The two things above have nothing to do with each other. However, we are all waiting with bated breath for Shohei Ohtani to take the mound. It may come in June or July… or it could come as late as August. I am convinced that his role will not be that of a conventional starter when he returns. I could see him piggybacking with a LH pitcher such as Clayton Kershaw or filling a spot as a multi-inning high-leverage reliever, but I do not think you will ever see him pitch over 100 innings, and I also believe he may only pitch for 1-3 more years. There… that’s what I think about Ohtani and his career as a pitcher.
There are lots of reasons, but none more compelling than his value to the Dodgers’ offense. The more he has to pitch, the less valuable he becomes to the offense. Hitting is very hard. Pitching is very hard. But, pitching and hitting together are extremely hard. In my opinion, it is unsustainable for a player on a winning team to do that. He could do it on a team like the Angels, where it is a sideshow that draws fans, but winning is more important than personal accolades. The Dodgers already sell out. They do not need the “Ohtani Dog and Pony Show.”
The Dodgers need Ohtani to be their offensive MVP, and if he can pitch some meaningful innings, especially in relief… especially in the playoffs, then he is a huge asset to the Dodgers! If he could pitch just two or three “high-leverage” innings once every four or five days, he would be a “game changer.” You will be greatly disappointed if anyone expects Ohtani to be Babe Ruth and Cy Young, all in one Superhero Body.
Do not take it personally, but I think wanting Ohtani to hit anywhere but leadoff is silly. Some fans do not want him to hit leadoff… which is really, really silly. Every spot in the order gets about 20 fewer at-bats than the spot above where they hit. In other words, if Ohtani hits leadoff and gets 600 ABs a year, if he batted 2nd, he would get 580. In the #3 hole, he would get 560; at cleanup, he would get 540. Five out of four people struggle with math, but even Ray Charles can see that it is more desirable for Ohtani to hit at the top of the lineup. The higher up he hits, the more at-bats he gets. The more at-bats he gets, the more offense he produces.
Usually, we “oldtimers” are stuck in our ways: “Your best Power and RBI guy should hit cleanup!” Balderdash! Get your best hitters the most at-bats. That’s what wins games. I would not be opposed to having a batting order based on OPS. Now, it’s early in the season, but if the Dodgers had a batting order based upon OPS, this is what it would look like:
- Freeman 1B – 1.037
- T. Hernandez RF – .935
- Ohtani DH – .915
- Smith C – .912
- Pages CF- .865
- Edman 2B – .865
- Betts SS – .782
- Muncy 3B – .593
- Conforto LF – .565
What’s wrong with that? Let the players show where they want to hit. It would be fun, and no one could complain about Doc’s lineups!
Getting Younger
We have been talking about this for a while. The Dodgers need to get younger… and they know it. Not much will happen this year, but it will begin en masse next season. The players likely to be gone are as follows:
- Michael Conforto
- Austin Barnes
- Chris Taylor
- Miguel Rojas
All except Conforto could be coaches or in the Dodgers’ Front Office. This opens the door for Alex Freeland at SS and Dalton Rushing at C. Depending upon how he does this year, Max Muncy could be back at the hot corner in 2026, or the Dodgers could decline his option and elect to sign Munetaka Murakami, a power-hitting 3B from Japan who at age 25 has already accumulated 242 Career HRs, including 56 in 2022. What do you think of this lineup:
- Ohtani – DH (L)
- Betts 2B (R)
- Freeman 1B (L)
- Teoscar LF (R)
- Murakami 3B (L)
- Smith/Rushing C (L/R)
- Pages RF (R)
- Edman CF (L/R)
- Freeland SS (L/R)
There’s more on the horizon, but the Dodgers will start to get younger in 2026 and beyond.
Good stuff all. Outman might be earning a look at least. Ruiz a wild card LF option.
Jesus i was wrong about Fried
Yikes!!! Kenley
I think he is toasted!
3 HR? 6 ER
Stick a fork in him.
Great to see so many prospects flourishing.
DePaula hit another bomb last night.
Future starters in the system:
Freeland: SS or 3B
Rushing: C or LF
Hope: LF/RF
De Paula: RF/1B
(On the pitching side, Ferris and the rehabbing Ryan)
Frasso is looking good too – 5 Shutout Innings last night.
Indeed. He can join the queue for 2025 SP.
Rushing could be 1B too.
Doubtful.
Friday scores
Oklahoma City 10, El Paso 0
Tulsa 5, Arkansas 4
Quad Cities 7, Great Lakes 5
Stockton 6, Rancho Cucamonga 3
Saturday schedule
11 a.m. PT: ACL Dodgers at ACL Guardians
2 p.m.: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs. Quad Cities (Frank Mozzicat)
Game 2: Great Lakes (Luke Fox) vs. Quad Cities (Felix Arronde)
4:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Justin Wrobleski) vs. El Paso (Kyle Hart)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Peter Heubeck) vs. Arkansas (Danny Wirchansky)
6;30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Hyun-Seok Jang) vs. Stockton (Nathan Dettmer)
Saturday is opening day in the Arizona Complex League.
James Outman had his second two-homer game of the season, and drove in six runs in Oklahoma City’s rout of El Paso. He hit a three-run shot in the first inning, then added a two-run blast in the sixth.
Oklahoma City’s games on both Saturday and Sunday will be televised by SportsNet LA, two of at least Comets 13 games that will be televised by the network.
For more detailed recaps,stats,schedules, standings and box scores for Dodger minor league teams go to the top of this page and cIick on MINOR LEAGUE AFFLIATES.
Who are ACL Dodgers’ prospects
There is no place to find the current roster. Maybe after today’s game.
Joendry Vargas is there, I believe.
Cool, thanks
Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers is definitely there.
Vargas is at Rancho IIRC.
There are some of the top ones chronicled here:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/los-angeles-dodgers-top-51-prospects/
mookie hit a bomb and a butt last night! yamamoto looks fantastic! if he could keep the pitch count down just a tad he would be a threat to throw a no hitter almost every time out! I bet Doc was sort of relieved when he gave up the double in the 6th! … Bullpen is very strong right now, but i’m starting to agree with Mark on Yates. He’s good for 95% of his outings. But the home runs are concerning. …. What about in the playoffs a 7-8-9 inning trio of Phillips, ohtani, and Scott? .. Not counting on Trienan this season. Concerned about Kopech too. With casparius , Dryer, Vesia and Banda , the pen will be just fine! …. I still have faith that Conforto will snap out of this. But i must admit, Outman probably doesn’t do any worse at the plate. Plus James is better defensively. … Maybe the prescription glasses will help Max, can’t hurt. …. The Braves aren’t the same without Ronald A. in the lineup. .. Grant Holmes did a “right handed “ impression of Chris Sale last night! …. Would be nice to win today and guarantee a series win. Long road trip!
Ohtani is not going to relieve, it’s prohibitive from a lineup standpoint.
How the Hitter/pitcher rule stands right now, players who are listed as both can be removed as a pitcher and still stay in the game as the DH. The only way he is removed as a DH is if he is pinch hit for then he cannot return in the game as a DH or in other place in the field. What I need to find out is if he is taken out of the game as a DH can he enter into the same game as a reliever. I have a good source that I will check with.
This is my point.
Mark has a Great Idea! The Ohtami Dog, Sashimi and Sushi , with wasabi, soy and Ginger in a dog bun. Maybe not
Great point on Ohtami batting lead off.
Love the lineups and even though I haven’t heard of the Japanese 3B, I’ll take any improvement over Max. Is Yamamoto the next Fernando -lite?
The L/R catching duo is made in heaven and adding another switchie would give Doc a loaded order from either side of the plate.
Grant Holmes is an example of how long it sometimes takes to develop pitchers.
The Dodgers drafted him in 2014 and in 2024, and this year, he is starting to look like a serviceable piece of the rotation.
So many pitchers start in one organization and find success in another.
As the successes of all these young guys show, AF/BG have been well aware of the core players aging and have been strategically stocking up with prospects.
AF/BG and the staff of coaches really are THE best player evaluation, acquisition and development executives in MLB. At least for now.
“The Dodgers are recalling infielder Hyeseong Kim, reports Dodgers Daily. Kim will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He is already on the 40-man roster but a corresponding move will be needed to get him onto the active roster.
Kim, 26, was a notable free agent this winter. He had hit .304/.364/.403 over eight season in the KBO while bouncing around to multiple positions, mostly the middle infield. There wasn’t a ton of power there, but he seemed like an intriguing contact-based utility guy”.
Probably Edman goes on the IL.
Edman hasn’t played since Tuesday, so an IL stint could be backdated by three days, the maximum allowed. That means he could return in a week if he heals up in that time.
Edman was placed on the 10-day IL. Taylor is making the start at second tonight and is batting 9th.
Somebody around here suggested that Kim wouldn’t be called up so quickly…
But with Edman out, Kim is better suited to be summoned than Freeland. Kim will soon be penciled in at 2B or CF, batting ninth. His glove and speed play well, while Freeland should continue to see action every day.
If Kim performs well, perhaps that could hasten another roster move. While I think it would be hard to deal Taylor’s contract, a contender that needs help at SS might offer a prospect for Rojas.
Last I checked, Kim’s OPS in OKC is over .800–with some unexpected pop. Power is a minor concern, I think. The Dodgers need their 8th and 9th hitters to focus on getting on base to give Shohei more RBI opportunities. Right now, he has only 11 RBI–and he’s knocked himself in eight times.
FWIW, I want the Dodgers to show us The Full Ohtani sooner rather than later. I think Shohei wants to show us too. Babe Ruth always hit when he pitched; those were just the rules. Shohei did it for the Angels and there’s no reason he shouldn’t do it for the Dodgers. I want to see a complete game shutout on a day he cranks a cycle. He’s the only player in the world that could do that.
The Dodgers shouldn’t expect to put him on the mound in August to get ready for the postseason. He’ll need ample time to get into a groove.
Assuming good health, it’s too early to start placing limitations on his extraordinary talent. No doubt that time will come–but not for a few years.
7:15 PM ET
Dodgers (22-10)
Braves (14-17)
SP Roki Sasaki R
0-1 3.55 ERA
SP S. Schwellenbach R
1-2 2.87 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
RF T. Hernandez R
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
LF M. Conforto L
2B Chris Taylor R
87% Rain
69° Wind 9 mph Out
05/03/25 Los Angeles Dodgers placed 2B Tommy Edman on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 30, 2025. Right ankle inflammation.
05/03/25 Los Angeles Dodgers recalled 2B Hyeseong Kim from Oklahoma City Comets.
Roberts said Michael Kopech has started facing hitters in AZ. Expected to go on a rehab assignment next week.
Good
ATLANTA — Shohei Ohtani threw off the mound prior to Saturday’s game in Atlanta for the second time since he went on paternity leave on April 18.
Ohtani’s first bullpen session since his leave was on April 26, and he threw 31 pitches.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani threw 35 pitches on Saturday.
“From what I hear, he was ramping it up a little bit more with the velocity,” Roberts said. “It was another good one.”
The timeline for Ohtani’s return to a Major League mound after undergoing a right UCL repair in 2023 is still undetermined.
“I think from the uptick in velocity — and I don’t have [specific] velocities yet — but just talking to the trainers, I think that’s a good sign that there’s a little more intensity there,” Roberts said.
It’s funny how AF can grab just about any serviceable reliever off the scrap heap and get 20-30 innings at least out of him. They all want to be Dodgers. It’s not a miracle. They are top notch. Just looking for the right situation. There is no downside on taking a flyer on Feir or anybody else. The Dodgets have the luxury of employing these relievers just to burn innings. Not many teams can do that. Having the highest bullpen innings in baseball is therefore not a concern for the brass.
Book em
Im convinced we just put them in the simulator and measure everything, reading all the numbers, etc. By the time they sign them they know their stuff and if it’ll play. Other things factor in–mindset, health, command, etc.–but stuff is stuff.
Hello 7
Corbin Burnes To Miss Next Start With Shoulder Inflammation
More than likely, the Dodgers will miss Burnes when we play the Snakes this coming weekend. Lots of innings in Burnes’s arm over the years and his velo is down. A real cocern.
Saturday scores
El Paso 4, Oklahoma City 2
Tulsa 4, Arkansas 3 (10 innings)
Quad Cities 8, Great Lakes 1 (Game 1)
Quad Cities 4, Great Lakes 0 (Game 2)
Rancho Cucamonga 5, Stockton 0
ACL Guardians 6, ACL Dodgers 5
Sunday schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Luke Fox) vs. Quad Cities (Felix Arronde)
11 a.m.: Tulsa (Jackson Ferris) vs. Arkansas (TBA)
12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Alec Gamboa) vs. El Paso (TBA)
2 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jakob Wright) vs. Stockton (Wei-En Lin)
Relief pitcher Ryan Loutos, who was acquired by the Dodgers on Thursday, was activated by Oklahoma City and retired all four batters he faced with one strikeout.
For more detailed recaps,stats,schedules, standings and box scores for Dodger minor league teams go to the top of this page and cIick on MINOR LEAGUE AFFLIATES.
impressive win last night. top 5 were awesome. Conforto and Taylor were trying to dry the stadium ! Max did draw a base on balls. Honestly, Chris T. is getting worse every at bat. i know, he ain’t going nowhere. i’m holding out hope that Conforto breaks out of his slump, but right now he’s completely lost at the plate. on a positive note, Ohtani and Mookie have been getting better and better every day. Freddie looks great, Teo and Will are really hitting the ball hard. Pages looked off last couple of games, but no one expected to keep up the torrid pace he was on. I would like tosee Kim at second today. He has to at least make contact! Well i asked for 2 out of 3, so lets get greedy and sweep! … Hopefully Snell is back soon . The time off may be valuable for him later on in a long season . ….. Glasnow? i’m a BIG fan of his! i really pray he gets healthy soon! …. Clayton? just get on the mound !!! Show em who you are!! … Ohtani? Please don’t get hurt pitching! if he never pitches again i’m ok with that! Catman? we believe in you! all the trade talks concerning him? Forget it. He ain’t going nowhere! ..Dustin May? love him , but i would rather keep Gonsolin if i had to pick between the 2. But he ain’t going nowhere either. …. Please don’t take the Marlins lightly! They’re bad, but it’s in Florida and they just beat Mason Miller last night, not an easy thing to do! …. Padres might not go away, but they aren’t winning the west! nor are the Dbacks or giants! The National league is by far better than the American league. probably 7 teams in the NL capable of winning the world series. probably 3 maybe 4 in the AL. just my opinion! everyone have a great Sunday!
NYM, Philly, Cubs, SD, SF all to be taken seriously. Not sure on AZ or ATL.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the the expectation is Kim will fill a bench role and occasionally get some starts, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I think right now it’s going to kind of be to come off the bench and fill in at different spots. But we’ll try to get a start for him.”
It’s just a week.
Loutos pitched 1.1 innings last night at OKC. No runs, no hits, no BB. 1 K.
Wrobleski went 6 allowing 2 ER.
Sirota was 1-3 with a triple and walk at RC( .329 BA/1.040 OPS)
George injured
I don’t think Kim was brought up to stay up. He’ll be here until Edmans is back. He’s still gotta be feeling some culture shock. And getting acclimated to major league travel schedules on a 3 city roadie. It’s all part of the process , after all they didn’t have to travel much in the KBO. Doc will try to get him a start, but he’s mainly a late inning replacement or a pinch hitter or runner. Some more seasoning at OKC and he’ll be ready . Doc needs to give the bench some reps. So plan on seeing a lot of CT3, Kike and Miggy.
Book em
Probably true….
But I hope he makes it very hard for management to send him back down.
I’d much rather see Kim get starts now than Taylor, Rojas or Kike. Those guys are accustomed to bench roles, and we know what to expect. Let’s see what Kim can do.
This might be more about seeing where Taylor is than about Kim..
I agree with this, but am heartened.
Both Kim and Outman are in AAA to improve their hit tool. The team may be saying that Kim’s tool doesn’t need steady ABs as much as Outman does.
That’s a sign, only if it’s correct.
Like it or not, Kim is still an AAA hitter. The Dodgers signed him for $12 million over 3 years. That is what you pay to utility players… Taylor, Kike and MiggyRo all make more per year.
Kim is up because the Dodgers had an injury… to Edman. He won’t play much and will go back when Edman comes off the IL… unless there is another injury.
I can’t see Freeland playing in LA this year, barring a catastrophe!
Maybe Kim will develop into a regular, but when the team is healthy, he is not needed.
Some fans may not like CT3, MiggyRo, Barnes, or Kike, but they are part of the fabric of this team. They are here for the season… barring injury!
Rushing playing LF today for OKC
That makes the 3rd time this year.
7:10 PM ET
Dodgers (23-10)
Braves (14-18)
SPDustin May R
1-1 3.95 ERA
SP Bryce Elder R
1-1 5.33 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
RF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
2B E. Hernandez R
LF M. Conforto L
C A. Barnes R
67° Wind 10 mph L-R
After throwing 91 pitches over six innings, Yamamoto was removed from the game against the Braves to allow him to pitch on five days’ rest, instead of the six or more days the Dodgers have provided him this season. “There is a very good possibility that he goes a day shorter than he normally does,” Dave Roberts
Welcome to the real May, the same old pitcher.
I hope I’m wrong, but I think the game is over.
Believe
The same old pitcher has a career 3.28 ERA. Not bad!
Squeeze with Rojas
It’s not about believing, it’s about knowing what I’m seeing, we’ve seen these types of frustrating games many times before, terrible batting, any pitcher, no matter how bad or mediocre he is, pitches like a damn ace against the Dodgers.
It’s true, May may have very good ERA or very good numbers, but for some reason he is still not convincing, he is not yet a reliable starting pitcher, but perhaps in the bullpen he can have the success he is supposed to have.
We just one seven in a row. Hard to win forever.
*won
[derp]