A lot of Dodger fans mocked and ridiculed Farhan Zaidi for saying three weeks ago that the Dodgers needed to hit more Homeruns?
What?
That’s stupid!
Shows what he knows…
Here we are, three weeks later… and the Dodgers were leading the NL is homeruns and were on a 16-5 streak…. well, after last night they are 16-6 and 2nd in HR. Maybe Farhan should say “How do you like me now?” Actually, with all the injuries to the pitching staff, it is my hope that the Dodgers can hover around .500 or a little above until the All-Star Game, a month from now.
Maeda and Hill will be back by next week… barring setbacks. Hill threw a 60-pitch simulated game on Saturday and Maeda will throw a bullpen today. Roberts will probably have to hold them to 3 or 4 innings in the beginning, but they can get stretched out quickly. Buehler could be back sooner, but if he spends two or three weeks on the DL he can probably pitch the rest of the season, so that may be a blessing in disguise.
When I was in LA a couple of weeks ago, I observed Ryu throwing and moving well. In fact, he jumped pretty high to catch an errant throw. I think he will be back around the All-Star break. We know he has been able to throw. I look for him back in mid-July. He could give the team a huge boost. He looked to be in great condition.
Then, let’s not forget Julio Urias (remember him?), who is now throwing off the mound. Dave Roberts has said that Julio could be ready to pitch by the end of July. I would only expect a couple of innings in the beginning, but he could be in the rotation by September. He will likely be on the OKC Shuttle for a while.
Tom Koehler threw a bullpen session on Thursday and may get a rehab assignment by next weekend. Finally, Clayton Kershaw has resumed playing catch, which is a good sign, but the Dodgers will be cautious with him. We could see him back before the All-Star break.
Alex Wood has not been as bad as his record shows, although his last 3 outings were bad. Players go through bad streaks.. in case you are a novice and have never seen the game played. Wood still has a decent 1.19 WHIP. His fastball velocity was 91 MPH consistently last night, so I think he is just going through some mechanical stuff.
The team just has to stay afloat until the troops return. Maybe not all will return successfully, but most will and it will make a difference. Andrew Toles led off at OKC last night and had a hit (2B). Verdugo is hot and went 3-4. Andrew Sopki pitched 6 string innings at Tulsa and I have a sneaking feeling Sborz could be sighted in LA.
It’s always darkest before the storm. The storm has hit. They will ride it out and move on. Never fear! The best we have – Ross Stripling goes today! The news on Justin Turner who has missed the past three game is that his wrist pain could last weeks or months. Players who have had the same injury say the pain persists… so we really have no clue if or when he will be able to return to form.
Discussion (129)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I had a feeling Caleb was going to get the start on Tuesday, which is why I put quotes around “scheduled” to start tonight for OKC.
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Poor OKC. They have had more bullpen games than the ML team. Chad Girodo has started 2 of the last 3 games and 3 since June 3. He is a middle reliever. That is what happens when both the ML and AAA teams run out of starters, and Yadier Alvarez is not showing any potential to move up whenever he is pitching. And Mitchell White started the season on the DL. Alvarez has not pitched since May 5.
BTW, Ryu is going to start throwing off a mound, this week, most likely!
Doc also announced that Maeda would start Wednesday
Who goes on the DL to make room for Ferguson?
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Turner?
Be nice if Kershaw could come back and just eat some innings. If Maeda and Ryu could come back and do as well as they were doing when they were injured….. Hey, maybe Zaidi should come out and say the pitchers need to throw more shutouts.
Way too early playoff rotation:
1) Kershaw
2) Buehler
3) Stripling
4) Pick one: Maeda, Hill, Ryu, Wood
The rest can go to the bullpen with Jansen, Fields, Cingrani, Goeddel and Baez.
With the way the team has been hitting, I like their chances.
Lost in all the injuries is the fact that in the midst of a battle for the division the team gets early looks at the kids. Buehler and Muncy got earlier call ups than planned and they have seen Santana, Ferguson, Valera, Corcino, LoCastro and Verdugo already. The move to claim Goeddel has paid off big time as well. Solano and Banuelos will be called up at some point as well and perhaps Rios.
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They don’t need Kershaw to be a Cy Young candidate this year, just healthy for the stretch run and playoffs. How well might he pitch without all the wear and tear he usually has on his arm and back in October?
Doc just announced Caleb Ferguson will be starting tomorrow. I’ll be going, so looking forward to seeing him get his first career win!
Oh, and I want to see what kind of reaction Beltre gets now (14 years after leaving us)
I haven’t checked the won lost record against lefty starters but few Dodger righty bats are hitting for much of an average against them. Pederson is platooned against lefties and Bellinger is getting close to being in the same category. The Dodgers could use Machado. They have players that can hit righties and that includes righty bats like Puig and Taylor, both of who are not hitting lefties.
OK, here’s my final offer:
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Forsythe (to balance salary)
Sheffield
Ferguson
Diaz
Rios
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To KC for:
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Merrifield
Hererra
Moustakas
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KC re-stocks the farm.
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Moose plays 3B until Turner comes back… he can also play 1B!
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Merrifield plays 2B and leads off
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Hererra is setup man.
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The price is steep!
The only guarantee I have is that the LA Dodgers will not lose tonight!
Rios is a lefty hitter and the Dodgers could use a backup righty bat at first base. They already have a lefty bat in Muncy. Rios has slow bat speed and a long swing. He muscles home runs mostly with strong hands. His best shot at a MLB salary is as a DH. Do him favor and trade him to the AL.
I would love to see Rios get a chance also. He can flat out hit. Right now though I think we have to make sure joc and Muncy get at bats while they are hot. What would that look like? If bellinger was in center and Rios at first who is out? Against a lefty kemp could play right with bellinger and Hernandez center and left with Muncy at second which would leave joc , Puig,and Forsythe on the bench. For defense late bring Forsyth and puig in. Against righties bellinger, puig, and joc in the outfield with Muncy at second. That would mean kemp, Forsyth on the bench. Would you really bench a guy leading the nl in hitting? Rios just doesn’t seem a fit at the moment.
Rumor is that Manuel Banuelos will be called up and start tomorrow. I”m glad he’s getting his shot as well. Hopefully he takes it and runs with it
Brooklyn – I’ve ran into alot of high IQ kids in my job over the years that had the common sense of a toad stool… I wouldn’t bet on the gene pool…
Computer skills, great… I taught after retirement in a continuation school and 90% of the kids had computer skills well beyond my comprehension, but they had just little or no use for regular schools and that’s OK…
P.S. I like Puig and I’m he turned it around…
“Puig’s problem was he had the IQ of a fencepost….”
If memory serves, that must be a smart fencepost. I believe that I read in the past that Puig is the go to guy in the Dodgers’ clubhouse for computer related problems. Also, both his parents are engineers (See #53 in the link that follows).
https://www.dailynews.com/2013/08/17/66-things-we-now-know-about-yasiel-puig-the-rookie-sensation-who-wears-no-66-for-the-los-angeles-dodgers/
Starting Rios’ clock now is not an insignificant factor in “giving him a shot.”
Would any reasonable GM add him to the 40 and bring all that entails simply because Turner has a sore wrist. What happens if the impossible happens and Rios hits and fields well? He still goes back down when Turner can play regularly and now the team has to deal with tougher arb.
The upside could be a downside.
I would love to see Rios get a shot… especially now with JT still hurting. At the very worst, he ‘s not ready. At the very best he is and could play or be traded.
I’m going to the game in Fresno tonight with a couple of buddies. I’m excited to see Verdugo and Rios both. I am very interested to see Ferguson pitch. Should be a great night.
What to do about Edwin Rios. He is just a hit machine with power. But he is a DH for a team in a league without a DH. He went 4-5 yesterday against Fresno with 2 HRs (3) and a double (5). In 52 ABs he is slashing .365/.411/.635/1.045. It may be a small sample size, but he just continues to improve. Last year at OKC in 169 ABs, he slashed .296/.368/.533/.901, and in 475 AB’s combined with his AA production he slashed .309/.362/.533/.895.
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Before the Dodgers consider trading for Jose Abreu, I would want to give Rios at least a shot. He has earned that. He will never be a GG, but he can hit. Now that AGon is without a team, maybe he can be a defensive mentor for Rios at 1B. He is still getting his $20+M.
Stuck in Fresno with theTheralten Blues again!!!
Just about ready yo hit the road back to SoCal…
AC… Verdugo = 7 for 12 , 0K, 2W. I watched and he seemed be in the present… This kid can flat out rake!!! Maybe it’s his IQ rather than attitude!??! I use to say that Puig’s problem was he had the IQ of a fencepost and still believe it, but he learned to let his God given ability take over and he started following directions…
Again, Verdugo is something to watch at the dish…
AGon has been released by the Mets. “He hasn’t hit the ball in the air too much lately. For a guy that can’t run, that’s kind of a tough deal,” Mets hitting coach Pat Roessler said before Sunday’s game. “He knows what he’s doing. Like the rest of us, he’s in a funk.” Ouch. Nice comments on the way out the door.
So, it appears that Kenta Maeda will be the starting pitcher on Wednesday and that Rich Hill will probably start over the weekend.
Excellent series. We took 2 of 3 from a very good team. AZ won, but who cares. All that matters to me is that we’re playing well. The standings will take care of themselves.
On the radio, the announcers were mentioning how Goeddel throws a split finger fastball, a pitch that isn’t used that much by anyone nowadays; it’s definitely giving him the advantage. Granted it’s not good for his arm, but so far it’s good for our bullpen.
Logan Forsythe is one of the Stars of the game!
Max freaking Muncy!! Who knew? Well I will tell you faz, roberts, ac, and mark what an amazing run he is on. Nobody can keep this pace up but he is having great at bats versus lefties and righties. He is allowing turner to mend. He has definitely earned his way into the lineup. He may take a dive because he doesn’t have a history but for now ride the wave!!
Stopping by to eat some crow. Forsythe with two hits one today one being a HR on a first swing AB. Keep it going Logan…..this team needs your offensive production.
This is the same thing that plagues Clayton: Keeping doing what you have done. Change it up, you morons! You are too predictable. That’s a Honeycutt Thing!
You need to learn Ross! Don’t do that crap again.
Puig or Bellinger had to get a big hit last inning. That would have changed everything.
THERE IT WENT!
Hey MJ, Forsythe swung at the first pitch for you!
Chicken Strip has No-No Stuff today!
Mark
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No one could ever accuse you of being a glass half empty guy.
By the end of the season, if everyone is healthy, this is the way the staff looks:
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1. Kershaw
2. Buehler
3. Stripling
4. Ryu
5. Hill
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Pen:
Koehler
Urias
Stewart
Cingrani
Maeda
Wood
Alexander
Jansen
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If the Dodgers can get healthy before the playoffs, that could be a KILLER pitching staff!
I just about bought this yesterday, but could not justify paying that much money:
There are 98 games left. I suspect that Logan will be given another 20+ games to see where he is.
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Forsythe leads the team in errors with 7 in 129 Total Chances.
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THE MOST ERRORS HE HAS EVER HAD IS 9 IN ABOUT 500 CHANCES!
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Is he like Reddick and can’t play near Hollywood?
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I want to know. If so, he has to go.
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I’m a freaking Poet!
Roberts is doing what he can with the hand he is dealt, until the rotation gets healthy it will be up to the offense and bullpen to win games. Luckily the schedule and health look like it’s about to turn the corner.
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Forsythe is not going to win or lose many games himself but is a weak link right now. He has virtually no trade value and is a sunk cost so he is not going anywhere. He won’t start against many righties so Valera gets those at bats until Utley is back or perhaps Muncy gets some run there.
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Grandal is getting run into the ground with so much usage, Barnes needs to start a couple games a week. Yaz is not hitting at all from the right side either.
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Is it time to see if Joc can handle LHP? They have given Muncy some starts against lefties and Cody. To me Kike is just not a very good CF option. Joc is streaky as we know, try to ride this one. Puig is a difference maker when he gets on base and plays wild horse. The team needs a better mix of big and small ball with more clutch hits.
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If there is a starter out there worth overpaying for it’s DeGrom but I just don’t see it. I think they will ride it out to closer to the deadline then see if they will be buyers at the deadline. In this division 4 of the 5 teams are likely to be buyers and the Pads 50/50 to be sellers (but not buyers)
Dodgers aren’t going to get DJ LeMahieu until after the season and that would only be a maybe. Forsythe is trying but he has been a major disappointment since joining the Dodgers, only now the team can’t afford his lack of production, so either move Muncy to second and see what he can do or if his defense becomes a problem then give Valera a shot at playing every day, whichever but bench Forsythe.
If the Mets put DeGrom on the market and the Dodgers are willing to overpay( that is the only way they or any other team will get him) he could be a huge help. Kershaw, Buehler, DeGrom, Stripling, and Ryu.
Maeda, Hill, and Wood ( if he is not used in a trade) all to the pen.
Some poster on this site change their position on players on a regular basis, while others don’t change regardless of results. Earlier some were wanting to get rid of Muncy, Kemp & Joc for a bag of used baseballs. Now they are all doing much better. Some have wanted to send Belly to OKC. Wood was one of the best last year and is having a rough time now. Is it because he in injured, or has he forgotten how to pitch? I have read Whit Merrifield mentioned for 2B. I remember him as a winner on the South Carolina Gamecocks National Champions a few year back, but he was mainly an outfielder. How good is he at 2B?
Sometimes doors open and we walk through them and the rest is history. Sometimes doors open and we don’t walk through them and we are history. Bellinger, Buehler, Seager, Muncy, Lou Johnson walked through and so far Stewart, Santana, Ferguson, Toles, Verdugo, have not.
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Thought you guys would get a kick out of the mention of Sweet Lou.
I’ll keep beating the drum until it happens, but they’ve got to find a taker for Forsythe. He’s horrible and now the only good part of his game (defense) now sucks. His offense has sucked since he’s been a Dodger sans last year’s post season. Second and third last night with one out, a timely hit scores two and the Dodgers are back in the game. Logan hits a slow roller that scores one on a fielder’s choice. I really dislike his game and he’s costing only $9 million.
Play Valera but please get Logan out of the everyday line-up.