The Dodgers have some decisions to make. Blake Treinen needs to be activated… probably today, and Walker Buehler is allegedly going to start Monday. So, at least two roster decisions loom. Both moves are obvious – Nabil Crismatt and Gus Varland will go back to OKC (or not, in the case of Crismatt, who is out of options). when Treinen and Buehler are optioned. Daniel Hudson has not been pitching well, but not horrible, either. It feels like “rust” to me! His ERA is 3.60 while his WHIP is 0.93. His rope is longer, and I think he will be fine.
James Outman benefited from an inflated ABbip last season (.343). The MLB average for Batting Average on Balls in Play is .293. Andy Pages currently has a .370 BAbip. Mookie Betts’s career average BAbip is .307, and he is a Superstar. If Paages keeps this up he will be MVP – He Won’t! I saw some life in Gavin Lux last night. His career BAbip is .310 – right about now, it is .250, so there is hope. If Andy Pages can hit .250-.260 he will be an asset. Miguel Rojas is having his best offensive season… maybe not playing as much helps him? I have also heard that RVS is singing his praises.
That still leaves Chris Taylor and James Outman as Black Holes in the lineup. The clock is ticking, and the Dodgers’ front office is waiting for their alarm to go off. It’s closing in. Pages slump is coming. He still has not walked, and pitchers are pitching to him, but they will soon stop. Will he walk? We shall see. If he does, he is legit! This is a game of adjustments, and someone once said that instead of calling it baseball, it should be called “adjustments.”
Dodger Dogs
- Gavin Stone belongs in the rotation! I said that I was not convinced he would be a starter, but I am becoming more convinced every start.
- Let’s see what Glasnow does against the big boys tonight.
Down on the Farm
- OKC BOX – Nothing to see here. Move along.
- TULSA BOX – MAKEUP GAME – Rushing had a 3-run jack, and Kopp got smoked in game 1. The Drillers last both games.
- GL BOX – Alexx Freeland continues to rake (.333/1.073). He should move up soon. Maddux Bruns was eye-popping good last night with 6 Ks, only 1 Walk, and 1 Hit in 3 IP.
- RC BOX – Kendall was 3-5 with 3 SBs (.327/.797)
Miller (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
“Miller has been on the injured list since April 13 due to inflammation in his right shoulder, and Friday marked his first time throwing off a mound since then. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he isn’t sure how many more bullpen sessions Miller will need to throw before he progresses to facing live hitters, so the 25-year-old righty will likely remain without a clear return timeline until he gets to that point”.
Kershaw (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
“Kershaw has been limited to throwing from flat ground, and Friday was the first time he’s thrown off the mound since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. The veteran southpaw threw 15 pitches ahead of Friday’s game against Atlanta, and manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw “came out well” from the bullpen session, per J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation. Kershaw is not expected to return until after the All-Star break, but it’s another positive step in his rehab program”.
“Heyward swung a bat on Friday at Dodger Stadium ahead of the Dodgers’ series opener against the Braves, and also shagged fly balls in the outfield during batting practice, among other baseball activities.
“I saw him running earlier, full speed, pain free. He’ll be taking batting practice soon on the field, I would assume this week for sure. After that will be a simulated game at some point in time,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s taking a couple of big steps, as far as being pain free and how his body is moving.”
My opinion is Outman gets optioned when Heyward is reinstated from the IL.
With Taylor out of options your probably right
Good to see you are doing well, Mark.
And a good win for the Dodgers too. Stone again was excellent vs maybe the best lineup in baseball.
Andy Pages!What can you say?Keep it up , kid. Dodgers really can use that bat down in the lineup.
Question; Is it just me or does Roberts his thing with the pinchhitting quicker when it is lefties (Lux, Outman) to the righties ? Yesterday we were up 2-1 when he substituted both Outman and Lux immediately when the lefty came in.
He usually in my perception is not as quick the other way around. Yesterday it almost was costly because the Braves tied the game and then it got into extra innings when the Braves ran out their RHLP.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it is an organizational decision. No one believes that Outman or Lux can hit LHP and the stats bear that out. Visions of Joc Pederson who (for his career) has an OPS of .835 against RHP and .634 against LHP. Lux and Outman are similar.
Thanks for the updates.
I was just wondering about Bobby Miller.
Although the Dodgers are doing pretty well, I’m guessing they get even better as the weather warms.
One of the really cool things about a new season is how some players step up and impact games. This year it’s Andy Pages. Adds to a very good line-up.
Looking forward to the return of Walker Buehler. Gavin Stone has been really good. What a difference a year makes.
BTW:What was Acuna doing when he rounded the bases after his HR ?
Dance steps around 3b and then gesturing to the Dodger dugout.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s his little stutter-step. It’s grandfathered in.
I’ve always been in Stone’s corner. His stats in the minors were outstanding. I’ve said that all he needs is some confidence on the mound and he’ll finally be okay cause his stuff is deadly. If Kershaw, Miller and May come back this summer, we’re going to loaded with SP. Not to mention the nice work from Landon Knack, and lately Michael Grove. What to do with all this access pitching ? Don’t forget that stellar summer of 2022 when Tony Gonsolin went 16-1. He was very very good, and seems to be forgotten. Will he make it back this year ? We could have 9 or 10 legitimate starting pitchers by the end of summer.
Gonsolin will miss the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
A return this year seemed unlikely. I wonder what his velo will be when he returns?
Early in his career, it hit 100 and then steadily declined.
It was a bummer to hear Brock Stewart has landed on the IL (shoulder). It was a tough break after all the work he did to make it back to the Bigs Leagues.
Saturday Dodger Minor League Schedule
11 a.m. PT: ACL Dodgers at ACL Brewers
11:10 a.m.: Great Lakes (jacob Meador) at Wisconsin (Alexander Cornielle)
4:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Hyun-il Choi) vs. Salt Lake (Brett Kerry)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Yon Castro) vs. Springfield (Ian Bedell)
6:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Garrett McDaniels) at Modesto (Ashton Izzi)
Saturday is opening day for the Arizona Complex League, which will play a 56-game schedule through July 25.
ACL have any prospects?
Tons, figuratively speaking.
Jesus Tillero, Angel Cruz, Joendry Vargas, Eduardo Quintero, Eduardo Guerrero, and Angel Diaz
Nice job by Grove last night getting through the teeth of that lineup with a zero. He certainly looks better coming out of the bullpen.
Loved the video with the couple test above.
Life is good. Especially when you are young and full of energy.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No effort by (Acuna?) to either dive or fake a catch on Pages’ game-winning bloop hit. I’ve always wondered why there doesn’t seem to be much emphasis on fooling base runners. Does anyone know of any outfielders who are known for being good at this?
It was their center fielder, Michael Harris, and if you look carefully, he not only didn’t dive but he eased up a little just before the ball fell. If he had kept running at full speed I think he would have made the catch. I’m a Harris fan, but that was not a good play.
That’s what I thought.
Let’s celebrate the good:
https://x.com/umpscorecards/status/1786767666067161588
Joendry Vargas not in the lineup for the ACL Dodgers today. Where is he ?
Anyone know ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today the transactions have gone down, and then some. Joendry Vargas, Hyun-seok Jang, Jesus Tillero, Eduardo Quintero, and a host of others have all been added to the ACL Dodgers roster.
Details here:
https://www.milb.com/oklahoma-city/roster/transactions/los-angeles-dodgers
Hey Mark, can we get the name of Bobby Miller’s stylist…yeah, the address too; want to make sure I don’t even walk down that street…
To harken the great Lawrence “Crash” Davis, you wear a pinstriped white suit and win 20 with a ERA in the 2s in the show and everyone will think you’re colorful; but until then you just look like a guy who takes his invitation to Elton John’s annual White party way too seriously….
And…
What happens first : a Pages BB or Taylor multi-hit game?
And this just in…Padres deal for Arraez
Cheers…
This is interesting:
“The Dodgers are once again leading the league in total and average home attendance in 2024. However, their current home attendance average of 45,658 is slightly less than their 47,371 average last year.
It is nothing overly concerning, but it is a bit of a head scratcher as to why. Ticket prices and food costs may be part of the reason as the club increased prices all around prior to the season”.
I think part of it was the two or three rain games in April that were played.
Good game. Pages reminds me some of Puig, but he is infinitely more coachable, and the kid has a ton of confidence right now. He doesn’t have the gaudy statistics that Puig had, but he is definitely making the same kind of impact. Untested rookie on a team full of stars. He is just playing hard and not getting rattled. Trea Turner landed on the 10-day IL with a strained hammy. But sources say it is pretty serious and he will miss at least 4-6 weeks. Giants’ catcher, Patrick Bailey was placed on the 7-day concussion IL. Padres plan to use Arraez mostly as the DH for now. Their infield is set with Machado, Kim, Bogaerts and Cronenworth.
9:10 PM ET
Braves (20-10)
Dodgers (21-13)
SP Bryce Elder R
1-0 1.50 ERA
SP Tyler Glasnow R
5-1 2.72 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
LF T. Hernandez R
RF Andy Pages R
CF James Outman L
2B Gavin Lux L
65° Wind 9 mph Out
In a recent article by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, he revealed that the Dodgers are not done strengthening their rotation. According to Heyman, the Dodgers are the frontrunners to secure the services of Japanese pitching sensation, right-hander Roki Sasaki. This potential addition could further bolster the Dodgers’ already formidable lineup.
This is a little scary for the rest of baseball!
Bill Plunkett
@billplunkettocr
Dave Roberts indicated #Dodgers could activate Blake Treinen Sunday.
We’re finally at the point in the season where I start paying attention to stats. We will learn a lot in May. Who just had a slow start and who has regressed. Chris Taylor is the one, I hate to say, that looks completely lost. I still see life in Lux and Outman. But they will be under pressure to shake off a bad month and start producing. Mookie, Ohtani and Smith are not going to produce at this level all year. I liked Pages, but as Mark said, he’s not going to maintain this pace. May will determine if the Dodgers need to find a spot for Vargas or look for options at the deadline. Our pitching is going to see a lot of arms coming online in the next 30-60 days. So it’s an open question what our rotation and bullpen will even look like before the trade deadline. This are going to get interesting.
From yesterdays blog: I am dumbfounded at Diego Cartaya. I saw the kid play in Rancho and I could not have been more impressed. He seemed poised well beyond his age. When my son got to meet him a couple times before games he was confident, charismatic and (being one of the best offensive players in the CA league that year) had Star written all over him. Reminded me of that line from Moneyball.. “one of those guys who walks into a room and his di*k has already been there for 10 minutes”.
What a difference 24 months can make. I’ve seen guys destroy the CA league and not live up to expectation in AA and AAA. And eventually burn out with little or no time in MLB. But I struggle to remember a player who was a consensus top 10 hitter in ALL of minor league baseball at his level to just crater like this. Scouts were swooning over the guy after his 21/22 seasons. I have to believe there is a health or personal issue playing a role. But given his inability to hit at all this year, following a painful decline last year; he’s getting close to the point where he becomes a write off. I remember Jaren Kendall when he retired while still stuck in AA. But his potential never got past pure athleticism. He never really hit pro pitching. Diego was quite dominant for his age for a decent period of time.
Damn did I peg him wrong.
I have to say, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the Dodger system this thin in position players. Pitching we have depth up the wazoo. But we are thin otherwise. Vargas and Pages are the current guys ready to get a shot. Busch is becoming what I expected him to be. 260, 25hr 1B/DH who would never get a shot in LA. Beyond that crop, I’m getting a little worried. Dodgers need to reload some position players into the system.
May will be interesting.
Or trade some young pitching for some young positional players
Trading some pitching is almost a certainty. There is, and has been, a log jam.
I am hearing “scuttlebutt” that Cartaya may need surgery and have to switch positions. Some believe he is not able to rotate properly to hit. I doonnnooo,
If Pages and Vargas make it to the Show, the Dodgers don’t need many position players for two to three years, which is how far off Rushing, Liranzo, and Gelof are. All three have the “hit tool.”
I agree. But both Pages and Vargas have to not just make the show but be productive. I saw a lot more of Vargas and have confidence he will figure it out. One of the best hit tools I’ve ever seen at Rancho. There were better athletes and guys with way more power. But no better pure hitter. He just has to make that final transition. Pages, I get the same feeling I got with Outman last year. Pages has more pure power. And he’s also the kind of player that will hit the ground running. Streaky. But MLB pitchers are brutal in their ability to adjust. Joc was Babe Ruth in his first 2 months. Baby Ruth in his last two. And…Sophomore slumps are real. I just hope the Dodgers get as much out of Pages as possible before the league finds his wounds and pours salt into them in quantity. It’s a certainty, and just a matter of time. He will have to adjust. Vargas’ hit tool can overcome that. Assuming he’s healthy and in his right frame of mind.
I’m not worried much about position players this year or even next. It’s three years out that I am a little more worried. Since my son entered high school last year we haven’t been able to go to nearly as many games. And the fact that Rancho is now low A, the last two seasons also limited which prospects I have been able to see. I hope the players you mentioned, Mark, have the mustard. Lorizano passed the eye test last year. But he looks like a cold fish so far this year with the Loons. That said, I agree with you with George. He’s got the athleticism of Jaren Kendall. With a much better hit tool, obviously. But my 1997 Motorola StarTak phone had more power after being unplugged for a week. I have a hard time seeing how that can play in higher levels. Head scratcher of a first round pick. Then again, after my proclamations about Cartaya 2 years ago…. What do I know?
We will see.
Good analogy!
I’ve seen enough. Time for Outman and Vargas to switch uniforms. Outman is totally lost. And why would any pitcher throw Pages a strike? That was an ugly last AB. He’s gonna have to stay in the zone or it’s gonna get ugly for Andy.
Pages such quick hands swinging at inside pitches. 100% agree, very interested to see if Pages has the patience to walk when opp pitchers finally stop throwing him strikes deep into counts. Then we’ll see how good a hitter he really is.
Lux’ (Lux’s?) swing is rounding into form I think. He looks more and more confident.
Yes, he is ready to blow up!
It is happening!
Speaking of blowing up – With 3 HR’s tonight, Muncy’s OPS just blew up about 150 points in one game.
Nice to see Maximum Max again.
Some people forget how good he was playing second fiddle to Belli. His OPS is now back over .900, and he’s on pace for yet another 35 HR year. And never forget: the Dodgers basically got him off a scrap heap. He was considering retirement because of his struggles with the A’s before the Dodgers brought him in.
If Cartaya needs to move off catcher… ouch. His value as a trade chip goes down. I was thinking he’d be a backup anyway with Will Smith locked up for years. H
I agree that if Pages and Vargas live up to the hype, the Dodgers won’t need any position players. But that’s still an iffy proposition. Right now, Pages is playing like a legit ROY contender–but does anyone think he is slump-proof? And of course Vargas has yet to prove much of anything in the majors. But he should get another chance soon…..
News I just noticed: Roberts says the plan is to keep Mookie at SS even when Rojas plays. Mookie has apparently discussed the difficulty of the transition, and he should improve if he has to shift less often. So it seems that Rojas will play 2B more often, with Kike spelling Outman in CF.
Or will Roberts give Lux and Outman, both young and developing, a chance to improve against hit lefties?
They have to earn it, but hitting RHP first.