After nearly two years since his last outing (05-17-2023), Dustin May Returns to Dodger Stadium and did so brilliant fashion. 5.0 IP, 1 run (unearned), 1 hit, 3 BB, 6K. He threw 81 pitches (46 strikes).
We all know the story…Dustin May was out for dinner and a piece of salad that did not go down quite right. He took a drink of water, and the piece of salad apparently lodged in his esophagus. While at home, his wife, Missy, convinced him he needed to go to the emergency room. As it turns out, that visit saved his life. Dustin gives Missy all the credit for convincing his stubborn self. Missy made a very sobering comment that she could have been a 27 year old widow.
Okay now for the good stuff…Dodgers win again and move to 7-0. Unfortunately, they are not running away in the standings. San Diego is also undefeated at 6-0 (0.5 GB), the Giants are 4-1 (2.0 GB), and Arizona is 3-2 (3.0 GB).
May’s unearned run came on the Dodgers first error of the season. A throwing error by Mookie allowed Marcell Ozuna to score from second. The ball slipped out of his hands while he was trying to hold on to it???
Defense also had some good plays behind Dustin May and the others. Teoscar Hernández fell into the stands making a catch. Tommy Edman made another nice pick at 2B, this time on a throw from Will Smith. And a couple of good plays by Kiké Hernández to close out the 9th.
The Dodgers put their all RH bat lineup, save Shohei Ohtani. Kiké Hernández played 1B for Freddie, and Miggy Ro played 3B for Max Muncy to face 2024 NL CY winner, Chris Sale. Sale was dealing through the first 5.0 innings, allowing 1 hit, no BB, 2 HBP, and 5 K. But the wheels came off the bus for Chris in the 6th. Shohei led off and reached for a pitch to punch it into RF for a single. Then Mookie more than made up for his error with a 2-run 369 foot HR off Sale to give the Dodgers the lead. Tommy Edman followed with a hard hit single, and Chris Sale was done for the night.
Later in the inning, Edman stole 2B, moved to 3B on a catcher throwing error, and scored an insurance run on a Will Smith single.
Smith is off to a very hot start to the season. .471/.625/.706/1.331. In 24 plate appearances, Will has reached 1st 16 times.
May was not the only solid pitcher on the evening. Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott each pitched a scoreless inning. Combined they allowed 2 singles, one walk, and 4 Ks. Scott was still not the dominating presence he was in 2024, but he is getting closer. Anthony Banda allowed his 1st baserunner on the season, but is still unscored on. Same with Blake Treinen. Dodgers pitchers had another double digit K total (10) for the game. For the season, Dodger pitchers lead MLB in strikeouts with 83 in 7 games (11.8 per game). Next closest? San Diego with 60.
The Dodgers are now 4-0 against LHSP. They have now beat both 2024 CY winners in their first 7 games. They have 5 come comeback victories. At 7-0, they have tied for best start of season following WS win. The 2025 LAD team now has the best season opening win streak for LAD. 10-0 is the franchise record.
Blake Snell will start the final game of the series, and the Dodgers will be looking for their 3rd straight series sweep.
OKC Comets 4 – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 1
Justin Wrobleski started for the Comets and got to 5.2 shoutout IP before he reached the automatic removal pitch count…75 but finishing that batter. Wrobleski pitched 76 pitches. He struck out the two batters he faced in the sixth, and left with a 1-0 lead. Ryan Sublette gave up the game tying HR to Luis Campusano in the 6th, before he got the final out.
OKC got their first run in the 5th on back to back singles by Hunter Feduccia and Ryan Ward putting runners on 1st and 3rd. With one out, Alex Freeland hit a sac fly.
A two-run home run by Michael Chavis in the sixth inning put the Oklahoma City Comets in the lead for good. With the score tied, 1-1, Kody Hoese reached base on a walk after challenging a strike call, which was subsequently overturned for ball four. Two batters later, Chavis hit a two-run home run out to left field for a 3-1 OKC lead. Hunter Feduccia connected on a RBI single to boost OKC’s lead to three runs later in the inning.
Oklahoma City pitchers then retired 10 of the final 12 El Paso batters of the game, including the last five in a row and four via strikeout by Sam Carlson who earned his first save of the season.
Dalton Rushing left the game in the third via a pinch hitter, and I do not know the reason. I was not watching the game at the time, so I do not know if something was said.
- Michael Chavis – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (2)
- Hunter Feduccia – 2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Hyeseong Kim – 1-4, 1 run, double (2)
Rushing left the game as a result of a foul ball off his mask. He took about a minute to “clear” the cobwebs and stayed in the game but was removed from the line-up the next inning. He suffered a concussion last year on a bat strike to the head.
I think he might make his big league debut this year and hope he is ok with no lingering concussion problems.
Great win last night. Would like to see Snell pitch a gem tonight and give FF one more day to get his ankle right. Will Smith off to a great start to the 2025 season. As I recall he was “red hot” at the start of last year as well but “cooled off” in the second half of the season. Need to keep him fresh.
There’s video. Like he got whacked directly in the face. Stunned him. Probably a concussion.
What a night for Dustin! If he’s your 5th or 6th best pitcher then life is good. Once our starters get settled in and the command improves it really will be scary for the rest of baseball. Even with torpedo bats and periscope goggles.
Pitching was good. Bats weren’t. Bottom of order 0 for 12. The “RH lineup” didn’t work. The combined average of those 4 players is .332. I’m assuming that will get better. Even Taylor will improve on .000. The Braves look drugged.
Those four did nothing. Rojas is pure fill-in, Pages needs to get it going, Taylor is toast.
It was his first start of the year. Give the guy a break and he was facing last year’s NL Cy Young winner.
Toast is taylor.
Bottom 4 went 0 for 12 with 4 SO, no walks, and 8 LOB. But, to be fair, no one was lighting it up for either side. Dodgers only had 5 hits and were 1 for 7 RISP, with 10 LOB and 7 SO. A true pitchers duel last night. Luckily, we came out on top.
Rojas should only start to give Mookie, Muncy or Edman a break.
Keekay is fine exactly how we use him.
Pages needs to be more a power threat to justify being kept in the lineup [I’m not seeing many hard-hit balls].
Taylor is barely hanging on.
Any word on Bote? Sitting there in limbo?
Bote us still on OKC’s restricted list. Rojas was giving Max, who is off to a dismal start, a break against one of the better lefties in the league.
0-12. Could Chris Sale have anything to do with that? They were 0-8 against Sale. The first five were not much better through 5. 1 infield single and two HBP. Of the four, 3 were reserves, and CT had not had a PA all season. And then to come in and face Sale? Tough assignment, but I acknowledge that is what he is being paid for.
The one to be concerned with is Pages. He is supposed to be outstanding against LHP. The Dodgers have faced 4 starting LHP and 3 starting RHP. Pages is 1-9 against LHP, and 2-14 against RHP. The Dodgers have seen more RHRP.
Philadelphia and Washington have two excellent LHSP. The Dodgers will face both LHSP, Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sánchez, plus Aaron Nola. The Dodgers are lined up to face one of the two Nats LHSP…MacKenzie Gore. I have been giving Gore plaudits since his Low A days with San Diego. Once he landed in Washington, he was on my LAD target list, but I had as much chance as seeing that happen as Bums did with Bobby Witt Jr.
I’m not surprised by today’s trade.
Full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes.
I love May. Guy’s a gamer. Hopefully he’s pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen in October.
A lot of us were thinking that May might return as a reliever. But that was before AF signed Scott and Yates.
May is a fun pitcher to watch. Wicked stuff. Hope he stays healthy this season.
Thank you both. I did not see the game at all, and I was composing this post and getting tired so I passed on the research. I know I can count on the commenters here to pick me up.
Certainly looked like a concussion.
It was reported that he completed the inning, and then didn’t return. From what I saw, he should have been replaced immediately.
True story: I checked the box score and saw he was removed after one at-bat. I thought maybe he was hit by a pitch but it was a walk. I guess I forgot he played catcher because my first thought was he was being sent to LA to replace an injured Freeman. Hope the kid is okay.
.If concussions prove to be a problem for Rushing–if it jeopardizes his role as a catcher–I’d like to see him get some training at 3B.
We know he can play 1B and we know he’s gotten reps in LF.
Yeah, having the best hitter on the team crouching in the dirt for two hours is problematic.
Congratulations to Dustin May. I’ve always enjoyed watching May pitch. But, with recent injury history I thought that his career as a starter was over. At best, he would be a BP piece. And, most likely, his career as a MLB pitcher was over. With his lanky body and physical pitching delivery I believed he was going to be injury prone. So far, so good on his return in 2025. Let’s hope he can stay healthy and have a productive career. He is truly so much fun to watch pitch. He’s all in all the time.
I’m happy I was so wrong about May’s return to the Dodger rotation.
Carry on.
Always bet on talent
I have to admit (look away Jorge (rhyme)) that the Padres have made two GREAT moves.
the Gavin Sheets acquisition and the Merrill extension.
Preller may be a jerk, but he’s good and aggressive.
Mr. Preller has just extended Jackson Merrill, 9 years/ 135 mil. With options and incentives it could wind up at 204 mil. Looks like a good deal for both sides but especially for the Padres.
That should have been a no-brainer for both sides. Merrill and his grandchildren are set for life, and the Padres have locked up a star for at least 9 years. But it is another long term deal, with an at least $15MM AAV, when he wasn’t even arbitration eligible. The Padres have 2 SP they will try to re-sign and with an aging Yu Darvish, SP could be troublesome. Also, while I doubt it, it could turn into a Jake Cronenworth type deal.
All in all, good for Merrill. He does not seem to he be inflicted by the poison of Machado and Tatis Jr.
Teams like the Cubs should be doing this as well.
Wow. Good for Merrill.
He looks like the real deal.
Hoping the Dodgers come up with a prodigy!
There is Hope.
brilliant, Johnny!
Let’s talk about bats; not the ones hanging in a cave but the ones creating all the uproar lately in MLB.
Badger shared some good information on Point of Percussion and the old trick to find the sweet spot on a wooden bat.
And Bear, I remember those wooden fast-pitch bats from my youth as a batboy for my Dad’s team.
Most of us old-timers grew up with wood bats. And we broke em. I only remember 2 companies, Adirondack and Louisville Sluggers. They were $3.95 when I’d get 6 for the season. But you saved your “gamers”. We always played “over-the-line” with repaired bats; some Elmers glue, some small nails and tape and you were all set. For a while the Little Leagues tried to cut costs and put fiberglass sleeves on the handles. I hated those things.
When I first picked up a metal bat well after my career, I couldn’t belief it. It was a 2-pice deal with a skinny handle with the massive barrel attached like a war club. All the weight was loaded up in the barrel. The ball just exploded off the barrel of those electric bats.
We used wooden bats that were too big. I used a 35/35 and choked up an inch. The thinking was I those days, if you got a bat with more than a 2 differential, the wood was no good; like balsa wood. And after all, Richie Allen used a 40 to 42 ounce bat.
Pro bats are ordered by the model #. The same models were offered to the public as autographed models. Along with shoes and gloves, Big Leaguers had bat contracts that were marketed to the public as their autographed model. The JR3 – was sold to the public as Jackie Robinson autographed. It was a thicker bat, as I recall, with a thick handle and not much taper. NF5 was the Nellie Fox bat with a very thick handle and barrel looking more like the Torpedo Bat, without as much taper to the bat’s end. Many will recall Nellie choking up on that log with the Punch and Judy contact style. The style of hitting was reflected in the style of the bat. Mantle’s famous M110 and K-55 were very popular pro models. And the skinny handled A-10 were Al Kaline models to the consumers. It had a pencil thin handle and a big barrel, more like today’s metal bats. Get jammed and they were broken. Also, our old bats did not have a concaved, cupped end to take some weight out, as I recall.
Metal bats changed everything including the style of hitting. There is no such thing as a fat handled metal bat. Kids now all grow up with skinny handles and big barrels. The balance is totally different from wood. There are no more slap hitters and Punch and Judy guys choking up on fat handled bat. Kids are at the end of those weapons and taught basically one style of hitting.
It took forever to finally deaden the college and high school bats with the BBCOR and max differentials of -3, between length and weight. No more electric 34/29’s.
The metal bat companies held out as long as they could as they knew the restrictions would hurt sales if not universal. “Come and get it kids, the latest double-walled, $500.00 bat, that’s dead as a doornail.” Not good for marketing.
MLB has offered to provide college baseball with all the wood bats they could use but the NCAA balked at that years ago fearing ginormous lawsuits from Easton and Worth, the popular metal bat manufactures back in the day.
In the pros, today’s bats are lighter. They have larger barrels and thinner handles. Just like the shape of the metal bats they grew up with.
Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron used similar bat models, but whereas the Babe’s bat weighed 42 ounces, Aaron’s was just 33 ounces. Bonds down to 32 ounces. I think that old Edd Rouch of the 1913 White Sox may have discovered that his 48 oz bat would be tough to get around on today’s 99mph heater.
Through the years, the type of wood has also changed. Once, white ash used to be the most popular wood used for professional baseball bats. Now, most bats are made using maple wood, as well as some birch and ash.
I too am surprised somebody didn’t come up with “new” idea of the Torpedo-Bat, before. To me, they look similar to the old fat barrels of some of the old bats, like the JR3 and NF5’s, the big difference being the narrowing taper toward the end of the Torpedo bat to keep the weight down. And through technology, the bat is customized to put the sweet-spot in the player sweet-spot. That’s what makes them new ,different and the current rage.
I think it’s a very cool idea and I wish I’d thought of that.
It’s fun and we all needed a new topic since we’ve gone through scuffing and cutting of the ball, spit, vaseline, KY Jelly, corked bats, SpiderTack, and other topics du jour.
I’m waiting on a Torpedo-fungo.
Some thoughts on last night’s game.
Haha, Jazz is easy to root against.
He’s the anti-Edman.
(I’ve been enjoying watching Edman with my younger son, who plays baseball. There is nothing about Edman not to like.)
Torpedo fungo?
Well here you go.
My high school buddy, master wood worker and coach for years, turned these himself a few decades ago. You can see the point of percussion on each one. He experimented with shapes and balances, and different hardwoods, all of which came from trees he felled on his own 120 acres in SE Oklahoma. He has several bats in his private collection. He’s hung on to them for years. Oh, and I forgot to mention, one of his sons is an agent and the other was Chris Sale’s pitching coach at Florida Gulf Coast University. I love talking baseball with this guy. You would too.
The Dodgers pick up Estuery Ruiz for Carlos Duran
The only weakness of this team is the pathetic offense from the bench and CF.
Ruiz is not much of an improvement defensively or offensively.
He is a 3 above average defensively.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, there is this thing called “progress” and successful people make it. We’re hoping Ruiz can too.
He is an incredible base stealer, though. Pages is looking very weak, so far. We may need a change at CF.
Just finished watching highlights. I’m impressed. Get the guy with our coaches and maybe we’ll have something. Pages no longer brings anything special to the table; at least Estuery brings speed.
And some surprising pop.
Pop? 7 homers in 494 at bats? Yes, he has a lot of speed, but you have to get on base first. Also, his defense isn’t that great either. -20DRS. He is not an upgrade over Pages at this point.
Yes, reading his scouting reports and watch his videos. He has game power.
7 homers in 598 plate appearances in the majors is not that great. As a matter of fact, it is mediocre. Edman had 6 homers in 153 plate appearances last year, plus 2 more in 67 appearances in the playoffs and 3 already in 29 appearances already this year. Compared to Ruiz, he is frippen Babe Ruth. And he is a far superior fielder.
You mean the same coaches who have been responsible for Pages’ development throughout his entire career? The last OF the Dodgers have developed was Joc (Colletti/White prospect). Belli was/is a converted 1B.
Surprising pop? He has 7 HR in 598 MLB PA. That says he can run into a pitch every now and then, but does not constitute game power. “Game power” assesses how consistently a player taps into that raw power against MLB pitching. There is no stat that says Ruiz has game power.
His high HR total in MiLB is 16 in 2022, when he played for two different organizations and had 7 AAA HR, and 9 AA HR.
Defensively he is not good. DRS is the Fielding Bible’s primary stat. Ruiz’s career DRS is -23, including -17 for CF in 2023. His UZR is -12. Compare to Outman…DRS is 0, UZR is 1.5.
OAA? They were both primery CF for their respective teams in 2023. For 2023:
Outman can steal bases even if not at the same pace as Ruiz. Outman is 18 out of 22 (82%), while Ruiz is 73 out of 92 (79%). Dodgers do not run nearly enough for Ruiz to be a factor.
Okay Ruiz is 2 years younger than Outman, but not better.
Fans may not like Outman, but he is a far superior player over Ruiz. Outman is significantly better defensively and power. And he is at least comparable in success in SB as Ruiz. Ruiz’s skillset would be better suited for Cincinnati, Washington, or Milwaukee. Milwaukee already had Ruiz in their organization.
Jesus, you make Ruiz sound terrible.
Not terrible, just not good. He is not an improvement over what they already have. Maybe the Dodgers are thinking October for Ruiz as a Terence Gore type pinch runner in the playoffs. If that is the case, okay, hide him in OKC and bring him up for the playoffs. Personally, I would rather have Outman for his defense.
Agree with Jeff on this. Outman can’t hit a lick but he can run into one ocassionally. Ruiz is a minor leaguer, and unless the Dodgers suffer some injuries, there is no reason to waste a roster spot on him.
Pages is a decent hitter, with some power, and his defensive abilities are getting better. Outman is a superior defensive player.
Uh, Outman is stinking it up at OKC: 1-13 5K .220 OPS; Pages is stinking it up in LA: 3-22 9K .451 OPS. Looks like AF is throwing crap on the wall to see what sticks.
Exactly, he is hoping for lightning in a bottle, but Ruiz can’t carry Outman’s glove.
Why did AF sign him?
I like the trade because honestly Duran had no chance with us. I could the number of guys he’s behind but my fingers would get tired.
Yeah, this is pretty much the thrust of it, I think.
The Dodgers probably think there’s something that can be developed and Duran isn’t on any top 30 lists. Top 30 lists!
Obviously Duran could work his way onto such lists, but so could Estuary. And at a position the Dodgers are light at.
Plus, this acquisition leads to the intriguing possibility of a River (Ryan) staring with Estuary in the OF, and then a Dreyer coming in to clean up the (wet) mess.
Would the Phils be willing to trade Brandon Marsh?
Not to nitpick, but May’s wife name is Millie, not Missy.
No idea who this dude we picked up from Oakland is, but would anyone be surprised if he’s the fulltime CF by August and bats 9th to have a guy on base in front of Ohtani?
Tonight’s 5pm game is an Ohtani bobblehead. Word from 710 ESPN LA is that people are already lining up to get inside. I am not one of those people.
I would be totally surprised to see that guy starting over Kike or Edman. They are both far superior to Ruiz as defenders. AF would be weakening the defense of the team.
I am sorry but I see no upside in Esteury Ruiz over Carlos Duran. No, Duran was never going to be a LAD starting pitcher, but he might have been a great reliever. Ruiz is primarily a CF who could not stick with SD or Oakland. His career OPS is .641, and career OPS+ is 82. I see no chance of Ruiz duplicating his 67 SB he had with Oakland in 2023. Outside of Ohtani, Dodgers just are not aggressive with SB.
OKC will now have 3 outfielders who are primarily CF: James Outman, Justin Dean, Esteury Ruiz, and one who is getting a lot of play in CF: Hyeseong Kim. Ryan Ward is the primary RF. This necessarily will limit Outman’s PA to give Ruiz and Dean CF time. He will be moved to LF at time, but now with 5 OF, 2 have to sit. Feduccia and Rushing will get the primary DH time.
Carlos Duran was not on the 40 man. They did not need to move him to make a spot for a MLB player with options, like Ruiz. There is too much upside with Duran, where I do not see any upside in Ruiz. Then again, I am not being paid $MMM to make those decisions.
As usual, I agree 100% with your take on today’s trade.
Don’t see any logic in getting Ruiz. If they wanted to get rid of Duran they could have included him in a trade that brought back something we could use. Ruiz seems to have a lot of the same qualities as Kendall George except that George is 6 years younger, so all the more reason to question why we needed him.
OK Andrew, show us what you saw that none of us could figure out.
There must be something that we do not know with respect to Carlos Duran. Something we may never know.
He wasn’t in the plans?
Another fast, athletic CF who can’t hit.
Why?
It is a strange one.
Maybe the Dodgers think they can fix Ruiz’s swing. If he can raise his on-base percentage by about 50 points, he might be useful.
Dodgers and Padres are now tied at 7-0.
And the Giants are 5-1.
Hot in CF: Kim, Ruiz
Not in CF: Pages, Outman
Max sits against a tough Lefty. A portent of things to come?
Hes definitely off to his usual start!!
He’s 2nd to Pages on the hot seat. Still quite cool though.
Way too early to make that analysis.
Muncy is just slightly better in the first half over the second in average, .231-.228 and OPS .839-.821.
Max’s usual start usually gets him to 35 HRs and close to 100 RBIs.
Resting him against certain lefties seems like a sound strategy. Kike is a good option–and Max would bring both power and on-base skills off the bench.
Much-maligned Max has proven his value to the Dodgers over the past seven seasons. Since 2018, he’s hit 35 HRs twice and 36 HRs twice. His career OPS is .822.
Pages is the guy who needs to prove he belongs.
Another “kid extension”. Red Sox signed Kristian Campbell (current 2B for Boston) to a guaranteed $60MM deal over 8 years with 2 club options, worth $40MM. Plus incentives.
Campbell’s stock has been shooting up for quite a while now. Boston selected him with the 132nd overall pick in 2023, signing him to a bonus of $492.7 K. The Dodgers had 4 picks before the Red Sox tabbed Campbell:
· Kendall George (OF) – 36th overall – Signed for $1.85MM
· Jake Gelof (3B) – 60th overall – Signed for $1.33MM
· Brady Smith (RHP) – 95th overall – Signed for $703K
· Wyatt Crowell (LHP) – 127th overall – Signed for $647.5K
Campbell is primarily a 2B, but also plays SS, 3B, CF, and some corner OF. Sounds like the perfect Dodger prospect. And he is in MLB less than 2 years from being drafted. In retrospect this was a miss by LAD, but I have no idea if the Dodgers considered Campbell or not.
Another whiff, it seems.
Right-handed pitchers Tony Gonsolin and Evan Phillips are expected to start rehab assignments by the end of this week. That gives somewhat of a time table for Roki Sasaki to turn it around. Once Gonsolin ramps up (3 starts), he will be in the rotation over Sasaki (at this point). Can you imagine what Sasaki could do in AAA. Perfect spot for him to get his confidence, if he does not get it before then.
There are a few options for AF/BG when Phillips is back. They could DFA Luis Garcia or option either Jack Dreyer or Ben Casparius. They may want to keep Casparius building up as a starter. With Scott, Banda, and Vesia, the Dodgers have enough LHRP making Dreyer optionable, even though he deserves to stick. You have to make room for Phillips, and somebody has to go.
Agree with all this except I think Casparius is a reliever this year and likely a very important one.
I agree that Casparius is a reliever this year. He was given that role last year. I am just looking at possibilities. The three logical possibilities is DFA Garcia, option Jack Dreyer or Casparius. Vesia is the only other reliever with an option, and he is not going to get sent down. I know fans do not like Garcia, but with Casparius and Dreyer having options, in previous situations, the Dodgers have been reluctant to DFA a pitcher. I am certainly not saying option Casparius. If I were to guess, it would be to option Dreyer. Give him some closing opportunities at OKC. Dreyer is a legit MLB reliever as is Casparius. But Phillips (right now) is better than either of them.
Garcia sucks. He has no future with the club. Why not just release him and keep Dreyer with the big club until Kopech or Phillips return? There is no reason to continue to give any kind of innings to Garcia outside of Mop-up duties.
He will most likely be the first gone once one of those guys is ready to come back.
You may be right and that is what will happen. It just usually does not work out that way. I prefer Dreyer and Casparius as well. However, when players have options, they are the ones that are most often moved. People with more knowledge than you or me believe in Garcia. I am just pointing out possibilities.
It could work out that way if they wanted it too. They’re not forced to keep an inferior pitcher over other more talented pitchers just because of options. They have a choice. They can choose talent, or they can choose suck. I prefer talent over suck any day, but that’s just me. and you are right, these people have more knowledge than I do, but…..
If people have more knowledge than us, they should easily be able to see what’s right in front of their face. Garcia is a 38-year old releiver who is way past his prime with a career ERA over 4. Not much to see with him.
You and I agree on what we do. Not relevant. The Dodgers purchased Garcia’s contract when they had other choices. Why? They are 7-0, and Sasaki has been more of a problem thus far than Garcia. Pages and Muncy are far more of a problem. Right or wrong, I have a problem with releasing a player, a 13th pitcher, when he is not proven to be a problem. Tanner Scott has a blown save. The only reliever to have a blown save. Of course I overwhelmingly prefer Scott. Maybe Garcia will prove to be a problem, and they can release him at that time. Does anyone really believe that Garcia is going to cost the Dodgers the NL West? Let’s wait until Garcia is a real problem and then we can get exasperated.
This was scary.
If this indeed turns into a concussion protocol, it would be his 2nd concussion in less than 2 years. Not good. Before there were concussion protocols, my son played with at least 2 concussions (probably more), and there are some neurologists he saw who have said that could have been the cause of his stroke. In one game after he was pulled for a concussion, the team ran out of position players and sent my son to 1B to finish a game. They specifically told him to just catch the ball at 1B…no dives. However, they forgot who my son was. On a foul ball, Andy raced over and dove into the stands to make the catch. The team was not happy with him, but telling him not to do everything he could do to win a game was a non-starter for him.
Just watched Jackson Merrill, he of the new nice contract, hit another HR.
He’s also proof that superstars can be found outside the top 10; he was the 27th pick in round 1 in 2021. (we picked 29 and took Maddux Bruns).
Some superstars were drafted much, much lowe, like Piazza.
Merrill is also an argument for drafting the “best athlete” over the best at a certain position. Like many other top prospects, Merrill played shortstop before the Padres moved him to CF.
A seamless transition.
Per Alex Freedman:
Good news: Dalton Rushing is good to go after having to leave last night’s game when he took a foul ball off the catcher’s mask. He’ll sit today but will be back in the lineup tomorrow.
The great Eno Sarris on a new pitch,
the kick-change:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6201935/2025/04/02/new-baseball-pitch-kick-change-origins/
On top of the above two, here’s some more Dodger news:
I particularly was surprised to read this:
“The Dodgers have placed more players on opening day squads than any other organization, something that’s been true for the past few years.”
Baseball America ($$$) takes a guess on who next year’s #1 prospect will be per org:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/predicting-the-no-1-mlb-prospect-for-every-system-in-2026/
For the Dodgers:
2026 Odds
65% Josue De Paula, OF
25% Dalton Rushing, C/OF
5% Alex Freeland, SS
5% Jackson Ferris, LHP
FanGraphs goes back through their top 100 list incorporating Spring Training data:
Sasaki still #1.
Zyhir Hope a big riser
Freeland and DePaula small droppers.
Hope moved into the 50FV strata.
Ferris did for pitchers.
Plus this note:
I’ve spent a lot of time on the Dodgers’ complex this spring (for reasons you’ll soon read), and Dalton Rushing has continued to look like an All-Star catcher who does everything well….
Baseball America has a mock draft!! ($$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-draft-baseball-america-staff-draft-1-0/
40. Dodgers — Matt Scott, RHP, Stanford
Rationale: Can the Dodgers fix Matt Scott? The stuff is in there, but the results haven’t been….
ben Clemens Chat:
diadem: What is the outlook for Hye Seong Kim? Utility IF? Full time 2b pushing Edman to the OF? Flat out bust?
Ben Clemens: I’ve got utility infielder as most likely outcome with wide error bars
Pat: Watched most of Detroit vs LAD this weekend. Didn’t feel like Detroit played poorly, but, the Ohtani/Betts/Freeman/Teoscar meat grinder is so tough, then you have Edman/Smith/Muncy, etc..one mistake & it’s a HR.If they stay healthy, I feel 110+ wins in likely.
Ben Clemens: Yeah, oh my goodness the Dodgers are good… I mean, they were hitting well too. I think that when the Dodgers are all on, they’re hard to beat
Logan: How much (if at all) does the “trading away” team impact how you view statistical and/or skill breakouts of a traded player (e.g. Gavin Lux)? In other words, to use Lux as an example, does the fact that it was the Dodgers selling him impact your confidence in his second half surge?
Ben Clemens: it does, but, in a particular way. I’m never that surprised to see the Dodgers trading away solid major league contributors because they have a lot of very good players already
Mr. Burrito: FWIW I’m writing this with a torpedo keyboard… Here’s my question: The Dodgers have placed more players on opening day squads than any other organization, something that’s been true for the past few years. This is true even though the Dodgers have drafted super low for a super long time. How has that happened? And why aren’t the Dodgers given credit in the form of less crap-talk about them being over-spenders or, literally, in the form of comp picks that eventually will help the orgs that are less well run?
Ben Clemens: I don’t think that story is very exciting… I have a very good friend who’s a big baseball fan, texting me updates about how Dylan Crews looks multiple times a game as serious Nats and DC sports fan, knows his stuff and the salary cap less aspect of baseball breaks his brain. like, he just wants to talk about competitive imbalance and how the Dodgers are an abomination no matter how clear the evidence is that baseball parity is alive and well, but if you spend money like that, it really doesn’t matter the other stuff you do, a sizeable proportion of fans only see the money
102 pitches in 2nd start of year. I know Skenes is a horse, but do you take that kind of a chance on the face of your franchise, knowing their 2nd starter, Jared Jones, is already out? Sandy Alcantara was also a horse for a poor team that was overpitched. How did that work out? I am a Paul Skenes fan, and I want to see him pitch well, except against LAD.
Love it. Nobody goes deep anymore.
Skenes can’t last. Can he?
Great start by defense.
Muncy and Snell doing everything they can to help Braves get their first win
Someone tell me again how improved Pages is as a CF. How can that ball be called a double. Muncy has 2 errors this game, and he was saved by Edman twice on piss poor throws. If they do not start hitting, they should not be in the lineup. I would rather have guys who can make routine plays (and that ball hit to Pages is routine to 29 other MLB starting CF) but are challenged offensively.
Pages. Enough already!
https://x.com/OKC_comets/status/1907604513101365507
Pages just needs more rope, IMO, and the team can afford to give him plenty.
As per Dodger’s Daily:
Pages does not have an extensive history in center field. And that, he’s gonna be fine on any ball to his right or left, regardless of whether it’s in front or behind him. But that the balls he’s gonna fight with are the ones hit directly at him.
That’s not meant to be a knock on him in any way, just to show his lack of experience at that position, because balls hit directly at you are harder to judge. They require the fielder to turn and run to the correct spot, turn around, and catch the ball.
Then let him learn at OKC!
Why?
Because he isn’t hitting a lick either.
SEVEN Games!
What team do you think you’re watching and have you been watching this team for the past decade?
Listen Blunder, I know exactly what I am watching. Pages is no center fielder, I expect Max to come around, but I do not have that kind of faith in Pages. Pages hit under .200 this spring. He is owned by RHP, and this year he hasn’t hit the lefties. Yeah, it is only 7 games, I get that totally.
I’m not sure he’ll come around either, but he’s going to get waaaaaaaaaayyyyy more than seven games.
I’m not sure Muncy will come around either, for that matter.
Nor Chris Taylor.
Actually it’s been 125 games. He’s probably the worst defensive center fielder in all of baseball. And he’s much less than an average hitter. Career .697 OPS
2024 OPS+ 102
2024 OPS .712
That was his first year in MLB, mind you.
I read Dodgers Daily, but there is not a single prospect that Casey Porter does not believe will end up in the HOF. He is the Dodgers’ Homerist of Dodgers’ Homers. And no, nothing wrong with that, but I take assessments from Casey with a skeptic eye.
Jackson Merrill never played one inning in CF until last year. He did play LF in 5 MiLB games; 45 innings and 7 total chances. Fernando Tatis, Jr. had 7 games in RF in MiLB, 53 innings and 19 chances. He is not only a GG RF, but also a platinum glove defensive player. I will readily admit that both Merrill and Tatis Jr. are not only superior baseball players to Pages, but also superior athletes. Pages is not a CFm no matter how some want him to be. With his lack of defense, he has to hit, and he is not yet doing that. Pages will get a long runway, especially if they continue to win.
Yuppers!
What Jeff said.
Sloppy start for these guys. Too many mistakes. Pages just keeps proving he does not belong in CF. Max with 2 errors on plays that he had plenty of time to make.
Tommy Edman. MVP!
Max is hitting .083, Kike .118 and Pages .130. Both of Kike’s hits have been homers. Both of Muncy’s hits have been singles. All three of Pages hits have been singles.
Wonder how Arenado is doing?
OPS
1.035
OPS+
189
All true. There are several players starting slowly. You know what else is true? 5 unearned runs. Snell was also pitching to an ump that wouldn’t know a strike if it bit him in the ass. Blake deserved better.
You’ve got to be kidding me! How do you win a game playing this poorly. Scary!
Not just the home plate umpire but also the defense. How many extra pitches did Snell have to throw?
An innings worth? Yeah, maybe.
You are right. 12 pitches after what should have been the last out in the first and second innings. But it would have been 68 pitches and no runs through 4 innings. Regardless, Snell had his usual April start, and the Dodgers still won. Great bullpen from Ben Casparius, Kirby Yates, and Jack Dreyer. 5.0 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 1 BB, 6 K. Key moment of the game is Casparius getting out of a bases loaded 0 out jam without allowing a run. He did his best Alex Vesia as he exited the mound after the third out.
It is amazing to give up 5 unearned and still win.
Okay, Muncy got a 2-run game tying double. Now it is Pages turn to win it in the bottom of the 9th.
Oh well, I was hoping.
Pages playing his way back to AAA.
I’d like to see that.
Too bad Outman isn’t tearing it up.
James is not only not tearing it up, but he is stinking it up. I do not know what is wrong with him, but if there is a player that needs a change of scenery, it is Outman.
And that’s why we love Baseball!!!
Great for Max to get that hit. Team picked itself up and got the W
As Orel often says, the game is just too long for LAD opponents.
Foregone conclusion
Wow!! Way to go boys. Flight to Philly just got a lot more fun.
Yes, Pages’s play in CF gas a lot to be desired. But, his arm strength was why Atlanta didn’t try to score when they had the bases loaded. So, at least give him that.
Ok. +1.
The rest of it? I give everyone 100 at bats. Will he get that from the Dodgers? Not if he keeps this up.
The problem was pointed out a while ago – the Dodgers don’t have a center fielder. What to do? Iontknow. I believe it was Emerson who said – “Adopt the pace of Nature; Her secret is Patience”. I have no idea how that might apply here, I just thought it was a cool quote.
True
Food for thought: Concussions are dangerous. Repeated concussions are extremely dangerous. Perhaps give Rushing a look at 3rd base. I’ve stated several times that I wish the Dodgers would work out Will Smith at 3rd but as far as I know that have used Rushing at LF, first base , Catcher and of course DH. Rushing bat belongs. Hopefully this all becomes irrelevant because Muncy goes on a streak and gets up to .250,.Feduccia has been a hitting machine this past season through spring training and continued this season. If Barnes or Smith gets dinged up Feduccia. Is worth giving a long look at in Dodger blue.
Quite a nice comeback today to reach 8-0, a record start for a defending World Series champ.
Definitely not “Liberation Day” for the Braves. (Zero and seven. And this one must have really hurt.)
Quick takeways:
–More than ever I wish AF had dealt for Crochet instead of signing Snell, who was defectively wild today. (Crochet threw 8 shutout innings for the Red Sox).
–Grateful that my man much-maligned Max managed to find redemption for his two throwing errors. (Maybe Freddie could have saved him on that first throw, but maybe not.) But the two-out, two-run double to tie the score in the 8th was glorious.
–Will Edman hit 50 HRs when he gets a torpedo bat? Will he need one? (Volpe hit another for the Yanks. Certainly seems to help him.) How many might Conforto hit? (Various scribes predicted the Dodgers would have 7 guys hit at least 20 HRs. But I don’t think any thought Edman would be one of them.)
–Pages again proves that he’s a defensive liability in centerfield.
–Casparius and Dreyer again prove that they belong in the majors… even though they may get shuttled to OKC when Phillips and Kopech and Gonsolin are ready.
–And of course it’s the storybook walk-off on Shohei’s bobblehead night. Because of course it is.
Time to turn the Page(s)?
Not yet. The book isn’t written yet. He needs to improve so he has enough value to trade for Robert Jr., who is off to an equally bad start. Maybe they’re worth each straight up.
So now that the Dodgers are 8-0–a record for a defending WS championship team– let’s not forget that Freddie has only played in three of these games and Mookie in only five.
The team went six games without committing a single error. The defense today was a mess, but the Dodgers climbed out of the 5-0 deficit…. to keep pace with the juggernaut Padres.
Six Dodger regulars are producing an OPS of .980 or better: Smith, Conforto, Shohei, Mookie, Freddie, Edman.
The team ERA is 1.97, second to the Padres’ 1.57.
So when do the Dodgers tire of Pages’ act? Maybe they should consider bringing Bote up to play 2B and move Edman to CF.
I was thinking about a package for Robert Jr.
Pages, Knack, Wrobleski & Feduccia
Thoughts?
Well Robert Jr would actually like to have Pages’ numbers this year. He’s off to a sizzling .455 OPS start
Hard no
I’m interested. It may not take that much.