The two teams that played in the World Series last year are at .500; both are 8-8. The Brewers are 10-4, and the Pirates are 11-5. The Yankees are 12-4, and the Guardians are 10-5. I think it’s a good bet that of those six teams, the majority will not make the playoffs. The Dodgers are 11-7, and Dodgers fans are moaning and groaning because they expected a super team to go 162-0.
The Dodgers are doing it differently this year. They don’t want to run away from the field and clinch this in June. Now, I am not suggesting they are losing on purpose, but it is a damn long season, and we know that World Series are won in October, not April. You want your cake and eat it too…. damn it! Yesterday’s game was a debacle – you are not going to win walking 14 batters. The Dodgers are 3-5 against teams with a sub .500 record.
JP Feyereisen is not ready… give it time. Brasier is a little off. Paxton walking 8 is an anomaly. The bottom of the lineup is a mess.
- “Call up Wrobleski”
- “DFA Taylor”
- “Cut Kike”
- “Trade Lux”
- “Call up Pages.”
- “Buehler won’t be a factor.”
- “Miller probably needs surgery.”
- “Betts can’t play SS – he made an error.“
Boy, some of you are just miserable. I am a Dodger fan. I watched the whole debacle game last night! My reaction was, “Oh well… It’s early.” I am not going to let something so trivial as that have control over me. I have moved on. I am ready for the Nats tonight, and I have some keen jokes to tell my new grandson. He actually laughs at them!
This will be just fine. Sit back and enjoy the ride. This, too, shall pass. We will likely see Vargas and Pages soon enough. Lux, Outman, Kike and CT3 will either figure it out or they won’t and then you will see a trade or two. The resources are there. Patience Grasshoppers! There is a lot of history to be written…
Your grandson is laughing because he’s probably thinking about calling up Wroblesky, DFA Taylor, cut Kike, trade Lux , call up Pages and by the way, Outman is at best a 4th or 5th outfielder!
Yes, that is what I Predicted. He could be better…
Looks like gang trash getting treated the way gang trash deserves to be treated.
Right now the Dodgers are NOT a championship calibre team. Bottom of the order, bullpen, and starting pitching with all the injuries must be addressed as the season moves towards October. The roster of non productive bench payers must also be addressed. For the payroll and all the money spent in the off season, this is NOT a well rounded team with many flaws.
Remember what happened with the bullpen last year?
Worst to Best!
It’s way too early to draw any conclusions.
No guarantee that this will happen again.
Quite a few red alerts in that bullpen. And in the lineup.
Dodgers should watch that closely.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bullpen is only one area of concern. There are many others.
At this point of the season, who cares?
It wasn’t fun to watch, but Will Smith had a good game. I still think as a team they have too much swing and miss. I really believe they miss Heyward a lot. He brings a different game with him. I also believe the weakest part of this team is the bench. No real pop off of the bench at all. Pham is close to signing a minor league deal with the White Sox which makes a lot of sense since their entire outfield is on the IL. Like Mark says, way too early for judgements to be made. Mookie just getting to that ball up the middle was amazing. His only mistake was trying to make the throw from that angle.
Pages looks ready. Why not give him a shot as long as Heyward is out anyway ? Trammell is not playing so why waste that roster spot ? And maybe Pages comes up and tears it up like Cody did back in 2017?
Dodgers IMHO should decide between Kike and CT3. Both players are almost the same. RH, versatility in the field and good clubhouse guys. But do we really need both ?
Every time a pitcher comes down with an elbow inflammation or shoulder discomfort the red alert sounds. Especially in these times when hard throwing guys go down like flies all over the league. So the concern with Bobby Miller is legit. Sheehan apparently is out for the unforeseen future too.
Bullpen has lots of question marks too. Bottom of the lineup stinks. Those are all facts.
Not all is well in Dodger land.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I said that the last time the two were on the roster at the same time. Kike was allowed to walk, and they kept CT-3. Now they have both again and neither is doing that well yet. but it is early, they have not had a lot of chances, so we can wait and see. I still think the bench is weak, and they are a weaker offense without Heyward. If Pages was a lefty hitter, he might already be here. Michael Busch homered in his fourth straight game yesterday.
I am not sure I want to count on the bullpen pulling off their mid-season turnaround two years in a row. Not sure if good odds. Also waiting for all of our injured starters to come back as good if the were never injured doesn’t seem a good bet. I’m sure CT3 will hit like he did 3 years ago, all he has to do is make contact sometime lol, as if that could happen. I think gradual roster changes would help, ie hitters. Bullpen might be late except hope for scrap heap pickups
Pen will be better when Graterol and Treinen are back. Feyereisen obviously not ready and Brasier hasn’t found his rhythm yet. They are in serious need though of a reliable LH late inning arm. Vesia is not the answer and neither is Ramirez.
When JP has a poor outing does he become “Dumpster” Feyereisen?
Love it, Gasoline Powered Brasier works too. It also helps to be lucky now and then. Like Merrill when his checked swing hit went down the line so slow no one could have gotten him out. Pure luck. Busch has homered in four consecutive games.
Some of you are miserable, I agree with Mark.
With the way Manfred has set up the playoffs these series NOW mean absolutely nothing.
The Dodgers will be there at the end and the team see see today will NOT be the team they field in Game 1 of the NLDS at DS.
Enjoy the ride, this will be a good/great team….and they just need to get hot at the right time.
If the bullpen continues to struggle, especially from the left side, why not give Wrobleski a shot?
It’s been years, but as I recall it, Caleb Ferguson was being groomed as a starter when he got called up. He was pretty young and became a mainstay of the pen. Wrobleski is at Tulsa now. Wasn’t Grove promoted from Tulsa?
Instead of churn and burn, perhaps AF can cook.
I’m still puzzling over the macro-strategy of the BP. I have to believe the Dodgers accrue more relievers and shuttle them between the majors and minors than any other club. (If not the Dodgers, which team?) Is there an emphasis on quantity over quality? I’m sure AF would deny that and claim he focuses on both. But given the churn, why shouldn’t a prospect like Wrobleski be considered. Nobody really knew how well Caleb would do when he was called up. He turned out to be a keeper.
Jason Heyward is expected back soon, which should help. But I hope some minor injury gives Pages a chance.
Could he tear it up like Cody in ’17? Pages certainly looks like he has all-start potential. Higher ceiling than Outman. And I assume Pages, who has always played OF, would be better defender than Vargas.
Speaking of all-star potential, my ROY 2024 pick, Michael Busch, is hitting to a 1.087 OPS for the Cubs. Those regular ABs are sure paying off.
Let’s recall how the Dodgers drafted Busch to play 2B although he played 1B in college. He and Vargas competed with each other–but Vargas prevailed, in part because LA needed a right-handed hitter
I’m happy for Busch and hopeful about Ferris and Hope, the players the Dodgers got from the Cubs. But it’s too bad Busch didn’t get a real shot in LA.
Interesting conversation on the broadcast last night concerning all of the injuries to pitchers this year and the fact that most of the afflicted are starters. There are now some who think the pitch clock has a lot to do with it. Personally, I would not care to speculate what the cause is, but the trend I have seen is to baby starters, have them go six innings as hard as they can, and then call on the pen. Problem is, you are putting a strain on the arm trying to fire the ball all the time. Very few of today’s pitchers actually know how to pitch. They just chuck and duck.
It seems the Dodgers are always trying to figure out things out in April and May. When the weather warms, so do the Dodgers. Yes the bullpen needs to improve and no doubt they will. Good to see Pages and Vargas doing well. Look forward to seeing them later this summer.
Jason Heyward should be back soon. How much longer can the Dodgers stick with Chris Taylor and his 0.31 average, 17 strikeouts in 32 at bats.
I agree with Bear, too much swing and miss.
Once Heyward comes back, Trammell will be gone. Then there is Pages. If he continues to hit and Taylor’s struggles continue do the Dodgers drop Taylor and eat his contract? Seems like it could come to that.
The swing and miss is not a surprise. Plus it is not going to change unless the Dodgers change players.
Taylor
Muncy
Ohtani
Hernandez
Outman
The ks will keep coming. I am agreeing with you. Friedman knew this going in.
Ohtani really doesn’t belong grouped with those guys. Even in his worst year for K’s, his OPS was .965. Last season even though he struck out 143 times, he still managed to hit .304. None of those other guys have ever come close to that. Muncy usually above .800 OPS. They could eat Taylor’s contract, they did it with Carl Crawford when he was owed a ton of money.
back off that ledge!!! i almost jumped last night! 8 walks from a Los Angeles Dodger pitcher? that’s like a hitter striking out 50 % of the time! oh sh-t! we got that one too!! milwaukee playing great baseball even without the great Counsell! would love to see pittsburgh continue their winning ways, but you can’t help but think it’ll end soon enough! how much more can Bud Black take in colorado? kansas city looks for real in that weak division. while the dodgers don’t blook especially good right now , the braves aren’t much better! the strider news was a gut punch for them and i don’t see chris sale healthy the entire season. philadelphia has a legitimate shot at the east! it’s early!!!! but where’s freddie s power? i’m wondering if lux will ever hit another home run! any argument that smith is maybe the best catcher in baseball? dodgers getting relatively nothing from lux,ouman, taylor, trammel,. spurts from teo hernandez, muncy. the first 4 are outstanding. agree, at this very moment , dodgers look like a 90 win team. now some bats heat up and paxton doesn’t walk 10 a game, and yamamoto pitches past the 5th inning sometimes, and walker comes back firing, and taylor grts a hit in the next 6 weeks, and heyward is healthy, and kiki heats up some , and you get the picture! sure wish clayton was due back sooner! blake snell will be all fixed soon as he gets a start at LA. padres could cause some serious problems for our beloved dodgers. why not switch taylor and pages for couple of weeks? let’s see how it shakes out! never know!
Padres cause trouble? I think I heard that last year as well.
They are .500 right now we are 11-7.
We are on pace for 99 wins….
Dont jump just yet…..
For the past ten years, this is what has happened.
OMG – the Sky is Falling!
… only to find out it isn’t!
Until October!
…mic drop.
Read somewhere Taylor’s out of options. So a swap wouldn’t be possible. Of course, a phantom injury (e.g., non-contactits) always available.
Taylor is no loss… I am sorry to say.
In 1962, Joe Moeller, Ron Perranoski, Phil Ortega, and Stan Williams combined for 16 walks to the Mets, and the Dodgers lost 10-4. Last night was the most walks since that day.
From The Athletic:
The 25-year-old, who was the hardest-throwing starter in the sport who hadn’t gotten hurt, has complained of discomfort in his right shoulder for weeks. The sensation was essentially the same as typical early-season soreness, the type of thing that shut down Miller for all of 2023 spring training before he rattled off 124 1/3 big-league innings last year without issue. This time, it hasn’t gone away. He struggled to recover between starts, and within them (including his last two outings when he allowed seven runs in 5 2/3 innings) he showed atypically poor command and an inability to finish off his secondary offerings.
An MRI revealed no structural damage. The ailment didn’t necessitate an injection or any procedure. That brings relief. So, too, does the expected timeline — both Miller and Roberts were hopeful Miller could resume throwing in as soon as five to seven days, which would mitigate any sort of build-up period that would prolong his absence.
“It’s nothing crazy,” Miller said Sunday. “I’m going to be back and I’m going to be good.”
Dodgers have shut Emmett Sheehan down. He has not recovered like the training staff had hoped.
If you are waiting for Brasier’s version with the Dodgers in 2023, you are going to be very disappointed. He is not as bad as he was with Boston in 2023 nor is he as good as he was with the dodgers last year, he is just a useful reliever and that is fine, but I repeat: if they expect him to repeat the level of star reliever that he had, in a small sample, with the Dodgers last year will be greatly disappointed.
I’m not worried about the team’s current performance, it has too much talent and things, as always happens in baseball, fall into place on their own. This is a 6 month long audition for the players, it’s about October!!!
Here are people who played baseball, who have been fans for more than 40 or 50 years and yet every year it is the same: they let their emotions dominate them instead of using their brain, they want them to trade or DFA players who have had 15 bad days, for God’s sake, in all that time they have not learned anything???
Amen!
OK, it’s been a A little facetious earlier about jumping off a ledge just trying to keep the moonlight. Don’t like all the fighting great site. This is a great site! But,, as early as it is, this team would not win 99 games structured as they are right now now I’m not naïve. I know things will change Friedman will make changes. of outman, Lux, Taylor and Kiki don’t start producing. They will be moved released or sent down pages might deserve a shot. He also could flop! We don’t know what I do. Know is the bottom three and this lineup has to do better. Could Michael Bush have played second base, we don’t know he never got the chance or a decent chance I should say. But I like mark and others am happy for the kid. Nice pic of your grandson mark! I have seven now and people always ask me which one’s your favorite answer, whichever one is on my lap at that time ! go barnes!
This is baseball – a game of hot and cold streaks.
It happens every year.
I think this team is capable of 115 wins.
anything is “capable” ..only certain things are probable.
Ryan Brasier isn’t the same pitcher this year. I checked – his average FB velocity was 95.7 MPH last year, topping out at 97.9. This year he averages 94.1 His slider doesn’t have the same break either. He won’t be as effective as he was last year if this continues.
However, he had the same issue last year. He may be a habitual slow starter… or maybe he is shot!
10:10 PM ET
Nationals (6-9)
Dodgers (11-7)
SP Mitchell Parker L
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Tyler Glasnow R
3-0 2.25 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
RF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
CF E. Hernandez R
LF Chris Taylor R
SS Miguel Rojas R
64° Wind 8 mph Out
NO Minor League Dodger Games Scheduled Today
The Dodgers are planning to recall right-handers Ricky Vanasco and Landon Knack from Triple-A Oklahoma City this week, reports Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic. Should either pitcher get into a game, they’d be making their respective major league debuts.
The White Sox will call up former Dodger right-hander Nick Nastrini to start today’s game in what will be his MLB debut, manager Pedro Grifol announced (link via Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times). He’s not on the 40-man roster, so the Sox will need to open a spot for his contract to be formally selected.
Why would Washington throw Muncy a strike if there are runners on base or late in a close game?
That being said I worry more about the pitching staff and injuries. I still believe that sending Taylor to Arizona for a mental break would be worth exploring.
I assume you are talking about CT3.
How are they going to do that? Maybe someone will break his kneecap?
I guarantee they are working with him constantly in LA and on the road.
CT3 has that sore ankle (wink wink). Let him work without any pressure. His mental condition has to be in awful spot. I believe I guy would be able to go on the IL for mental matters as much as physical injury.
The team trainer has to sign off on and if it is bogus; it can cost him his job.
Another HR for Busch tonight!
Good for him.
Props to Busch, getting his chance…
That’s a tough one. The ‘positionless’ thing; more like he was just blocked. Probably best to move him and I guess the Dodgers were satisfied with the return.
A few years ago or so I kept hearing player comps to Muncy, I know minor league evaluations evolve and change, but after following and seeing Busch play, he appears to be a more complete hitter than Muncy, albeit not as selective as Muncy.
Good to see this early run for Busch, good situation for him there in Chi-town….
Cheers…
Note to AF. We’re gonna need another billion!
Early in the season, no assessment yet…
Cheers…
Addendum:
But the comments here are a fun read…
Fun for some.
Drivel for others.
Yeah, and I’m the “some”…
Like the kids say, Bluto speaking TRUTH….
Cheers…
Move on… nothing to see here!
The bottom of the order won’t cut it, and trade(s) need to be made to fix it. If Lux is now a platoon player who struggles even to barrel-up a baseball, then the Dodgers will have to trade for another 2B. And with Heyward’s back issues, Taylor cooked, Kiki (at best) only a part-time platoon player, and Vargas/Pages merely prospects-remain-suspects-till-proven-otherwise, …a trade for a corner outfielder who can competently hit ML pitching is probably in order too.