I wrote a while back that I was concerned with whether RHSP Gavin Stone fully recovered from shoulder surgery. They generally take longer to recover from than TJ surgeries. I was intrigued by his first outing. He pitched very well, but I added that the test will be when he throws his next bullpen. Well, he threw his next bullpen and the results were not kind.
#Dodgers Gavin Stone threw a bullpen session after his start last Tuesday. Experienced pain in his surgically-repaired shoulder and has been shut down. Dave Roberts acknowledged it is "a setback" in Stone's recovery. No time table for him to start throwing again.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 2, 2026
I may have been in the minority, but I never expected to see Stone all the way back this year. He has to go out and test the shoulder, but now we know he just was not fully recovered. He will be slowly ramped up again. I cannot speculate as to when he will be healthy enough to start in MiLB, much less MLB. But he could be special, and the Dodgers will be patient with him.
The other potential starter coming back from an injury is RHSP River Ryan. He has only appeared in one game and pitched a scoreless inning with one BB and one K. The Dodgers will be patient with him as well. OTOH, his brother Ryder has now pitched in 4 games, 5.0 IP (most on team). He has allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 0 BB, and 4 K. He has virtually no chance of making the OD roster, but he has given notice that he should be in the discussion for a chance during the season.
Another pitcher who is returning from TJ surgery is RHP Kyle Hurt. Some speculated that he would be considered for the rotation. Doc has said that Kyle Hurt will not be a starter, but has a chance at making the opening day roster from the bullpen. He has had a good spring…3 games, 3.0 IP, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 BB, 6 K. Hurt has always been a terrific strikeout pitcher.
It appears that Kyle has moved past at least one reliever, RHRP Edgardo Henriquez. Henriquez is playing himself well off the roster. In 3 games and 3.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 7 runs, 6 earned, 1 HR, 1 K. In Monday’s game, he let the runner on first almost get half way to 2nd before he threw the pitch. Never looked over. To be fair, I have no idea what James Tibbs III or Dalton Rushing were saying about stepping off. I am not a decision maker, but it sure seems incredulous that Henriquez will make the OD roster.
Emmet Sheehan still has not yet pitched in a ST game. He has been held from pitching due to an illness. It remains to be seen if he will be ramped up enough to join the rotation at the start of the season. The team will not need a 6th starter for a couple of weeks, so he could ramp up enough for when they do need one.
Payton Martin showed off his infield arm on a ground ball hit in front of the mound, throwing a dart to 2B and turning a double play to end his 2nd scoreless inning.
I was glad to see Drew Avans get another chance, this time with the Rockies.
Dodgers put the slug back into their play. Four HRs, including two monster HRs from Dalton Rushing (450 feet) and James Tibbs III (458 feet). Elijah Hainline and Joe Vetrano also hit HRs. 4 HRs scored all 7 runs. We will see that again. Rushing and Tibbs III now lead the team in HRs with 2 each.
It will be a long time before Boston trades with the Dodgers. Their two last trades were Dodger steals:
- Mookie Betts, David Price and cash for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong. Who would have thought that Connor Wong would have been the longest tenured Red Sox.
- James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard for Dustin May.
For ST, Tibbs III and Ehrhard lead the team in PA and AB. Tibbs has 24 PA and 21 AB. Tibbs III is hitting .286/.375/.667/1.042, 1 triple, 2 HRs, 5 RBI, 3 BB, and 8K.
Ehrhard has 23 PA, and 20 BA. Ehrhard is hitting .350/.435/.500/.835, 3 doubles, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HBP, and 5 K.
It is tough to see what Boston saw in Dustin May to give up both Tibbs III and Ehrhard.
Yes, still too early, but it looks like Santiago Espinal is opening a lead for the backup infielder role. Two more hits today with his 2nd double. He now leads the team with 8 hits in only 14 AB. He now has 4 BB and just 2 K. He has also sparkled defensively. I am an Alex Freeland advocate, but he is not outplaying Espinal, and he has options. The downside is that Espinal has zero options, so when Edman is back, unless there is another MLB roster move Espinal could be DFA and the team will definitely lose him. Oh well, worry about that later. Get the best option now.
One player who is not going away is SS Noah Miller. He is 7-14 with 2 doubles, 5 BB and just 1 K. He has reached base 12 times in 19 PA.
And while Nick Senzel has no chance to make the OD roster, he is having a good ST. Will he get moved before OD, or does he go back to OKC as insurance?
Today we learned of the first spring cuts.
The Dodgers reassigned the following players to minor league camp: pitchers Patrick Copen, Luke Fox, Jerming Rosario, Adam Serwinowski, Nick Frasso and Jose Rodriguez, catchers Nelson Quiroz and Chuckie Robinson, infielders Keston Hiura and Matt Gorski and outfielder Chris Newell
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 2, 2026
Not one of these was surprising. While I never expected Keston Hiura to make the club, I expected more from him. At least I was hoping he would make it hard for the team He made the decision easy and early. Not what I expected from the player who was selected 9th overall. I am always saddened when a local young player is bounced.
Good stuff, Jeff.
If Tibbs were on a lower echelon team he might be making a run at an opening day job.
feel bad for Gavin, he looked so good his first outing.
Great kid too
I absolutely love watching Noah Miller play SS. 20 years ago, he’d be a sure fire starter for many teams, and you just let him bat 9th and grow into his offense while he solidifies your defense.
I still think on a team like our, with our offense, a guy like him at SS is not a bad thing at all. Granted we’re currently busy at SS with a future Hall of Famer, but still.
Hopefully Miller keeps improving his offense and gets a shot
It could be matter of who steps up biggly between Freeland, Kim, Miller, and Espinal as soon as mid-year 2026 that we see Miller at short and Betts at second.
We have insurance policies and redundancies. The bigger the asset, the more it needs protection.
One good thing about the WBC is that it’s giving guys like Espinal, Miller, Tibbs and Ehrhard more at bats than they would have seen in a normal spring. They’re all making very good impressions on the front office and even if none of them makes the opening day roster, their performances will be noted.
Espinal looks to me like the second coming of Miggy Ro. Just something about him makes me think he brings more than just his numbers.
Love what I see from Miller. Hope it continues.
And we are really blessed with a boatload of excellent outfield prospects.
And the injury bug is already in action. Feel bad for stone.
Just can not have enough pitching ever.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry to hear the news on Stone. Shoulder injuries are worse than elbow injuries. Just ask Bellinger.
Looks like Ward is playing himself back to AAA or a DFA. He seems like a good candidate to go to Korea or Japan to extend his career.
Ward and Siana are pretty weak links.
The 26th man will likely be the weakest link on the team. Who will it be? I prefer an outfield wizard. Do we have one?
My first thought when reading about Stone was “he’s the first. Who’s next?” There will be a next.
Shoulder injuries. Anybody who has had one (me) knows exactly how debilitating they can be. Who will be the one that has a cyber level shoulder reconstruction surgery named after him? Maybe AI can do it.
Speaking of AI, figuring it oughta know, I asked him, her, it, “when will AI no longer need humans?” The answer came quickly. It starts in 2027 and by 2040 AI likely just eliminate humans. I wonder what that might mean for baseball.
Eight established position players; with Edman out, put Rojas to make nine. Rushing is a lock to be ten. Three more spots for:
Call
Kim
Espinal
Freeland
I think that’s the way the Dodgers like it where we always have competition and someone fighting to make the team.
With AI and baseball, start with the umpires.
Already started.
Yes, but they are half assing it. Should be used on every pitch.
Agree.
Dodgers made their first cuts of spring, 11 players sent back to the minor league complex including Copen, Newell, Fox, Chuckie Robinson.
My warnings about the Challenge System with ABS are starting to come to fruition as Spring Training progresses. The novelty has turned a challenge into a carnival act and begs for a strategy for teams regarding who should challenge and when. All this nonsense has begun to defeat the original intent of ABS; that is to get the pitch calls correct.
Through Saturday’s games, the overall success rate for challenges has been 52 percent. Batters have been slightly less successful (49 percent) in getting calls overturned than pitchers and catchers (54 percent). Will Smith had a little 2 games stretch last week where he challenged 3 calls and he lost all 3.
More time is being spent on who should challenge and when. Do you challenge early or wait for fear of missing on an early challenge? Do you want to save a challenge for late in the game?
I’ve always been in favor of full-time ABS. Since that isn’t happening then have more challenges. A HPU who misses 15 pitches or more pitches in a game can get away with being shitty with only two available challenges, as teams “save” those precious challenges. Lose an early borderline challenge with CD Buchnor and he can miss a dozen or so pitches, mid-game, in order to have a late innings challenge.
The purposes of ABS was to get em right. All of them. That will not be the end result of this Challenge System.
It is total BS that they are not using the ABS to get every pitch correct. Manfred is one of the worst commisioners we have ever had.
100%
Jurickson Profar hit with a 162 game suspension due to his 2nd PED.
I wonder if the Braves have any way to get out of next year’s final contract year.
It is a valid contract, so it remains intact for 2027. He will not be paid this year, and the Braves could cut him loose, but they will be on the hook for 2027 salary.
Starting Lineup vs Cleveland:
DH – Miguel Rojas
LF – Teoscar Hernández
CF – Andy Pages
2B – Alex Freeland
3B – Nick Senzel
RF – Zach Ehrhard
1B – Ryan Ward
SS – Noah Miller
C – Eliézer Alfonzo
P – Roki Sasaki
Also pitching today will be River Ryan, Tanner Scott, Will Klein, and Ronan Kopp.
Neither Will Smith or Dalton Rushing are on the road trip.
Ryan Ward needs to be productive today with the bat, even just for his confidence level.
Zach Ehrhard is getting another start. He is getting a long look, and is making the most of it.
It looks like Jose Izarra will follow Miller at SS today, although he is better suited for 2B.
River Ryan’s path to a starting job just became a little easier.
Stone has inflammation in his shoulder, not structural damage. He will be shut down for a couple of weeks per Roberts.
It is not structural as you said, but it could be chronic this year as he builds back up. He had labrum, capsule, and rotator cuff problems surgically repaired. He got in just one inning before it flared up. He is too valuable to push hard this year. I can see him as a multi-inning reliever and emergency starter at the MLB level at some point this year.
Yeah, honestly 2027 might be the play here.
Jack Suwinski was apparently recently DFA and passed through waivers. He has been outrighted to OKC. 40 man roster now sits at 39.
Not the best of beginnings for Roki today.
Yikes
I’m not sure Sasaki breaks camp on the 26 man roster. Two poor outings in a row and he got no one out in the first inning of his second start today. Three walks and two hits including a grand slam HR.
Sheehan hasn’t pitched, Snell won’t be ready, Stone has a balky shoulder all puts the once vaunted Dodger starting pitching depth challenged right out of the gate.
Yamamoto
Shohei
Glasnow
Wrobleski
Ryan?
Ferris?
Casparious?
Sheehan has an illness. It is not any injury issue. He should be pitching soon. They do not need 6 starters at the beginning of the season anyway with all of the off days.
Sasaki starting to remind me of Bobby Miller!
Patience Grasshoppers
Cassidy, maybe Sasaki is better suited for the bullpen. He saved our ass last post season and maybe that’s a better use for his stuff?
He sure did. It’s like he doesn’t trust his fastball to throw it in the zone. His future rests on having command of that fastball.
This is one for the pitching coaches. He’ll figure it out.. I don’t think his ceiling is ace anymore but he should be able to figure whatever he’s working on in the spring.
Team USA crushed the Giants 15-1.
I wonder if Shohei throws one inning just for fun. He shoukd be ramping up. Maybe a bullpen 😉
He isn’t supposed to throw in a game. He did say it wasn’t out of the question though. He is throwing bullpens. They interviewed CK during the game, he is just so happy to be there. Nice comeback win after Roki put them in a huge hole. Miggy Ro is the Dodgers new Babe Ruth!
Labs came back today, doc says everything looks good, I just need to drink more water. I usually drink iced tea.
Water is always a good idea, long as there’s a outhouse somewheres
If you think I am using an outhouse in Colorado in March, you are LOONEY TUNES!!! I would buy a bucket from Home Depot first!
My Grandma and grandpa owned a ranch in Wyoming, they didn’t get an indoor bathroom until 1975. Every summer we spent one or two weeks out there for vacation, and had to use an outhouse, when your a kid it doesn’t seem like a big deal. My mom told me winter time was a little rough, especially if you first one up in the morning.🤪
When I was about 5, we moved from LA to a ranch outside of Elko Nevada. About 40 miles from town. My dad was the only ranch hand working about 40-50 head of cattle for a friend of his. We lived in a 2-room cabin with dirt floors and a wood burning stove. I had to bring in kindling for the stove the night before and my mom would start cooking breakfast before it was light. The outhouse was about 30 feet from the cabin. There was no running water, no electricity. We usually were in bed not long after it got dark. We lived there for about 8 months, at least me and my mom, then we had to move into Elko so I could go to school. I loved it. Very idyllic lifestyle.
I just visited, I didn’t have to live it like you did.
Grandma cooked on a wood burning stove until 1975, she made the best home made bread. I hated the whole milk straight from the cow, I was a city kid, I was used to homogenized.