarthy pitched another simulated inning at Dodger Stadium today and faced Charlie Culberson, who was taking hacks against him.
“Charlie said the ball was coming out good — fastball, changeup, curve — and so that’s another step in the right direction,” Roberts said. “He puts some good swings, but there were also some swings and misses, which was good to see from McCarthy’s standpoint.”
Roberts said McCarthy will get one more simulated inning before being sent out for a rehab assignment.
Yimi Garcia, who went on the disabled list April 23 with right biceps soreness, is in Arizona and not near a return.
“We’re a little beside ourselves on the lack of progress, so he’s just kind of laying low and not really doing any baseball activities,” Roberts said.
Garcia felt soreness on April 22 and left after two-thirds of an inning in Colorado.
One more note: Chase Utley returns to the starting lineup at second base, a day after Howie Kendrick went 2 for 5 and was robbed of a home run.
Roberts said he wanted Utley’s left-handed bat in the lineup with right-hander Carlos Martinez’s ball running in on right-handers.
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By Jon Weisman
It might have been just another day in the post-Tommy John surgery life of Brandon McCarthy, but every day forward is a good one.
Scott Kazmir and Clayton Kershaw (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Clayton Kershaw has thrown at least seven innings in each of his four starts this season, and the Dodgers would love for him to make it a fifth.
It would be going too far to say they need him to, but … it sure would be nice.
Of the Dodgers’ 20 games this season, starting pitchers have gone at least six innings 11 times — twice in the past seven games.
“I think those guys would be the first to tell you, we’ve got to get length,” Dave Roberts said. “Obviously, we came from (three games in) Denver, but I think to win a lot of games and to go deep in the postseason, we can’t beat up our pen, and so that starts with the starting pitching.
“Last night, I tried to get a little extra length with Ross (Stripling), and unfortunately in the sixth inning they scored a run, but I’ve kind of got to think about the pen usage as well as trying to win that night. There’s that fine balance, certainly.”
Kershaw is making his final start of April tonight. If he completes five innings, he would become the first Dodger starting pitcher to average at least seven innings per start in April since Derek Lowe in 2005. (He’s also on pace to post the highest April strikeout-walk ratio for a Dodger starting pitcher in history: 10.0.)
Next after Kershaw comes Scott Kazmir, who has been bothered somewhat by a sore left thumb and wrist. Kazmir through off flat ground today and is ready to make his scheduled start Wednesday.
“Kaz is a pro,” Roberts said. “He doesn’t want to use it as an excuse, but when you’ve got the wrist-thumb thing, it’s kind of hard for him to get on top of the baseball, so I think he was getting a little outside and under it. So just now even watching him play catch, he was kind of getting the extention he needed and the ball was coming out really well, so I do think it’ll make a big difference.”
What happens when three old friends in crisis fall into an unexpected love triangle? In The Catch, Maya, Henry and Daniel embark upon an emotional journey that forces them to confront unresolved pain, present-day traumas and powerful desires, leading them to question the very meaning of love and fulfillment. The Catch tells a tale of ordinary people seeking the extraordinary – or, if that’s asking too much, some damn peace of mind.
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