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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: A different viewpoint on the pitching situation
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A sad farewell to Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret Houlihan on 'M*A*S*H*,' one of my favorite shows. All that's left now are Hawkeye, B.J., Radar and Klinger. Once again, in the quest to give you some different voices to hear from during the season, I have reached out to Jake Reiner, who has co-hosted The Incline: Dodgers Podcast with Kevin Klein since 2020. Reiner, an actor, writer, and producer based in Los Angeles, executive produced and starred in the romantic comedy 'Things Like This,' which is currently playing in theaters across the country. Reiner was featured in the final season of HBO Max's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' He's also born into television royalty as the son of Rob Reiner and grandson of the late Carl Reiner. This interview was conducted via email. Q. How long ago and why did you become a Dodger fan? Reiner: I've been a Dodgers fan ever since I learned what baseball was as a young child growing up in Los Angeles. The love of baseball is something that has been passed down from my grandfather to my father and then to me. Both my grandfather and father were originally New York Giants fans that converted to Dodgers fans for different reasons. My grandfather switched his allegiance because he fell in love with Jackie Robinson, and my father changed sides when the Giants traded his beloved Willie Mays to the Mets. I was lucky enough to be born into it after they were already bleeding Dodger blue. Thank God! Q. How do you assess this season's team? Reiner: This year's team is fascinating because there is a lot to improve with this roster and yet they're still leading the division. It's no secret the offense has carried them the entire time. I love the way they're scoring because they aren't just reliant on the home run. They're manufacturing runs, hitting with runners in scoring position, and no deficit feels too large to overcome. The biggest mystery to me is why can't any of their pitchers stay healthy? We've seen a few seasons of this recently, especially with the starting rotation. It's honestly frustrating as a fan of a team that is so well-run in every aspect but we can't seem to get a straight answer as to why guys such as Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell can't stay on the mound. Q. A genie grants your wish and says you are the owner of the Dodgers and can make three immediate changes. What changes do you make? Reiner: 1. I would start Hyeseong Kim every day. Kim provides a type of offensive dynamic that the Dodgers don't have anywhere on their roster outside of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. He's surgical with the bat, can beat out an infield single, steal bases, and has some pop. But unlike Ohtani, Kim plays the field at an elite level. Who knows how long Mookie Betts will be out with his fractured toe, so he may get some more opportunities at shortstop, but playing Miguel Rojas over Kim at this point should be considered a crime. I don't care about platooning — Kim is the better player. 2. This brings me to my next point. I think Rojas' time as a Dodger should come to an end. We saw how decisive the Dodgers were with Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes, and I think Rojas is next on the list. Not knowing everything he provides as a clubhouse leader, what he provides on the field is not cutting it. He kills too many rallies by grounding into double plays while leaving Ohtani on deck most times, he's too slow, and his defense can be replaced. The Dodgers already employ Kim, Kiké Hernández, and Tommy Edman, who can do everything Rojas can do, but exponentially better. Plus, I'd like to see a guy like Alex Freeland get called up from OKC to see what he can do at the big league level. 3. My last change(s) might be the most obvious, which is the Dodgers need to stock up as much pitching as they possibly can get before the July 31 trade deadline. Two starters and two relievers would be ideal, but I know that might be asking for too much. I don't trust Glasnow, Snell, and Roki Sasaki will all return and be effective. I also don't trust Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and Kirby Yates to return at full strength either. This might be a pessimistic view, but the Dodgers medical staff hasn't instilled any confidence in me as it relates to the health of their pitchers. Q. Tanner Scott is struggling right now. The Dodgers pitching is not as good as usual, and they have 14 pitchers on the IL. Do you remain patient, waiting for these guys to get healthy, or do you make a trade? Reiner: I think you can be more patient waiting for some of the relievers to come back — especially if the Dodgers are able to maintain their standing in the NL West. But we've seen a lot of blown saves and home runs galore surrendered by this bullpen, which is not sustainable. If it were me, I'd actually try and find an innings-eating starting pitcher that can be effective and take the ball every fifth day. That might help the overworked bullpen. With all that said, the Dodgers offense has been able to weather the storm — I just hope they can keep this up until we get closer to the trade deadline. Q. Last week, a website listed their 10 greatest Dodgers. A lot of fans were unhappy that Ohtani wasn't among the top 10. Seems way too soon to consider him one of the 10 greatest Dodgers. What do you think? Reiner: I think the fact that Ohtani won an MVP, had a 50-50 season, and won a title all in his first season with the Dodgers has fans salivating and already declaring him a Dodgers legend. I don't doubt he'll continue to put up monster numbers for this franchise, and I've even let myself think about him as the greatest player of all time, but let's give him a few more seasons in blue to truly cement himself in the top 10. While we're on the topic, I think Freddie Freeman could crack that list too when it's all said and done. Q. Do you have a favorite moment from your podcast, and how can fans listen to it? Reiner: We've had a lot of cool guests on the podcast over the years: Shawn Green, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Tim Neverett, Stephen Nelson, Gavin Stone, Dalton Rushing, Bob Nightengale, and Victor Rojas to name a few (all of them basically). However, I'd say one of my favorite moments, which was also a tragedy, was when the Dodgers got swept by the Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLDS. I don't think my co-hosts or I had ever been this collectively animated on a single episode. The pain and frustration we released was as therapeutic as it was completely unhinged. We can laugh about it now because the Dodgers eventually cleaned up their postseason woes from 2022 and 2023 to win it all in 2024. Fans can listen to us on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere you get your podcasts! Please also follow us on X @TheInclinePod! It's funny how the order of victories can change how you view a series. The Dodgers get a great comeback victory over the Yankees on Friday, then blow them out Saturday, before losing Sunday, and some act like it's the worst thing that has ever happened. If it had been reversed, and the Dodgers had lost Friday, then had an amazing comeback victory Saturday and a blowout victory Sunday, those same people would be talking about how amazing the Dodgers are. The fact of the matter is the Dodgers won two of three from the team many believe is the best team in the American League. This is a good thing. The Dodgers are beginning a tough stretch of games right now. The next 16 games are: Four against the Mets, three at St. Louis, three at San Diego, three against San Francisco, three more against San Diego. Only one day off in the middle of all of that. At the end of those 16 games, we will know a lot more about just how good this team is. Right now, they are off to a good start. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Which batters struck out the most with the Dodgers? Franchise1. Matt Kemp, 1,1792. Duke Snider, 1,1233. Gil Hodges, 1,1084. Eric Karros, 1,1055. Chris Taylor, 1,0446. Andre Ethier, 9387. Pee Wee Reese, 8908. Max Muncy, 8829. Ron Cey, 83810. Willie Davis, 815 Los Angeles only1. Matt Kemp, 1,1792. Eric Karros, 1,1053. Chris Taylor, 1,0444. Andre Ethier, 9385. Max Muncy, 8826. Ron Cey, 8387. Willie Davis, 8158. Steve Garvey, 7519. Mike Marshall, 72410. Steve Yeager, 70311. Cody Bellinger, 69112. Bill Russell, 66713. Raúl Mondesi, 66314. Justin Turner, 64715. Davey Lopes, 629 Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you'd like to see Email me at and let me know. I asked you what sort of top 10 list you'd like to see, and the response was overwhelming for 'Top 10 Dodgers at each position.' So, starting with the next newsletter, we will go position by position, listing the top 10 for each. Up first will be shortstop. And I'd like to hear from you, Who do you think are the top 10 Dodgers shortstops of all time? Rank them in order, and I'll compile it and present your list after I give you mine. Who are your top 10 Dodgers shortstops of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list top10shortstops@ and let me know. When Evan Phillips was first put on the IL, the Dodgers thought it would just be for the 15 days required. But no. The Dodgers announced Saturday that Phillips would undergo Tommy John surgery, which means he probably won't pitch again until after the 2026 All-Star break. A tough blow for the bullpen, which still has key members Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates and Brusdar Graterol on the IL. Since putting on glasses, Max Muncy is a new man. In the 25 games since then he's hitting .262/.387/.536 with six homers and 27 RBIs, 17 walks and 17 K's in 84 at bats. Sometimes, patience pays off. Though if I were the Dodgers, I'd bring a top optometrist and ophthalmologist to spring training next season. Sammy Roth writes our 'Boiling Point' newsletter, which deals with environmental concerns. His most recent newsletter takes a look at how the familiar orange and blue 76 logo, a longtime Dodgers sponsor, is now also sponsoring the, wait for it .... San Francisco Giants. Roth writes: 'Long before Clayton Kershaw donned No. 22 and Fernando Valenzuela wore No. 34, another number told fans it was time for Dodger baseball: 76. 'Union Oil Co., the 76 gasoline brand's former owner, helped finance Dodger Stadium's construction. The brand's current owner, Phillips 66, remains a major sponsor. Through six World Series titles, orange-and-blue 76 logos have been a constant presence at Chavez Ravine. They tower above the scoreboards and grace the outfield walls. 'So when 76 recently posted on Instagram that it had begun sponsoring L.A.'s rivals in San Francisco — with an orange-and-blue logo on the center field clock at Oracle Park — some Dodgers fans weren't pleased..... An interesting newsletter, worth a read, which you can do here. A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .253/.330/.443, 224 plate appearances, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 32 RBIs, 118 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .266/.366/.486, 205 PA's, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 33 RBIs, 143 OPS+ Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA's, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 39 OPS+, on the IL Gavin Lux, Reds: .291/.380/.400, 200 PA's, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 22 RBIs, 112 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .267/.358/.420, 205 PA's, 10 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 19 RBIs, 122 OPS+ Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA's, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 49 OPS+, on the IL Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .280/.327/.363, 168 PA's, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 97 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .276/.317/.466, 107 PA's, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 124 OPS+ Chris Taylor, Angels: .091/.091/.091, 11 PA's, -48 OPS+ (numbers with Angels only) Justin Turner, Cubs: .210/.302/.272, 96 PA's, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 11 RBIs, 67 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .299/.358/.423, 257 PA's, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 25 RBIs, 117 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .236/.313/.423, 233 PA's, 15 doubles, 8 homers, 26 RBIs, 108 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .259/.320/.326, 147 PA's, 9 doubles, 10 RBIs, 82 OPS+ Pitching Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-3, 4.44 ERA, 46.2 IP, 46 hits, 15 walks, 42 K's, 93 ERA+ Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-6, 3.94 ERA, 59.1 IP, 47 hits, 19 walks, 72 K's, 101 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-2, 5.19 ERA, 11 saves, 17.1 IP, 19 hits, 7 walks, 16 K's, 80 ERA+ Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K's, 52 ERA+, in the minors Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 3-5, 3.21 ERA, 70 IP, 61 hits, 20 walks, 56 K's, 121 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-0, 2.83 ERA, 41.1 IP, 30 hits, 11 walks, 40 K's, 139 ERA+ Is there a player you'd like to see listed here? Email me at and let me know. Monday: New York Mets (Tylor Megill, 4-4, 3.52 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.20 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: New York Mets (Griffin Canning, 5-2, 3.23 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 2.12 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, TBS, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: New York Mets (*David Peterson, 4-2, 2.69 ERA) at Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 3-1, 5.23 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Thursday: New York Mets (Kodai Senga, 5-3, 1.46 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-2, 5.22 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Hernández: 'I have no words for it.' Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani inspires awe and confidence Mookie Betts dealing with fractured toe, won't start against Yankees this weekend Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery A look at Maury Wills' 104 stolen bases in 1962. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Assessing the team before the Yankees series
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Chris Taylor looks weird in an Angels uniform. Here we are, a little over a third of the way through the season, so let's take a look at how the Dodgers stack up in various categories. OPS+A league average OPS+ is 100. Anything above that is good, anything below, not as good. And the higher of lower your OPS+, the better or worse you are. OPS is on-base% plus slugging%: Freddie Freeman, 194 (Freeman is 94% better than the league average hitter)Shohei Ohtani, 191Will Smith, 178Teoscar Hernández, 151Hyeseong Kim, 144Andy Pages, 116Mookie Betts, 111Kiké Hernández, 108Tommy Edman, 100Max Muncy, 94Michael Conforto, 73Dalton Rushing, 68James Outman, 67Miguel Rojas, 66Austin Barnes, 47Chris Taylor, 29 ERA+Same as OPS+, only for pitching. Minimum 10 innings RotationYoshinobu Yamamoto, 198 (Yamamoto is 98% better than the league average hitter)Dustin May, 93Tyler Glasnow, 88Tony Gonsolin, 84Roki Sasaki, 83Clayton Kershaw, 82Landon Knack, 75 BullpenBen Casparius, 140Jack Dreyer, 130Matt Sauer, 130Alex Vesia, 117Luis García, 103Antony Banda, 98Kirby Yates, 91Tanner Scott, 85 Inherited runners who scored %League average is 32.4% Ben Casparius, 0% (0 of 5 inherited runners have scored)Evan Phillips, 0% (0 of 3)Matt Sauer, 0% (0 of 3)Lou Trivino, 0% (0 of 3)Tanner Scott, 0% (0 of 2)Jack Dreyer, 20% (1 of 5)Luis García, 25% (3 of 12)Alex Vesia, 45.6% (5 of 11)Kirby Yates, 33.3% (1 of 3)Anthony Banda, 37.5% (3 of 8)Team, 23.6% (13 of 55) Where the Dodgers rank as a team in various stats (numbers, except winning percentage, are through Wednesday) Winning percentage1. Detroit, 37-20, .6492. Philadelphia, 36-20, .6433. N.Y. Yankees, 35-20, .6364. Chicago Cubs, 35-21, .6255. Dodgers, 34-22, .6075. N.Y. Mets, 34-22, .6077. San Diego, 31-23, .574 Note: The Dodgers are projected to win 98 games. Last season, they won 99. Offense Runs per game 1. Chicago Cubs, 5.892. Dodgers, 5.613. N.Y. Yankees, 5.554. Detroit, 5.055. Arizona, 4.98 Batting average1. Dodgers, .2632. Chicago Cubs, .2623. St. Louis, .2624. N.Y. Yankees, .2595. Philadelphia, .259 On-base %1. N.Y. Yankees, .3431. Dodgers, .3414. Philadelphia, .3363. Chicago Cubs, .3355. St. Louis, .333 Slugging %1. N.Y. Yankees, .4662. Dodgers, .4583. Chicago Cubs, .4504. Arizona, .4455. Boston, .419 Doubles1. Arizona, 1102. Boston, 1062. St. Louis, 1063. Chicago Cubs, 1055. N.Y. Yankees, 1039. Dodgers, 93 Triples1. Colorado, 152. Chicago Cubs, 133. N.Y. Mets, 124. Arizona, 114. Kansas City, 11T8. Dodgers, 9 Home runs1. N.Y. Yankees, 882. Dodgers, 873. Angels, 793. Chicago Cubs, 795. Arizona, 77 Walks1. N.Y. Yankees, 2252. Dodgers, 2163. Chicago Cubs, 2124. Seattle, 2105. N.Y. Mets, 207 Strikeouts1. Colorado, 5492. Angels, 5423. Boston, 5224. Detroit, 5105. Cincinnati, 508T12. Dodgers, 464 Stolen Bases1. Tampa Bay, 762. Milwaukee, 743. Chicago Cubs, 724. Pittsburgh, 565. Boston, 545. Cincinnati, 54T19. Dodgers, 38 Pitching ERA1. N.Y. Mets, 2.872. Kansas City, 3.153. Texas, 3.194. San Francisco, 3.225. Detroit, 3.2321. Dodgers, 4.09 Rotation ERA1. Texas, 2.871. N.Y. Mets, 2.913. Kansas City, 3.024. Philadelphia, 3.155. Detroit, 3.2222. Dodgers, 4.20 Rotation innings1. Kansas City, 324.22. Arizona, 313.13. Pittsburgh, 311.24. Philadelphia, 3115. Tampa Bay, 310.129. Dodgers, 259.1 Bullpen ERA1. San Francisco, 2.482. Houston, 2.673. N.Y. Mets, 2.914. Minnesota, 3.185. N.Y. Yankees, 3.2517. Dodgers, 3.98 Bullpen innings1. Dodgers, 239.22. Milwaukee, 229.23. Miami, 221.14. Boston, 215.25. Chicago White Sox, 212.2 Baserunners per 9 IP1. Houston, 1.1482. N.Y. Yankees, 1.1493. Detroit, 1.1564. Minnesota, 1.1595. Texas, 1.16118. Dodgers, 1.291 Unearned runs allowed1. Tampa Bay, 102. Washington, 123. Houston, 134. Atlanta, 144. Minnesota, 1420. Dodgers, 22 Fewest walks allowed1. Minnesota, 1332. Tampa Bay, 1533. St. Louis, 1554. Toronto, 1575. Kansas City, 15822. Dodgers, 193 Strikeouts1. Philadelphia, 5312. N.Y. Yankees, 5283. Houston, 5194. Dodgers, 5165. N.Y. Mets, 498 Fewest home runs allowed1. N.Y. Mets, 362. San Francisco, 413. St. Louis, 424. N.Y. Yankees, 464. Pittsburgh, 4724. Dodgers, 69 Saves1. Philadelphia, 191. San Diego, 193. Kansas City, 183. Seattle, 18T5. Dodgers, 17 Blown saves1, Boston, 142. Dodgers, 122. Athletics, 124. Arizona, 114. Pittsburgh, 114. Chicago White Sox, 11 Yes, I know, that's a lot of numbers I've thrown at you. But before we can analyze any team weaknesses, there needs to be proof of what we are talking about. And look at those pitching numbers. Not ideal. In the bottom half of most categories. But let me draw your attention to two key stats: The Dodgers are next to last in the majors in innings pitched by their starting rotation. And they are first in innings pitched by their bullpen. The offense has been carrying the team. And if the bullpen continues to pitch this many innings, they will be burned out by the time October gets here. There is no fix. We can only wait for the pitchers on the IL to get healthy, especially Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell. And for Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen, among others, to return to the bullpen. We are 56 games into the season, and the Dodgers have already used 27 pitchers. They've had to use guys such as Ryan Loutos, Noah Davis and J.P. Feyereisen to pitch for them. This does not seem sustainable over a full season. Of course, there's still 106 games to go. The two players still drawing the most negative attention on the team are Max Muncy and Michael Conforto. They both have had lengthy, lengthy, lengthy slumps. But they are both showing signs of coming out of it. Since May 4, Muncy is hitting .250/.365/.426. That's May 10, Conforto is hitting .267/.389/.444. Also good. Some Dodger fans would like the team to trade some prospects for a replacement for Muncy or Conforto, or both. But as we can see in the previous item, the offense isn't the problem. And with the Dodgers' luck, if they traded for a pitcher, he'd get hurt in his first appearance. Or, as the great coach Norman Dale once said, 'I would hope you would support who we are. Not who we are not.' The Yankees come to town this weekend for a three-game series. A rematch of last year's World Series. And as good as Shohei Ohtani is as a hitter, Aaron Judge is every bit as good. He's hitting only .391/.488/.739 this season, with 14 doubles, 18 homers and 47 RBIs. Some Yankees were upset during the offseason, feeling the Dodgers took too much glee and rubbed it in about the Yankees' metdown in the fifth inning of Game 5. Yankees closer Luke Weaver told Times reporter Bill Shaikin recently: 'The way I personally look at it is, when you go out and you are on the right side of the victory, you've got a leg to stand on. When you lose, you ain't got much to say. They said what they said. That's what they felt. I don't take it too personally. In a perfect world, yeah, you don't want to hear that type of stuff. We know what happened. We know we had to do a better job. We just didn't quite do what we wanted to do. With that being said, it is what it is.' It should be a fun series to watch. And if the Yankees win two of three or sweep, don't believe it when a sportswriter or broadcaster tells you 'The Yankees avenged last year's World Series.' No, they didn't. One of the first lessons I learned as a sports reporter: Winning a regular season series the following season does not avenge a postseason loss. People writing that are relying on a tired cliche. Tanner Scott has three blown saves in his last five appearances. costing the Dodgers against Arizona, the Mets and Cleveland. 'I'm not putting [guys] away,' Scott told Jack Harris before the blown save against Cleveland. 'I'm not getting the swing-and-miss, and I'm keeping the ball in the zone too much.' The Dodgers don't have much of a choice but to keep sending Scott out there (he does have 10 saves), as Harris noted: 'Fellow high-leverage relievers Evan Phillips (forearm discomfort), Blake Treinen (forearm sprain), Kirby Yates (hamstring strain) and Michael Kopech (shoulder impingement) are all out injured. And while Kopech is on a minor-league rehab assignment, and Yates and Treinen are both beginning throwing programs, Phillips' absence is starting to become 'concerning,' Dave Roberts acknowledged this weekend, with the team's former ninth-inning fixture now going on three weeks without throwing because of an injury initially expected to keep him out for only the minimum 15 days.' Every closer goes through rough patches. In previous seasons, the Dodgers had so much pitching depth that when a key reliever started to struggle a bit, they could let him pitch in low-leverage situations for a while until he regained his form. This season, they don't have that luxury. Treinen, Phillips, Yates, Kopech are hurt. The odds are that Scott will rebound. Chris Taylor, released by the Dodgers last week, signed with the Angels, so he will be staying in the area. 'I'm excited to stay home — I get to live at home,' Taylor said before his first game. 'The Angels have been playing really good baseball, so I'm excited to join the team and hopefully get on the field. That was one thing with the Dodgers this year, just my role, I wasn't getting on the field that much. So I'm really just looking forward to, like, getting consistent at-bats and playing time. 'First and foremost, I want to perform on the field. I want to help this team win ballgames. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself. I haven't performed to how I feel I'm capable of playing the last couple seasons, and I kind of want to turn that around.' On the Dodgers releasing him: 'It was emotional. I've been on the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh, hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter. I'm excited to do that here.' Taylor is one for nine with five strikeouts with the Angels. The Dodgers' all-time leaders in home runs: Franchise1. Duke Snider, 3892. Gil Hodges, 3613. Eric Karros, 2704. Roy Campanella, 2425. Ron Cey, 2286. Steve Garvey, 2117. Matt Kemp, 2038. Max Muncy, 1949. Carl Furillo, 19210. Mike Piazza, 177 Los Angeles only1. Eric Karros, 2702. Ron Cey, 2283. Steve Garvey, 2114. Matt Kemp, 2035. Max Muncy, 1946. Mike Piazza, 1777. Pedro Guerrero, 1718. Raúl Mondesi, 1639. Andre Ethier, 1629. Shawn Green, 16211. Justin Turner, 15612. Willie Davis, 15413. Cody Bellinger, 15214. Adrian Beltré, 14715. Dusty Baker, 14416. Mookie Betts, 14017. Mike Marshall, 13718. Joc Pederson, 13019. Gary Sheffield, 12920. Frank Howard, 123 Friday: N.Y. Yankees (*Max Fried, 7-0, 1.29 ERA) at Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-1, 4.68 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Apple TV+, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: N.Y. Yankees (Will Warren, 3-2, 4.09 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-2, 5.22 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: N.Y. Yankees (*Ryan Yarbrough, 2-0, 3.06 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-3, 1.97 ERA), 4 p.m., ESPN2, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-hander Shaikin: 'Another log on the fire.' Yankees eager to avenge World Series meltdown against Dodgers 'A major league shortstop, on a championship club.' Why Dodgers don't plan to move Mookie Betts Dodgers acquire former All-Star closer Alexis Díaz in trade with Reds Chris Taylor is staying in SoCal. Angels sign former Dodgers utilityman The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track Shohei Ohtani throws live batting practice session 19 months after Tommy John surgery 'It's reimagining team travel.' Why the Dodgers are using two planes on road trips this year Vin Scully and the city of Nashville honor Jim Gilliam. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: A closer look at the pitching problems
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. One day it's hot, the next day it's cold. I think the Earth might have the flu. Let's face it, the Dodgers haven't been playing all that brilliantly lately. They are 10-9 in May and had a four-game losing streak at one point. The fault for this is mainly the pitching, which has been in shambles lately. What's gone wrong, and how can the Dodgers, uh, deshambleize? One of the best things about baseball is they keep track of every conceivable stat. So let's take a look at some numbers. Most runs given up in the first inning this season: 1. Colorado, 532. Baltimore, 392. Athletics, 394. Dodgers, 385. Houston, 335. White Sox, 337. Angels, 32 The fewest number of runs given up in the first inning this season is three by Kansas City. Most runs given up in the first three innings this season: 1. Colorado, 1262. Athletics, 1103. Baltimore, 1084. Arizona, 875. Dodgers, 856. Angels, 84 The fewest: 33, by the Royals. Most runs given up in the ninth inning this season: 1. Arizona, 352. Philadelphia, 293. Angels, 244. Mets, 235. Toronto, 236. Texas, 226. Pittsburgh, 227. Dodgers, 21 The fewest: Nine, by Minnesota and the Cubs If you are near the lead in giving up runs at the beginning and end of games, then you are fortunate to be 31-19. It's not sustainable, but it seems unlikely the Dodgers' pitching will be like this all season, particularly when guys start making their way off the IL. And let's look at the IL for pitchers again: Dodger pitchers on the IL and when they are expected to return: Tyler Glasnow, shoulder (before All-Star break)Brusdar Graterol, shoulder surgery (September)Michael Grove, shoulder surgery (2026)Edgardo Henriquez, broken foot (June)Kyle Hurt, Tommy John surgery (2026)Michael Kopech, shoulder impingement (later this month)Evan Phillips, elbow (unknown)River Ryan, Tommy John surgery (2026)Roki Sasaki, shoulder (unknown)Emmet Sheehan, Tommy John surgery (around the All-Star break)Blake Snell, shoulder (before All-Star break)Gavin Stone, shoulder surgery (2026)Blake Treinen, forearm (July)Kirby Yates, strained hamstring (early June) Shohei Ohtani is expected back as a pitcher soon after the All-Star break. Three members of the season-opening rotation are on the IL. Three members of the season-opening bullpen are on the IL. Not a recipe for success. Glasnow and Snell have begun throwing, so they could be back before the break. Kopech is close to a return. Phillips had a setback in his recovery, but all signs are positive for everyone else. 'It still doesn't feel like last year, but we're in May, so not gonna jinx it and get into any comparisons,' Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, told reporters. 'For the most part, the things that we've gone through are shorter-term. Last year, they were significant and resulted in surgery. In some ways, maybe we're over-indexing some and just being a little bit more cautious and trying to make sure it doesn't get to that point. 'But I said this a lot, and I think anyone who doesn't say it is not being honest, there's a lot we don't know about injury stuff, and I think it's important not to pretend like we have all the answers. There's a lot to it that is really challenging, and we're hoping to continue to grow and learn from experiences and just try to make the smartest, best move we can, knowing we're going to make mistakes. … It's by far the No. 1 thing that keeps me up at night.' Best starting rotation ERA this season: 1. Mets, 2.832. Texas, 2.873. Kansas City, 2.934. Philadelphia, 3.345. Minnesota, 3.4123. Dodgers, 4.3030. Colorado, 7.03 Best bullpen ERA this season: 1. San Francisco, 2.662. Houston, 2.863. Mets, 2.914. Minnesota, 3.095. Detroit, 3.1916. Dodgers, 4.0030. Angels, 6.67 Sometimes, a low bullpen ERA can be misleading. Let's say a reliever comes in with the bases loaded and one out. He gives up a bases-clearing triple, then strikes out the last two batter. The reliever's ERA is 0.00, but did he do his job? No, so we also need to check a stat called inherited runners who scored, or IRS%. In the example given, the reliever's IRS% is 100%. The league average this season is 32.9%. Here are the best teams this season in IRS%: 1. Toronto, 20.8% (15 of 72 inherited runners scored)2. Yankees, 23.1% (18 of 78)3. Dodgers, 23.4% (11 of 47)4. Baltimore, 24.7% (18 of 73)5. Seattle, 27.3% (12 of 44)30. San Francisco, 42.9% (21 of 49) Dodgers' ERA as a starting pitcher this season: Ben Casparius, 0.00 (one inning)Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1.86 (58)Blake Snell, 2.00 (9)Tony Gonsolin, 4.05 (20)Dustin May, 4.09 (50.2)Matt Sauer, 4.50 (4)Tyler Glasnow, 4.50 (18)Roki Sasaki, 4.72 (34.1)Landon Knack, 6.61 (16.1)Jack Dreyer, 6.75 (5.1)Clayton Kershaw, 11.25 (4)Justin Wrobleski, 14.40 (5)Bobby Miller, 18.00 (3) Yamamoto has carried the rotation this season. Finally, the Dodgers are 10-9 this month. Have they had any months where they finished .500 or worse since 2017? Ten worst months by the Dodgers since 2017: September, 2017: 12-17, .414April, 2018: 11-14, .440July, 2024: 11-13, .458May, 2018: 14-14, .500June, 2023: 12-12, .500August, 2018: 14-13, .519May, 2025: 10-9, .526June, 2022: 14-12, .538July, 2021: 14-12, .538April, 2017: 14-12, .538 Note: This does not include short months (March or October) when they may have gone 0-1 or 2-3. So, except for 2019, every full season since 2017 has included one mediocre month. Maybe the Dodgers are getting it out of the way in May this season. This stretch of games calls for patience. The Dodgers have made moves to improve their offense this month. But there's not a lot to do to improve the pitching except wait for guys to get healthy. It's hard to be patient when there are four teams playing so well in the NL West, with one of the four guaranteed not to make the playoffs. Think of it this way: They say patience is a virtue, and couldn't we all use a little virtue in our life? We've been doing the 'Ask.... ' series for quite a few years now, where Dodgers from the past answer questions posed by readers. I have a couple lined up that I won't reveal just yet, but what I'd like to know is: Who would you like to hear from? Is there a former Dodger for whom you have a question? Email me at and let me know. No promises, since the person has to agree to do it, but I can try. And before you send me this name, Sandy Koufax is off the table. I've asked more than once, and he just doesn't do interviews. And I respect that. But any other former Dodger is fair game. Except the ones who are no longer with us, I guess that technically makes them a member of the Angels now. Previous interviews: Ron Cey Fred Claire Carl Erskine Joe Davis Shawn Green Mickey Hatcher Orel Hershiser Tommy John Eric Karros Tom Niedenfuer Peter O'Malley Jerry Reuss Steve Sax Mike Scioscia Maury Wills I'm probably forgetting a few, but you get the idea. And, now you know not to ask for the people listed. Again, email me at and let me know who you'd like to hear from. The flip side of the previous leaders: Dodgers' all-time worst in batting average with two out and runners in scoring position, minimum 150 at-bats, excluding pitchers. Franchise1. Dave Anderson, .1792. Rick Monday, .1853. Austin Barnes, .1884. Steve Yeager, .1905. A.J. Ellis, .1936. Joc Pederson, .1947. Yasmani Grandal, .1988. Dave Hansen, .2009. Ollie O'Mara, .20010. Jim Bucher, .204 Los Angeles only1. Dave Anderson, .1792. Rick Monday, .1853. Austin Barnes, .1884. Steve Yeager, .1905. A.J. Ellis, .1936. Joc Pederson, .1947. Yasmani Grandal, .1988. Dave Hansen, .2009. Greg Brock, .20910. Tim Wallach, .21111. Yasiel Puig, .21512. Frank Howard, .21713. Max Muncy, .21814. Cody Bellinger, .22015. John Roseboro, .222 Memorial Day is Monday, so there will be no newsletter that day as we honor those who gave their lives for this country. Dodgers Dugout will return next Friday. Friday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 0-0, 11.25 ERA) at New York Mets (Griffin Canning, 5-1, 2.47 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Apple TV+, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-0, 4.05 ERA) at New York Mets (*David Peterson, 2-2, 2.86 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-1, 6.17 ERA) at New York Mets (Kodai Senga, 4-3, 1.43 ERA), 4 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Hernández: It's tempting to rush Shohei Ohtani back on the mound, but the Dodgers shouldn't do it Reinforcements soon? Injured Dodgers pitchers, including Shohei Ohtani, are finally progressing Why a tight NL West race factored into Dodgers' decision to cut Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes Vin Scully reflects on Roy Campanella. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Farewell, Chris Taylor
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Let's hope the Dodgers don't have to face the Angels in the postseason. Last week, the Dodgers designated longtime backup catcher Austin Barnes for assignment to make room for Dalton Rushing. The other shoe dropped Sunday when the Dodgers released Chris Taylor to make way for a returning Tommy Edman. Taylor is a longtime fan favorite whose last good season at the plate was 2021. After that season, he signed a four-year, $60-million contract. He also had elbow surgery that offseason, and was never the same after that. Still good-to-great defensively, but on offense, well, the numbers speak for themselves: 2022: .221/.304/.373, 89 OPS+2023: .237/.326/.420, 102 OPS+2024: .202/.290/.300, 72 OPS+2025: .200/.200/.257, 29 OPS+ Taylor had only 35 at-bats spread over 28 games this season. When Hyeseong Kim came up from the minors and played so well, there was no reason to keep Taylor when Edman came off the IL. It would have been really hard to justify sending Kim down. But, showing that it's possible for two conflicting thoughts to be true at the same time, while it was the best thing for the Dodgers to release him, it's still hard to see him go. 'This has been a very emotional week for all of us,' president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters before Sunday's game. 'Barnsey and CT have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both guys have left an indelible mark on our culture and where we're at at this point. So the decisions were incredibly difficult. The conversations were tough. But with where we are, the division race, the composition of roster, everything. We felt like this was in the Dodgers' best interest in terms of how to win as many games and put us in a position to best win the World Series this year.' Taylor, who went to Virginia, was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. He reached the majors in 2014 with the Mariners and was considered a disappointment at the time after hitting only .240/.296/.296 in 86 games with the Mariners. The Dodgers acquired him on June 19, 2016 for one-time top prospect Zach Lee. Not much attention was given to the deal, and the attention it was given was for the Dodgers giving up on Lee. A few years later, Jerry DiPoto, who was GM of the Mariners for the trade, called it the worst deal he ever made. Taylor hit .207 in limited playing time with the Dodgers over the rest of the 2016 season, before the Dodgers, or Taylor, or both, unlocked something offensively. He hit .288/.354/.496 with 34 doubles, 21 homers, 72 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2017 while playing five different positions and was a key player on the team that reached the World Series before losing to the Houston Astros*. Taylor hit two homers during the NLCS and one during the World Series. He was named co-MVP of the NLCS with Justin Turner. Little-known fact: He didn't make the team out of spring training. He was brought up for the minors on April 19, 2017 when Logan Forsythe suffered a broken toe when hit by a pitch. How would Dodger, and Chris Taylor's, fortunes have changed if Forsythe wasn't hit by that pitch? in 2018 he hit .254/.331/.444, with 35 doubles and 17 homers, .262/.333/.462 with 29 doubles and 12 homers in 2019 and .270/.366/.476 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He made his first and only All-Star team in 2021. And then the wheels started falling off. Here's a guy who has been with the team since 2016, and what do we know about him? Not much. He never sought the spotlight, just did his job every day to the best of his abilities. 'He is the consummate pro, the way he did a trust fall when he got here,' Friedman said. 'He came in hungry and wanting to get better, and dove in with our hitting guys, with our position coaches. … He was a huge part of so much success that we've enjoyed. Can't say enough about the human, the worker, the teammate, the player.' If you dig a little deeper about Taylor, you discover he quietly helped families who were hurt by the devastating wildfires earlier this year. His CT3 Foundation raised millions of dollars for organization in L.A. and his hometown Virginia Beach, including Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Variety Boys and Girls Club, The Friendship Foundation, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters, and Roc Solid Foundation. He was just shy of reaching 10 seasons in the majors. Once a player reaches 10 years of service, they are eligible for up to $265,000 per year if they wait until age 62 to activate their pension. Seasons are counted as 172 days on the 26-man roster, so if you are bounced up and down from the minors, only your time in the majors counts. That's how Taylor can be listed as '12 seasons' in the majors on most stat sites, but really be shy of 10 seasons. He needed to be on the Dodgers until early August to make it. If some other team signs him, then his time there will also count toward his 10 seasons. Taylor is at 9.037 seasons. He has also been paid almost $74 million in his career, so he should be fine. He just beats me out by about.... $73,500,000. Austin Barnes was at 8.098 seasons of service. He has been paid $18 million in his career. Taylor's first career home run was a grand slam with the Dodgers. His 100th career home run was a grand slam with the Dodgers, making him the only player in history whose first and 100th home runs were grand slams. He appeared in 80 postseason games with L.A., hitting .247/.351/.441 with 13 doubles, nine homers and 26 RBIs. The most important homer may have been his walk-off homer in the 2021 wild-card game against St. Louis. You can watch that here. Taylor was a part of two World Series winning teams. There aren't a lot of players who can say that. It seems likely some other team will pick him up and see if he can recapture some of his old magic. We wish him well and thank him for some great memories. *-The Astros cheated during that season and postseason. Clayton Kershaw had his first outing of the season Saturday and the results were.... mixed. He gave up three runs in the first inning and looked bad. Then he settled a bit before seeming to tire. His line: Four innings pitched, five hits, five runs, three walks, two strikeouts. We can draw no conclusions from this. We couldn't if he had thrown five hitless innings. It's going to take a couple more starts to figure out just how Kershaw is. 'I love getting back out there. It's a special thing to get to go back and pitch at Dodger Stadium,' Kershaw told reporters after Saturday's game. 'Obviously, I wanted to pitch better. I need to pitch better going forward. But I think there's some glimpses of some of my stuff being there, which is good. The problem tonight was just command.' Dave Roberts on Kershaw to reporters after the game: 'The stuff overall, I was impressed with. The velocity was more than it's been in quite some time. At times the slider was good. At times the curveball was good. He mixed in a lot of change-ups, which was good. The command just wasn't consistent. He got to a lot of two-strike counts and couldn't put hitters away, where typically that's his hallmark.' We asked readers of our Sports Report and Dodgers Dugout newsletters, 'Should Pete Rose and Joe Jackson be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?' After 19,803 responses Pete RoseYes, 46.6%No, 53.4% Joe JacksonYes, 55.4%No, 44.6% The Dodgers' all-time leaders in batting average with two out and runners in scoring position, minimum 150 at-bats. Franchise1. Howie Schultz, .3452. Freddie Freeman, .3433. Billy Herman, .3334. Del Bissonette, .3325. Jack Fournier, .3326. Mickey Owen, .3307. Jake Daubert, .3288. Corey Seager, .3279. Augie Galan, .32610. Dixie Walker, .325 Los Angeles only1. Freddie Freeman, .3432. Corey Seager, .3273. Mike Piazza, .3184. Mookie Betts, .3175. Lou Johnson, .3136. Paul Lo Duca, .3117. Jeff Kent, .3048. Steve Garvey, .2959. Ron Fairly, .29310. Adrián González, .287 Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you'd like to see Email me at and let me know. A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .258/.331/.458, 178 plate appearances, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 28 RBIs, 123 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .255/.355/.463, 172 PA's, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 25 RBIs, 131 OPS+ Jason Heyward, Padres, .177/.227/.278, 89 PA's, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 42 OPS+ Gavin Lux, Reds: .291/.379/.399, 169 PA's, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 19 RBIs, 113 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .281/.367/.418, 170 PA's, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 125 OPS+ Joc Pederson, Rangers, .130/.259/.243, 136 PA's, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 47 OPS+ Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .280/.327/.363, 168 PA's, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 97 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .300/.346/.520, 107 PA's, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 148 OPS+, on the IL Justin Turner, Cubs: .169/.291/.185, 79 PA's, 1 double, 9 RBIs, 40 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .294/.352/.378, 196 PA's, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, 104 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .245/.328/.4219, 180 PA's, 10 doubles, 6 homers, 21 RBIs, 114 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .264/.322/.340, 115 PA's, 8 doubles, 9 RBIs, 85 OPS+ Pitching Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-1, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 32 hits, 9 walks, 29 K's, 98 ERA+, on the IL Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 2-5, 4.44 ERA, 46.2 IP, 42 hits, 15 walks, 56 K's, 90 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-2, 5.40 ERA, 8 saves, 13.1 IP, 15 hits, 3 walks, 12 K's, 80 ERA+ Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K's, 52 ERA+, in the minors Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 2-5, 3.93 ERA, 50.1 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 45 K's, 101 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 1-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 21 hits, 10 walks, 20 K's, 107 ERA+ Is there a player you'd like to see listed here? Email me at and let me know. Monday: Arizona (Brandon Pfaadt, 6-3, 3.73 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-1, 5.89 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: Arizona (Ryne Nelson, 1-1, 5.13 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-3, 2.12 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: Arizona (Corbin Burnes, 3-1, 2.56 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 1-4, 4.43 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Dodgers release Chris Taylor, parting ways with another veteran 'A lot of gratitude and gratefulness to get back.' Clayton Kershaw reflects on 2025 return Chris Taylor hits a walk-off homer to win the 2021 wild-card game. Watch and listen here. Chris Taylor makes an incredible catch to preserve a 2018 NLCS Game 7 lead over Milwaukee. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers make a surprising move
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. There are only 10 players still on the team who were on the 2020 World Series title team. Can you name them? Answer below. The Dodgers did something Wednesday that I didn't think they would do, certainly not this early in the season: They designated catcher Austin Barnes for assignment and brought catcher Dalton Rushing up from the minors. Designated for assignment means the Dodgers have seven days to place Barnes on waivers, trade him or release him. Barnes had been with the Dodgers since 2015, with only Clayton Kershaw having a longer current tenure with the club. Barnes, who went to Riverside Poly High and Arizona State, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2011 draft by the Florida (now Miami) Marlins. After the 2014 season, he was traded to the Dodgers by the Marlins along with Chris Hatcher, Andrew Heaney and Kiké Hernández for Dee Strange-Gordon, Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas, which makes me realize that Barnes' first season with the team was also the first year of this newsletter. I hope that's not an ominous sign. Barnes' first full season with the Dodgers was 2017, and it was also his best season offensively, as he hit .289/.408/.486 with 15 doubles, eight homers and 38 RBIs in 262 plate appearances as the backup for Yasmani Grandal. Barnes was mainly a backup in his career, appearing in 100 or more games only twice, 2017 and 2018. He hit so well in 2017 that he moved into a platoon role with Grandal near the end of the season and was the main starter during the postseason, going 10 for 46 with a homer and five RBIs. His defense was his true calling card, as he was one of the best at pitch calling, pitch framing and blocking pitches in the dirt. Pitchers loved him, and he was considered almost an extra coach on the bench the last couple of seasons. His hitting has fallen off dramatically the last few seasons. Since 2021 he had hit .215, .212, .180, .264 (with few walks and little power) and .214 this season. The final blow was deteriorating defense, as his arm had grown weak. With the Dodgers struggling offensively at the bottom of the lineup, it was getting hard to justify giving Will Smith more than one day off a week, and it's best to give your stating catcher a couple of games off a week so he can stay fresh in September and the postseason. It was a still a surprise though. But if you take a moment to consider that the Dodgers traded A.J. Ellis despite him being a favorite of Kershaw, perhaps it really isn't a surprise. And you have to wonder if Chris Taylor is feeling nervous considering how well Hyeseong Kim is playing right now. When Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman come back, there will be some key roster decisions to be made. James Outman will be sent down, but who else goes? Barnes should always be remembered for one thing more than any other. In Game 6 of the 2020 World Series, Blake Snell, then pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, was cruising, shutting out the Dodgers on two hits while striking out nine through 5.1 innings. He looked unhittable. Barnes came to the plate and singled to center. Rays manager Kevin Cash came out and removed Snell. Against reliever Nick Anderson, Mookie Betts doubled Barnes to third. Anderson threw a wild pitch, letting Barnes score, and Betts scored on a ground out by Corey Seager, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. The Dodgers went on to win the game and the Series. Does Cash replace Snell if Barnes doesn't get that hit? We'll never know, but it seems doubtful. If Barnes lands with another team, he deserves a nice ovation when he returns to Dodger Stadium. Talking about Barnes, Dave Roberts said: 'This was certainly a tough conversation. Austin is a Dodger for life. He helped us win the championship. Caught the last pitch in 2020, in the World Series, and he's done a lot of great things in the community, for the Dodgers, for myself, personally. I just think that for us right now, with what Dalton Rushing is doing on the performance side, it's an opportunity to challenge him, expand his growth, give him an opportunity to log some major league games and essentially give him some runway.' So, let's talk about Rushing. He went to Louisville and was taken in the second round of the 2022 draft. He has moved consistently through the minors, hitting good to great everywhere and was hitting .308/.424/.514 at triple-A Oklahoma City this season. His bat has been major-league ready for a while. With Will Smith solidly behind the plate in L.A., the Dodgers tried Rushing out at first base and left field. Reports from scouts who have seen him play left field are that he's a work in progress, and the Dodgers say they want him to be a catcher. So it appears he is coming up to spell Smith a couple of times a week. It's tough for a young player, used to playing every day, to come to a team and sit on the bench most of the time. So it will be interesting to see what exactly the Dodgers do with him. Two of the positions he could play, first base and DH, are currently taken by two future Hall of Famers. And will the Dodgers want to risk the defense by putting him in left? If he plays for a couple of weeks as the backup catcher and is hitting line drives everywhere, will they be tempted to put him in left? Roberts on Rushing: 'In one sense, to not take at-bats every day, you could see some downside. But I think that us talking internally, having him here in this environment, around our pitchers, around our coaches, understanding how we game plan, understanding major league hitters, and then to most importantly log major league at-bats — I think just net sum, it was more positive.' It will be fun to watch. Clayton Kershaw will make his long-awaited return to the rotation Saturday against the Angels. How will he do? Who knows. It's just nice to have him back out there. Kershaw is one of the two greatest pitchers in Dodgers history, along with Sandy Koufax. The last time we did voting for the greatest Dodgers of all time, Koufax finished first, Kershaw fourth (Jackie Robinson and Vin Scully were in between). The last few seasons have been injury-filled, but Kershaw has still been a good pitcher. He only looks bad if you compare him to the numbers he put up in his prime. Last season, when he started seven games and had a 4.50 ERA, was the first season since 2008 (his first year) when he had an ERA+ below 100. In 2022 it was 177, meaning he was 77% better than the league average pitcher. In 2023, it was 175. And you can count on one thing even now: Every time Kershaw goes out on the mound, he's going to empty the tank. He's going to give you everything he's got. He pitched on short rest during the postseason. He did everything the Dodgers asked him. This may be his last season. Enjoy it while you can. Most seasons with the Dodgers: 18 seasonsClayton KershawBill RussellZack Wheat 16 seasonsGil HodgesPee Wee ReeseDuke SniderDon Sutton 15 seasonsCarl Furillo 14 seasonsWillie DavisDon DrysdaleSteve GarveyJim GilliamSteve Yeager Kershaw's return was at a good time, because the Dodgers put Roki Sasaki on the IL on Tuesday because of 'right shoulder impingement.' Apparently, Sasaki had pain in his shoulder for a few weeks and didn't tell anyone. He only mentioned it after his last start. Meanwhile, his fastball velocity had been dipping each start. Now we know why. There's almost always an adjustment period when pitcher come from Japan to the U.S. A different baseball (the ball in Japan is slightly smaller (8.875–9.125 inches compared to 9–9.25 inches), the pitch clock, and, the ball in Japan has better grip, making it easier to manipulate and spin. Plus, even without those factors, just adapting to a new country is difficult enough. When Sasaki will return is unknown. He was 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA this season. Dodger pitchers on the IL and when they are expected to return: Tyler Glasnow, shoulder (unknown)Brusdar Graterol, shoulder surgery (September)Michael Grove, shoulder surgery (2026)Edgardo Henriquez, broken foot (unknown)Kyle Hurt, Tommy John surgery (2026)Evan Phillips, elbow (June)River Ryan, Tommy John surgery (2026)Roki Sasaki, shoulder (unknown)Emmet Sheehan, Tommy John surgery (after the All-Star break)Blake Snell, shoulder (unknown)Gavin Stone, shoulder surgery (2026)Blake Treinen, forearm (July) There are very few players in baseball history who seem to rise to every occasion. One of them is Shohei Ohtani. He hit two home runs on his bobblehead night Thursday, and these are his numbers on all the bobblehead nights the Dodgers have had for him: 7 for 16, four home runs, eight RBIs, three stolen bases. Just think, the Angels had him for five years and did not really do much with him, as far as marketing goes. What were they thinking? Also, since wearing glasses, Max Muncy is hitting .261/.364/.543 with two doubles, one triple, three homers and 12 RBIs in 55 plate appearances. Dodgers leaders in strikeouts per nine innings, minimum 750 innings: 1. Clayton Kershaw, 9.72. Sandy Koufax, 9.33. Hideo Nomo, 8.94. Chan Ho Park, 8.34. Darren Dreifort, 8.36. Kevin Brown, 8.17. Chad Billingsley, 7.98. Jim Brewer, 7.49. Tim Belcher, 7.110. Bill Singer, 7.0 As you can see, there are no Brooklyn pitchers in the top 10. So, here's the top 10 Brooklyn Dodgers in strikeouts per nine innings, minimum 750 innings: 1. Dazzy Vance, 6.32. Van Lingle Mungo, 5.33. Ralph Branca, 5.13. Carl Erskine, 5.15. Don Newcombe, 5.06. Kirby Higbe, 4.77. Nap Rucker, 4.68. Adonis Terry, 4.58. Whit Wyatt, 4.58. Preacher Roe, 4.5 We are going to take the Joker off the board (fans of the TV game show 'The Joker's Wild' will understand that reference) and talk about a rare non-Dodgers topic. MLB reinstated Pete Rose, Joe Jackson and others on the permanently ineligible list, basically saying that a lifetime ban ends when you die. We can talk all day about the cowardice of reinstating Rose just a few months after he died. Or the fact that a person's death does nothing to change what they did or did not do. Rose, Jackson and the other members of the 1919 White Sox are now eligible for the Hall of Fame. My question to you is, should they be elected to the Hall of Fame? Click here to vote in our survey. We'll discuss the results next time. The 10 members of the 2020 title team still with the team: Mookie BettsTony GonsolinBrusdar GraterolKiké HernándezClayton KershawDustin MayMax MuncyWill SmithChris TaylorBlake Treinen Friday: Angels (Jack Kochanowicz, 2-5, 5.23 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 1-3, 4.08 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Angels (*Tyler Anderson, 2-1, 2.58 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, first start), 6:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Angels (*Yusei Kikichi, 0-4, 3.72 ERA) at Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-0, 2.81 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Who is the next Dodger to go? | Dodgers Debate Dodgers call up catcher Dalton Rushing, designate Austin Barnes for assignment Mookie Betts' toddler son runs away with first-pitch baseball. It's as adorable as it sounds Hernández: Roki Sasaki's shoulder issue leaves Dodgers in a familiar and problematic position Dodgers place Roki Sasaki on injured list, further depleting the team's pitching Roki Sasaki's declining fastball velocity is a problem. Can the Dodgers find a solution? Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson reinstated by Major League Baseball, making Hall of Fame election possible Shaikin: Pete Rose is a sure thing for the Baseball Hall of Fame now, right? Not so fast Austin Barnes bunts in a run and homers in Game 3 of the 2020 World Series. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
