Elian Herrera – Dodger Thoughts

Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

In discussing potential Dodger leadoff hitters last week, I hesitated to include Andre Ethier because he had never done so in a regular-season game – but I decided to do so anyway, because against right-handers, it makes sense.

Sure enough, Ethier grabbed a leadoff spot in today’s 7-3 Dodger victory over Colorado, walking and singling in his first two at-bats.

Dave Roberts told reporters today that Ethier could bat leadoff when the matchup is favorable.

What else can I tell you?

Hyun-Jin Ryu is not going to pitch in Cactus League play and is doubtful to return to Major League action before June, Dave Roberts said today.
Zach Lee retired the first eight batters he faced in a 3 1/3-inning performance, allowing a run on four baserunners with one strikeout.
Julio Urias gave up a run in his first inning of relief, but retired the final four batters in his two-inning outing.
In his second Cactus League game, Justin Turner went 1 for 3 with an error.
Elian Herrera and Trayce Thompson both scored on the same wild pitch in the eighth inning.
Some interesting data from Tony Blengino at Fangraphs supports a big 2016 season for Yasmani Grandal. In his first Cactus League game since March 9, Grandal singled and walked.
Outfield prospect Alex Verdugo did a Q&A with Jim Callis of MLB.com.
Dustin Nosler of Dodgers Digest rated Dodger minor leaguers according to best tools.
Frank Sinatra Jr., who sang the national anthem at Dodger Stadium several times, most recently in September as part of the centennial celebration of his father, has passed away at age 72. Tommy Lasorda expressed his sadness this evening. “Like his father, Frank Jr. brought us much joy with his unbelievable musical talent,” Lasorda said. “Last season, Frank Jr. sang the national anthem at Dodger Stadium on my birthday. What a voice! Frank Jr. was a great and lovely family man. He will be missed dearly.”
For a brief moment this morning, it looked like Dodger Stadium was going the Calvinball route …

Dodger Stadium looks great, and the intriguing second pitchers' mound near first base is even more exciting! pic.twitter.com/o8WJnLW1pc

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) March 16, 2016

In case you missed it: Infield candidates step up

By Jon Weisman

On March 13, 2016

In In case you missed it, Pregame, Spring Training

[mlbvideo id=”553066783″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Rockies, 1:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Andre Ethier, LF
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Kiké Hernandez, SS
A.J. Ellis, C
Cody Bellinger, 1B
Charlie Culberson 3B
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Charlie Culberson, Elian Herrera and Brandon Hicks, whose roles as reserves could increase over the next two weeks of Spring Training – if not Opening Day – while Corey Seager recovers from his strained left knee, each enjoyed spotlight moments Saturday for the twice-victorious Dodgers.

In a pair of topsy-turvy games Saturday, the Dodgers scored the winning runs in the bottom of the ninth against the Cubs and in the top of the 10th against the Mariners.

Dodgers extend 16 non-roster invites to MLB camp for Spring Training

By Jon Weisman

On January 25, 2016

In Minor leagues, Spring Training, Transactions

Julio Urias signs autographs at Spring Training in 2015. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

2016 non-roster invitations
Pitchers (6): Chris Anderson, Lisalverto Bonilla, Brooks Brown, Jose De Leon, Julio Urias, Matt West
Catchers (3): Kyle Farmer, Jack Murphy, Shawn Zarraga
Infielders (2): Charlie Culberson, Rob Segedin
Infielder-outfielders (2): Cody Bellinger, Elian Herrera
Outfielders (3): Corey Brown, Alex Hassan, Rico Noel

By Jon Weisman

Minor-league pitching prospects Julio Urias, Jose DeLeon and Chris Anderson are among the 16 players not currently on the 40-man roster who have been invited to Major League camp for Spring Training.

The 19-year-old Urias is the No. 1 left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, while DeLeon, 23, is the No. 5 righty. The 23-year-old Anderson, the Dodgers’ first-round draft choice in the 2013 draft, had a 4.05 ERA and 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings for Double-A Tulsa in 2015.

The hottest non-roster invite on the hitting side is Cody Bellinger, who is ranked sixth among first-base prospects in the minors.

The Dodgers’ Fast Burn All-Stars

By Jon Weisman

On April 15, 2015

In Pregame

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Mariners at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Yasmani Grandal, C
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Brett Anderson, P

By Jon Weisman

This post is anything but a critique of Alex Guerrero, whose potential legitimacy as a Major Leaguer I have championed this year — in fairly lonely fashion until this week, really.

But even though Guerrero has started the season by going 5 for 12 with a double and two home runs in his first four games, the heated demands on Twitter to push him into the starting lineup — as if it were a crime to question the rush to coronation — got me wondering about other Dodger hot starters.

So, here’s an All-Star team of Dodgers who went wild in their first games of the year, then didn’t quite live up to that promise. We’ll even raise the stakes to 10 games played — more than twice the duration of Guerrero’s hot launch.

C — Kevin Pasley, 1976 (6 for 16, three walks, .911 OPS)
1B — Tracy Woodson, 1987 (6 for 21, one homer, .924 OPS)
2B — Elian Herrera, 2012 (12 for 33, three doubles, .887 OPS)
SS — Luis Maza, 2008 (8 for 20, one homer, 1.005 OPS)
3B — Andy LaRoche, 2007 (6 for 23, 12 walks, .818 OPS)
LF — Jerry Sands, 2012 (8 for 31, five doubles, .753 OPS)
CF — Mike Ramsey, 1987 (11 for 33, .765 OPS)
RF — Jason Repko, 2005 (8 for 26, three homers, 1.092 OPS)
P — John Ely, 2010 (Elymania)

Every one of these guys did or have done more in their baseball careers than 99.9 percent of the world — Sands, for that matter, was at it again this past week, starting 2015 with Cleveland by going 5 for 13 with two doubles. Some were productive for weeks, maybe even a couple of months. Sometimes it was injuries, rather than ability, that got in the way. But excitement soon gave way to retreat.

Alex Guerrero might well be a starting third baseman someday, and it will be thrilling if he is, but a certain amount of healthy skepticism is probably useful. Believe me, I have to remind myself of that sometimes. In the meantime, everyone can be happy he’s been so productive off the bench, part of the crew helping keep the Dodgers in every game.

Did Dodgers win the WAR last offseason?

By Jon Weisman

On October 20, 2014

In Transactions

By Jon Weisman

For entertainment purposes, I’m about to oversimplify something that’s far more complex than how I’m presenting it.

Nevertheless, I was curious what the Dodgers gained and lost in wins above replacement (WAR) from their moves during the 2013-14 offseason. And putting all other considerations aide, the scales almost balanced.

The Dodgers received 2.1 WAR from their 2014 additions, according to Fangraphs, while those who left the team after the 2013 season produced 1.8 WAR with their new clubs.

The big weight on the scale was Justin Turner, who delivered 3.2 WAR all by himself. Chone Figgins (0.6) was also useful in his abbreviated tenure. They more than made up for the departures of Elian Herrera, Nick Punto, Justin Sellers, Mark Ellis and Skip Schumacher.

The biggest loss for the Dodgers in WAR was Ricky Nolasco (1.2), who had a 5.38 ERA and 4.30 FIP in the first year of his four-year deal with Minnesota. Edinson Volquez (0.7), who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, was more of a bargain, though not as much as his 3.04 ERA might suggest.

In the bullpen, Ronald Belisario, Javy Guerra and Shawn Tolleson combined for 0.8 WAR, which isn’t much but proved better than what Chris Perez (-0.8) delivered.

Seth Rosin never pitched in a game for the Dodgers after being acquired on the day of the Rule 5 draft, but I included him here as someone they had and then let go.

Among the 2013 Dodgers who didn’t play in the big leagues in 2014: Nick Buss, Jerry Hairston Jr., Peter Molyan and Michael Young.

Obviously, there are long-term issues, both coming and going, that I’m ignoring in this post, which is completely focused on the past season. Nor does it take into account salary, or 2013 free agents who returned to Los Angeles. But if you’re curious, here are the numbers …

The end of the line for Juan Uribe … or not?

By Jon Weisman

On July 8, 2012

In Dodgers

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Tony Gwynn Jr., CF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Bobby Abreu, LF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B
Elian Herrera, RF
Luis Cruz, SS
Matt Treanor, C
Chris Capuano, P

I didn’t come up with the thought, but quickly I realized it made sense. Presuming that Matt Kemp comes off the disabled list before Friday’s post-All-Star opener against the Padres, Scott Van Slyke will return to Albuquerque. But when Andre Ethier comes off the disabled list, it might mean the end of Juan Uribe’s Dodger career.

Since a second-inning double June 20 at Oakland, Uribe is in the midst of an 0-for-27 slump, with three walks and nine strikeouts. That happens. The problem is that when he hasn’t been slumping … well, Uribe can hardly say he’s ever not been slumping as a Dodger.

If Uribe gets an at-bat today and makes an out, that will leave him with exactly 80 hits in 400 at-bats as a Dodger – a pristine .200 batting average. He has 25 walks and has been hit by more pitches (eight) than he has hit home runs (five). His OPS as a Dodger is .546.

That Uribe, who is still owed $8 million on his contract after this season ends, is still the Dodgers’ best defender at third base has been the lone remaining argument in his favor. However, that saving grace has been weakened by two emerging factors. One is that Jerry Hairston Jr. has played capable defense at third while swinging a more reliable bat, and the other is that the injury to Dee Gordon has meant that Luis Cruz needs a spot on the Dodger roster.

Unless the Dodgers are willing to start giving Uribe time at shortstop – he played 21 2/3 innings there in 2011 after 103 games for the Giants at short in 2010 – Cruz is staying. That leaves a battle for the final roster spot between Uribe, Elian Herrera and Adam Kennedy.

The choice might seem obvious, but you can’t rule out the possibility of Herrera, who has minor-league options, going back to the Isotopes. He’s been 100 times more fun to watch than Uribe and his versatility is an asset, but once Kemp and Ethier are back in their starting roles, Mark Ellis is re-entrenched at second base and Bobby Abreu, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Juan Rivera are holding down left field, there’s going to be less call for Herrera to roam around the diamond. That’s not to say that he’s without a purpose, but with his own slump to a .326 on-base percentage and .335 slugging, the difference between him, Uribe and Kennedy (.315 OBP, .309 slugging) isn’t overwhelming.

Who will bat leadoff for the Dodgers when Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier return?

Dee Gordon is injured, and Tony Gwynn Jr. won’t start often. That leaves Luis Cruz, Bobby Abreu, Jerry Hairston Jr., Mark Ellis and A.J. Ellis.

Assuming Dodger manager Don Mattingly still can’t stomach the idea of his catcher leading off a game, I would say Abreu, Hairston and Mark Ellis all have a case. Something tells me, though, that we might see Cruz there as much as anyone.

By optioning Herrera, the Dodgers can put off making a final decision on Uribe or Kennedy, neither of whom can be sent down. The question is whether those decisions need any more putting off. Do the Dodgers see any hope left in Uribe? Before you answer, note that Andruw Jones has an .820 OPS in more than 1,000 plate appearances since the Dodgers got rid of him.

My instinct is to cut Uribe, but I wouldn’t call it an automatic decision. The defense is there, and once Ethier and Kemp are back, you don’t lose much by sending Herrera down and keeping Uribe as a defensive specialist who bats eighth, nor by just getting rid of Kennedy, who doesn’t give you defense or a bat (.617 OPS against right-handed pitching).

The best news is that the Dodgers might finally be healthy enough that they can even make the decision.

* * *

Hong-Chih Kuo was released from a minor-league deal by the Cubs without pitching a game for them, as noted by MLB Trade Rumors.
James McDonald might not be in the All-Star Game, but he is emerging as a Cy Young candidate, writes David Pinto of Baseball Musings. McDonald, who struck out 10 Giants in seven innings Saturday. has the lowest hits-per-inning allowed in the NL, and is striking out 8.2 per nine innings with a 2.37 ERA.
A focus on Chris Capuano tops some other Dodger trivia about their offensive struggles in June in this piece by Dan Braunstein of ESPN Stats & Information.
The latest episodes of “Between Two Palm Trees” with A.J. Ellis and Clayton Krenshaw are linked by Chad Moriyama.
Roberto Baly of Vin Scully Is My Homeboy is out of the hospital!

Ever say never? Never again, ever

By Jon Weisman

On July 5, 2012

In Dodgers

Never let anyone tell you that Scott Van Slyke and Elian Herrera can’t homer in the same game.

Never let anyone tell you that Nathan Eovaldi can’t leave a six-inning start with a lead.

Never let anyone – particularly Jerry Hairston Jr. – tell you Jerry Hairston Jr. can’t be comfortable at third base.

And never let anyone tell you the Giants are a lock with a 5-1 seventh-inning lead over the Nationals and Matt Cain pitching.

The Dodgers have won four of five games since their seven-game losing streak ended, thanks to scoring four of five runs tonight against Arizona. They lead San Francisco by 1 1/2 games in the National League West and the Diamondbacks by seven.

Never-to-play-again Mark Ellis doubled, singled and walked, while Luis Cruz singled twice, providing the offensive support alongside the Penn-and-Teller home-run hitters, Van Slyke and Herrera. Each pitching for the third night in a row, Ronald Belisario and Kenley Jansen closed it out again.

Dodger Defcon ratings

By Jon Weisman

On June 23, 2012

In CityThink, Dodgers, Status report

Starting today, I’m making periodic contributions to the CityThink blog at Los Angeles Magazine. My first piece looks at the state of the Dodgers from a War Games perspective. Check it out …

Good teams have bad weeks, and one bad week like the Dodgers are having (with four losses in a row, including Friday’s 8-5 come-from-ahead defeat against the Angels) doesn’t ruin a season. At the same time, people have feared all along that the Dodgers are a team living on the brink of destruction in a dangerous baseball world.

In the spirit of War Games, here’s a snapshot of which Dodger problems are tic-tac-toe and which are global thermonuclear war …

Read the rest at CityThink …

So far, Elian Herrera is making Dodger history

By Jon Weisman

On June 16, 2012

In Dodgers, History

Having a great first season in the majors while in your mid-20s is a rare thing. Sure, there are late bloomers – Paul Lo Duca and Maury Wills immediately come to mind – but most of those late bloomers need a cup of coffee or four before they make a noteworthy impact.

In fact, in the 55 seasons of the Los Angeles Dodgers, only 19 players have notched at least 100 plate appearances in their first season after turning 24. And of those 19 players, so far, Elian Herrera (who added two doubles and three RBI Friday to his magical 2012) has a higher on-base percentage and adjusted OPS than any of them.

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	Year	Age	G	HR	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Elian Herrera	118	115	2012	27	29	0	3	1	.395	.388	.782
2	Andre Ethier	113	441	2006	24	126	11	5	5	.365	.477	.842
3	Dick Gray	106	221	1958	26	58	9	1	1	.327	.472	.799
4	Norm Larker	102	291	1958	27	99	4	1	1	.352	.427	.779
5	Ted Sizemore	94	650	1969	24	159	4	5	5	.328	.342	.670
6	Mickey Hatcher	90	102	1979	24	33	1	1	3	.327	.366	.692
7	Wes Parker	87	240	1964	24	124	3	5	4	.303	.341	.644
8	Oscar Robles	86	399	2005	29	110	5	0	8	.332	.368	.700
9	Jack Fimple	83	167	1983	24	54	2	1	0	.300	.358	.658
10	Lee Lacy	80	266	1972	24	60	0	5	3	.312	.313	.625
11	Chad Fonville	75	338	1995	24	88	0	20	5	.328	.302	.630
12	Jason Repko	74	301	2005	24	129	8	5	0	.281	.384	.665
13	Eric Young	69	144	1992	25	49	1	6	1	.300	.288	.588
14	Henry Rodriguez	66	156	1992	24	53	3	0	0	.258	.329	.587
15	Justin Sellers	63	139	2011	25	36	1	1	0	.283	.301	.583
16	Tracy Woodson	62	148	1987	24	53	1	1	1	.284	.324	.607
17	Larry Burright	60	276	1962	24	115	4	4	3	.264	.317	.581
18	Mike Ramsey	57	138	1987	26	48	0	2	4	.287	.296	.583
19	Maury Wills	55	258	1959	26	83	0	7	3	.298	.298	.596

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/16/2012.

It’s not as if he can claim a better first season than Andre Ethier had in 2006, for example, but it’s still pretty amazing. In fact, even if you eliminate the age component, Herrera still has the fifth-best season in adjusted OPS for a Dodger in his first season, and second-best OBP.

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	Year	Age	G	HR	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Bill Sudakis	165	102	1968	22	24	3	1	0	.382	.471	.854
2	Willy Aybar	140	105	2005	22	26	1	3	1	.448	.453	.901
3	James Loney	125	111	2006	22	48	4	1	0	.342	.559	.901
4	Steve Yeager	124	124	1972	23	35	4	0	0	.374	.406	.780
5	Elian Herrera	118	115	2012	27	29	0	3	1	.395	.388	.782
6	Andre Ethier	113	441	2006	24	126	11	5	5	.365	.477	.842
7	Jim Lefebvre	106	631	1965	23	157	12	3	5	.337	.369	.706
8	Dick Gray	106	221	1958	26	58	9	1	1	.327	.472	.799
9	Jerry Sands	102	227	2011	23	61	4	3	3	.338	.389	.727
10	Norm Larker	102	291	1958	27	99	4	1	1	.352	.427	.779
11	Russell Martin	101	468	2006	23	121	10	10	5	.355	.436	.792
12	Ted Sizemore	94	650	1969	24	159	4	5	5	.328	.342	.670
13	Blake DeWitt	93	421	2008	22	117	9	3	0	.344	.383	.728
14	Dee Gordon	92	233	2011	23	56	0	24	7	.325	.362	.686
15	Todd Hollandsworth	91	115	1995	22	41	5	2	1	.304	.398	.702
16	Steve Sax	91	127	1981	21	31	2	5	7	.317	.345	.662
17	Mickey Hatcher	90	102	1979	24	33	1	1	3	.327	.366	.692
18	Wes Parker	87	240	1964	24	124	3	5	4	.303	.341	.644
19	Oscar Robles	86	399	2005	29	110	5	0	8	.332	.368	.700
20	Bill Russell	86	238	1969	20	98	5	4	1	.301	.344	.645
21	Matt Kemp	85	166	2006	21	52	7	6	0	.289	.448	.737
22	Jack Fimple	83	167	1983	24	54	2	1	0	.300	.358	.658
23	Tony Abreu	82	178	2007	22	59	2	0	0	.309	.404	.713
24	Mike Scioscia	81	152	1980	21	54	1	1	0	.313	.328	.641
25	Henry Cruz	81	101	1975	23	53	0	1	1	.317	.319	.636
Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	Year	Age	G	HR	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
26	Nate Oliver	81	178	1963	22	65	1	3	4	.298	.307	.605
27	Mariano Duncan	80	620	1985	22	142	6	38	8	.293	.340	.633
28	Lee Lacy	80	266	1972	24	60	0	5	3	.312	.313	.625
29	Andy LaRoche	78	115	2007	23	35	1	2	1	.365	.312	.677
30	Chad Fonville	75	338	1995	24	88	0	20	5	.328	.302	.630
31	Jason Repko	74	301	2005	24	129	8	5	0	.281	.384	.665
32	Franklin Stubbs	74	245	1984	23	87	8	2	2	.273	.341	.614
33	Adrian Beltre	73	214	1998	19	77	7	3	1	.278	.369	.648
34	Billy Ashley	69	100	1992	21	29	2	0	0	.260	.337	.597
35	Eric Young	69	144	1992	25	49	1	6	1	.300	.288	.588
36	Henry Rodriguez	66	156	1992	24	53	3	0	0	.258	.329	.587
37	Jeff Hamilton	66	151	1986	22	71	5	0	0	.232	.361	.592
38	Justin Sellers	63	139	2011	25	36	1	1	0	.283	.301	.583
39	Tracy Woodson	62	148	1987	24	53	1	1	1	.284	.324	.607
40	Jim Fairey	61	166	1968	23	99	1	1	1	.241	.276	.517
41	Larry Burright	60	276	1962	24	115	4	4	3	.264	.317	.581
42	Mike Ramsey	57	138	1987	26	48	0	2	4	.287	.296	.583
43	Maury Wills	55	258	1959	26	83	0	7	3	.298	.298	.596
44	Dave Anderson	41	131	1983	22	61	1	6	3	.244	.261	.505

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/16/2012.

Using Wins Above Replacement, a cumulative stat as measured by Baseball-Reference.com, Herrera is already the Dodgers’ 20th-best first-year major-leaguer … with room to climb.

Rk	Player	WAR/pos	PA	Year	Age	G	HR	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Jim Lefebvre	4.2	631	1965	23	157	12	3	5	.337	.369	.706
2	Ted Sizemore	4.0	650	1969	24	159	4	5	5	.328	.342	.670
3	Andre Ethier	2.2	441	2006	24	126	11	5	5	.365	.477	.842
4	Russell Martin	1.9	468	2006	23	121	10	10	5	.355	.436	.792
5	Bill Russell	1.7	238	1969	20	98	5	4	1	.301	.344	.645
6	Mariano Duncan	1.5	620	1985	22	142	6	38	8	.293	.340	.633
7	Blake DeWitt	1.4	421	2008	22	117	9	3	0	.344	.383	.728
8	Lee Lacy	1.4	266	1972	24	60	0	5	3	.312	.313	.625
9	Bill Sudakis	1.2	102	1968	22	24	3	1	0	.382	.471	.854
10	Steve Yeager	1.0	124	1972	23	35	4	0	0	.374	.406	.780
11	Dick Gray	1.0	221	1958	26	58	9	1	1	.327	.472	.799
12	Tony Abreu	0.9	178	2007	22	59	2	0	0	.309	.404	.713
13	James Loney	0.9	111	2006	22	48	4	1	0	.342	.559	.901
14	Willy Aybar	0.9	105	2005	22	26	1	3	1	.448	.453	.901
15	Chad Fonville	0.9	338	1995	24	88	0	20	5	.328	.302	.630
16	Norm Larker	0.9	291	1958	27	99	4	1	1	.352	.427	.779
17	Justin Sellers	0.8	139	2011	25	36	1	1	0	.283	.301	.583
18	Jack Fimple	0.7	167	1983	24	54	2	1	0	.300	.358	.658
19	Wes Parker	0.7	240	1964	24	124	3	5	4	.303	.341	.644
20	Elian Herrera	0.6	115	2012	27	29	0	3	1	.395	.388	.782
21	Dee Gordon	0.6	233	2011	23	56	0	24	7	.325	.362	.686
22	Steve Sax	0.6	127	1981	21	31	2	5	7	.317	.345	.662
23	Mike Scioscia	0.4	152	1980	21	54	1	1	0	.313	.328	.641
24	Mickey Hatcher	0.4	102	1979	24	33	1	1	3	.327	.366	.692
25	Oscar Robles	0.3	399	2005	29	110	5	0	8	.332	.368	.700
Rk	Player	WAR/pos	PA	Year	Age	G	HR	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
26	Jerry Sands	0.1	227	2011	23	61	4	3	3	.338	.389	.727
27	Andy LaRoche	0.1	115	2007	23	35	1	2	1	.365	.312	.677
28	Adrian Beltre	0.1	214	1998	19	77	7	3	1	.278	.369	.648
29	Nate Oliver	0.0	178	1963	22	65	1	3	4	.298	.307	.605

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/16/2012.

This won’t guarantee future stardom – several of these players are balloons that inflated quickly and then popped. It’s not like Dick Gray carved out a legendary career But it is a measure of just how valuable Herrera has been to this point. I can’t think of a bigger surprise for the Dodgers in 2012.

The guy you hadn’t heard of before May isn’t playing, and you’re disappointed

By Jon Weisman

On June 12, 2012

In Dodgers

Angels at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, SS
A.J. Ellis, C
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Bobby Abreu, LF
Adam Kennedy, 2B
Juan Uribe, 3B
Tony Gwynn Jr., CF
Aaron Harang, P

Switch-hitting trade-of-all-jackers Elian Herrera will see a streak of 10 consecutive starts end tonight, a streak in which he had a .366 on-base percentage. That actually constitutes a slump for the unexpected spark plug, who has a .394 on-base percentage through 105 plate appearances in his first taste of the big leagues.

Herrera has odd splits in his short career so far. Against righties, he has a .406 OBP and .302 slugging, while against lefties he goes .351/.457, with five doubles in 35 at-bats. In any case, a lineup that begins with Herrera, A.J. Ellis and Andre Ethier against Angels righty Jerome Williams doesn’t sound half-bad.

Instead, Herrera, who has started at center field, second base and third base, is riding the Dodger bench in favor of Tony Gwynn Jr., Adam Kennedy and Juan Uribe. Gwynn is a left-handed swinger who plays great defense, while Uribe is due for a start, having gone exactly one month since his last one.

Then there’s Kennedy, who will be making his fifth start of June. The difference between Kennedy and Herrera is probably less than people believe, but still, Kennedy’s name on the lineup card seems untimely. However, for the Adam Kennedy Marching & Chowder Society, there’s this: He went 4 for 9 last week.

One stat in which the two are closely matched is pitches per plate appearance. Herrera has seen 4.1 P/PA, Kennedy 4.0.

Billingsley, Herrera rise to occasion as Dodgers stun Phillies again

By Jon Weisman

On June 5, 2012

In Dodgers

Philadelphia won’t soon forget Elian Herrera.

For the second straight evening, the Dodgers’ utility star drove in the winning run, delivering a two-out, two-strike, two-run double in the eighth inning to give Los Angeles what it needed for a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia and winless Cliff Lee.

Lee had allowed three baserunners and struck out 12 before the eighth inning — and the Dodgers did him the additional favor of having two baserunners thrown out at third base to begin that frame. (Following a leadoff double, Matt Treanor couldn’t make it to third on a Tony Gwynn Jr. bunt, and then Gwynn himself was thrown out trying to take two bases on a single by pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu.)

But after Dee Gordon singled, Herrera doubled to deep left-center, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs. Josh Lindblom and Kenley Jansen then closed the door on Philadelphia.

Herrera has twin .377 on-base and slugging percentages for the Dodgers now. Lee fell to 0-3 despite a 2.92 ERA on the year.

The Dodgers stayed close thanks to Chad Billingsley, who threw seven innings of one-run ball to set himself up for another blistering critique from the fans the next time he fails to impress. In the first inning, Billingsley allowed a leadoff double, an RBI single and a walk before escaping on a to-the-wall fly to right. After that, however, the righthander permitted only four baserunners over his final six innings, despite striking out only three of 28 batters he faced in the game.

Gordon might head to minors soon

By Jon Weisman

On May 19, 2012

In Dodgers

From Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, after a postgame chat with Dodger manager Don Mattingly:

… Mattingly seemed to concede for the first time after the game that shortstop Dee Gordon might not be long for the leadoff spot. Gordon continued to struggle there, going 0-for-5 without hitting a ball out of the infield, and he now is 2-for-31 over the past seven games.

“Seeing it from where I was at tonight, it wasn’t very good,” said Mattingly, who got to watch most of it from the center-field television camera on the television in his office because he was ejected by plate umpire Tom Hallion in the top of the third inning. “The game seems to be moving awfully fast for him right now. We are going to continue to make decisions. But in the same breath, this kid is going to be a good player. He is going through something right now that is going to make him a better player later on.

“Things aren’t easy in this game, and there are times when you’re going to go through rough stuff. He is going through some rough stuff right now.”

Reading between the lines of Mattingly’s comments, it sounds like something will happen with Gordon soon, possibly before Saturday night’s game. Because Gordon is such a key part of the Dodgers’ future, it isn’t likely anyone is going to let him sit around on the bench. A stint in Triple-A would seem more logical because it would mean he would be getting regular at-bats and have a chance to work out the kinks, something he couldn’t do as a reserve player in the major leagues. …

Gordon’s batting average fell to exactly .200 Friday, with a .239 on-base percentage.

One delaying factor could be the health of Mark Ellis, who had to leave Friday’s 6-5 Dodger victory over St. Louis shortly after he was hit with a hard takeout slide. X-rays were negative, but if Ellis has to miss any games, that would remove another starter from the Dodger infield. That said, the Dodgers could still bring up someone like Ivan De Jesus to be a reserve to back up the infield of, yes, Adam Kennedy, Justin Sellers and Elian Herrera.

Herrera, who drew the eight-pitch walk to start the bottom of the ninth and then went from first to third on Adam Kennedy’s fourth hit, could see more playing time thanks to that at-bat.

The A.J. Ellis All-Star campaign — taking it national

By Jon Weisman

On May 14, 2012

In Dodgers, Health/injuries, Transactions

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CXXIV: Kershawpolitan
Dee Gordon, SS
Mark Ellis, 2B
Bobby Abreu, LF
Andre Ethier, RF
A.J. Ellis, C
James Loney, 1B
Adam Kennedy, 3B
Tony Gwynn Jr., CF
Clayton Kershaw, P

In a guest post for ESPN.com’s Sweet Spot blog, I press the case (begun here) for A.J. Ellis to be top of mind when it comes to this year’s All-Star voting. In fact, it’s not hard to argue that as we begin play tonight, Ellis has been the No. 1 catcher in baseball this year.

If you rumble in certain corners of the country or the Internet, you may have heard tales of A.J. Ellis Facts, which chronicles the exploits of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first-time starting catcher as if he were an Avenger of some incredible ilk.

In reality, Ellis might not be a superhero, but he might just be the best pick for the National League All-Star team at catcher in 2012.

Ellis, who had only 141 career major-league plate appearances before turning 30 last year, has adapted a long-developed mastery of the strike zone in the minors into an earnest dose of offensive weaponhood in the big leagues, to the point where he is now third in the NL in on-base percentage (.462) behind David Wright and Joey Votto.

Additionally, despite managing only six home runs in more than 800 Pacific Coast League at-bats, Ellis has added enough pop to his game (five doubles, a triple and three home runs this season) that he is slugging .512 and has an OPS of .974, the latter figure tops among all major-league catchers. This despite playing two-thirds of his games this year in the relatively stifling hitting environments of Dodger Stadium and San Diego’s Petco Park. …

Read the entire post here.

Update: The Dodgers have placed Juan Uribe on the disabled list to deal with his lingering left wrist injury, and have purchased the contract of utilityman Elian Herrera from Triple-A Albuquerque.The 27-year-old has a .381 on-base percentage and .550 slugging percentage for the Isotopes this year, playing second base, third, shortstop and center field.

Los Angeles designated Trent Oeltjen for assignment to make room for Herrera on the 40-man roster.

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Tag: Elian Herrera

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