Justin Turner returned to the Dodger clubhouse today and revealed just how serious his thigh infection was in an interview with reporters, chronicled by David Adler of MLB.com.
— Jon Weisman
Tag: Justin Turner (Page 6 of 9)
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Dodgers at Pirates, 5:08 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Alex Wood, P
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Alex Wood, P
By Jon Weisman
Since taking two days off to regroup during last weekend’s series against the Angels, and then returning in the bottom third of the batting order, rookie outfielder Joc Pederson has seen some progress.
Pederson has resembled the player he was in April, when he was bringing solid defense and walking all the time but hitting one home run in his first 11 games. This past week, Pederson has two singles, a double and eight walks in 23 plate appearances with five strikeouts, so while the slugging percentage is languishing at .267, the on-base percentage is at .478.
In July, Pederson walked four times the entire month, struck out 31 times and slugged .258.
Kiké Hernandez has cushioned the effect of Pederson’s post-July struggles, with a .421 OBP and .606 slugging since July 1.
The Dodgers are still a few days away from activating third baseman Justin Turner, Don Mattingly told reporters.
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By Jon Weisman
Some pregame news and notes for you …
- Walker Buehler, the Dodgers’ No. 1 choice in the 2015 draft, will have Tommy John surgery performed Wednesday by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
- Justin Turner will spend some time at Camelback Ranch while recovering from his leg infection, Don Mattingly told reporters today. Turner is still not expected to miss more than 15 days.
- In their past 10 games in Philadelphia, the Dodgers have allowed 13 runs, according to the Dodgers’ public relations department.
- Same source (with help from Stats, LLC): The Dodgers have an extra-base hit in 95 straight road games, tied for the second-longest streak all-time behind the 2005-07 St. Louis Cardinals (127 games).
- Tonight’s starting pitcher, newly acquired Alex Wood, has a bit of a decline in strikeouts this year. Daniel Brim of Dodgers Digest did a deep dive and may have connected the dots with some shifts in Wood’s unorthodox delivery.
- Pedro Moura of the Register has more on Wood, including this:
Over the weekend, Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt watched Wood’s first bullpen session in awe.
“Some of his changeups were almost like splits that went almost straight down,” Honeycutt said. “I said to him, ‘Geez, that’s filthy.’”
“He goes, ‘Yeah.’”
- New Dodger reliever Jim Johnson, now on his fifth team in the past two seasons, spoke to Arash Markazi of ESPN.com about the travails of changing teams.
- Despite the presence of Adrian Beltre and, of late, Justin Turner, no MLB team has gone longer without an All-Star third baseman than the Dodgers, writes Miles Wray of the Hardball Times. Pedro Guerrero was the last, in 1983.
- Newly acquired injured pitcher Bronson Arroyo could play an indirect role in the Dodger postseason, even if he never throws a pitch, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. explains.
- Major League Baseball Advanced Media has make a major deal to run the NHL’s TV and online video operations, as Todd Spangler of Variety notes. How BAM, as it’s known, became such a behemoth is explored by Ben Popper at the Verge.
- Adrian Gonzalez’s three-homer, 13-base game against the Padres in April is the top offensive performance by a player this year, according to Cliff Corcoran of SI.com.
- Kiké Hernandez and Yasiel Puig took up this year’s Ice Bucket Challenge on behalf of the Dodgers this year. Don’t worry — they did it over the Dodger Stadium grass, so the water was put to use.
- Funny stuff from Jason Bateman on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” the other night (via Blue Heaven) — watch below.
By Jon Weisman
As you might suspect, Major League trades — especially when there’s a deadline — don’t come in a neat and tidy process. It’s sloppy and time-consuming and anything but linear.
Tonight, Dodger general manager Farhan Zaidi spoke tonight the Dodgers’ deadline deals, and offered some interesting perspective about how they actually get approached and executed.
Here is a sampling of what he said. Well, not really a sampling — a rather large, detailed chunk …
By Jon Weisman
To make room on the 25-man roster for newly acquired pitchers Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson and Alex Wood, the Dodgers have optioned Mike Bolsinger and Zach Lee to Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed Justin Turner on the 15-day disabled list.
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Dodger president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is speaking to reporters this evening about today’s three-team trade and other developments. Here’s a live-blog of his comments:
A’s at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Brett Anderson, P
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Brett Anderson, P
By Jon Weisman
Justin Turner is out of tonight’s starting lineup after having to go to the emergency room today to address a worsening infection in his leg.
The problem began with something “like a pimple” while Turner was in New York, according to Dodger manager Don Mattingly. He was given antibiotics, but the condition continued to worsen over Monday’s off day.
“He came in today, and it was a lot worse,” Mattingly said. “We should know more by the end of the night. It had kind of blown up — it wasn’t very pretty.”
Turner hit .424/.457/.727 with four doubles and two homers on the recently completed road trip, capped by his two-base hit in the Dodgers’ ninth-inning rally Sunday in New York. Turner went out for a pinch-runner after that double, but that was not health-related.
Among all Major Leaguers with at least 250 plate appearances, Turner is fifth in weighted runs created, behind only Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Cabrera. He is 16th among big-leaguers in Wins Above Replacement.
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By Jon Weisman
For the first time since 2008, the Dodgers have seven players with at least 10 home runs, thanks to Jimmy Rollins hitting his 10th in tonight’s 7-2 victory over the Mets.
Yasiel Puig, who hit his sixth tonight, and Howie Kendrick (seven) are also on pace to reach double digits, which would give the Dodgers a franchise record-tying nine players with at least 10 homers.
The 2004 Dodgers are the only such team, with Adrian Beltre, Milton Bradley, Alex Cora, Juan Encarnacion, Steve Finley, Shawn Green, Jose Hernandez, Paul Lo Duca and Jayson Werth.
Justin Turner hit his 13th home run tonight, along with two doubles, to tie a career high with eight total bases. The Dodgers had at least 25 total bases for the 10th time this year.
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers were shut out today by the Mets and the National League All-Star voters, who didn’t put any Dodger position players among the league’s elected starters.
Los Angeles still has a chance to make an impression on the All-Star roster when reserves are announced Monday afternoon, with Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell in consideration for the pitching staff and Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner for the bench. Pederson and Greinke could still even end up in the starting lineup.
Kiké Hernandez is 14 for 41 with five doubles, two triples, a homer and three walks against left-handed starting pitching this season. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Mets at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Soctt Van Slyke, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Mike Bolsinger, P
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Soctt Van Slyke, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Mike Bolsinger, P
By Jon Weisman
It’s more like a bug bite than a debilitating injury, but the Dodgers could be happier, healthier and heartier facing left-handed starters this year.
Going into today’s game against left-handed Mets rookie Steven Matz, the Dodgers are 7-8 (.467) against southpaw starters in 2015, compared with 39-28 (.582) against righties.
In those eight losses, the Dodgers have scored a combined 14 runs. Three of those eight losses have come in games started by San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner, who has a 1.31 ERA against Los Angeles in 2015.
In their seven wins against lefty starters, the Dodgers have scored 35 runs (five per game).
Lefty starters have held the Dodgers to a .668 OPS, as opposed to their .783 OPS against righty starters. Confounding expectations, Dodger right-handed batters have hit better against righties than lefties in 2015.
Yasiel Puig (1.082 OPS) and Kiké Hernandez (1.034 OPS) have been the Dodgers’ best hitters against lefty starters this year, which helps explain why Hernandez is batting leadoff today. Joc Pederson is starting in the No. 7 spot for the first time since April, though his OPS against lefty starters (.875) is third on the team, ahead of Scott Van Slyke (.744).
One problem for the Dodgers is that the typical No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Justin Turner (.559) and Adrian Gonzalez (.601) have not done well in their small samples against lefty starters this year. The right-handed hitting Turner’s career platoon splits actually favor him against right-handed pitching (.681 OPS vs. all lefties, .816 OPS vs. all righties).
Further, Dodger catchers A.J. Ellis, Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes are 7 for 44 with two doubles and no home runs against southpaw starters this year (.204 slugging percentage), though Ellis does have 10 walks to give him a .356 on-base percentage.
Even Alex Guerrero only has a .239 on-base percentage against left-handed starters, though he has two homers in 45 at-bats.
One other piece of trivia: The Dodgers have one stolen base all season against a left-handed starter, and that was by Zack Greinke.
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By Jon Weisman
From non-roster player … to valuable bench piece … to starting third baseman … to All-Star?
Each step of Justin Turner’s journey in the past 18 months has seemed improbable, but his showstopping offensive performance as a Dodger has turned the most unlikely step of all into potential reality.
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By Jon Weisman
Tonight’s 3-2 defeat at Texas was not a typical way for the Dodgers to lose.
The last time the Dodgers tied a game in the top of the ninth …
- and then lost on a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth was May 2, 2012 at Colorado.
- by hitting a home run and then lost on a walkoff homer in the bottom the ninth was September 7, 2007 at San Francisco.
- and then lost on a walkoff homer to the very first batter of the bottom of the ninth was July 11, 1970 at San Diego.
And the last time the Dodgers tied a game in the top of the ninth by hitting a home run, before losing to a home run on the very first batter of the bottom of the ninth? Going through records on Baseball-Reference.com dating back to 1940 … never.
For hard-throwing Josh Ravin, it was a tough initiation into the vast group of Major Leaguer pitchers who have, you know, lost games.
The loss was as sudden as it was seemingly improbable. The Dodgers had only one baserunner past second base through eight innings off Rangers rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez, before Howie Kendrick walked with one out in the ninth and Justin Turner hit his game-tying shot.
It’s little consolation, but Turner’s homer kept Brett Anderson from taking a loss in his longest outing (eight innings) since May 26, 2011. On the other hand, Anderson would have had his team-leading second complete game but for that mini-Home Run Derby in the ninth.
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In today’s special Dodger Insider online feature, broken bats are broken down by magazine freelancer Chris Gigley, who talks to Yasmani Grandal, Joc Pederson and Scott Van Slyke about maintaining and sacrificing their tools of the trade.
Our inaugural special, “Inside the #RallyBanana,” can be accessed here, and our “Meet the Originals” package on the 50th anniversary of the MLB draft can be found here.
Check it all out, and don’t forget, there’s more content like it in the June edition of Dodger Insider magazine, available at all Dodger Stadium team stores.
— Jon Weisman
Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Chris Heisey, CF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Alex Guerrero, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Carlos Frias, P
Chris Heisey, CF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Alex Guerrero, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Carlos Frias, P
By Jon Weisman
Justin Turner’s knee is still stiff after taking a foul ball Monday, and Joc Pederson is “a bit worn down and beat up,” so they are resting tonight along with Andre Ethier against Arizona lefty Robbie Ray.
I can barely remember how I lived before Baseball Reference’s searchable Play Index came into my life, but a perfect example of the irrational pleasures it provides me came Monday night, when I got it into my head to figure out where Turner ranked offensively in history among Dodger third basemen.
Tim Wallach, who knows a thing or five (1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990) about All-Star selections, and Joc Pederson celebrate Adrian Gonzalez’s 1000th RBI on Tuesday.
By Jon Weisman
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is the only member of the National League West-leading Dodgers (and NL’s No. 1 offense) in first place at his position in the initial release of NL All-Star voting numbers.
Gonzalez has nearly twice as many votes as second-palce Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, but otherwise, the Dodgers need help — especially Joc Pederson, who (as you’ll see detailed later in this post) ranks No. 1 among NL center fielders in Wins Above Replacement.
It’s worth noting that Gonzalez was the NL leader among first basemen at this stage last year, only to eventually lose out to Paul Goldschmidt of Arizona.
Fan voting continues through July 2. You can read more about the selection process here. Click the image below to enlarge the current results.
For some perspective, here’s where the top Dodger All-Star candidates rank in WAR, according to Fangraphs.
- Gonzalez is first among first basemen, a hair ahead of Goldschmidt and Rizzo. Tuesday’s home run was only Gonzalez’s second of May, but he still has a .411 on-base percentage and .481 slugging percentage this month. Gonzalez has been in four All-Star Games, but none since joining the Dodgers in 2012.
- Dodger rookie Pederson leads NL center fielders in WAR, not insignificantly: 0.3 ahead of No. 2 A.J. Pollock and 0.7 (50 percent higher) above No. 3 Dexter Fowler. And that’s with Pederson losing a bit of value because of his sub-par baserunning so far this year. Thanks in part to Andrew McCutchen’s slow start, no one is even close to Pederson offensively in center.
- Overall NL voting leader Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton dominate the national headlines and rightly so, but right behind Stanton in right field WAR is Andre Ethier, whose wRC+ is actually better than Stanton’s. An NL Comeback Player of the Year candidate, Ethier (like Gonzalez) last reached an All-Star Game in 2011, but given that he is fifth among all outfielders in WAR, his chance to make the game as a reserve is fairly strong.
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- For the record, Yasiel Puig (50 plate appearances) is 16th in WAR in right field, and 13th on the current outfield ballot.
- Yasmani Grandal is fourth in WAR at catcher, behind Buster Posey, Derek Norris and Miguel Montero. Currently on the seven-day concussion disabled list, Grandal has the fewest game and plate appearances (tied with Brayan Pena) of anyone in the top 10. On the offensive side, Grandal ranks second.
- Also sitting in the No. 4 spot is Howie Kendrick at second base, behind 2015 ballot leader Dee Gordon, Kolten Wong and Joe Panik. Of note: When Kendrick went 0 for 8 May 22-23 against San Diego, that was the first time all season he hadn’t reached base in consecutive games. Kendrick’s only All-Star appearance came the same year as the most recent one for Ethier and Gonzalez, in 2011.
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- Justin Turner and Alex Guerrero aren’t on the All-Star ballot, but they sit in fourth and seventh positions at third base. Neither has 100 plate appearances yet this season (Turner is at 99), and Guerrero has actually only played nine games at the hot corner (Fangraphs doesn’t separate players by games played at each position on its rankings). Turner at least has 22 games, but it’s still an uphill battle for him to leapfrog such candidates as Matt Carpenter, Todd Frazier, Nolan Arenado and Cubs rookie Kris Bryant. In case you’re wondering, Juan Uribe is just outside the top 20.
- You’ll also find Guerrero in fifth place in left field, two spots ahead of Scott Van Slyke. Nori Aoki, Justin Upton, Charlie Blackmon and Matt Holliday lead in left field. Guerrero’s best shot would be if he keeps hitting, and the NL falls in love with a combination left fielder-third baseman from Bruce Bochy’s division rival.
- Jimmy Rollins is one spot ahead of 2013-14 All-Star Troy Tulowitzki in WAR at shortstop, but unfortunately that’s down at 12th.
