Mike Bolsinger – Dodger Thoughts

Mike Bolsinger traded for Jesse Chavez

On August 1, 2016

Jesse Chavez (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

By Jon Weisman

In an exchange of right-handed pitchers, the Dodgers have acquired Jesse Chavez and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays for Mike Bolsinger.

Chavez, who turns 33 on August 21, has a 1.28 WHIP and 4.57 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings this year for Toronto. The previous two seasons, he pitched mostly as a starter for Oakland, with a 3.83 ERA from 2014-15.

The 28-year-old Bolsinger had a 4.27 ERA in 137 innings with the Dodgers over the past two seasons, highlighted by a 2.83 ERA in his first 16 games with Los Angeles last year.

Farm Fresh: June 23 Dodger minors highlights

By Jon Weisman

On June 24, 2016

In Minor leagues

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By Miranda Perez

Highlights from the Dodger farm system for June 23, including Hyun-Jin Ryu’s latest rehab outing and two walkoff wins …

Dodgers recall Carlos Frias, option Mike Bolsinger

By Jon Weisman

On June 19, 2016

In Pregame, Transactions

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Brewers at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian González, 1B
Trayce Thompson, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

Carlos Frias has been called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to bring a fresh arm to a tired Dodger pitching staff, with Mike Bolsinger being optioned down.

This move materialized as a likely possibility when Frias didn’t make a scheduled long-relief appearance Saturday, shortly before Bolsinger struggled to get seven outs.

Frias presumably could take Bolsinger’s turn in the rotation, but could be needed out of the bullpen first. In the past seven days, Dodger relievers have needed to face 96 batters, an average of 13.7 per day. The Dodgers have an off day Thursday, when Bolsinger was next scheduled to start.

Turner, Dodgers have got that bounce

By Jon Weisman

On June 18, 2016

In Dodger Stadium, History, Postgame

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By Jon Weisman

Justin Turner’s weekend of heroics continued.

Turner’s third home run in two nights brought the Dodgers’ roaring back from a 5-2 deficit in the third inning, putting them on their way to a 10-6 victory over Milwaukee.

The biggest of the 14 Dodger hits that also included homers by Howie Kendrick and Joc Pederson, Turner’s blast — his sixth homer in his past 12 starts — marked the halfway point in the Dodgers’ six-run inning, their biggest of 2016. And it salvaged a night in which starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger couldn’t make it out of the third inning.

Roberts said @MBolsinger had cramping during his outing. Labored through 2.2 IP.

— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) June 19, 2016

In fact, Bolsinger and Milwaukee’s Chase Anderson, childhood friends who were best men at each other’s weddings, each threw exactly 29 balls and 44 strikes in 2 1/3 innings tonight. Anderson took the loss, while Chris Hatcher, who threw 2 1/3 shutout innings, was the Dodgers’ winning pitcher.

Hatcher, who made his MLB debut as a catcher in 2010 but went 0 for 6, also picked up his first career hit, an RBI single in the third.

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One run the difference again for Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On June 13, 2016

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

Zack Greinke didn’t exactly dominate the Dodgers, least of all Corey Seager, who had a single, walk and career-best 440-foot home run off his former teammate.

But Greinke was one run better than Mike Bolsinger, who gave up two solo homers of his own — and then a tiebreaking score in a fifth inning that began with a Greinke single. That meant in the Dodgers’ sixth consecutive one-run game, they lost for the third straight time, 3-2.

Dodgers carry streak of one-run games into reunion with Greinke

By Jon Weisman

On June 13, 2016

In Pregame, Status report

Zack Greinke on the mound against the Dodgers. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian González, 1B
Trayce Thompson, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Mike Bolsinger, P

By Jon Weisman

The more things change … the more things change.

Zack Greinke faces the Dodgers tonight for the first time since he came with the Milwaukee Brewers to Los Angeles on May 31, 2012. That night, the Dodgers offered this starting lineup:

Elian Herrera, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Bobby Abreu, LF
Andre Ethier, RF
Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B
Adam Kennedy, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Dee Gordon, SS
Chad Billingsley, P

One of those Dodgers is in tonight’s starting lineup. Another is on the bench. A third is on the disabled list. That, plus Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, is all that remains to link that Dodger team and this one, four years later.

Julio Urias to start Sunday in San Francisco

By Jon Weisman

On June 9, 2016

In Postgame

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By Jon Weisman

Preferring the idea of having Julio Urias face San Francisco’s lineup over Arizona’s, the Dodgers have flipped him with Mike Bolsinger so that the teenage lefty pitches Sunday against the Giants, while Bolsinger will go Monday against the Diamondbacks.

Dave Roberts announced the switch Wednesday after the Dodgers’ 1-0 loss to Colorado, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Urias will be pitching on four days’ rest.

Bolsinger’s number comes up again

By Jon Weisman

On June 6, 2016

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

100 02x xxx -- 3
000 200 xxx -- 2
002 00x xxx -- 2
010 014 xxx -- 6

Above are the linescores against Mike Bolsinger in his four starts this year, and as you can see, he’s allowed one crooked number in each of them.

They’ve never been the same inning. One crooked number in the third inning (June 1), one in the fourth (May 24), one in the fifth (May 18) and one in the sixth (tonight).

Tonight brought the biggest crooked man of all, thanks to a three-run home run by Trevor Story in the sixth inning that doubled Colorado’s run total on its way to a 6-1 victory over the Dodgers.

As you can see, the crooks haven’t always broken in at the same point in the game, not always the same trip through the order. But come they have.

Dodgers pitch three-hitter but lose in Chicago

By Jon Weisman

On June 1, 2016

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

In their past three games against each other, Elias Sports told us today, the Dodgers and Cubs became the first pair of teams in Major League history to play three consecutive games with a no-hitter or one-hitter:

There was Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter in the final meeting between the teams last year, plus back-to-back one hitters, one by each team, Monday and Tuesday.

Tonight, offense ran wild. Chicago exploded for three hits, while the Dodgers went bananas and got four. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the team with fewer hits won.

Andrew Friedman discusses Urias, Wood, Ryu, Bolsinger

By Jon Weisman

On May 26, 2016

In Front office, Status report

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By Jon Weisman

Dodger president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman fielded questions on a conference call from New York late today, mainly on Julio Urias but also on the status of Mike Bolsinger, Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Here are Friedman’s comments (the questions are paraphrased):

When was the decision to promote Urias made?

We’ve had a lot of conversations in the last month about Julio, thinking through different ideas in terms how he can help us win games. It’s not just a case of assessing his talent and seeing if he could help us, it’s also about finishing off some development — also the workload and how to manage that going forward. When this (left triceps soreness) came up with Woody, it made it obviously much easier in that we needed someone who’d be able to go Friday.

Bolsinger obeys speed limits, Dodgers cruise

By Jon Weisman

On May 24, 2016

In Postgame

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Mike Bolsinger’s offspeed was on point tonight.

Working primarily with a curve and slider in the 80 mph-and-below range, Bolsinger pitched a solid 5 2/3 innings, and the Dodgers extended their winning streak to three with a 8-2 victory over Cincinnati.

In his second big-league start of the season, Bolsinger struck out six and allowed three hits, blemished only by a two-run home run by Adam Duvall that cleared Joc Pederson’s glove by inches.

Seventeen innings later, what’s new?

By Jon Weisman

On May 23, 2016

In Health/injuries, Pregame

Trayce Thompson, preparing for his eight consecutive start, works in the indoor cage before tonight’s game. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Reds at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCLII: Kershawnhattan
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 3B
Trayce Thompson, CF
Corey Seager, SS
Yasiel Puig, RF
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Here’s a quick update on some of the Dodger newsmakers over the past 24 hours …

Ross Stripling

Getting optioned to the minors after winning Sunday’s game didn’t shock Stripling, who told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo that it was always the plan that he would be optioned around this time — though certainly current circumstances made the decision more obvious.

Stripling added that the plan is for him to throw three innings when he starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to Andy McCullough of the Times.

Dave Roberts said that Stripling could be used in the rotation or out of the bullpen when he returns to Los Angeles.

Dodgers bring up Chin-hui Tsao, option Mike Bolsinger

By Jon Weisman

On May 19, 2016

In Postgame, Pregame, Transactions

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Angels at Dodgers, 7:05 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Corey Seager, SS
Howie Kendrick, 1B
Joc Pederson, CF
Trayce Thompson, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Carl Crawford, DH
(Ross Stripling, P)

By Jon Weisman

Mike Bolsinger will return to the minor leagues after making a spot start Wednesday for the Dodgers, with reliever Chin-hui Tsao joining the roster from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Tsao, who turns 35 in June, has a 3.31 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 14 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings this season, and has been unscored upon in his past eight appearances.

Last year, returning to the Majors after an eight-year absence, Tsao pitched seven innings for the Dodgers, with a 2.84 ERA in his first four games before allowing six runs in two-third of an inning July 25 against the Mets. He also doubled in his only at-bat.

Making his first MLB start in nearly eight months and his first since recovering from a March oblique injury, Bolsinger went 4 1/3 innings and was charged with two earned runs in the Dodgers’ 8-1 loss to the Angels, allowing nine of the 21 batters he faced to reach base, while striking out two.

Dodgers activate Bolsinger, option Culberson

By Jon Weisman

On May 18, 2016

In Pregame, Transactions

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Angels at Dodgers, 7:05 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Corey Seager, SS
Howie Kendrick, 1B
Joc Pederson, CF
Trayce Thompson, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Carl Crawford, DH
(Mike Bolsinger, P)

By Jon Weisman

Mike Bolsinger has been officially reinstated from the disabled list to start tonight’s game in Anaheim against the Angels, with infielder Charlie Culberson being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Gonzalez day to day, Bolsinger a day away, Thompson no longer on layaway

By Jon Weisman

On May 17, 2016

In Health/injuries, Transactions

By Jon Weisman

With the Dodgers barely halfway through a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, Mike Bolsinger is being called up Wednesday to take a turn in the Dodger starting rotation and give its existing members an extra day of rest, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported late Monday.

Bolsinger will be inserted after Clayton Kershaw takes his scheduled start at Dodger Stadium tonight.

In other news, the Dodgers will learn more today about the lower-back tightness of Adrian Gonzalez, who left Monday’s game after the fifth inning.

Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Mike Bolsinger (Page 1 of 4)

Mike Bolsinger traded for Jesse Chavez

Farm Fresh: June 23 Dodger minors highlights

Dodgers recall Carlos Frias, option Mike Bolsinger

Turner, Dodgers have got that bounce

One run the difference again for Dodgers

Dodgers carry streak of one-run games into reunion with Greinke

Julio Urias to start Sunday in San Francisco

Bolsinger’s number comes up again

Dodgers pitch three-hitter but lose in Chicago

Andrew Friedman discusses Urias, Wood, Ryu, Bolsinger

Bolsinger obeys speed limits, Dodgers cruise

Seventeen innings later, what’s new?

Dodgers bring up Chin-hui Tsao, option Mike Bolsinger

Dodgers activate Bolsinger, option Culberson

Gonzalez day to day, Bolsinger a day away, Thompson no longer on layaway

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