I Miss Justin Turner

This article has 61 Comments

1. Gavin Stones fastball was up to 97 mph yesterday. A lot better than in his first stint and it showed.
   IMHO Roberts should have taken him out after the 7th or after that first HR in the 8th at the latest. You could see he was tiring just a little bit and left pitches up. But just as he decided with Bobby Miller in his last start he tried to squeeze out one more inning. Yes, we can afford it with a 12 game lead but confidence wise I think it was not the best decision in both situations.

   Frasso looked fantastic yesterday. With him , Knack, Pepiot, Stone and Grove we have 5 kids to provide depth. And with Ryan and Hurt two more are not far away too.

   Josue de Paula had 4 BBs last night at RC. Kid shows some patience and excellent eye .
   Dodgers have promoted Kendall George to RC after the season at the ACL ended. With him , dePaula and Diaz we have three exiting youngsters there. Diaz, who has cooled down a bit after a blazing hot start, the oldest at 19 .

   Regarding Turner: Happy for him and I too did not think he would be that good in 2023. He looks very good but he certainly profits from the Green Monster. Tailor made for his swing.
   That 2 run HR yesterday off Stone would have been an out in 29 other stadiums.

   Dodgers will need JDM for the playoffs.

   Roberts said he does not expect Kelly to be 100% again in 2023. Not good.
   Dodgers need at least one more lockdown bullpen arm in the postseason. Hopefully Treinen can be that .
   And the LH relieve is a big question mark too. ONe out of Ferguson, Victor or Vesia has to be the reliable LH arm for a deep playoff push.

   Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   1. To your point, I wonder how many of Turner’s hits and home runs have been off the wall and would have been out elsewhere? I’ve never paid that much attention to how different that ballpark is, it seems tailor made for players that have warning track power.

2. Everything about the MLB Baseball Playoff Format:

   https://theathletic.com/4799816/2023/08/28/mlb-playoffs-format-schedule-watch-stream/?campaign=5888993&source=dailyemail

   Right now, the Dodgers will have to beat the best team in baseball in order to play in the World Series!

   Let that sink in.

   Power Poll:

   #1 – Atlanta Braves
   #2 – LA Dodgers

   1. Maybe not, Phils beat ATL last year, could happen again….

3. And unlikely eight game win streak could change who the best team in baseball is.

4. For the Dodgers to assuredly win it all, 2 things must occur by the playoffs.
   1) Julio by then is pitching like an “ace” ..and..
   2) JDM has returned to being the All-Star player he showed when healthy.

   Simple, but as of now, those are 2 big “IF’S.”

   1. In 2020 both Clayton and Walker pitched like ace starters in the postseason. That plus Julio out of the pen was our ticket to a WS title . If we want to win it this year we will need similar kind of pitching from two starters . Whoever that will be.

      Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!

      1. Miller clearly the SP we’re all watching moving forward — starting tonight.

         1. Absolutely. Miller has ace stuff and if he keeps on developing he could be the ace the Dodgers ride to another title.
            I think Roberts sees it that way too and that was the reason he brought him back out for the 7th inning.

            Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   2. More vitally, and they get a bit of luck

5. True about Turner playing in that ballpark. In Science Fiction you can look at alternate universes where JT stayed in LA. But sadly that is not available yet. Sure it would have been great to have him, Cody, Cory, and Jansen retire as Dodgers. But these things rarely happen in THIS Universe.

6. I miss JT as well, but I miss JDM’s bat more. JT was a great clubhouse leader for the LAD and continues to do the same with the BoSox, but it was time to turn the leadership reigns over to guys like Betts and Freeman. JT is putting up a better overall season than JDM with the bat, but JDM was a big part of our success over the first half of the season.

   I believe that initially trying to workaround JDM’s hamstring and subsequent groin issues without an IL stint, made matters worse. Hamstring and groin injuries require rest and trying to play with the injury only prolonged the inevitable. I’m unsure what the prognosis is, but hope JDM is able to contribute when it matters most and plays a big role in the pursuit of our next WS championship.

   Go Blue!

7. My son-in-law, who is a Red Sox fan, says that if Justin was in LA, he would not have those numbers as he is made for Fenway!

8. When I first looked at the pitchers for tonight’s game I saw that Snakes’ pitcher, Zac Gallen, had a 14-5 record and a 3.11 ERA. I thought that the Dodgers might have a tough time. I felt much better when I saw that his home record is 11-1 with a 1.79ERA, and his away record is 3-4 with a 4.46 ERA, I’m looking for another Dodgers’ win tonight.

   Go Dodgers!

9. Nice win. Mookie and Freddie are unbelievable. Just another 6 for 10 afternoon. If you’re not enjoying this run, check your pulse.
   * Come playoff time, unless there’s change, I wouldn’t trust Fergie as far as I could throw him. It seems like he has to walk or hit a batter each outing. Same for our LHRP Corp, in general, maybe Yarborough can help. Otherwise it’s the RHRP with favorable splits who get the high leverage situations, against the book. That’s Phillips and Graterol statistically. Vesia and V-Gon have been poor against LHB.
   * I’m not a Gavin Stone fan but he did fine yesterday. A couple solo dingers hurt his line but he liked his fastball and I like guys who like their fastball. As a bullpen piece.
   * Nice to see Max hit two liners to left field. If he does that consistently, everything improves. He can drive the outside pitch to left instead of rolling over it.
   * I love Doc/the wizard trusting Outman. He could have been on the shuttle to OKC, been platooned but they stuck with him and it’s paying off. He looks comfortable in center and is an asset to the lineup.
   * Boston catcher, Connor Wong, kept wearing foul balls. That can’t be fun. But I have a solution, Get off that knee. Let your shin guards take the hit and not your inner thigh of junk. I seriously, I hate the knee on the ground technique.
   * I swear Doc takes coaching naps mid-game, sometimes. He has a lot on his mind; pitching match ups, platoons, pinch hitters, but where’s the bench coach, Danny Lehman? Bob Geren’s Still at Doc’s side. Drop a coaching idea to break up Doc’s nap. So bottom 4 with Mookie at the dish down 1&2 in the count and Rojas at first with 2 outs. Why not steal Rojas? If he gets thrown out Mookie has a fresh count leading off the 5th. If he’s successful, he’s on 2nd for a Mookie RBI. Nobody seems to notice these small opportunities that could create runs. It’s a green light special.
   * I may have heard it all., now. Masataka Yoshida, who makes 18 million dollars a year to play, But he isn’t playing because he can’t get used to MLB travel with all the time zones. He’s used to bullet trains and one time zone. Poor guy. Those occasional 5 hour charter flights, with luxury catering and all the amenities, must be exhausting.
   * I wonder how he would have handled our 12 hour bus rides in the minors. They were catered, too. You stopped about every 3 or 4 hours at a truck stop to fuel up on burritos, hot dogs and Cheetos. I could fit in the overhead luggage rack with an air mattress and a boom box and get some quality rest, fresh for the next day’s game. Isn’t it odd that I don’t have a lot of empathy for Yoshita’s struggle with MLB travel.
   * So are Joe Davis’ days numbered as the everyday Dodger play-by-play Guy? I haven’t warmed up to Steven Nelson. He’s not awful but what does he bring to the dance? His sense of humor is odd and the chemistry with Orel seems strained at times. He he the best we can do?

   1. I have heard that Joe does not like the travel as he has three young children at home. He is also the lead Play-by-Play announcer for Fox Sports and is the “Voice of Baseball” announcing the World Series and All-Star Game. He says the Dodgers are his “Dream Job.” The primary issue is that Davis’ national television commitments now limit him to 90 games with the Dodgers, which prompted the team to hire Nelson as a dedicated backup. Hershiser remains the primary analyst. He also announces a number of College Football games. I think he is staying UNLESS someone just offers him crazy money… and that could happen!

      1. I know what he does Mark. That’s my point that his days may be numbered with the Dodgers.

   2. I guess I’m just weird because I prefer Nelson.

      1. So do I, I also prefer Neverett. He was good when he was in Boston, and I like his delivery. He mostly does radio now with the occasional turn on TV. Jerry Hairston is just irritating. Knack was pulled in the second inning of his last start. No comment yet on why. Bruihl was outrighted to AAA by the Rockies. Syndergaard DFA’d yesterday by the Guardians. Adam Kolarek was DFA’d by the Mets. Bad day for former Dodgers.

10. Earlier in the year the Dodgers were hitting .235. I posted that it looked like there could be improvement from some of the underachieverers. There has been. Most notably, Peralta. Up .80. Some of the others are up, too. Now we have the overachievers. Betts and Freeman. Add in Kike and Rosario and the Dodgers are hitting .253. Last year the Dodgers hit.257. This year’s team will probably reach that.
    The dead zone that the Dodgers have had for several years at the bottom of the order has a little bit of life this year.

11. Okay, I’ve said this before, but I thought the Dodgers should have picked up his option. What was it, 18, 19 million?

    The guy was the face of the franchise along with Clayton Kershaw. His contributions in the community were a big deal.

    The Dodgers needed to make the deal and keep Turner. No way to treat a player who played a big role for years.

    They fed him the line they were concerned about the tax threshold, then proceeded to blow through it.

    No question he’s still bothered by how it ended and that came out in interviews.

    Justin had far more versatility than a straight DH.

    Andrew Friedman made a good deal to ink JD Martinez, but honestly, looking at JT’s numbers they lost a valuable player and a big fan favorite. Hey, baseball is more than just numbers, some players really connect with the fans and the community.

    That should have been factored into the decision.

    You could have signed both. Oh wait, that means Turner would have to play some second and third. Big deal, he’s not a great defender, but he’s okay.

    You have to love Justin’s grit, drive, clubhouse presence and hitting skill set.

    Glad he’s having a very good year.

    1. Justin Turner would not be the player he is in LA that he is in Boston, due to the Green Monster. He has played a lot of his games at 1B and his defense is poor at 2B or 1B. The Dodgers were trying (and failed) to get under the Lux Tax and the Red Sox paid more than double for JT what the Dodgers did for JDM. I miss him… but don’t want him back!

       1. Actually, his contract is written this way, he is making 8.3 million base salary this season. He has a base salary on a player option of 13.4 million next season. His buyout is 6.7 million. He has up to 1 million dollars performance bonus based on plate appearances. He has made 6 errors this season, 3 at third and 3 at first. He has no errors at second. He has played 36 games at first base, 10 at second and 7 at third. The rest of his appearances have been at DH. 75 games. JD on the other hand has appeared in 92 games as the Dodger DH.

    2. His option was 16 million with a 2 million dollar buy-out. There are a lot of things that factored into the decision. One was his age, he is 38, his postseason numbers for 21 and 22 were way off of what he had done before. He was no longer a full-time third baseman. He wasn’t going to play first as he often does in Boston. He would have been a full time DH with occasional time at maybe third base. Nobody except the Angels is paying their DH 16 million a year and he has the added value of being a pitcher. They offered what they felt was the right salary for a designated hitter. JDM accepted, Turner wanted more. He wanted that second year, and that was the sticking point. Turner at this point in his career, is not a very good second baseman. He could be adequate at third, but the Dodgers did not value him there. There is no loyalty in baseball anymore. Stars leave all the time. JT’s time as a Dodger could have been extended a year, but he made the decision not to accept the 10 million. I do not feel bad for millionaire ballplayers who move on to greener pastures. Sign both? Why? Two DH’s taking up roster space? Not happening. He had his time, it is over, so move on.

12. Ryan Phillips in The Big Lead writes this about the Padres:

    “When it comes to investing in players, few teams have been as aggressive as the Padres. But the picture that emerged from multiple conversations is that the franchise fails to give those players the tools they need to succeed once they’re on the roster. As one source put it, “With how much they’re spending on the field, it’s incredible how cheap they are behind the scenes. I don’t get how they don’t see it.”

    Over and over, voices lamented the Padres not investing enough into helping the major league roster succeed. The term “archaic” was thrown around when it comes to how San Diego is preparing players on a day-in, day-out basis. Analytics, advanced scouting and player development were mentioned as areas the Padres aren’t placing enough resources. Though one source was quick to point out the franchise has improved on the pitching development side over the past few years due to some smart hires.

    The franchise’s advanced scouting and analytics issues may have become more glaring in 2023 due to the changes MLB made to its schedule. Teams went from playing 76 games against divisional opponents to 52, and also matched up against all 29 other teams. That meant reduced familiarity with opposing players, with fewer chances to face them multiple times and learn their tendencies. In that situation, the team’s infrastructure has to prepare the players since they have less on-field experience to rely on. Results suggest the Padres failed to do so.

    A former Padres employee claimed one major issue is the franchise forces the people it does have to wear too many hats, leading to reduced performance. He claimed that also lead to communication issues which tended to hamper continuity.

    Those outside the organization seemed to feel Preller and the front office figured if they put enough good players together on the field, it would lead to wins. But that doesn’t work if those players were far better prepared during the seasons that earned them their reputations. One former scout said, “If you don’t give Juan Soto the tools he needs to be Juan Soto, you’re getting a different player.”

    No one in baseball works harder than Preller, but that might also be part of the problem. His long-established reputation as a micromanager has a lot to do with the franchise’s systemic issues. He has his hands in everything, rather than hiring people he can trust to handle smaller-picture tasks. He also has a pattern of shifting away from anyone who opposes his decisions and tends to plow forward based on instinct. Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t. He has long leaned on hiring people he has previous relationships with and the franchise under his direction also tends to promote from within. New voices from the outside with fresh perspectives are rarely welcomed.

    Preller has been in charge of the Padres since August of 2014. In nine season he has produced one full season with a winning record. No one I’ve spoken to inside the organization believes owner Peter Seidler will replace Preller this offseason. After all, the 46-year-old GM has created buzz and excitement around the Padres that hasn’t existed at any point in the franchise’s history. San Diego is averaging 40,429 fans per home game, which ranks fourth in MLB, and the team is constant topic of conversation in MLB media. Barring a massive change, Seidler is going to give Preller the chance to turn things around in 2024.

    In talking to people inside the Padres organization, it’s clear everyone knows things can’t continue this way. I was repeatedly assured changes are coming, but will they be as dramatic as needed? For that to happen, the franchise would need to invest internally the way it has on the field, and Preller would have to make himself uncomfortable by opening up his front office to dissenting voices. Without those moves, it will be nearly impossible to create a championship culture.

    The Padres wasted a huge opportunity to make a run at history in 2023. If they want to avoid the same fate in 2024, an internal reckoning is needed. And major changes must follow.

    Quite interesting!

    1. Reveals the unexplainable for sure.

13. DODGER PRESS RELEASE

    DODGERS ADD TYSON MILLER

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers added right-handed pitcher Tyson Miller to the active roster and optioned right-handed pitcher Gavin Stone.

    Miller, 27, was claimed yesterday from the New York Mets. He returns for his second stint with the Dodgers after making one appearance for Los Angeles this season, allowing two runs in 2.0 innings on July 26. He has pitched for the Brewers, Dodgers and Mets this season and he is a combined 5.40 ERA (8 ER/13.1 IP) and eight strikeouts. He has been in the Majors parts of three seasons with Chicago (2020), Texas (2022), Milwaukee (2023), Los Angeles (2023) and New York (2023), posting a 2-2 mark with a 7.45 ERA (24 ER/29.0 IP) and 16 strikeouts against 17 walks. In his minor league career, he has appeared in 156 games (100 starts), recording a 4.06 ERA (268 ER/594.2 IP) and 578 strikeouts against 200 walks. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of California Baptist University.

    Stone, 24, pitched 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and earned his first Major League win yesterday against the Red Sox. On the campaign, he is 1-0 with a 10.50 ERA (21 ER/18.0 IP) and 10 strikeouts in five games (four starts). With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was 6-4 with a 5.04 ERA (53 ER/94.2 IP) and 113 strikeouts in 20 games (19 starts). Last season, he was named the 2022 Dodgers Branch Rickey Pitcher of the Year after going a combined 9-6 with a 1.48 ERA (20 ER/121.2 IP) and 168 strikeouts between High-A Great Lakes, Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Arkansas native has been in the Dodger system since being drafted in the 5th round of the 2020 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas and he is a combined 17-12 with a 3.25 ERA (111 ER/307.1 IP) and 419 strikeouts.

14. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – AUGUST 28, 2023

    MOOKIE BETTS OF THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS NAMED NATIONAL LEAGUE
    PLAYER OF THE WEEK PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET

    ADAM DUVALL OF THE BOSTON RED SOX NAMED AMERICAN LEAGUE
    PLAYER OF THE WEEK PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET

    Arizona Diamondbacks Outfielder Alek Thomas Claims Play of the Week with Epic Diving Catch

    Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder/infielder Mookie Betts has been selected the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet, and outfielder Adam Duvall of the Boston Red Sox has been named the American League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
    Betts earned his fifth career selection and second in the National League, last winning weekly honors on August 29th of last season. He is the third Dodgers player to win the award this season, joining infielder Max Muncy, who took home weekly honors on April 24th, and Freddie Freeman, who won on August 7th. Duvall won his second career award, also winning weekly honors earlier this season on April 3rd. Joined by Masataka Yoshida’s honors on May 8th, the Red Sox have taken home three weekly awards in 2023 and their 142 honors since the award’s inception in 1974 are the most of any Major League club.
    Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (@mookiebetts)
    • The 30-year-old hit .615 (16-for-26) with one home run, seven RBI, four doubles, three walks, nine runs, two stolen bases, a .655 on-base percentage, an .885 slugging percentage and a 1.540 OPS in six games last week.
    • The Tennessee native led NL hitters in batting average, on-base percentage and hits (16); tied for first in runs; ranked third in total bases (23); tied for fourth in doubles and extra-base hits (5), ranked fifth in slugging and OPS; and tied for sixth in RBI.
    • The 2018 AL MVP tallied his second career five-hit game on Wednesday at Cleveland, driving home two runs on a double in the eighth inning. Betts’ first career five-hit game was on August 26, 2016 against the Kansas City Royals while on the Red Sox.
    • The seven-time All-Star tallied multiple hits in five of his six contests, reaching base at least twice in all six games and reaching at least three times in five games. He scored a run in all six games and has now scored in seven straight contests.
    • Overall, Betts has hit safely in each of his last 15 games since August 10th, batting .542 (32-for-59) with four homers, 16 RBI, six doubles, six walks, 17 runs, and an .847 on-base percentage. The current streak is tied for the second-longest hitting streak of his career and is three games short of his career-high 18-game streak from August 24-September 13, 2015.
    Adam Duvall, Boston Red Sox (@aduvall1234)
    • The 34-year-old hit .483 (14-for-29) with five home runs, 12 RBI, five doubles, two walks, seven runs, a .516 on-base percentage, a 1.172 slugging percentage and a 1.688 OPS in seven games last week.
    • The Kentucky native led AL hitters in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging, OPS, hits (14), doubles, extra-base hits (10) and total bases (34); and tied for sixth in runs.
    • The All-Star outfielder had six multi-hit games last week and hit a home run in three straight games from Monday through Wednesday, driving home eight runs in the four-game series against the Houston Astros. He reached base 11 times in his 19 plate appearances during the four-game set.
    • The 2021 World Series Champion hit a go-ahead three-run home run on Saturday against the Dodgers, helping the Red Sox to an 8-5 victory at Fenway Park. Duvall extended his hitting streak to seven games on Sunday, which is now tied for the third-longest hitting streak of his career behind an eight-game stretch in 2016 and his career-high 16-game streak in 2021.
    Other noteworthy NL performances for the week included designated hitter/first baseman Bryce Harper (.522, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 BB, 6 R, .593 OBP, 1.043 SLG) and starting pitcher Aaron Nola (2-0, 1.29 ERA, 2 GS, 14.0 IP, 14 SO) of the Philadelphia Phillies; designated hitter/outfielder Marcell Ozuna (.524, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 2 2B, 3 BB, 9 R, .583 OBP, 1.333 SLG) of the Atlanta Braves; outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger (.290, 11 RBI, 3 2B, 1 BB, 5 R), outfielder Seiya Suzuki (.444, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 BB, 8 R, .516 OBP, .815 SLG) and relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay (0.00 ERA, 3 G, 3 SV, 2.1 IP, 3 SO) of the Chicago Cubs; Betts’ infield teammate Freddie Freeman (.500, 3 RBI, 5 2B, 2 BB, 6 R, .536 OBP) of the Dodgers; and rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll (.500, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 2 3B, 5 BB, 8 R, .591 SLG, 1.000 SLG) of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
    Other noteworthy AL performances last week included outfielder Teoscar Hernández (.407, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB, 6 R, .889 SLG), catcher Cal Raleigh (.409, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 3 BB, 6 R, .909 SLG) and starting pitcher Luis Castillo (2-0, 0.64 ERA, 2 GS, 14.0 IP, 15 SO) of the Seattle Mariners; infielder Alex Bregman (.429, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 2B, 7 BB, 8 R, .679 SLG), infielder Jeremy Peña (.423, 3 RBI, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 BB, 4 R, .516 OBP, .615 SLG) and starting pitcher Justin Verlander (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 16 SO) of the Houston Astros; Duvall’s outfield teammate Alex Verdugo (.382, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 6 R, .706 SLG), who set a Red Sox record with three straight leadoff home runs from Thursday through Saturday; and third baseman Yoán Moncada (.435, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 2 R, .696 SLG) of the Chicago White Sox.

    ELECTRIC PLAY OF THE WEEK PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET
    Diving Catch on the Warning Track by Alek Thomas of the Arizona Diamondbacks
    August 28th at Chase Field – Watch It Here: https://www.mlb.com/video/alek-thomas-wins-play-of-the-week?t=plays-of-the-week

    Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas earned his second career Play of the Week Award and his first this season. This marks the third Play of the Week Award overall for the Diamondbacks since the award was introduced in 2019, with Thomas taking home the award on June 13th last year and Josh Rojas winning Play of the Week on May 3, 2021. In the top of the ninth inning on Tuesday, Marcus Semien lined a shot to the right-center gap, forcing Thomas to cover 98 feet of ground to make a diving catch on the warning track and take away extra bases. Additional Play of the Week candidates included the San Francisco Giants flashy double play; Garrett Whitlock’s sliding catch; Luis Arraez’s diving stop and throw to the plate to save a run; Brenton Doyle’s diving snag in the alley; and Luis Robert Jr.’s home run robbery.

15. Bellinger drove in 5 runs in yesterday’s Cubs game. Boras quoted as saying he thinks Belli can command the same type of contract as Brandon Nimmo got from the Mets or Chris Bryant with the Rockies. 7 to 8 years, 162 plus. Pat Corrales passed away today. Former catcher, coach and manager, and he worked for the Dodgers front office starting in 2012. RIP. Yusinel Diaz had a 5-5 game last night, two of his hits were homers.

    1. I would try and sign him for that!

       1. I agree with you, but I would guess he’d like to stay in Chicago or NOT come back to LA.

          That’s pure guess, nothing factual based.

       2. Well, the article also has Boras basically saying the Dodgers made him play hurt and just throwing a bunch of different swing changes at him even though they knew was at only 35% strength in his shoulder. I doubt a return to the Dodgers is happening.

       3. Seems a bit low to me, given Belli’s second-half power surge. Belli is a lot better than Nimmo, who is a darn good player.
          I hope the Cubs keep him. He’s the new face of that franchise–and it’s an important one. He and Swanson can guide them back to prominence.
          AF was right, I think, not to reward Belli for two years of poor baseball. (If Belli was concealing the severity of his injury, that’s on him.) I also have no problem with replacing JT with JDM. Dodgers kind of got lucky on that. Not as lucky as having the Cubs pay Heyward’s salary, but still lucky. Heyward, JDM and Thor all came in part because of the Dodgers’ reputation as a class, winning organization. (And I don’t think that’s lost on Ohtani, either.)
          Outman may never be an MVP talent, but he again proved his bona fides today. Only Freddie and Mookie have played in more games. And he’s one of those bargains that help the Dodgers invest in stars.

16. DODGER PRESS RELEASE

    TONY GONSOLIN TO HAVE TOMMY JOHN SURGERY

    LOS ANGELES– Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin will have right elbow reconstruction surgery on Friday, September 1st performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

    1. THERE YOU HAVE IT!

       There are two types of pitchers: Those who have had TJ and those who will!

       1. Mark is wrong a lot, as am I.

          Mark was 100% correct on Gonsolin.

17. See ya in 2025 Tony!

    1. Sounds crazy to say it, but this is great news for him.
       He’s already proven he can be an excellent pitcher when healthy. Now (in 2025) he should be completely healthy. Who knows how long he’s been pitching with something wrong?

       1. I think it started late last year!

          Rotation 2025:

          1. Buehler
          2. Miller
          3. Sheehan
          4. Gonsolin
          5. May

          Uh-Oh! No LHP!

          1. Hopefully, Clayton Kershaw will be a LH starter in 2025 and going for win #250!

          2. Buehler’s a free agent after next year so you’d have to re-sign him. Luckily he’s not a Boras guy.

             With two arm operations, May might not ever be a starter again. He may be our closer in 2025.

             1. Buehler has two arm operations.

18. 10:10 PM ET

    Diamondbacks (69-62)
    Dodgers (80-49)

    SP Zac Gallen R
    14-5 3.11 ERA
    SP Bobby Miller R
    7-3 3.86 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    2B Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    C Will Smith R
    3B Max Muncy L
    LF D. Peralta L
    RF J. Heyward L
    CF James Outman L
    SS E. Hernandez R
    DH M. Busch L

    84° Wind 10 mph Ou

    1. I just don’t dig Kike at SS. Play Rojas! I think Doc/the Wizard are trying to break a record for the most guys on a roster who play shortstop; Rojas, Rosario, Taylor, Mookie and now Kike. Play the best defender and RHB and that’s Rojas.
       Damn, they love Kike and he has to play every day, I guess.

       1. There must be some other rationale for this because Kiki does not generally hit RHP well. Doc has plenty of input from the Brass before making out the lineup. I have no clue what this is.

          1. Didn’t Rojas get hit on the arm from a throw from Smith? Maybe it’s acting up so he’s getting a day off.

             1. That could be it.
                But Taylor can play SS too. Or Mookie.

19. Is Max Muncy waking up, just in time??

    1. Six straight games with XBH

       1. Max’s second half last year was much better than his first. Might be coincidence, of course.

20. I hope I’m wrong, but I didn’t like how Miller looks, maybe he’s tired, I don’t know, but I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit IL to rest him, seeing him gives me the impression that something is not right.

    I wrote this before the second run, since the second inning I didn’t like what I was seeing

    Please Roberts, don’t bring him back for the 5th inning.

21. What kind of a contract will Freeman and Peralta command next season?

    1. Freeman is under contract thru 2027, so no worries. He’s getting $27 m AAV, which amazingly seems like a bargain compared to some guys getting north of $30m AAV.
       My guess is that the Dodger brass will choose between Peralta and Heyward for 2024–and they’d choose Heyward. Perhaps we’ll see DeLuca and/or Busch in LF next season.

22. Outman swing on the/Homer looks a lot like Freeman

23. Bottom 5th w/2 outs & 2 on-base, Muncy just looks at 2 straight low/center-cut FB’s to strike out.

    Jaw-dropping inexcusable!

    Another demonstration of why he’s such an enigma at the plate.

24. Impressive that our bats are producing against quality pitching but our starters have to be better to make a run in October. I’m concerned about Kersh’s fb velo at 90.

25. https://fansided.com/posts/scott-boras-latest-cody-bellinger-comment-bad-news-cubs?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=2886516fdf4c1bbd0df3e577e8537ffae31f9cb863e3598a2891ce7bddb0fbce

    1. Well, that is a damning indictment on the Dodgers… if true.

       Borass is the spinmaster!

26. Typical Scott Boras. Player does well, blame the prior down year on an injury poorly dealt with by the prior team…..player does poorly after signing, spin it and say he’s still recovering from the injury but the numbers show he’s getting better and his strength is returning and it showed late in the year. Agent speak and Boras is the master.

    I don’t buy it. The Dodgers have the latest in medical technology at their disposal, the preeminent surgeon for sports injuries as the team doctor, the best in business for injury rehab but yet we’re to believe the team played Bellinger with a 35% strength deficiency in his shoulder. Bellinger underwent shoulder surgery in November 2020 and was expected to have a ten-week recovery time. At the time it was said he would be ready for ST in 2021.

    Two back-to-back horrible offensive seasons resulting from a strength deficiency? Not buying it entirely. He just had two bad seasons and the Dodgers didn’t see value in offering him arbitration to the tune of $17 million. I’m certain the Dodgers did testing, scanned his shoulder, availed Bellinger to the entire array of medical diagnostics , coached him continuously and came to the conclusion he wasn’t the same player and performance didn’t equal expense.

    If the Dodgers medical and rehab team can get Buehler back after two TJ’s, get Treinen back to throwing 94 MPH after his shoulder surgery, get Julio back after a shoulder repair my money is on them and Boras is simply doing his agent stuff………….and he does it damn well!

    1. Very well put!

       BTW, Treinen has hit 97!

27. I prefer Fangraphs WAR over Baseball-Reference.

    JT has a 2.0 WAR and JDM has a 1.4 WAR.

    Mookie and Freddie are #1 and #2 with 7.2 and 6.7 respectively.

    JT has about 130 more ABs than JDM or their WAR’s would be pretty comparable.

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