Javy Guerra – Dodger Thoughts

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Reds at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Carl Crawford, LF
Trayce Thompson, CF
Chase Utley, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
A.J. Ellis, C
Rob Segedin, 1B
Austin Barnes, 2B
Charlie Culberson, SS
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

I hope you don’t have to read a tougher story than this today: Former Dodger reliever Javy Guerra spoke to J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News about the twin horrors of losing his brother and sister in the past two years.

Here’s what’s happening around the Dodgers …

Zach Lee held serve in his challenge with Carlos Frias to start in the first week of the 2016 season. In the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory Saturday over the White Sox, Lee (pitching 4 2/3 innings) got two more outs than Frias, but allowed two more runs. Oddly, Lee had no walks or strikeouts.
Wrote Ken Gurnick of MLB.com: “Some will speculate that because Frias faced the Giants recently, Lee will get that first start, rather than have Frias face the same hitters again. San Francisco’s lineup Friday night included Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford.”
Under the radar, Kiké Hernandez (hit by a pitch near his oblique Sunday), Alex Guerrero (knee) and Yimi Garcia (knee) have gone days without playing as they try to let various sore spots heal.
However, Gurnick indicates that Corey Seager is nearing a return to Major League action after playing defense in a minor-league game Saturday.
Scott Kazmir’s abdominal issues weren’t abominable – it turns out, they were cramps.
Prospect watchers got a thrill when 20-year-old Cody Bellinger and 21-year-old Willie Calhoun hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning off MLB veteran Dan Jennings. Each player reached base twice in the game.
Justin Turner walked, doubled and singled in his three plate appearances, and now has a Cactus League on-base percentage in the .700 club.
Play-by-play announcer Joe Davis is not only spending his first season with the Dodgers in 2016, he and his wife Libby are having their first baby this summer. Congrats!
It was Dodger Pride night Saturday at Staples Center with the Kings.

@lakings, you look good. I mean, really good. #GKG Join us for Kings Night at Dodger stadium on August 12! Visit Dodgers.com/Kings for more information.

A post shared by Los Angeles Dodgers (@dodgers) on Mar 26, 2016 at 9:57pm PDT

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 …

Seth Rosin, Javy Guerra no longer Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On March 26, 2014

In Transactions

By Jon Weisman

Seth Rosin is now a Texas Ranger and Javy Guerra is now a member of the Chicago White Sox, with each organization having claimed the pitchers on waivers from the Dodgers.

Guerra was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on March 16, and the 10-day window for the Dodgers to make a move with him expired today.

Rosin, as we’ve discussed throughout Spring Training, had a potential expiration date as a Dodger all along. He was a Rule 5 draftee by the New York Mets from Philadelphia who was then traded to Los Angeles. He had to remain on the Dodgers’ active roster all season or risk being sent back to the Phillies. Forced to make a decision on Rosin because of an overflow of arms in the bullpen, the Dodgers placed him on waivers, where Texas picked him up.

Relief pitchers remaining on the Dodgers’ active roster are Jose Dominguez, J.P. Howell, Kenley Jansen, Brandon League, Chris Perez, Paco Rodriguez, Brian Wilson, Chris Withrow and Jamey Wright. The Dodgers will need to trim at least one more name before the domestic opener Sunday at San Diego.

Post-Arizona status report for the Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On March 17, 2014

In Analysis, Spring Training, Transactions

By Jon Weisman

There’s definitely a weird feeling to this Spring Training interregnum between Arizona and Australia — not that it won’t feel even weirder next week, when the Dodgers follow their two regular season games Down Under with four off days and then a pair of Freeway Series exhibitions against the Angels.

Nevertheless, with no game action until the Dodgers scrimmage against Team Australia on Thursday, and the Dodgers having set their 30-man travel squad for Sydney, this does seem like an appropriate time to take a little bit of stock.

Read More

More bullpen woes: Javy Guerra injures oblique

By Jon Weisman

On September 4, 2012

In Dodgers, Health/injuries

Padres at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CXLV: Kershawncle Bill the Sailor
Mark Ellis, 2B
Shane Victorino, LF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Andre Ethier, RF
Luis Cruz, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

Javy Guerra, who has allowed 13 baserunners in 12 1/3 innings with a 0.00 ERA since July 28, has been placed on the disabled list with a left oblique strain.

That move, coming even with rosters expanded in September, hints that Guerra is not likely to see much action for the remainder of the regular season, if any.

Guerra pitched one game following his recall from Albuquerque, retiring three of four batters on Sunday. Josh Wall, the closer for playoff-bound Albuquerque, has been brought up to shore up the depleted Dodger bullpen.

* * *

Tonight, Clayton Kershaw faces old friend Eric Stults. The lefty, now 32, has a 2.43 ERA in 63 innings for San Diego, 1.86 since July.

* * *

Update: Steve Dilbeck of the Times tweets the following: “Kenley Jansen to stay on blood thinners 10 more days, hopes to return Sept. 17; plans offseason surgery to fix heart problem.”

At least there is some good news …

By Jon Weisman

On September 1, 2012

In Dodgers

Atlanta, St. Louis and Pittsburgh are sure doing what they can to keep alive the Dodgers’ hopes of playing past Oct. 3, even if only for one day. But it sure has been an ugly week.

On the bright side, Jaime Jarrin has signed a three-year deal with the Dodgers that will keep him in the broadcast booth for his 55th, 56th and 57th seasons.

Elsewhere …

I talked Dodgers in this interview with Will Carroll at the Nickel.
Javy Guerra and Tim Federowicz are expected to be the Dodgers’ first roster-expansion callups today.
John Ely might not get a callup because of 40-man roster issues, but he was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year. He led the league in ERA, WHIP and innings, writes Christopher Jackson of Albuquerque Baseball Examiner.
Dodger pitching prospect Zach Lee has a 2.27 ERA with eight walks and 29 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings since July 27 for Double-A Chattanooga.
Yasiel Puig, Eric Eadington, Red Patterson, Steven Rodriguez, Gorman Erickson, Rafael Ynoa and Joc Pederson will be on the Dodgers’ Arizona Fall League team.
The life and career of John Roseboro is the subject of Bruce Markusen’s piece at the Hardball Times.
Former Dodger shortstop Rafael Furcal has a damaged elbow ligament and will miss the rest of 2012. Tommy John surgery is a possibility. Furcal had a .325 on-base percentage and .346 slugging percentage in 531 plate appearances for St. Louis, .276/.278 from May 17 on. He played in 121 of the Cardinals’ first 131 games.
No one plays third base like Adrian Beltre, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times (via Rob Neyer at Baseball Nation).
San Diego, which began its season 28-50, is 34-21 since – best in the National League West. Jeff Sullivan writes about their resurgence at Fangraphs, while The Associated Press writes about their new O’Malley-led ownership.

Rubby De La Rosa is back

By Jon Weisman

On August 21, 2012

In Dodgers, Transactions

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Shane Victorino, LF
Adam Kennedy, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
James Loney, 1B
Luis Cruz, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Joe Blanton, P

Faster than a speeding Rubby De La Rosa fastball, the Dodgers have activated Rubby De La Rosa from the disabled list, 12 1/2 months after his Tommy John surgery. Javy Guerra will go to Albuquerque until rosters expand in September.

De La Rosa’s progress was evident, as we noted earlier Sunday, and the Dodgers’ main decision — once they became confident in his health — seemed to rest upon whether they wanted him to build up higher pitch counts in the minors or come help in the majors right away. It does seem fast, but it’s an exciting move.

Guerra is actually on a streak of 11 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts, so he wasn’t exactly crying out to be optioned. He allowed 12 baserunners in that time and two out of five inherited runners to score. But it shows how highly the Dodgers think of Shawn Tolleson, who is unscored upon in his past 9 1/3 innings with two hits, five walks and five strikeouts. Tolleson has also allowed two of five inherited runners to score in that period.

And no, you don’t cut a Brandon League nor a Jamey Wright with 10 days until the rosters expand. On the other hand, the Dodgers could have found a way to go with a three-man bench …

Vin Scully’s brush with Monday Night Football

By Jon Weisman

On July 20, 2012

In Dodgers, History

If you haven’t read the 1964 Robert Creamer feature on Vin Scully, don’t put it off any longer.

Meanwhile, Scully told Tom Hoffarth of the Daily News that he was approached to be the original play-by-play man for ABC’s Monday Night Football.

… Scully stands by the Red Barber philosophy of having one voice in the booth narrate for radio or TV. He says he saw the trend of analysts taking over came back in the 1970s, when he was asked by ABC producer Chuck Howard if he’d be interested in becoming the first play-by-play man on “Monday Night Football.”

“He said it was going to be the hottest thing on TV — and he was right,” said Scully.

Scully declined, in part, because “the more I thought about it, I realized it would conflict with the Dodgers’ schedule.” But another reason he passed, he said, had to do with how he saw the play-by-play man’s role being diluted.

Keith Jackson ended up with the job for the first year of “MNF” in the debut year of 1970, with Howard Cosell and Don Meredith as the analysts. Frank Gifford replaced Jackson in 1971 and stayed on play-by-play until 1985, when Al Michaels came in, and Gifford moved to an analyst until 1997.

“Because of how football was going to be televised, you’d have one or two analysts now in the booth,” Scully said. “I had been doing games with Jim Brown on one side and George Allen on the other, and there were times I wasn’t sure, ‘Do I turn to him first for an opinion?'”

Scully said the emergence of John Madden, who he had as a partner at CBS, “really put the analyst front and center. And baseball picked up on that. The whole business changed in my opinion because of the way ‘Monday Night Football’ did it.”

Change, maybe not for the better, as far as how local baseball broadcasts were influenced by the national presentation. …

* * *

Mike Sandlock, at 96 the oldest living former Dodger, will have a meet-and-greet with the team today, writes Jack Cavanaugh for the Times.
J.P Hoornstra of the Daily News checks in with Javy Guerra, who just returned from caring for his ailing father.
In May 1960, a 24-year-old Sandy Koufax threw 785 pitches in a 22-day stretch, capped by a 193-pitch, 13-inning outing. Geoff Young discusses at Baseball Prospectus.
Via a conversation with Dodger president Stan Kasten, Dylan Hernandez of the Times analyzes the Dodger trade-deadline prospects.
De Jon Watson talked about Dodger minor-leaguers with Christopher Jackson of Albuquerque Baseball Examiner.
Believe it or not, the Dodgers have been the fourth-most clutch team in baseball in 2012, according to a study by Ari Berkowitz of Beyond the Box Score.
Josh Wilker of Cardboard Gods offers The Bad News Bears in Breaking Bad.
Happy birthday to Rachel Robinson, who turned 90 on Thursday.

Home, home on the strange

By Jon Weisman

On July 15, 2012

In Dodgers

One time during my junior year in college, I failed to set the parking brake on my Scirocco, and it rolled into the middle of an alley. I got a knock at my door saying that a policeman was giving me a ticket.

Don Mattingly had that moment where he made two trips to the mound at once, costing the Dodgers a relief pitcher.

I’m sure we’ve all had such a brain cramp, more times than we’d care to admit, and now Kenley Jansen has had one as well – allowing a steal of home and topping that with a throwing error that left the Dodgers, one strike away from victory, with a 7-6 loss to the Padres.

The defeat came on a night in which the recently recovered trio of Mark Ellis, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier each reached base three times, with Ethier (four RBI) hitting a two-run home run that seemed to be a game-winner in the sixth inning.

Chad Moriyama looks at all the things that went wrong on that single play. Not to be forgotten is that the Dodgers also allowed a run-of-the-mill unearned point in the first inning.

* * *

Wanted to send along belated best wishes to Javy Guerra, who is in Mexico tending to his father, who suffered a heart attack. Guerra pitched Friday with the knowledge that his father was stricken. He has now taken literal and metaphorical line drives to the jaw this year, not to mention surgery on his knee, and it’s pretty impressive how he’s handled it.

And congrats to Josh Wall for his promotion to the big leagues. Wall’s Albuquerque stats aren’t impressive except for his 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings, so I’m not sure how much we’ll see him during this initial stint, but I will certainly look forward to it.

* * *

The Dodgers have had more games with extra-base hits than you might expect, notes David Pinto of Baseball Musings. Only five times this year have they gone extra-base-hitless, and that includes a no-hitter against them.
The Dodgers had their annual night for independent bloggers. Ron Cervenka of Think Blue L.A. offers a recap.
Rob Neyer of Baseball Nation passed along a 26-minute 1946 Pacific Coast League promotional film.
Minor-league basethief extraordinaire Billy Hamilton was the subject of a nice profile by Steve Dilbeck of the Times.
Newly released documentary “Ballplayer: Pelotero,” about two teenagers in the Dominican Republic with big-league aspirations, is getting largely positive reviews according to Metacritic.
One-time Baseball Toaster star Bob Timmermann has toed his way back into blogging with The Portable Griddle.

Thumbs down on Gordon’s health

By Jon Weisman

On July 5, 2012

In Dodgers, Health/injuries, Ownership

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Elian Herrera, LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B
Juan Rivera, 1B
Luis Cruz, SS
A.J. Ellis, C
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Tony Gwynn Jr., CF
Nathan Eovaldi, P

Thumb surgery on a torn ligament in Dee Gordon’s thumb will sideline the Dodger shortstop for approximately six weeks, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. notes. Claiming the roster spot is reliever Javy Guerra, who has been activated from the disabled list.

On the night that Mark Ellis makes his first start at second base in nearly seven weeks, the Dodgers will move forward with Luis Cruz at short and joining the ranks of obscure but memorable No. 5 hitters.

Jerry Hairston Jr., who played so well at third base early in the season before declaring he wasn’t comfortable there (he could have fooled me), will make his first start at that position since May 29.

* * *

Below is an 11-minute Forbes interview with Irwin Raij, who advised the Guggenheim group on their Dodger purchase. The link comes from Eric Young, my one-time Stanford Daily colleague and not the former Dodger.

Luis Cruz to make Dodger debut

By Jon Weisman

On July 2, 2012

In Health/injuries, Transactions

Reds at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Elian Herrera, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B
Juan Rivera, RF
James Loney, 1B
Juan Uribe, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Luis Cruz, SS
Chad Billingsley, P

Dee Gordon is getting a day off after suffering a cramp in his leg late in Sunday’s game. Given that the Dodgers don’t really have a backup shortstop and were contemplating adding a player to the bench, it comes as little surprise that they have brought up Luis Cruz to the big-league roster, with Shawn Tolleson returning to the minors.

Cruz has been viewed by some as, if not a savior, at least a viable improvement over the oft-struggling Gordon. Without ruling out an Elian Herrera-like hot streak, it seems unlikely. The 28-year-old has a lifetime .275 on-base percentage and .260 slugging percentage in 169 major-league plate apperances, and while he is at .348 and .529 for Triple-A Albuquerque this year, keep in mind that OBP is lower than what Gordon had with the Isotopes in 2011. (In addition, as the man from Cat Hell, Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness, notes, Cruz’s minor-league OPS on the road this season is .672.) But, as a backup’s backup, we’ll hope for the best.

Gordon, by the way, had a .342 on-base percentage with seven steals in eight attempts in his past nine games. That’s not to say that his overall performance this year hasn’t been disappointing, but again, we went into 2012 knowing that he’d be a work in progress.

Ted Lilly, by the way, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Lilly last pitched May 23. On the bright side, Mark Ellis and Javy Guerra have begun their rehab assignments and could be activated this week.

* * *

The Dodgers announced the signings of four 16-year-olds from Latin America today: pitchers Lenix Osuna, Victor Gonzalez and William Soto and catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodger pitcher Antonio Osuna.

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 …

On draft day, Dodgers call up Tolleson

By Jon Weisman

On June 4, 2012

In Dodgers, Health/injuries, Transactions

Dodgers at Phillies, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CXXVIII: Kershmokey and the Bandit
Dee Gordon, SS
Elian Herrera, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Bobby Abreu, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B
Adam Kennedy, 3B
Clayton Kershaw, P

We expected a busy day because of the MLB Draft, set to begin at 4 p.m. Mark Appel is expected by many to be the third overall No. 1 pick from Stanford this year, following Andrew Luck in the NFL and Nneka Ogwumike in the WNBA.

However, the Dodgers made it even newsier by not only activating Juan Rivera but issuing a promotion — long-awaited by many of us — to strikeout-mad reliever Shawn Tolleson. Javy Guerra has gone on the disabled list with right knee inflammation, Scott Van Slyke has been optioned to Albuquerque and Matt Guerrier has moved to the 60-day disabled list.

Tolleson’s childhood buddy, Clayton Kershaw, is looking to avoid losing three consecutive starts for the first time in his career against a team he is 0-4 lifetime against with a 5.18 ERA (and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings).

One potential new concern: Tony Gwynn Jr. was in the original Dodger starting lineup against Phillies righty Vance Worley announced today but was later scratched without an immediate explanation.

Update: Dylan Hernandez of the Times reports that Gwynn has a tight hamstring. How cliche …

Upbeat news on Hairston (or wishful thinking)

By Jon Weisman

On May 7, 2012

In Bullpen

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, SS
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Bobby Abreu, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Ted Lilly, P

Jerry Hairston, Jr. might be back in action within a couple of days, according to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. Of course, the Dodgers have a long history of underestimating the severity of injuries, but we’ll try to be optimistic.

In fact, already making it back into today’s lineup are Matt Kemp (hooray!) and Juan Uribe (hooray?).

In other news, Kenley Jansen has replaced Javy Guerra as the Dodgers’ closer. Presumably, Josh Lindblom is now the primary set-up man, though it wasn’t immediately spelled out whether Guerra would move into a set-up role or into middle relief while he works out his problems.

No Guerrantees

By Jon Weisman

On May 7, 2012

In Bullpen, Health/injuries

I would imagine after his latest blown save Sunday – leading to the Dodgers sixth loss in the ninth inning or later in their past 18 games – Javy Guerra might be moved to pitch in different game situations for the time being, with Josh Lindblom and Kenley Jansen pitching later in games.

That won’t necessarily help the Dodgers until Guerra solves what’s not working for him, regardless of when he’s pitching, but I can understand why it feels worth a try. What Guerra is capable of achieving hasn’t changed, but his ability to execute has gone at least temporarily awry. The downside is that the best time for on-the-job problem-solving is when the team is losing by a few runs, and no one wants to see that.

One thing to keep in mind about Guerra is that he has options remaning, so that if he doesn’t sort things out soon and the Dodgers decide to make a move to Shawn Tolleson or activate Matt Guerrier, Guerra could be the one that comes off the active roster. That’s not necessarily what should or would happen, but it is an alternative to releasing a veteran. And patience with the bullpen must be wearing thin. Remember, about a year ago at this time, Kenley Jansen briefly went to the minors.

Meanwhile, Justin Sellers should be with the Dodgers for tonight’s game against San Francisco following Jerry Hairston Jr.’s unfortunate hamstring injury, which has left the Dodgers with Dee Gordon (below) and Adam Kennedy as their only two fully healthy left-side infielders. A couple of weeks ago, the Dodgers lost on a Sunday at Houston, 12-0, but this most recent Sunday defeat was more painful.

Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Javy Guerra (Page 1 of 2)

In case you missed it: Ex-Dodger moves forward from tragedy

Did Dodgers win the WAR last offseason?

Seth Rosin, Javy Guerra no longer Dodgers

Post-Arizona status report for the Dodgers

More bullpen woes: Javy Guerra injures oblique

At least there is some good news …

Rubby De La Rosa is back

Vin Scully’s brush with Monday Night Football

Home, home on the strange

Thumbs down on Gordon’s health

Luis Cruz to make Dodger debut

Dodger Defcon ratings

On draft day, Dodgers call up Tolleson

Upbeat news on Hairston (or wishful thinking)

No Guerrantees

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