Yasiel Puig points back to the dugout after hitting a tiebreaking two-run single in the 17th inning. (Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers won.
They won, 9-5, over San Diego, in 17 innings, despite the albatross of a bad week and a rough season hanging over them. They won, despite the specter of a third consecutive walkoff loss howling all around them.
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.
Feliz dia de las Madres!
Te amo Mama! pic.twitter.com/jcFB4jhXh1— Adrián González (@Adrian_ElTitan) May 8, 2016
By Jon Weisman
Mother’s Day brunch meets the Dodgers with this morning’s game at Toronto.
Howie Kendrick, who has already started at second base, third base, left field and designated hitter for the Dodgers this year, takes the field at first base today. Kendrick has 573 1/3 career innings at first base, though none since 2011. He started 44 games there during his rookie season in 2006.
Ross Stripling takes the mound for the Dodgers on seven days’ rest. After going a total of 13 1/3 innings in his first two starts, he has gone 13 2/3 in his past three.
Mike Bolsinger, whose slot Stripling took in the starting rotation, threw 46 pitches (30 strikes) in his first rehab start of the year Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, walking none and striking out three. He pitched three shutout innings before surrendering two runs in his fourth.
And with that, Happy Mother’s Day! Start with this piece by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com on Corey Seager’s mom Jody, and go from there …
Brian Blanco/Getty Images
By Jon Weisman
After a rough week, the Dodgers tonight hit lefties and righties and starties and relievies — all the -ies.
Welcome to the world,
Jensen Thomas Hatcher 7 lb 5 oz, 20", 1:04 pm. Mom and baby are doing great. pic.twitter.com/cRMukv8e5p— Chris Hatcher (@handlebars41) April 14, 2016
By Jon Weisman
With Chris Hatcher going on paternity leave (Congrats!) shortly before or after 1:04 p.m. today, Adam Liberatore has been called up by the Dodgers from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The 28-year-old Liberatore, who most recently threw 33 pitches on Tuesday, walked two and struck out eight in four scoreless, hitless innings in the minors to start the season. He made his MLB debut for the Dodgers on April 17 last year, and allowed no runs or inherited runs in 13 of his first 15 appearances (0.71 WHIP) before finishing his rookie season with a 4.25 ERA.
By Jon Weisman
Howie Kendrick, who shifted from second base to left field late in Tuesday’s game, is making his first start in left since August 13, 2011 and 21st overall.
“In a perfect world, we would’ve gotten him more repetitions (in left field) this spring,” Dave Roberts said, according to J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News. “The way Chase (Utley) is playing, I want to keep him in the lineup.”
Hoornstra added that Roberts believes that left field might be easier than second base physically for Kendrick, who fought off groin and calf issues to make his 2016 debut Tuesday.
Kendrick isn’t by any means the most unusual Dodger left fielder in recent years. Consider these …
Scott Van Slyke, before the pain. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers lost one more player to the disabled list but gained two back today.
Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal have returned to the active roster for the Dodgers, who placed Scott Van Slyke on the DL with lower back irritation.
Kendrick is starting today at second base, but Dave Roberts added that he could see some time in left field in the short term (given the Dodgers’ quantity of injured outfielders and the strong start by infielder Chase Utley). Kendrick has 26 career MLB games in left, most recently in with the Angels.
“We were talking about when Howie resigned with us, he was open to playing some outfield, so we might be dipping into that well,” Roberts said.
Hopefully, Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal will soon be moving in the right direction for the Dodgers. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Still aiming to return to the active roster by the time the Dodgers have their home opener Tuesday, catcher Yasmani Grandal and infielder Howie Kendrick were placed on rehab assignments beginning tonight, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.
Weather is affecting Grandal’s game for Triple-A Oklahoma City at Nashville, but hopefully he gets underway in that time zone before Kendrick’s game starts for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Gurnick adds some detail from Dave Roberts about the different assignments.
… He said Grandal was sent to Triple-A because of the higher level of pitching competition. Grandal has had fewer at-bats while healing than Kendrick because of the difference in their injuries.
Kendrick will be the designated hitter in one game, “a game at third and a couple at second” base. Grandal played in a simulated game Wednesday. …
Adam Liberatore has struck out 11 in nine Cactus League innings this year.
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers are down to two left-handers in their Major League bullpen after optioning Adam Liberatore to the minors following the team’s 5-4 victory Monday over Texas.
The question now is, will they go down to one?
Since we last checked in on the bullpen, it has been whittled in predictable fashion, leaving the following:
By Jon Weisman
Howie Kendrick is starting today for the Dodgers, but their second baseman is Austin Barnes.
Kendrick, who has been nursing groin tenderness, is making his third Cactus League appearance and first since March 5. He will be the designated hitter, while the Dodgers further test out No. 3 catcher Barnes as a multi-position option.
It’s no secret that Barnes has potential to help the Dodgers at second and third base as well as catcher. Last year, he became the 11th player to play all three positions in his Dodger career.
Only Derrel Thomas, who caught five games as a Dodger, and Lew Ritter have played at least five games at all three positions, so Barnes could break new ground in 2016 if he gets the opportunity.
By the way, one of the 11 Dodgers to have played second base, third base and catcher is 100-year-old Mike Sandlock, who is currently the oldest living former MLB player.
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 …
By Jon Weisman
Spring Training stats are never, ever to be taken seriously.
So it’s entirely in the spirit of fun and frolic that I point out the Dodgers have a .383 on-base percentage and .478 slugging percentage as a team, after reaching base 17 times in today’s 7-3 victory over the Cubs (recapped here by MLB.com).
Here are some postgame notes and news about the 4-1-1 Dodgers:
Chase Utley works out on February 29. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Chase Utley spoke to reporters today about MLB rescinding his two-game suspension for his hard slide into Ruben Tejada at last year’s National League Division Series.
“At the end of the day, I believe that he believes the slide was not an illegal slide,” Utley said, according to Bill Plunkett of the Register.
Utley also spoke about Tejada, according to Doug Padilla of ESPN.com.
“I can’t say enough how terrible I felt for Ruben,” Utley said. “I had no intent to hurt him whatsoever. If anybody thinks I did, they’re completely wrong.”
Bill Shaikin and Mike DiGiovanna of the Times reported Sunday that the suspension would be withdrawn by MLB, which last month revised its rulebook about plays at second base.
… Tejada, vulnerable because his back was turned toward Utley, suffered a fractured right fibula and was sidelined for the rest of the playoffs. In announcing the suspension for what an MLB statement called an “illegal slide,” (MLB chief baseball officer Joe) Torre cited Utley for a “rolling block … away from the base.”
However, such a slide was not explicitly outlawed until Feb. 25, when MLB adopted a new rule to protect middle infielders on slides into second. As a result, Torre said Sunday, the league might have faced difficulty upholding the suspension via an appeal hearing.
“I think it would have been an issue,” Torre said. “There wasn’t anything clear-cut to say that play violated a rule.”
Torre said the priority for the league was not in pursuing a suspension of Utley but in revising the rules to enhance player safety. …
Here are some more pregame news and notes …
Andre Ethier is greeted by Dave Roberts after scoring the Dodgers’ second run of the season. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
The first inning of the Dodgers’ 6-1 Cactus League opening victory over the White Sox (summarized by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com) was a Spring Training work of art.
After Clayton Kershaw’s initial shutout inning, leadoff hitter Howie Kendrick worked a walk off Chicago starter John Danks. Facing the White Sox lefty in his first at-bat of the season, Andre Ethier singled the opposite way.
Two of the next three hitters — Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal — then hit solid RBI singles. Significantly, a baserunner went from first to third on each.
“If you look at the numbers of how this team ran the bases last year, we can do better,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s a point of emphasis for sure. It’s more of a mindset than a style of baseball. That’s how you play the game.”
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.”
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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