The Dodgers won the series against the Twins today, but lost Dustin May who will be headed to the IL with a Flexor Pronator strain. Dylan Covey, just recalled from OKC, came in to pitch starting in the second inning and gave the Dodgers four innings of relief, giving up two homers, one to Buxton and one to old friend, Joey Gallo. The Dodgers scored one in the third when Mookie tripled, and Freddie hit a sac fly.
Minnesota got one back on a Buxton homer in the fourth. LA scored again in the bottom of the fourth when Outman was aboard on an infield single, stole second and scored on Mookie’s single to center. In the top of the sixth, Gallo homered tying the game. The Twins went ahead in the top of the seventh when Willi Castro scored on an attempted pick off play at third when Ferguson threw the ball away.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Dodgers would load the bases on a couple of walks and a single by Smith. Vargas then walked with the bases loaded tying the game. Up came James Outman who hit the first pitch into the center field seats for his 9th homer and second Grand Slam of the year. Graterol and Phillips finished with 2 scoreless innings and the Dodgers had win # 28.
Minnesota lost CF Nick Gordon when he fouled a ball off of his shin. After the game it was reported that he had broken the shin bone. He will be placed on the IL. After the game it was also reported that P Walker Buehler is shooting for a return in September. Dodgers start a four-game series in St. Louis tomorrow with Julio Urias facing Adam Wainwright. The rest of the series, Gonsolin-Matz, Syndergaard-Mikolas, Kershaw-Flaherty. Max Muncy also suffered a knee contusion that was swollen after the game. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
Minor League Report
Round Rock vs OKC
OKC rode the right arm of Bobby Miller to a 5-1-win last night. Miller went 6 full innings, striking out six and walking only one. He gave up one earned run on two hits. Alex Vesia, Taylor Scott and Nick Robertson all pitched one scoreless inning of relief. OKC received 6 walks and had five hits. DeLuca’s first hit in AAA was an RBI double in the 8th inning. Luke Williams hit a solo homer, his 5th in the sixth inning. OKC now sits at 30-11. It was the Dodgers 8th consecutive win.
Corpus Christi vs Tulsa
Tulsa was one hit by the Hooks pitchers and lost 1-0. They mustered no offense against three Hooks pitchers. Jose Altuve, rehabbing with the Hooks was 1-4. He was also cut down when he attempted to steal a base. Emmet Sheehan went 5 innings and struck out 10 allowing 2 hits and no runs. He also did not walk a batter. John Rooney took the loss going 2 innings, giving up 2 hits, a run and striking out 3. Jose Ramos had the only hit for the Drillers who struck out 13 times. The Hooks stuck out 15 times.
Great Lakes vs Western Michigan
The Loons secured a 4-2 win over the WM White Caps last night. Maddux Bruns went 4 innings, walking 5, striking out 2 and giving up one run and one hit. The Caps took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 6th inning when the Loons pushed across 4 runs. They loaded the bases on a hit, walk and an error. They then scored two runs on walks and scored their last two runs when Jake Vogel singled to drive in two. DePaula pitched one inning of relief and then Orlando Ortiz-Mayr pitched the last four to secure the win. He gave up a 9th inning run. Overall he gave up 5 hits, an earned run and had 2 strikeouts. Loons are 22-13.
Rancho Cucamonga vs Visalia
Quakes beat the Rawhide 9-2 to even their series. The Quakes had 9 hits, 6 walks and the Rawhide had 4 errors. Two of which contributed to a 5-run 4th inning. The only Quake with two hits was SS Jose Ibarra. They also got a double from Newell and a triple from Decker. Joel Ibarra, the pitcher, got his 4th win without a loss with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. Starter, Jared Karros, Eric’s boy, went 3.2 innings, striking out 5, walking one and allowing 3 hits and a run. His ERA now sits at 1.71.
Bear – as always you are great with what you provide to this site – THANK YOU.
Just a few thoughts on the past week and a possible reason Mark is thinking to shutting down this site (my conjecture -ONLY):
This site takes a lot of work and has to be a passion to put that much effort in keeping it up and running.
So when we have the idiots that CANNOT help themselves and must post stuff about politics, religion etc. we then have others that feel compelled to reply instead of ignoring the post.
So when reading the posts from a few days ago Mark probably just said F***-it! I am done (again, conjecture on part).
Mark has notified us on a few occasions that he has other things the are higher priority to include family, his business, possibly write a book. The fact that here we are years later and he still keeps this blog running shows it is a “passion”.
This is an awesome site that so many of us enjoy, and definitely do not want to see it end!!
Maybe going forward we can ask Mark and Bear to only post once a week to avoid feeling compelled to have a new post every day, versus completely ending this site.
Plus, implement a zero tolerance policy and boot off the Idiots who cannot follow the one basic tenet – keep the politics, religion and other extraneous controversial stuff out of you post.
Again, this is Mark’s decision, and if it ends today I just want to say thanks to all the contributors (minus the few who cannot control themselves).
Good post.
One caveat to the zero politics rule is that it was the Dodgers themselves who chose to insert themselves into the Culture Wars, and this affects Dodger fandom downstream. The damage and division it caused here is a good lesson in microcosm why it’s not a good idea for organizations to get involved in this type of thing.
If a Tree Falls in the Forest, and There’s No One Around to Hear It, Does It Make a Sound?
LOL.
Slightly better than the KKK play, Patch.
Here’s a thought, Bluto. If you have an opinion, there is the whole notion of trying to be PURSUASIVE. It’s not always about self-righteously signaling virtue, or being content to belittle, or condescend or attack or tear down somebody or something else to elevate your own position. That’s not how it’s supposed to work, but I see that pattern over and over again, and not specific to you, although that pattern is on display here, but more generally from more or less your cohort.
It’s a pretty impressive bit of psychological manipulation, I will say that. It’s also loathsome.
Well said Patch!
Feel sorry for Dustin. Hope he gets well soon. Dodgers really need him.
Good to see Bobby Miller having a great game yesterday at OKC. Stone also had a good game the other day so I would suspect one of those two youngsters will take Dustins place in the rotation .
Question: What about Frasso ? He was taken out of a game a few days ago and has not returned to the field yet. Any news what is wrong with him ? He was lights out so far and would be another option even if he is only at AA .
This is an excellent place for Dodger fans to meet and interact on our beloved Blue. I hope Mark continues with it but I could understand if he decides to shut it down. Takes a lot of time to run such a place and the older you get the more precious time becomes.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Yes, a Frasso update would be nice ..anyone?
He hasn’t been put on the IL. He is still listed as active on the Tulsa roster.
Thanks for the answer. A long day-to-day injury, interesting.
4-6 weeks for May. I am pretty sure Stone is the next man up. Kersh will make his start on Sumday. May has a flexor strain, so the good news is that it is not his elbow.
If 4-6 weeks is the timetable, then this is actually some good news. I’m sure the Dodgers will err on the side of caution, too.
Kershaw is starting Sunday….do you ever get anything right?
Fixed it. I suggest you try writing articles for this blog and try getting everything right every time. Not happening.
Attitude like yours pizzle is a reason that I would not have a blog.I mean can not be nice.
Bear,
Thanks for stepping in the last few days. I know its a lot of work. One thing I like about this site is that it is NOT a recap site. Plenty of other places for that. I know that was Mark’s view. So look forward to your historical and opinion pieces. So just concentrate on that and leave out the recaps.
Happy to do so, and yet, I still get criticized by some here for one little mistake.
Great job Bear carrying the load. You’re making a lot of people happy. There doesn’t have to be a topic on the site every day to lessen the burden on Mark and you. There just needs to be a space for comments each day.
Thank you Andrew.
Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic has more detail on what’s next for Dustin May:
Those tests showed the injury didn’t appear to impact his surgically-reconstructed ulnar collateral ligament, league sources told The Athletic. May will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection into the tendon to promote healing in the area with the hopes of avoiding season-ending surgery. If the injection works properly, the source said, the hope is that May could return within four to six weeks.
Well, if his health and return is determined on a PRP injection, he’s out for the year.
I would not jump the gun on that, compared to most, this injury reacts well to the injections. He will be back. Buehler targeting September.
I know this will sound extremely pessimistic and you should throw rocks or tomatoes at me for saying it…..but am I alone thinking Gonsolin, May, Buehler, and Kershaw will always find the IL or IR , whatever it’s called, at some point each year, and probably more than once.
Even I hate myself for sharing these thoughts, let alone even thinking them.
I try and not be pessimist as well but agree TM – AF has to have a backup plan. I can see CK hit the IL at some point with his back so you’re down to proven Urias,Gonsolin ? Was hoping AF might try pry vet SP from another roster (might still happen) but our SP getting thin. Not sure when Pepiot is due back.
Not alone. Those same thoughts crossed my mind today. AF needs to deal with this in planning the future.
Pitchers are more prone to injuries than most other players. With Kersh, it is his back more than his arm. Buehler has had 2 Tommy John’s, Throwing a baseball at 90 plus is not a natural motion, so no, you are not nuts.
I think that’s right TM, and it’s intentional.
To keep the innings low.
Has any starting pitcher for the Dodgers ever avoided an IL stint in recent memory?
I don’t think so, but I’m too lazy to research.
The team seems to love managing this thing.
Urias has avoided any long-term injury since his operation a few years ago. He makes every start.
Good point. Maeda too, back when he was here.
Interesting given Urias’ shoulder issue.
Wonder if his insurance covers PRP treatment? Lol.
Mine wont. People I know who have done it told me it’s b.s.
May’s a smart kid. He’ll be back and firing. Sucks, he was dominate two starts ago.
I know the above was a joke, but do players play for things like PRP or does the team?
Teams insurance covers everything.
I’m sure they do…..mine didn’t cover mine…Doc told me there was a 70% chance of success. That went down to 0% after a month. His response, “Someone has to be the 30%….I know your insurance won’t cover this, but would you like to try again?”
Not sure if these injections really work. It seems it just postpones the inevitable–surgery. Although I guess someone can list when it works. SAD he was looking really good this year
On a flexor tendon? Surgery not needed.
Mark likely simply just can’t help it and if he did close it permanently he’d look elsewhere for an equal site and unable to find one. This site of his is so clean of the poisonous adds that cause problems on computers with their popups and text jumping all over pages. I surely can’t blame him when he gets like enough already and see’s all this as a waste of efforts and funds, which is certainly fact. I hope he feels proud of the product he’s provided free to all us. Thank you friend.
Wednesday scores
Oklahoma City 5, Sugar Land 1
Corpus Christi 1, Tulsa 0
Great Lakes 4, West Michigan 2
Rancho Cucamonga 9, Visalia 2
Thursday schedule
3:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Ronan Kopp) vs. West Michigan (Carlos Pena)
4:35 p.m.: Tulsa (Landon Knack) at Corpus Christi (TBD)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Matt Andriese) vs. Sugar Land (Jayden Murray)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Chris Campos) at Visalia (Wyatt Wendell)
After playing one game since getting promoted, Andy Pages was placed on the 7-day injured list.
I will do what I can guys. I won’t recap every game, might post scores or something like that. If you have a subject or a player you would like profiled, let me know. I am working on a Piazza post right now. I will post something about the minors when it involves a top prospect like Miller’s great outing last night. Johnny DeLuca got his first AAA hit, a double in last nights win.
Bear – Thank you for all you do. I especially enjoy the player profiles ( two of my favs were Jimmy Wynn & Bill Buckner).
Mark – I understand if you decide to close the site. On the bright side at least the Dodgers thought better after all the blow-back they received. My hope is they will learn from this when scheduling future events. My politics lean to the left but they are my views and I don’t mix sports and politics.
Many thanks to both of you for your hard work and cultivating such a rich and informative group of followers.
Thanks Bear and Mark for all your effort. Please keep the blog going.
Regards from Costa Rica
Go Dodgers
Just a simple thank you to Mark and to OldBear for stepping in. I will enjoy it as long as I can get it. Maybe there is someone out there that will get inspired to step up and help. Thank you both so much. One question, is Emmet Sheehan ready to get a spot start for the Dodgers? He does seem advanced.
He pitched really well last night, but AA is a far cry from MLB. He could get a shot, but it is doubtful. Guys I will keep it going as long as I can still get into the admin site where we post the stories. But there will be two solid rules. No politics, or religion unless either pertains to the Dodgers and baseball and absolutely no more personal attacks. Everyone who posts here is entitled to their opinion whether we agree or not. all in favor say aye.
Thank you Bear, and a booming aye
Freeman’s next homer will be # 300. Only four players have reached that mark while wearing the Dodger uniform. And only two, Snider and Hodges, had hit all their home runs while playing for the Dodger. The other two who reached 300 while playing for the Dodgers, Adrian Gonzalez and Gary Sheffield.
Glad Kasten and Co. came to their senses on this one.
Good win yesterday despite all the adversity
Thanks Mark for this site, it has been a blessing and that means you have been.
Thanks to you also Bear. Always informative and a pleasure.
I am an 85 year old who seldom posts, but never misses a day coming here hoping to find new posts. This is my sole source of all things Dodger except for ESPN scoreboard boxscores. Mark’s site design and the knowledgable fans who come here places LADT at the top of the list of baseball blogs as far as I am concerned.
I favor keeping the discussions 100% baseball. Thanks to Mark who has given so much time and informed commentary to LADT. Likewise to Bear. They are giving many, many hours of uncompensated work to give us a quality product.
Thanks Harlan. My love of the game and the team make it a labor of love. But there are times when ya just want to yell enough already.
Again Bear, thanks for stepping up to the plate. And I hope when things settle down, Mark will decide to keep this site up and running, even in a reduced role. Each time this has happened it’s been because of the decision by a few to disagree and be disagreeable. The blowhards feel the need to start name calling and correcting other’s opinions that are vaguely tied or entirely unrelated to baseball.
I hope you keep this going Mark. Where else can I still trust a guy who previously predicted that Will Smith would be a .220 hitter?
Sometimes Phil ya swing and miss. I thought Bellinger would get better staying with LA. It took the move to Chitown to get him right.
Why you have to play the games:
If someone told you at this point in the season;
The Orioles would have one more win then the Dodgers,
The Mets would have one more win then the Padres,
how disappointed would you be?
Would not bother me at all, neither plays in the Dodgers division.
Missed my point. Given the free agency signings of the Mets and Padres, the consensus was that would be winners of their division. As of now, they are under .500.
Although they started to turn the corner last year, the Orioles for years have been an under .500 team for years.
So, if you were told before the season that the Dodgers were behind the Orioles in total wins and the Padres and Mets had almost the same record, one would think the Dodgers were not doing so well.
I understand that. I just do not care what the other teams do. Oh by the way, the Orioles and Dodgers both have 28 wins.
Hope this site continues, best D board, good stuff, lurker sends.
Summerboy
Amen to Wolfe’d comments. ( can I use that word? ) LADT is a goldmine for Dodger fans. As Bear said, maybe everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but that doesn’t me we have to share them if the s caustic, defamatory and apt to offend and insult,
We can necessarily control what others say and do that we don’t like but for crying out loud, we ought to be able to control ourselves, I’m a simple man, nothing special here but this seems like only common sense and decency. Please don’t ruin the gold mine by filling it with brass.
News from Internet:
Dodgers up to #2 in ESPN’s rankings.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/37663611/mlb-2023-power-rankings-week-7-yankees-braves-dodgers
Kyle Glaser chat:
Wavy (The ocean): 3 prospects off to slow starts at the plate: Lawlar, Cartaya, Merrill. Who are you most and least concerned about? Does anything change or is it all still April noise at this point?
Kyle Glaser: Ignore Midwest League stats completely until May 15. Just ignore them. No judgement should be rendered on Merrill whatsoever at this point. If he’s struggling in July or August after it has warmed up, then be concerned. Right now, the concern level on him is zero – just as it is for any MWL prospect who is struggling. Lawlar hitting under .200 in Amarillo is concerning, but he’s hitting the ball hard and getting on-base at a decent clip, so it’s not a full panic-button situation yet. Cartaya is the one to be most concerned about. His swing keeps getting longer and his defense keeps getting worse. He’s going in the wrong direction. Some of the concerning trends cropped up last year and they’ve gotten worse, not better, this year.
Tom (Oakland): If you could pick one pitcher from the Tulsa rotation to be an impact SP at the MLB level who are you choosing and why?
Kyle Glaser: Man, that’s a tough call. Nick Frasso has the best arm of the group, but it’s a very effortful delivery and he tops out at five innings (with a lot of 4 and 4+ inning starts) so it’s hard to pull the trigger on him as a big league starter. Landon Knack has always been the most starter-ish of the group in terms of pitch mix, command and feel, but I wouldn’t call him an “impact” SP in the majors. This is a tough call and I’m not sure I have a definitive answer for you. They’re all really good.
Jay Jaffe Chat:
Brain Bruise : If you are the Dodgers, how do you help protect Will Smith for both the rest of this year and his career? Being behind the plate is a brutal job
Jay Jaffe: At some point, Smith is probably going to need to transition some of his workload to DH or left field or something like that (1B and RF not being options given the long-term presences of Freddie and Mookie). There’s always risk in playing a guy behind the plate but I think the Dodgers did a good job of treating his recent situation with caution; he passed a concussion test but went on the IL based on his symptoms.
Mike M: Nice piece about the Fresh Prince of L.A. I hope he makes the All-star team this year. Tony Gonsolin returned about the same time, and that has also been huge. But sheesh they have 8 players with WRC+ over 100, so their hitting is fine. If Syndergaard can improve, then they should have a stranglehold on the NL West. You (like many others including myself) had SD winning the NL west this year. Have you changed your mind?
Jay Jaffe: Good point about Gonsolin, but on the other I don’t see much reason for faith in Syndergaard. As for the division title, ask me after I look into the Padres for a piece later this week.
Brett: Can anyone explain Max Muncy’s extreme streaks? He bats .100 for two weeks, then torches the ball another two, and so on
Jay Jaffe: A lot of it in the past two years has had to do with his elbow and his mechanics. He’s gone back to something he was doing to get out of a slump in the second half of last year, which I wrote about here https://blogs.fangraphs.com/muncy-is-back-to-showing-maximum-power/
Baseball America’s Mock draft ($$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2023-mlb-draft-baseball-america-staff-draft-v-20/
Has the Dodgers taking Cameron Johnson LHP.
There is little projection left here, but the present arm talent is special. The continued development of a third pitch will be key for Johnson, but I have faith that he will be able to do so.
The second pick is: Jackson Baumeister, RHP, Florida State
The Dodgers get another ball of clay here they can mold into a formidable pitching prospect.
OLD friend alert. Gus Varland has been DFA’d. If Oakland, who took him originally, doesn’t go in, then he returns to the LAD.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/brewers-designate-gus-varland-for-assignment.html
Baseball Americas ($$$$) Hot Sheet has:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/prospect-report-jackson-holliday-finishes-a-homer-shy-of-the-cycle/
Emmet Sheehan, RHP, Dodgers: Is Sheehan the most underrated pitcher in the Dodgers loaded system? It’s possible. Despite reliever questions, Sheehan continues to impress in one of the more fearsome pitching environments in the minor leagues.
Jay Jaffe looks at Will Smith’s return and impact thereof:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/with-the-return-of-will-smith-the-dodgers-have-surged/
Smith is still in small-sample territory in some respects this season, but his numbers are eye-opening and worth a closer look; the ones I’m pointing out are generally from samples large enough to have begun to stabilize. To these eyes, the one that most stands out is that he’s striking out in just 7% of his plate appearances….
The Grey Lady itself looks at Mookie at SS ($$$$)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/18/sports/baseball/mookie-betts-dodgers-shortstop.html?auth=login-email&login=email&smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur
Why Is an M.V.P. Outfielder Playing Shortstop? Because He Can.
Mookie Betts, a star right fielder, has been pressed into service at a position he hadn’t played in nearly a decade. So far, so good.
Baseball America ($$$$) reviews the Dodgers International Signings:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2023-international-reviews-los-angeles-dodgers/
Top Of The Class
The Dodgers spent half of their bonus pool to sign Dominican shortstop Joendry Vargas for $2,077,500. Vargas has grown to a lean 6-foot-3, 180 pounds at 17. Some scouts liked Vargas for the power potential he has from his long, highly projectable frame…
Sleeper Watch
The Dodgers may have found a hidden gem in 17-year-old Venezuelan righthander Samuel Sanchez. Signed for $17,500, Sanchez isn’t that big (5-foot-11, 160 pounds), but he has long shown an impressive ability to pound the strike zone
Mark –
Like many others, I thank you for LADT; I hope it continues as a forum for Dodger baseball. And, thanks to Bear for his role in providing informative and entertaining articles complementing the game to game discussions.
As a “recovering policitician” myself, I have chosen not to go down the “rat hole” of discussing comtemporary politics – especially on a sports forum. It is my experience that those who speak the loudest or engage in personal attacks on public issues contribute the least to their resolution.
I also want to thank all of those LADT contributors who have who furthered my education as a 70+ year baseball fan. I sincerely hope LADT can continue to educate and entertain Dodger and baseball fans like me..
7:45 PM ET
Dodgers (28-16) 1st place
Cardinals (18-26) Last place 6.5GB
SP Julio Urias L
5-3 3.61 ERA 52.1IP 52K
SP Adam Wainwright R
0-0 7.20 ERA 10IP 7K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Martinez R
2B M. Vargas R
CF James Outman L
LF D. Peralta L
SS Miguel Rojas R
Partly-cloudy-day
0% Rain
80° Wind 6 mph R-L
The Dodgers recalled RHP Andre Jackson and LHP Justin Bruihl, designated RHP Dylan Covey for assignment and placed RHP Dustin May on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain.
Hmm, Covey had been used as a starter at AAA. Neither Jackson or Bruihl have done that.
Jackson will probably be sent back to Oklahoma City when Stone takes May’s spot in the rotation next Monday. Right now they have an overworked bullpen and both Jackson and Bruihl can throw multiple innings if needed.
Got an email from Mark, he is posting something tomorrow.
I wonder this being Julio’s walk year, if he was putting pressure on himself to make a good showing from the start of the year. The home runs allowed are frightening. I think he’s seeing dollar signs fly away.
Highly possible. Urias is in a position to set himself and his family up for life. He could easily if he pitched like he had been set up for a 300 mil contract. The way he is pitching right now, he will be lucky to get 100 mil.
I hope today’s game is not a premonition of the next road games
Boy that went to shit in a handbag fast! 4 Homers? Urias pitched like a effen rookie.
Anyway, to sneak Mookie back in the ball game
Congratulations to Freddie Freeman on home run # 300. About the only thing in this game worth watching. Almonte is pitching himself right off of the roster. Lakers up 81-79 in the 4th quarter.
Wow Bickford, even after his gutsy performance earlier this week, and Almonte have got to go.
Yep, but Urias was no prize today either. What a brutal outing. When the pen needed a blow in the worst way, he pitched the absolute worst game I have ever seen him pitch. He is no Ace.
Not the way to pitch in your contract year.
Got that right, and his agent is probably getting drunk right about now crying over the millions he is losing with every outing.
Julio is inconsistent and streaky. When he is right he is borderline ace but that does not happen often enough.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!