Public Enemy No. 1 reunion on @MLBNetwork with @TheMayorsOffice and @ClaytonKersh22 pic.twitter.com/ZBL0wdT24u
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) March 14, 2016
On Monday, MLB Network featured the Dodgers on its “30 Clubs in 30 Days” series. Below are several clips from the day …
— Jon Weisman
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By Jon Weisman
Injury concerns dotted the first night of split-squad games for the Dodgers, with the most serious news appearing to be that Corey Seager will miss at least one week because of a sprained left knee.
Seager had an MRI today, one day after he was hurt rounding first base following a base hit against the Angels, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported. Dodger president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters late this afternoon that Seager would be out for one to two weeks.
Seager is 23 days away from beginning his first regular season as a Major League starter. Kiké Hernandez is the Dodgers’ primary backup shortstop, with non-roster infielders Charlie Culberson, Elian Herrera among the bench possibilities.
That left-handed pitcher Alex Wood was scratched from a scheduled start tonight because of forearm tightness seems to be of less concern. Reporters were told that Wood would have pitched had this been a regular-season game. Carlos Frias is starting in his place.
Also pulled from scheduled action tonight was Alex Guerrero, who was supposed to return from a week’s absence at designated hitter against the Mariners, only to be replaced by Shawn Zarraga. Guerrero (left knee soreness) hasn’t played since March 4.
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Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Spirits soared with Julio Urias’ first inning on a Cactus League mound this year, before his second inning reminded us of his youth.
Taking the mound in the seventh inning today against the Angels, Urias struck out the side — before allowing a single, double, triple and walk to the four batters he faced in the eighth inning of what became an 8-4 Dodger loss, recapped by MLB.com.
Urias told AM 570 Dodger Talk’s David Vassegh that he struggled with his fastball command in his second inning of work. Hopefully, it wasn’t from his coffee run earlier today.
.@theteenager7 y @JDL_87 entre los jugadores que fueron por 65 órdenes de @Starbucks por la mañana. (Foto: @kFarm17) pic.twitter.com/nuDFYnJGfv
— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) March 11, 2016
The Dodgers lost despite holding the Angels hitless from the second through seventh innings. Zach Lee gave up three hits in the first inning, including a three-run homer, but then faced the minimum over the next two innings. Kenley Jansen, J.P. Howell, Pedro Baez and Louis Coleman each pitched an inning of hitless ball. They were helped by Charlie Culberson, who made two outstanding plays at shortstop today.
What else have we got?
Just seeing if you’re paying attention. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Earlier this week, MLB.com, the Times, the Register, True Blue L.A. and ESPN.com all wrote about how the Dodgers don’t expect to have a full-time leadoff hitter in 2016.
“It’s still wide-open,” Dave Roberts said, according to Bill Plunkett of the Register. “It might change but I don’t foresee a designated leadoff guy – versus left, versus right, versus any type of pitcher – because any day is different, any pitcher is different. So whatever I feel is the best, which makes the most sense for that night or day, we’ll do.”
For some reason, this seems to get under the skin of some fans, who correlate a consistent presence atop the order with winning. And to be sure, if you’ve got guy who posts a .400 on-base percentage against all pitching and doesn’t have redwoods for legs, that’s a good head start toward victory.
But you’re not doomed if you don’t have that person, and it doesn’t serve anyone to pretend that you do. Whatever advantage might be derived from stubbornly batting the same player in the same batting slot, regardless of who the opposing pitcher is, is surely bettered by creating the best matchups.
Let’s look at the Dodgers’ potential leadoff hitters, casting a wide net …
Soon. #DodgersST#LADProductions pic.twitter.com/zsfTvckgxA
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 24, 2016
By Jon Weisman
The full Dodger squad, minus newly signed Yaisel Sierra, fell into place on what appeared to be a beautiful day a Camelback Ranch. Here’s the latest news and notes …
By Jon Weisman
ESPN prospect analyst Keith Law ranked the Dodger farm system second in MLB, thanks in no small part to the appearance of seven prospects in his top 100 list that was released today.
As has been their custom, Corey Seager and Julio Urias landed in Law’s top five, with Seager claiming the top spot previously held by Minnesota’s Byron Buxton. They are the only Dodgers in Law’s top 50. However, there are five in the next half-hundred: Alex Verdugo (51), Jose De Leon (60), Grant Holmes (71), Yusniel Diaz (79), the Cuban emigré whose signing hasn’t been officially announced by the Dodgers, and Cody Bellinger (92).
Corey Seager feeds Howie Kendrick to retire Curtis Granderson and start a double play in the first inning of Game 2 of the 2015 National League Division Series. (Patrick Gee/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Howie Kendrick will go from playing alongside 16-year veteran Jimmy Rollins in 2015 to 27-game veteran Corey Seager in 2016.
But Kendrick isn’t worried about the adjustment period this year, any more than he was when he and Rollins joined the Dodgers last year.
“It’s just gonna be one of those things of just getting a feel for how (Seager) plays,” Kendrick said today in a conference call with reporters. “I played with him a little bit toward the end when I came back after I was hurt, and Seager’s a great guy.”
Kendrick wasn’t surprised, having come across Seager’s older brother Kyle many a time when Kendrick was with the Angels.
“I really like his brother,” Kendrick said. “Kyle’s an awesome guy. … Then once I got around Corey, I was like, ‘Man, it must just run in the family,’ because both of those guys are really awesome people, let alone as players. His demeanor as a player is really calm — you don’t see him get upset too much. He has a confidence about him when he gets out on the field. Out on defense or even in the locker room or in the dugout, that’s going to be huge, because you’ll be able to talk to him.
“We’re gonna make mistakes. Hopefully he’ll ask me questions, and I can give him as much info as I possibly can. I’m always open to helping guys out, and you never know, I might learn something from him, too.”
By Jon Weisman
Something I was simply curious about (and I’m not suggesting there’s any deep meaning to it) was the quality of pitcher that Corey Seager hit the hardest during his September trial.
Below are the 21 pitches Seager hit at least 100 mph, according to Baseball Savant, and the 2015 fielding-independent ERAs of the pitchers who threw them. Click to enlarge …
The 4.60 FIP isn’t impressive, though I suspect that if you did this chart for most players, they’re not as likely to rocket their hardest-hit balls off of opposing aces.
Just for fun, here are the hardest hit balls off Clayton Kershaw in 2015 — featuring two pitchers (Madison Bumgarner, OK, but Francisco Liriano?) and a trifecta from none other than Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario. As a group, these batters were also not quite average …
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Baseball America’s annual ranking of Dodger prospects actually comes early this year — the 2015 rankings were published 10 months ago — and comes with five names that weren’t on the preseason 2015 list.
Joc Pederson graduated from prospect status, but Corey Seager remains a rookie despite his impressive September debut, allowing the Dodger infielder a second consecutive year in the No. 1 slot. Julio Urias moves up a spot accordingly to No. 2, while right-hadner Jose De Leon leapfrogs into the No. 3 spot.
The top newcomer on this year’s list is infielder Jose Peraza, acquired from Atlanta in the big July 30 deal. “Peraza lacks a high ceiling,” Baseball America’s Ben Badler writes, “but his bat-to-ball skills and wheels should make him a steady player in the middle of the diamond.” In the list of best tools in the Dodger minor leagues, Peraza is called the organization’s top athlete.
Making the biggest leap internally is first baseman-outfielder Cody Bellinger, who skipped Great Lakes after hitting three homers with Rookie League Ogden in 2014 and hit 30 for High-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2015. The 20-year-old is also labeled the best power hitter in the system.
“Bellinger used to gear his swing for line drives, but he made a mechanical adjustment in 2015 to put his body in a better position to create torque,” Badler wrote in his analysis. “Toward the end of 2015, he began to study heat maps to understand his own strengths and weaknesses, and he condensed his trigger slightly.”
Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Dodger director of player development Gabe Kapler spoke to Josh Jackson of MiLB.com about the Dodger minor-leaguers who had the best seasons in 2015. Here are two passages from the interview that stood out:
On Corey Seager’s defense and future at shortstop:
“Sometimes we see a guy consistently make plays that look so easy and so routine that we don’t necessarily see acrobatic plays. What does that mean? He makes plays others make look acrobatic, he makes those plays look effortless. One thing that’s fascinating about Corey: the throws he makes on cutoffs and relays to cut down runners going from first to third look almost identical to the throws he makes with nobody on, when he’s just relaying ball back. That calm. He’s got that thing that allows him to keep his body under control in high-pressure situations.”
On what makes Julio Urias so special:
“He’s about as charismatic and dynamic an individual as we have in the organization. He’s super communicative and incredibly intelligent, very liked, very prepared, very driven. With that. coupled with his athleticism and lower drive and his fastball characteristics, plus the simple grind of being a baseball dude, he has the makings of a really special contributor to our organization. He’s a guy who’s going to be good for a long time.”
By Jon Weisman
It’s no secret that this will be another offseason of change for the Dodgers.
Already, manager Don Mattingly and vice president of medical services Stan Conte have departed. Five days after the World Series ends — sometime before November 10 — free agency begins. And you never know what the trade market will bring or take away.
The winter months will address several issues facing the Dodgers. But whatever happens will still leave several questions that won’t be answered until we’re well into the 2016 season.
Among them, these:
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Jimmy Rollins will start at shortstop in place of Corey Seager in Game 3 of the National League Division Series tonight in New York.
Rollins will team with second baseman Howie Kendrick up the middle. With the appeal of his suspension yet to be heard, Chase Utley is eligible off the bench for the Dodgers.
Seager has a double and four strikeouts in eight at-bats for the Dodgers in the NLDS. He has fielded solidly, including an over-the-shoulder catch in Game 2, but no doubt has never played in as heated an atmosphere — on the field or in the surrounding stands — as is likely to be present at Citi Field this evening.
By Jon Weisman
Corey Seager will not only be the youngest Dodger position player to start a postseason game, he will bat third for Los Angeles in the National League Division Series opener against the Mets tonight.
Seager, who has the highest OPS+ in Dodger history for a rookie, hit in the No. 3 slot twice in his 27-game Major League debut, on September 20 and 30.
One advantage with Seager is that because of his prowess against left-handed pitching, the Dodgers don’t have to worry much about batting him and Adrian Gonzalez back-to-back in the lineup.
Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Joc Pederson, at 23 years and 171 days, just missed making the Dodgers’ all-time playoff youth team:
P – Fernando Valenzuela (20/339)
SS – Corey Seager (21/165)
1B – James Loney (22/153)
OF – Pete Reiser (22/198)
OF – Yasiel Puig (22/300)
C – Mike Scioscia (22/313)
OF – Duke Snider (23/16)
3B – Eddie Miksis (23/26)
2B – Blake DeWitt (23/42)
By Jon Weisman
For seven innings, the Dodgers were a great sight for fans who might be concerned about how healthy and sharp the team is heading into the playoffs.
For the final two innings, it was a test of how well the Dodgers could hold up at crunch time.
On his game and backed by superb defense, Brett Anderson pitched seven innings of shutout ball, before being charged with two runs in the eighth despite not allowing a ball out of the infield.
Nevertheless, Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth to preserve a 3-2 Dodger win in their 2015 finale against the rival San Francisco Giants.
The victory gave the Dodgers an 89-70 record, the same as the New York Mets, with three games remaining. If the Dodgers finish a game ahead of the Mets, Los Angeles will have home-field advantage in their National League Division Series. (If not, life will go on.)
This weekend, the Dodgers host the Padres, while the Washington Nationals travel to a rainy New York, which is readying for Hurricane Joaquin. A rainout is a definite possibility for the Mets this weekend, which conceivably could force them to play a doubleheader or on Monday if home field at stake.
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Back in San Francisco, today’s game was a full-on Dodger highlight reel, with Corey Seager, Howie Kendrick and Chase Utley all made difficult, ranging plays for outs.
Most stunning, perhaps, was Utley. In only his third career start at third base, the 36-year-old twice charged in to barehand balls and throw to Adrian Gonzalez, who was reaching and lunging like a human backscratcher.
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Though he made an eighth-inning throwing error, Kendrick also singled and doubled in his best all-around game since returning from the disabled list. His third-inning single was the last of the 2,957 career hits off retiring Giants pitcher Tim Hudson, who then left the field to a heartwarming ovation. Kendrick drove in Anderson, who scored the first run of his career.
More importantly for Anderson, he reached a career high in starts (31) and innings (180 1/3) for a season.
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Andre Ethier tripled for the second time in this series and the seventh time in 2015, tying a career high set back in 2006 when he was a rookie.
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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