It’s been nine days since my back surgery, and I have had more bad days than good days. Monday and Tuesday of this week were especially painful, and I have been unable to stand up straight for about a week. My Surgeon called me on Sunday, and he thought I should be more pain-free. It was I who reminded him that progress is not linear. There is no roadmap for recovery from surgery. Everyone is different. The pain got so bad yesterday that I took the narcotic pain medication for the first time in 6 days. I just had to remind myself that “progress is not linear.“
I woke up this morning virtually free of pain! I am standing up straight, and all I can say is, “What a difference a day makes!” PROGRESS TRULY IS NOT LINEAR! My incision is totally healed, and my whole outlook on life is different. I was reflecting on my surgery and comparing it to baseball. You know that baseball is life! I know I still have a long way to go, but there are milestones, and today is one. It’s that way in baseball. Just a couple of weeks ago, many Dodger fans wanted to send CT3 to TimBuckTwo for a scuffed-up baseball signed by Judge Kennesaw “Mountain” Landis and a used resin bag! Now they are warming back up to keeping him.
You have to trust the process… and the process takes time. David Peralta, Jason Heyward, and Trayce Thompson are in “the process.” The rookies are in “the process.” Andrew Friedman fully knew and understood that Michael Busch would have and will have challenges from learning a new position, but he was willing to take the risk vs. the reward. As fans, we criticize his moves because, frankly, we can. But the truth is: “We don’t know diddly!” Most of us would have thrown “the baby out with the bathwater” so many times we would be regarded as mass murderers! Progress is not linear! Earn it and learn it!
Thor’s Blister
It turns out that Noah Syndergaard had a blister, and he has been battling it for a few weeks (which may explain his struggles and his dip in velocity). Syndergaard said the blister initially popped up a few weeks ago during a bullpen session. It opened up during pregame warmups in the ‘pen before Tuesday’s game, and the Dodgers’ training staff put Dermabond on it to seal it up. With a quick turnaround to first pitch, the finger didn’t have enough time to dry, and it started bleeding. It sounds like a trip to the IL is coming, but they did not address that yet. Gavin Stone would be on pace to take his spot in the rotation as he pitched last night for OKC. Gavin went 5.1 innings and allowed 2 Hits to go with 1 ER. He is still battling control issues as he walked 4. Control is essential for him to be effective. Reminder: Progress is not linear!
Nick Nastrini’s Wild Ride
Nick went five innings, allowing four hits and giving up 1 ER while walking ZERO and Striking out 4. This kid is a lot closer than many think. Jon Rooney continues to impress after his conversion from starter to reliever (1.35 ERA/0.83 WHIP). He will get a bump up to OKC in June. The Tulsa Drillers scored 14 unanswered runs after the Springfield Cardinals scored 1 run in the bottom of the second inning.
- Jonny DeLuca was 2-3 with 2 BB and his 9th HR (.295 BA/1.022 OPS);
- Andy Pages was 3-4 with 3 RBI (.293 BA/.954 OPS);
- Imanol Vargas was 2-5 (.280/.956 OPS) He is a righty-killer);
- Diego Cartaya was 1-3 with a BB and 2 Runs scored (.186 BA/.567 OPS);
- Jose Ramos was 2-5 with his 8th HR and 3 RBI (.271 BA/.929 OPS)
Cartaya is off to a slow start. It seems like it is injury-related, but the Dodgers don’t tell, so don’t ask! The other four outfielders (Pages, DeLuca, Ramos, and Vargas) could all see action in the Show.
Dodger Notes & News
- Dalton Rushing hit his 5th HR as he was 2-5 (.271 BA/.976 OPS):
- Yenier Fernandez is still a hitting machine (2-5); and
- Watch Clayton today as you enjoy your breakfast!
Glad to hear you are standing upright. I assume this means your knuckles aren’t dragging anymore?
Progress isn’t linear. Yeah, you’ve mentioned that a few times. But your graphic indicates success isn’t linear. I’m thinking there’s a big difference between success and progress. Maybe a discussion for another time.
Pitching. Starting pitching in particular. I kinda figured every one of them would need some time off, so this specific injury, though not anticipated, doesn’t really surprise me. I was hopeful for Thor, because I try to remain so, but, as they say – next man up. Grove Stone? Hope that doesn’t turn out to be as cryptic as it may sound.
How about this – we’ll get Stoned and it will be Grovey man.
Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
I think we will keep scoring. Hope it’s enough. One thing is for certain, the 162 game season is in fact linear. Point A, Opening Day, and point B, Game 162, will predictably happen as scheduled. Where each team will be in standings on October 1st, well, guess we’ll see when that date arrives.
Can’t wait to see how great we’ll be after Peralta, Hayward, and Thompson are done with “the process”! And all the retread pitchers as well. Should beat last years win total.
EARLY GAME
1:40 PM ET
Dodgers (22-15 1st place
Brewers (20-16) .5GB
SP Clayton Kershaw L
5-2 2.53 ERA 42.2IP 48K
SP Wade Miley L
3-1 2.31 ERA 35.0IP 21K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
DH Will Smith R
3B Chris Taylor R
2B M. Vargas R
CF James Outman L
SS Miguel Rojas R
LF T. Thompson R
C A. Barnes R
In Domed Stadium
Tuesday scores
Oklahoma City 4, Round Rock 1
Tulsa 14, Springfield 1
Great Lakes 4, Lake County 1
Rancho Cucamonga 4, Stockton 3
Wednesday schedule
8 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Yon Castro) at Lake County (Reid Johnston)
10:05 a.m.: Tulsa (River Ryan) vs. Springfield (Kenny Hernandez)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Dylan Covey) at Round Rock (Kyle Cody)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Luis Valdez) vs. Stockton (Jose Diocochea)
05/09/23 Tulsa Drillers released RHP Cole Percival.
They sure are giving TT some rope. Hopefully he doesnt hang himself with it…
Freeman has more stolen bags than does TT (the other TT).
Lets go Kersh!!
Mark, glad you are feeling better.
Glad you are able to use your surgery to make a very important point too- progress is NOT linear. Well said.
Last night’s win was one of life’s little surprises. I really didn’t expect to win with the pitching match up we had…but lo and behold, we got to their big guy and our “little guy” was practically a no show. Even Bickford held his own. Like I said, “a little surprise.”
My wish list is this-a RHB who can the outfield. Is this asking for much? CT3 can play SS or 3B most of the time.
* The AB I’d been waiting for from Max happened top 6, he waited on a fastball away at 96 and drove it to left field for a single. Perfect. When he’s doing that he’s locked in.
* I wonder how long Doc / the Wizard, plan to watch Thompson try to hit LHP? Does anybody actually think he will ever hit LHP? In the last 2 weeks, in 9 games, his Batting Average is ZERO w/ 10 K’s. He’s batting .067 vs LHP yet we keep that platoon idea going. Please spare me the “it’s too early to give up on the guy” lecture. I love his grace roaming the outfield. I’m sure he’s a great guy in the clubhouse, maybe makes his own clothes and helps old ladies across the street. But he can’t hit.
* I plan to check out a Brew Crew broadcast today. I can’t take another night with the D-Train. I shut him off in the 7th last night and enjoyed the finish with my Bose ear buds and some good ole rock n roll.
You may be sorry 😉
I hope I’m sorry Mark. But I’m just not seeing it. 2022 and 23, he’s had 116 at bats vs LHP. Not a small sample. He has only 17 hits. That’s .147. I’d love to see him turn it around. But to see him even come in to pinch hit vs a lefty, is painful. He’s better against RHP but it seems we have a point to prove.
I’m glad your back is better, Mark. I’ve had plenty of good and bad days with all my replacements. Hang in there.!
Oh, you won’t be sorry about that.
You may be sorry you listened to Milwaukee’s announcers. 😉
I might be with ya Phil…..if I hear D-Train refer to Clayton’s curve as a “whooper dooper” one more time my phone might go through my TV. He’s AWFUL.
He’s worse than awful!
Phil, whenever I get discouraged thinking about Trayce….I go back and replay the game he hit 3 HRs …..this helps ease the pain…..a bit.
This story is comedy:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/37595483/mookie-betts-dodgers-milwaukee-hotel-ghosts
Not trying to lecture phil, I still believe the right move is to show patience with Thompson. We can afford it.
Dontrelle doesn’t bother me. I appreciate his enthusiasm.
Glad you are doing better.
Has Barnes gained about 20lbs ?
Miguel Vargas is heating up
Was there ever any doubt? Haven’t you been reading any of Mark’s posts or columns? Sigh…..Millennials….
I agree with both statements
Getting Dodger Blue Visions of Stardom for Miggy!
And Outman still hitting lefties.
Can M. Busch join the party this year? Will the brass give him that chance?
I agree with you Mark about patience for the most part. ..except I don’t think JDM can be the full-time DH because his back won’t hold up through this season. But i’d be happy to eat my words if I’m wrong.
I have no idea how bad his back is…
Hey TM get a life .
I already have a life…..you need to get a sense of humor….it will serve you well in the long run.
😉
The Dodgers 2021 draft was, I think (and can look up but am too lazy,) all pitchers.
It’s starting to look really promising.
Sheehan, Nastrini, Bruns, Casparius and Heubeck are really throwing the heck out of the ball.
Ace like as always.
Not bad for a #4 hey Watford! I just disagree with you about Kersh. I still think he’s an ace. And he’s better this year than in last 3-4 years. His velocity is back. Consistently around 92 and hit 93 today. His arm side fastball is a game changer for him. It really sets up his slider. And
And he’s throwing his curve consistently for strikes this year! if healthy and it’s a big if, I think he could compete for a Cy Young!
If CK actually won the Cy Young this year, I wonder if that would convince him to retire and go out at the top of his game, or if it would convince him that he has a few really good years left and to keep on truckin’.
I’m guessing it would be the latter.
CY and World Series title!
Have to agree Cassidy – he looks better this year than for a while.
My point, not very we’ll made I guess, was that we shouldn’t rely on him to be an Ace any more – i think we’ve tried to do that in the recent Post Seasons and that ship has sailed – but he’s certainly Pitching as well as he has in a long time and those few extra ticks on his Fastball are making all the difference.
Hope you’re well.
100% agree with you, Wat.
Kersh is the best ACE in baseball’s regular season for the past 15 years or so.
In October, he’s not an Ace, and that’s what you and I keep harping on. This isn’t about April or May, this is about October. He’s not an October Ace.
Don’t forget, the season is long ….perhaps he wears down a bit toward the end, which obviously includes the playoffs. Of course, he is no spring chicken either. Heck I’m happy if he can give the team 5 quality innings and turn it over to the bullpen.
Same to you Watford. Hope to get to merry ole England next year. My invite to the coronation must have got lost in the mail.
Yoshida’s 102 pitch no swing/ miss streak is impressive. Trevor P said they opened his stance some & he’s seeing the ball better. He’s the real deal – Ichiro with power.
Red Sox are smoking pitchers now. JT, “Doogie” & Devers are all hammering.
Verdugo is an all-star if he keeps whacking away.
I guess they don’t throw 95 in the AL!
I honestly never heard of ‘swing/miss’ stats. Steven Kwan has the record of 116 in 2022.
JT is hitting .273 with 3 long balls and 14 RBI’s. He isn’t hammering anyone. He is about MLB average. OPS + is 106.
He’s heating up. Was a dog early on. Good contact and driving those line drives. He looks good to me.
JT on 7/22 with 2 doubles & HR in last seven days.
He is about the same as he always has been. He is clearly not the same player he was a few years ago. He is great in the clubhouse, and that is his greatest asset. But him keeping it up over an entire season without spending some time on the IL?? Don’t see that happening. He is 39 years old.
Good to hear that Mark’s back is feeling better.
Makes me wonder if he’ll share his meds, or his “process,” with JDM. (JT, a few years older than Martinez, seems to be in good physical shape.)
I think some of the folks here who insisted that JT was washed up–that he couldn’t catch up with high velocity any longer–were quite bullish on JDM. They would cite his 40-HR years and predicted he’d see some action in LF to allow Smith to DH a bit, because why not? The best-case scenario was terrific! While I was OK with JDM essentially replacing JT, I also questioned those who thought that he would get return to his prime under Von Scoyoc’s guidance. Now the question is how soon JDM’s aching 35-year-old back will get him back in the game.
All considered, I wish the Dodgers had stuck with the revolving DH role. They could have signed or dealt for another RH bat that offered more flexibility.
The Angels traded early (and smartly) for Hunter Renfro, a veteran with a good track record. He now leads the Angels in HRs, ahead of both Trout and Ohtani.
Oh well. Woulda coulda shoulda….
Watford Dodger’s Snakes just got beat by the Marlins today 5-4 and are now 2 1/2 games out.
No doubt Kersh’s post season record hasn’t been up to his regular season standards. But how many times have we ridden him hard just to get into the post season and when there haven’t had a fourth starter and had him pitch on short rest. He still has pitched some post season gems but when he’s been off he has really been punished. I’m still pitching him twice in every series!
How different the narrative might be if Houston hadn’t cheated in 17 in game 5 and Kersh closed it out with a performance like he had in game one without the cheating cans! And Roberts hadn’t brought him back to pitch against Rendon and Soto?
Houston’s cheating put a serious dent into Kershaw’s legacy for sure.
Kersh and Joc had great claims to MVP of the World Series if no cheating.
Who does the voting for World Series MVP? Maybe the Dodgers should just make Kersh and Joc WS MVP and give them the mantle hardware.
Clayton Kershaw is the best left handed pitcher of my lifetime period .!!! I am 65 years old . Enough about the post season so called failures. More of those failures fall into the lap of mattingly and roberts. Though Clayton would never admit to it . Barry bonds cheated and never won crap, but many many people call him the best player they ever saw. Assrod was the next bonds, finally cheated his way into a World Series share! So enough about Clayton’s so called failures, you’ll never ever see another like him! Appreciate him!
I’m 66 and I still vote for Koufax–and it really isn’t close. Not his fault that his career was short and that nobody had figured out the surgical fixes that today’s pitchers have.
Kershaw was fantastic today. He ranks No. 2 on all-time LA Dodgers, followed by Drysdale, Fernando and Orel. (Sutton was very good for many years, but unlike the others never had actually great, Cy-caliber seasons.) If we go back to Brooklyn, Newcombe and Dazzy Vance come to mind.
The process is not linear.
Speaking of process and pitchers, what do Pedro Martinez, Dave Stewart and Bob Welch all have in common?
All got their ML start in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Later all became all-stars– and Ramon’s baby brother is in the HOF. (Ramon, tIall and lanky, was a good pitcher–he had “the look”–but his little little bro turned out to be great. Baseball profiling at its worst. )
So when was the last time the Dodgers had a future starter do an apprenticeship as a reliever?
I’m not talking about Julio in the playoffs. He arrived at age 19 as a starter. Now it seems that the Dodgers (and perhaps other organizations?) now groom prospects to be SPs or RPs in the minors. But why? Wander Suero just threw two nice innings behind Kershaw–but no one envisions a big future for Suero. So why wasn’t it Stone? I’m sure several top prospects–Nastrini, Frasso, Sheehan, Ryan–are more valued by the Dodgers than guys like Bickford and Bruhl and Suero. Would it make sense to have one or two of them get more ML experience early in their career? How about Bobby Miller when the time is right?
It’s just one of those things I don’t understand. Sort of like how an RP might come out of a game after he throws a sharp 10-pitch inning. If he’s in a groove, why not keep him in and save an RP for tomorrow?
I happen to like D-Train. More entertaining than Orel that is for sure, and he knows his baseball. Yeah, he has different style, and that is okay. He simply has fun in the booth.
Great game Kershaw!
Lowest era in the last 100 years.
Let’s enjoy his greatness while it lasts!
Count me in proclaiming my unconditional love and appreciation for one Clayton Kershaw. I have nothing negative to say about him and that includes any post season loss he was a part of.
What this man has done for our team …..all those great victories…..makes any loss he has incurred seem inconsequential even if it was disappointing.
Kenley Jansen just got 400 saves.
Bravo, Kenley.
HOF candidate.
May 9: OF J.D. Martinez (lower back) set to return against Padres
Manager Dave Roberts said the plan is for Martinez to come off the 10-day injured list on Friday, when the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Padres. Martinez is taking live at-bats in Arizona this week, including against pitcher Michael Grove who is also on the injured list.
Martinez went on the IL April 28 (retroactive to April 25), after sustaining the injury running out of the batter’s box in his second at-bat against the Cubs on April 23.