Seventh-inning stretch at Dodger Stadium, Independence Day (click to enlarge)
When you’re out of the blogging groove but the ideas keep coming, the easy thing to do is just dish them off on Twitter. But tweets are like shooting stars, and sometimes you want a constellation. So here I am back at Dodger Thoughts to try to collect some thoughts.
Also, I’m convinced that tons of people bypass the intro to a column and to get straight at the meat, so let’s get right to it.
By Jon Weisman
Dodger Stadium is the land of opportunity. In a month shy of two seasons, the Dodgers have used the equivalent of two 40-man rosters.
On Friday, Carlos Ruiz became the 80th person to play for the Dodgers since Opening Day 2015.
Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Chris Taylor, a 25-year-old shortstop who has been OPSing .845 for Seattle’s Triple-A team in Tacoma, has been acquired by the Dodgers in exchange for pitcher Zach Lee.
Taylor has a .387 on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage this season. In 256 career big-league plate appearances with the Mariners, he has twin .296 on-base and slugging percentages. The 2012 fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia has also played second and third.
Lee, the Dodgers No. 1 draft pick in 2010 and a two-time minor-league pitcher of the year for the organization, has a 1.49 WHIP and 4.89 ERA in 73 2/3 innings this season for Triple-A Oklahoma City, with 57 strikeouts.
The 24-year-old Lee made one start for Los Angeles, allowing seven runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets on July 25. He ended up pitching 725 innings in the organization, dating back to 2011.
By Jon Weisman
Tonight’s starting pitcher, Julio Urías, has thrown 58 professional innings this season. Dave Roberts said Thursday that the plan was to give Urias two more starts, then evaluate.
Most interpreted this as Roberts saying that Urías would be shut down in the manner of Ross Stripling, who hasn’t pitched in a game since May. To be clear, though, that wasn’t stated explicitly by Roberts, who simply said, “we’ll go from there.”
Last year, Urías threw 80 1/3, and the year before, a career-high 87 2/3. Even in the unlikely event of two complete games, Urías would still be at 76 innings on the year. Two six-inning outings would put Urías at 70. Presumably, Urías can go incrementally above the 80-plus inning range that he has previously reached.
So the question would be whether it makes sense to use all those innings now, while the Dodgers wait for the return of Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood from the disabled list (and longer down the road, Brett Anderson). Or do they have Urías take the break, and the ramp him up again in the second half of the season, when the rotation might be more crowded — not that there couldn’t be other setbacks.
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Yimi Garcia has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with right biceps soreness by the Dodgers, who have recalled right-hander Zach Lee to take his roster spot.
Garcia, tied with Chris Hatcher for the team lead in games pitched with nine and innings with 8 1/3, has allowed 11 baserunners this season while striking out four. In his big-league career, Garcia has struck out 9.7 per nine innings with a 0.94 WHIP.
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Yimi Garcia said his right arm feels asleep from the top of the bicep all the way down to his wrist. Trying massage therapy. Down two days.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 23, 2016
Lee has a 1.56 ERA in 17 1/3 innings (three starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing 22 hits but walking only one while striking out 14. He was scheduled to start tonight in Iowa, but is with the Dodgers now as a long reliever.
Scott Kazmir said he doesn’t expect to miss his next start despite “minor discomfort where the thumb meets the wrist,” according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Also, Louis Coleman returns from his bereavement leave Monday.
By the way, Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Mike Bolsinger, whose bid for the Dodger starting rotation was thwarted by a strained oblique muscle a month ago, has begun throwing off a mound.
Justin Turner has a bruised toe but is available to pinch hit, according to Gurnick.
Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez in October 2015. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Ross Stripling has been named the Dodgers’ No. 5 starter and will take the mound April 8 at San Francisco, Dave Roberts announced, adding that Carlos Frias will be optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
We’ll have more on Stripling shortly in a separate post. In the meantime, here are some more news and notes …
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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 …
By Cary Osborne
Today marks Scott Kazmir’s first Cactus League outing since March 9, when he allowed six hits, two walks and five earned runs against the Angels.
Kazmir faces the Milwaukee Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park.
He pitched in a B game against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch on March 14. A lot was made of Kazmir’s fastball velocity in the B game, reportedly in the mid- to high-80s, so Spring Training game or not, people will be eager to watch this one.
The same could be said about the matchup against the Padres at Camelback Ranch where Mike Bolsinger continues his campaign for the fifth-starter spot.
The right-hander threw four shutout innings against the Brewers on March 14, allowing two hits and walk, striking out two.
Here’s how the three fifth-starter candidates have done so far:
However, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported on Saturday that Beachy was dealing with a sore arm and will rest for a few days while being evaluated. Beachy told Gurnick today that it’s mild tendinitis and he doesn’t believe it’s too serious.
Scott Van Slyke was originally in today’s lineup at first base against the Padres, but was scratched due to a sore right hip flexor. Gurnick reported on Twitter that Van Slyke will rest one or two days.
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?
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
By Jon Weisman
Just like Jose De Leon and Chris Anderson on Saturday, homegrown Dodger pitching prospects Zach Lee and Ross Stripling each threw two shutout innings today.
Chase De Jong, acquired from Toronto in 2015, added two zeroes of his own in the Dodgers’ 5-2 road Cactus League victory over San Francisco, recapped by MLB com.
The first two Giant batters against Lee reached base on a single and an error, but the 24-year-old righty retired the remaining six batters he faced, striking out one and allowing only one more ball out of the infield.
Stripling, 26 and just about two years removed from Tommy John surgery, allowed three baserunners in his two innings, striking out one. De Jong did almost the same — just subtract one baserunner.
If you’re wondering where Julio Urias is in all this, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that he is about a week behind the rest of the staff because of a tight groin muscle. After three days off, Urias threw a bullpen session Friday and is expected to throw another before entering Cactus League play near the end of this week.
The Dodgers are 3-0-1 through four games, with a team ERA of 1.75.
By Jon Weisman
Adrian Gonzalez’s Cactus League debut has been delayed one more day, to allow him to make his first start in a home game.
“He wanted to be in there today,” Dave Roberts said, “but I just felt that as you come back from his neck, to drive 30 minutes and then have an hour or hour and a half off before you crank it back up to play a game, I’d rather take that extra day and err on the side of caution.”
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.
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By Jon Weisman
One day after Ian Thomas made his first Major League start, an even more anticipated first will come for the Dodgers.
Zach Lee, who was taken in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft and signed four years and 49 weeks ago, will take the mound for the first time for Los Angeles.
Here’s the writeup on Lee from when he was drafted. Now 23, Lee has made the steady progression from Rookie ball to Triple-A, not without setbacks, including a month on the sidelines this year with a nerve irritation. But he carries a 2.36 ERA and 1.08 WHIP from Oklahoma City in his back pocket as he makes his debut against the Mets.
Lee signed with the Dodgers on the same day as 11th-round draft choice Joc Pederson: August 16, 2010.
The Dodgers will announce a corresponding roster move later today.
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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