IL Stints for LAD players:
- Mookie illness
- Mookie fractured toe
- Kiké same illness
- Kiké left elbow inflammation
- Blake Snell left shoulder inflammation
- Tyler Glasnow shoulder inflammation
- Roki Sasaki shoulder impingement
- Tony Gonsolin internal brace surgery
- Michael Grove right shoulder surgery
- Freddie Freeman right ankle sprain
- Tommy Edman right ankle sprain – twice
- Teoscar left groin strain
- Hyeseong left shoulder bursitis
- Max Muncy knee injury
- Max Muncy oblique strain
- Evan Phillips TJ surgery
- Michael Kopech three separate injuries
- Tanner Scott left elbow inflammation
- Blake Treinen right forearm tightness
- Alex Vesia right oblique strain
- Brock Stewart right shoulder inflammation
- Will Smith small fracture in right hand
- Clayton Kershaw late start due to toe surgery
- Emmet Sheehan late start due to TJ surgery recovery
Other injuries for players expecting to play meaningful innings
- Edgardo Henriquez
- Kirby Yates
- Brusdar Graterol
Players lost for the season before the season
- Gavin Stone
- Kyle Hurt
- River Ryan
It wasn’t just the games lost, but the games played at not full strength in getting back perhaps pre-maturely.
The bullpen that has been shaky since the beginning. The loss of Evan Phillips was devastating. He was the glue of that bullpen. Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius grew up huge in the beginning. Funny that after successful years that both Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates seemed to falter once they signed with LAD. I wonder why. I have no basis for speculation, but sometimes players do not need to be fixed. Edgardo Henriquez broke his foot, because????
With all of the above, the Dodgers still won the NL West, and reached the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. Even with Tanner Scott’s 10 blown saves and Michael Conforto’s sub-Mendoza batting average.
The Dodgers now have 3 games with Seattle to fine tune their bullpen selections. I think there will be a lot of p***** off fans because Tanner Scott is going to make the roster. I know I am in a huge minority, but I still believe in Tanner Scott. And Scott, I already know your reply. It is like a broken record. You want to DFA him and his $54MM remaining salary. Unlucky for you, the Dodgers do not plan on doing that.
The Dodgers believe in high ceilings rather than high floors. Tanner Scott has a high ceiling and 5 out of his last 6 games he has pitched were very good. The Dodgers believe in what he did in last year’s playoffs. 5 games, 4.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 BB, 7 K. That is the Tanner Scott the Dodgers signed, and that is the Tanner Scott I think we will see in this year’s playoffs. I will be proven right or wrong, but regardless, if he goes down, I will support him. And if he succeeds, then we can all cheer on a new WS championship. The Playoffs is a new season.
That being said, IMO, he needs to listen to his catchers when they say NO to sliders on every pitch. Especially when they hang.
We will get to see Roki Sasaki at least one more game this weekend to see how he bounces back after a dominating first relief appearance. He will get a chance to be in the rotation next year, but in MLB his role might be at the back end of a bullpen where he can turn it loose.
Emmet Sheehan will start against Seattle on Friday, but his role will be as a reliever, and I surmise it will be a high leverage late inning reliever.
Clayton has been a good reliever in the playoffs, with the exception of Game 5 in the 2019 NLDS against Washington when he should never have come back out for the 2nd inning after the K for the last out the inning before. I suspect he will shine in that role again.
I see no reason why Jack Dreyer would not continue to pitch well.
Same with Justin Wroboleski.
I am not naïve. Of course I acknowledge the warts on the bullpen. I just believe that the playoffs are a new season for everyone…for good or bad. Starters, relievers, and bench.
The Playoffs are a new season, so everyone starts out with a clean slate. I see no reason why the bullpen cannot replicate what they did in 2024.
- Alex Vesia dominated in the 2024 playoffs (7 games, 5.2 IP, no runs, 2 hits, 5 inherited runners – 0 scored).
- Anthony Banda dominated in the 2024 playoffs (10 games, 8.0 IP, 1 run, 6 inherited runners – 0 scored).
- Blake Treinen dominated in the 2024 playoffs (9 games, 12.1 IP, 3 runs, 4 BB, 18 K, 9 inherited runners – 0 scored).
- Ben Casparius pitched well in the playoffs as a reliever (3 games, 4.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 BB, 4 K, no inherited runners).
- Tanner Scott dominated in the WC and NLDS in 2024 (5 games, 4.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 BB (1 IBB), 7 K, 3 inherited runners – 0 scored).
Two pitchers still in the organization, Edgardo Henriquez and Landon Knack, did not pitch well in the playoffs. Landon Knack has no chance to make the roster, and it remains to be seen if Henriquez will be added.
You can go with the belief that the bullpen will fail. That did not work last year. Or you can believe in the team including the bullpen. I choose to believe that AF knows waaaaaayyyyy more than I do, and I suspect more than anyone else not employed by the Dodgers, and I will stand with whatever reliever he chooses to add to the roster. All are capable of performing well on the center stage, but all are capable of falling on their collective faces. I just think they will have enough relievers to succeed.
If the bats produce as they did last year, the Dodgers could be the first repeat WS champion since the 2000 NYY team.
Brock Stewart is no longer an option. He is having season ending shoulder surgery. No news how 2026 will be impacted,
Big loss but if your a pitcher in la u will be injured but bad timing. Mb Sasaki or Klein fills that role.
Twins made a good trade
So did we. Outman was done here.
Yeah, Outman is better off on a team that couldn’t afford to “invest” $17 million on Conforto…
Here’s hoping that Ryan Ward, also blocked by Conforto, gets a fair shot on a small-market team.
Playoff Kike getting ready
Note to Dodger brass — please acquire a 3rd baseman we can count on to play everyday and not be subject to wild slumps and injuries. Max is a no-show when we need him most. Remember the WS? Muncy was the only starter not to have a hit. Yes, we won without him hitting but that doesn’t play anymore.
He certainly showed up in the playoffs last year
Here’s my playoff pitching rotation.Kersh piggy backs Ohtani and finishes. The contrast will be tough to readjust. Sheehan finishes for Snell. And the bullpen finishes for Yamamoto and Glasnow. Sasaki is my 8th inning guy in those two games with Treinen and Scott tag teaming the 9th..Time for those two to earn their paychecks!
I mostly like it. Especially the symmetry of the GOAT being followed by an alleged GOAT. If not really the “greatest of all time,” both Shohei and Kersh are first ballot HOFers.
I also hope Roberts doesn’t yank a starter who is on a roll. If any of these guys are dominating, let ’em cook, as my son would say.
Remember when Dodger aces used to throw complete-game shutouts? Wouldn’t that be sweet?
Given their recent performances, I’d get nervous watching Treinen or Scott being summoned to close out games. They’d probably get nervous too–and they get paid whether they succeed or fail.
Sheehan might be the better choice to follow Sasaki. He’s logged a lot of excellet innings and nothing seems to rattle him.
I am feeling they don’t need Treinen and Scott on 3 game playoff roster.. Neither guy has shown they can get thru one inning without walking/ and/or hitting 2 guys and giving up a hit. In past years we had Urias, Maeda, Bueler to close out some games. Now Sasaki, Kersh, Sheehan perhaps
Scott and Treinen will both be on the roster. Bank on it.
I kinda doubt any of our starters go more than 6 against the better teams they will see in the playoffs. And if last night was a tryout, Treinen and Scott, 2 IP, 3 hits, 2 BB, 2 Ks and 1 earned doesn’t yet fill me with confidence. Sheehan, Klein, Banda and Sasaki were better.
The second string won, but 6 for 32, 14 Ks and 1 for 7 WRISP didn’t impress.
Conforto with another misplay but that ball was smoked right at him and anyone who has ever had that happen to him knows how difficult that can be. I’m not happy with him out there, but he is a veteran hitter and has post season experience so, hit him at the bottom of the order and hope something good happens.
The Mets or Cincinnati? Cincinnati looks better at the moment. Mets look better on paper. Choose.
Happy for the Reds, but, I would rather play the Mets right now.
I don’t want any part of Reds young starters in a short series. Give me the underperforming Mets.
I’m enjoying the Ryder Cup!!!
Getting our butts kicked.
Rory is not going unnoticed
I recommend everyone wear a cup, but I know many choose not to.
I hated a cup that rydes up on me
Yeah those ryder cups only seem to work when you’re a peein’.
I hope Hyesong Kim wore a cup yesterday when he fouled that pitch off that hit his crotch
Yeah, otherwise pretty impressive
Hit him in the thigh. His thighs are like iron. He didn’t feel a thing.
Interesting how differently we appraise Kim’s future
He’s had 157 at bats and he’s hitting..280. You know who was hitting a whole lot less than that in his first 157 at bats? Willie Mays.And you know who never squatted
That’s right, I’m comparing Hyeseong Kim to Willie Mays.
And you know what else he can do that Mays could never do? Squat 600 pounds.
I hope you are right about thunder thighs. Trout was sent down in his rookie year so let’s also add him to the Kim comparison.
blob:https://ladodgerchronicles.com/a11d878b-f7f9-477e-a242-dff19071cdba
Well, that didn’t work.
Nice win. Scott did the job; he got the last 3 outs. Wasn’t pretty, but he got it done. I liked the way he really challenged Suarez who looked like he really wanted his 50th homer more than just a walk off hit. Reds moved ahead of the Mets in the wild card because they hold the tie breaker. Angels beat the Astros putting them on the brink of missing the playoffs. It all depends on what happens with the Guardians and the Tigers. Buehler back in the playoffs with the Phillies. He has pitched well in Philadelphia.
Hay Bear
If you could replace our current bullpen with past L A Dodger relievers, who would you pick?
Ron Perranoski, Jim Brewer, Eric Gagne, Clem Labine, Kenley Jansen, Larry Sherry and Pete Richert.
Mike Marshall?
I was really really happy for Scott that he got out of it. I really really hope that boosted some confidence in him, as we will need him for the next 5 weeks.
Now, let’s do it again today!
Well done Jeff!
Trying to post a picture.
I give up.
Is that Kim?
Yes. Iron Man.
Cool photo.
You may be the only one who saw it. Should have been an easy copy & paste. It wasn’t. And the thread of the joke is lost. Oh well. Not the first time. Won’t be the last.
Who is that a picture of?
Kim
Thanks.
A win is a win, and that’s the truth. Reds won their game, as did the Mets, so it all comes down to tomorrow. Astros missed the playoffs with the Tigers finally winning to lock up a spot. All games start at the same time tomorrow. USC lost 34-32. Bad clock management allowed Illinois a shot to march down the field for the winning field goal and a pass interference call gave them 15 yards more to work with. Learned something though, losses do not upset me nearly as much anymore. Kershaw makes his last regular season start of his career tomorrow.
Bad defense as usual had more to do with it than clock management. Riley continues to bring a level of mediocrity to Trojan football. How long must we endure this?
Feels like they are close. At least the featherweight d-line has been improved, but, probably not enough to hold up against Oregon’s o-line.
Enjoying the Ryder Cup even more!!
You just wait one more day and we’ll show ya.
The Cheating Astros being eliminated from the playoffs made my day. I hope this is the beginning of their decline into mediocrity for the next 20 years.
Ryan Ward named PCL MVP. I hope he gets a shot with someone next year.
Still surprised he didn’t get a look with the Dodgers this year. He could not have been worse than Conforto.