After the weekend series at home vs Arizona, the roster could get interesting. For those expecting Michael Conforto to be DFA’d I do not think it is going to happen on September 1, if it will happen at all.
OTOH, it absolutely could. Yes, Conforto had 2 doubles and made a fantastic catch on Monday, but IMO that is a little too little too late. He has had 133 games to prove his naysayers wrong. I was in favor of the decision to sign Conforto, so I will never back track on that. But it is now winning time, and does Conforto give you the best chance? Not in my opinion, but my opinion does not count.
On September 1, the Dodgers can add 1 player and 1 pitcher. That pitcher figures to be Michael Kopech. Once Snell is reinstated from Paternity Leave, I expect Edgardo Henriquez to be optioned to OKC,
Right now, the only player who is ready to return on September 1 is Hyeseong Kim. He is in full rehab mode and will be ready to re-join the team on Monday. As Monday is an off day, that decision could and undoubtedly will wait until Tuesday. Although, there are reports that could have Kim rejoin LAD this weekend vs Arizona.
Max Muncy faced live BP on Tuesday, and now undoubtedly will have a weekend rehab. Doc has already said that Muncy could be activated early next week on the road schedule in Pittsburgh. Will he get the nod over Kim?
Another option is for both Kim and Muncy to be activated, and that probably puts Justin Dean back on the shuttle to OKC. He has his full slate of 3 options, so he does not need to be DFA’d. Dean’s sole role on this team is to be the defensive replacement in CF, one he is eminently qualified for. Then again, so was James Outman. But he is not trusted with a bat in his hand (also true for Outman by LAD). Kim is not the defensive CF that Dean is, but he is still pretty good, and can be the late inning defensive replacement in CF moving Pages to RF.
Then the crunch will get even tighter when Tommy Edman is ready to return. If the reports are to be believed, Edman’s ankle will be okay to play CF, which is probably where he will be positioned. His scheduled return is early September. The Dodgers do not want to lose Edman for the playoffs, so if that means a couple of extra days, then so be it. But…who goes then?
I am not in favor of it, but my guess it will be Alex Freeland. With Muncy, Kim, Rojas and Kiké, the infield is covered. Kim, Miggy Ro, and Kiké can step in at SS to give Mookie a break. Kiké has already said he is ready to give Freddie a break if needed at 1B. All four can and have played 2nd, with all except Kim possible 3B options to give Max a day. I am not sure that Kim has the arm to play 3B, but he certainly could in a pinch. Freeland got his MLB taste and is proving he can be a MLB infielder. His bat will have to be more productive, but he is making the adjustments, and that should come with more experience. He can work on those adjustments in OKC for the remainder of this year, and then be ready to assume a 26 man spot next Spring.
Yes that would necessarily mean that Conforto would remain with team through the end of the year. When all of the players currently on the IL are expected to be activated, this is how I see the 14 man position player roster.
C – Will Smith (R)
1B – Freddie Freeman (L)
2B – Hyeseong Kim (L)
3B – Max Muncy (L)
SS – Mookie Betts (R)
LF – Teoscar Hernández (R)
CF – Tommy Edman (S)
RF – Andy Pages (R)
DH – Shohei Ohtani (L)
Bench – Dalton Rushing (C) (L), Miggy Ro (INF) (R), Kiké Hernández (Util) (R), Alex Call (OF) (R), Michael Conforto (OF) (L)
Certainly an argument could be made that Freeland is a better bench option than Conforto. It is an argument that I would make. I would like to see what Alex can do down the stretch in a pennant run even as a PH, platoon with Kim at 2B, and fill in for Max. He is a long-term option vs short-term Conforto. Freeland represents the future and Conforto represents the past. Make Freeland the present. Freeland is a switch hitter, so that could give him an edge. But I just do not see it happening. Call it stubbornness or arrogance, but I do not believe that the Dodgers will cut Conforto loose with less than 30 days to go in the season. I would not agree with that decision, but I am not paid to make them. I am not even paid to question them, just a sounding board to post them.
What would you like to see happen, and what do you expect?
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis) 4 – OKC Comets 2
Roki Sasaki made his 3rd rehab start and pitched decently for the first 3.2 IP. For those 3.2 innings, Sasaki allowed 1 run, 2 hits, 1 BB, and 4 K on 57 pitches. Then he must have hit the proverbial wall. The next four batters were 3 singles and a BB to force in a run, and he was relieved by Will Klein. Klein hit the first batter to force in a 3rd run, charged to Sasaki, before getting the final out. Sasaki’s 4-seamer got up to 98+, but he is not getting enough swings and misses on it.
The first run came in the 1st on a BB, a single moving the runner to 3rd, who scored on a sac fly.
OKC tied the score in the bottom of the 1st with a lead off triple by Esteury Ruiz and a sac fly by Hyeseong Kim.
OKC got one back in the 6th after 4 consecutive walks with 2 outs.
Logan Boyer relieved Ronan Kopp in the 7th and promptly gave up a HR giving Memphis a 4-2 lead.
OKC got leadoff singles from Ruiz and Noah Miller in the 9th. The next three Comets went down on strikes.
Ruiz was the only OKC hitter with a multi-hit game (3) and with a XBH, his 3rd triple.
Tulsa Drillers 3 – Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston) 1 – 10 innings
This was a good pitchers’ duel. Chris Campos was the starter for Tulsa for the first 5.0 innings. He allowed the one run on a 4th inning HR. He allowed 4 hits, but did not walk a batter. He registered 5 K.
Wyatt Crowell completed the next 4.0 innings without allowing a run. He allowed one hit, but also 3 BB. He did strike out 4.
Tulsa tied the score in the 7th after a one out BB to Chris Newell, a SB, and scoring on a Griffin Lockwood-Powell single.
Jeisson Cabrera relieved Crowell in the 10th, and kept the Hooks from scoring.
In the bottom of the 10th for the Drillers, Griffin Lockwood-Powell hit a walk off HR, his 5th, giving Tulsa the 3-1 victory.
Oh HELL YEAH!
Griffin Lockwood Powell just hit a walk-off home run for the AA Tulsa Drillers. The Drillers are in the midst of a Texas League race to make the playoffs and are in a great position, even better now.This team is gritty, they're tough, and they WURK…every day.… pic.twitter.com/0NLFWRW0g5
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) August 27, 2025
GLP and Eduardo Guerrero each had a pair of hits. GLP had all three RBI.
West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit) 2 – Great Lakes Loons 1
Brooks Auger started for GL and completed 5.1 innings. He allowed 1 run on 3 hits, 1 BB, and 4 K. Two of the three hits came in the 2nd inning and after a ground out, he gave up a sac fly for the one run.
Great Lakes tied it in the 6th. Kendall George led off with an bunt single with the catcher throwing the ball away and George ending up on 3rd. Zyhir Hope hit a one-out single to tie the score.
Kendall George bunts his way to 3rd! pic.twitter.com/rq2iElq08G
— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) August 27, 2025
RBI single for Hope to get the Loons on the board! pic.twitter.com/ORrrz4i4Gg
— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) August 27, 2025
Myles Caba allowed a single and a 2-out double to score the eventual winning run in the 7th.
West Michigan’s SP was former LAD prospect Lael Lockhart who was with the Whitecaps on a rehab assignment.
Kendall George had 3 of the 5 Great Lakes hits, and stole 2 bases, giving him 85. He also got caught once for his 23rd CS.
Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 6 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5
A couple of young prospects had big games. 21 year old CF, Charles Davalan, continues to dominate the California League. He had a 4 hit night, going 4-5, with 3 doubles (3). Then 18 year old SS, Emil Morales, followed that with a 3-4 night with a BB. He also had a double, his 8th.
21 year old OF, Landyn Vidourek, had 2 hits including his 3rd double. Finally 20 year old 2B, Niko Perez, was 2-3 with a BB, and his 12th double.
23 year old RHP Isaac Ayon started. He gave up 1 run in his 2.0 IP, on 3 hits and 2 BB. He did register 3 Ks before being relieved by Domingo Geronimo. In the 4th, he allowed a single and double giving the Storm a 2-1 lead.
RC tied the score 2-2 when Morales singled and scored on Vidourek’s double.
Lake Elsinore took the lead in the bottom of the 6th. Geronimo walked two. Jhonny Jimenez relieved Geronimo and after a strikeout, he surrendered a 2-run triple. The third run scored on a Jimenez WP.
The Storm took a 5-2 lead in the 8th. In the 8th, Morales hit a lead off double. He scored on a Vidourek single. Vidourek moved to 2nd on a ground out, and scored on a throwing error.
In the 9th, Victor Rodrigues had a lead off single. Mairo Martinus came in to run for Rodrigues. He went to 3rd on a Perez double. Davalan followed with his 4th hit and Martinus scored, but Perez was thrown out at the plate which would prove to be critical. A pair of 2 out BB loaded the bases with Vidourek coming up. Unfortunately Vidourek struck out to end the inning.
RC did not score in the 10th. Cody Morse IBB the first batter. He followed that with a HBP. Morse got the first out on a 6-2 force out. Niko Perez had a throwing error to home on the next batter and the Storm had a walkoff.
Davalan is now 15-24 slashing .625/.654/.958/1.612.
Charles Davalan (@Dodgers) tallies his THIRD four-hit game in a row 🔥
The 2025 No. 41 overall pick (@RazorbackBSB) has a .625/.654/.958 slash line through his first five games as a pro for the Single-A @RCQuakes. pic.twitter.com/s6pvPV0Pr5
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 27, 2025
Morales is now slashing .356/.430/.621/1.051.
Emil Morales joins the party on a leadoff double. He is 3 for 4 on the day with a run scored. pic.twitter.com/VP46Vs5ywI
— Dodgers Lite (@dodgerslite) August 27, 2025
I do not expect it, but it sure would be nice to see both these guys get the call to GL for the final two weeks.
Story by Alejandra Razo: Dodgers sign another MiLB pitcher
Looks to me like they may want to keep a veteran LH bat on this roster.
The Dodgers second base OPS is among the league’s lowest. Does Edman change that or does Kim? Whatever, I’d like to see them both on the field.
The pitching appears to be rounding into form. I guess I’m ok with Ohtani at #5 going through September. I think I’d rather see him focus on hitting in the playoffs. I’d especially like to see him fix that chase factor.
When it’s working there is no team better than the Dodgers, though Milwaukee appears to be close.
Davalan da Gawd
I’m a huge Freeland but expect him to be sent down. 2026 is the year.
I like the OF arrangement but will FO make such a radical this late in the season.
Missing some words here. Sorry.
Loving our rotation right now. We have five legit dudes and maybe Ohtani can join the club with 5 IP tonight.
Not sure I’ve ever heard of someone getting 4 hits for 3 straight games!!
I know. I had to read that more than once. Too late in the season for a promo to high A or AA. Someone to keep an eye on in 2026.
It really isn’t too late. They still have another week after this one. Sometimes teams like to let them taste better competition even for a few days. But in this case I do not see them promoting Davalan.
Andrew Heaney was DFAd by the Pirates. Carlos Santana, the former Dodger, was placed on release waivers by the Guardians. Early start time tonight. 5.40 PST. Call was pulled from the game with lower back tightness, Doc said it was not serious. Vesia on the IL, Snell activated.
Unfortunately, you’re right Jeff. The FO will keep Conforto thru this season, and it will bite them in the butt in the playoffs.
I think LAD were pulling a fast one on its fans.
Conforto told to sandbag it through the season. To come alive in the playoffs.
He could actually be the ace in the hole and baseball hero for them in ’25.
I prefer Conforto over Freeland. I would rather go with experience than trusting a kid not to be anxious.
Yes.
Wow! Three in a row. With the returning of so many players in the next couple of weeks, let’s hope they can build up some momentum going into the playoffs.
Again, Clayton Kershaw is proving with each start that velo is not the be all, end all when it comes to being a successful starting pitcher. With a reliever, yes velo can be important. Bottom line is that learning to “pitch” is what gives a pitcher a chance for lasting success. That and challenging a hitter by throwing strikes. Or at least throwing what appear to be strikes out of hand.
Talking about throwing what appear to be strikes out of the pitchers hand. Shohei Ohtani. I’m with Bear on this topic. How does the greatest baseball player of all time look so pathetic on so many non competitive pitches? Like someone mentioned earlier, why would a pitcher ever throw him a strike? And, especially a fastball.
Why is it that a player that has a K rate of 25% leading off? Sure, he has hit 45 HRs, but has only 85 RBI. Seems like a profile for a #3 or 4 hitter than leadoff. I was checking Mookie’s stats and even though he’s having a down season with the bat he’s striking out at less than 10% of the time. I was shocked to read this, but it’s true. To me, that’s who should be leading off now that he’s hitting better. Maybe, the top of the order should be:
Betts, Freeman, Ohtani, Smith, Muncy, and Teoscar
I don’t think I’ve heard a legit explanation of why Ohtani is leading off this year.
Now that Ohtani is pitching , understandably, his stolen base attempts are down and has a success rate of only 74%. Being a slug team the Dodgers don’t value the stolen base much. So, again, why is Ohtani leading off?
And Ohtani’s return to the mound. Has it been worth it? With his initial 1-2 inning outings that have only increased to 4 innings in his 10 starts has really help to tax the much injured bullpen. I think it hasn’t been a positive for Ohtani’s hitting. When you take everything into consideration it hasn’t helped the team much at all. With the return of Snell, Glasnow, Sheehan and the continued success of Kershaw and Yamamoto why is Ohtani pitching? Unless, there’s a rash of injuries to the starters he most likely won’t be needed to pitch in the playoffs. The team is trying to win a championship! This isn’t the time or place for a sideshow. With what the Dodgers are paying him he should be able to do what’s best for the team. Right now, with Ohtani pitching, that’s not happening in IMHO.
Carry on.
Why is Shohei batting leadoff?
1–He is the most dangerous hitter on the team, and batting first guarantees him the most ABs.
2–His OBP is second only to Will Smith, and he’s a terrific baserunner. That’s why he leads the ML in runs scored by a wide margin–on pace to top 150.
3–Mookie, as the alternative, simply isn’t as good this year. Shohei is more likely to get on base, more likely to steal, more likely to score.
It’s great to see the recent improvement from Mookie. A strong finish is needed for these Dodgers to go all the way.
Thanks for your take on Ohtani leading off as opposed to dropping in the order. But, I have a different take.
1 – Ohtani most dangerous. I feel a lot more confident with Freddie hitting in clutch situation than Shohei. With Freddie 57 of his 75 RBI come from him hitting in runners on base. With Shohei only 40 of his 85 RBI come from hitting in runners on base. Therefore, is Ohtani more dangerous than Freeman? Maybe. How many more RBI would Ohtani have hitting a couple of spots lower?
The different between hitting first and third is approximately 35-40 at bats over a season. That means it would lead to an additional 3 HR, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 10 K if he continues leading off.
2 – OBP. His OBP could be high because smart pitchers don’t give much to hit early in a game therefore more walks. It’s the dumb pitchers who for some reason throw him hittable pitches. With the recent slumps of Betts, Freeman, Teoscar, Smith, and Muncy being injured giving Ohtani hittable pitches is moronic.
3 – Check out Michael’s remarks below concerning Mookie hitting leadoff in the past. Sure, Mookie has had a rough reason, but he NOW seems to be back to his old self and I feel he would be even better hitting leadoff. Like I mentioned Mookie’s K rate is less than 10% where Ohtani’s is 25% which is more in line with a power hitter batting in the
3-4 spot.
As far as stealing bases, it’s not an important part of Ohtani’s game anymore. Especially, since he started pitching in games. His success rate is below 75% this season which is awful for any player who is considered a base stealer. And, I don’t think the Dodgers want him stealing bases anymore.
Anyway, just my opinions. That’s pretty much all we have here LADC. Yours are just as valid.
Betts has better career numbers as a leadoff hitter than Ohtani does. I think the only reason he is leading off is to give him more chances to strike out. Ohtani is at .287 as a leadoff hitter and strikes out almost twice as many times as he walks. Betts BA as a leadoff hitter is .295. He has over 50 games where he has led off the game with a homer. He has walked 549 times as a leadoff hitter, Ohtani barely over 160. My batting order would be, Betts, Freeman, Smith, Ohtani, Teo, and then pick em. Although I would hit Pages sixth as long as he keeps hitting.
I bat Betts leadoff. I put Ohtani at 3 (maybe 2) so he gets up in the first inning. He has 140 hits, half of which are extra base hits. Betts, Ohtani/Smith, Freeman, Teo, Muncy.
The Dodgers aren’t likely to change the top of the lineup. No matter how it’s put together those 6 are going to produce a lot of runs.
OK, here’s the plan: DFA Conforto…. and bring up Davalan!
But seriously…
Yes, I can see Conforto making the roster despite his performance.
Whatever happened to the Sasaki I saw pitch in the 23 World baseball classic? Very worrisome!
I’ll be negative nancy and bet he has something surgically repaired in the off-season.
Ya, maybe hewon’t be an October option. But I wonder if Bobby Miller is
I agree Conforto has not done enough to merit the last bench spot….BUT….I am loathe to question the advanced analytics Friedman and Gomes reply on to make such decisions.
Of course they’ve not been 100% correct in their decisions but neither have any other front office personnel decision makers. They have had more success than most.
If they keep Conforto and he makes some serious contribution in the run to the end OR in post season games they will look (again) like geniuses. If he does not? Nothing much changes because Freeland is not YET a true difference maker. But I think he will be in upcoming seasons
Too many are castigating AF for the Conforto signing. Very few were against the signing when it occurred, and those that were, were not very vociferous. Before Snell returned to the rotation, AF was roasted for signing him. But what if he pitches the last 5 week as he did last year, and into the playoffs? It appears that Blake Treinen is looking better, and could be a late inning weapon for the playoffs.
Some of us questioned the three years for Teoscar, but his 2025 season was never in doubt. It was always that 3rd year. I think AF believed he needed that 3rd year to get Teo for 2025 and 2026. But injuries happen, and I am sure that his groin pull has probably never fully healed.
Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates were not questioned when they signed, but if they are finally healthy, will anyone be saying that AF blew those signings? I thought the length and $$$ thrown at Scott may have been exuberant, but not the actual signing. I liked the Yates signing. Hopefully he will be his 2024 self when it is needed most.
I think most everyone on this site was in favor of re-signing Kiké. I kept reading by many that he was there for October. He looks like he could be going on a late season splurge right into the playoffs.
Sasaki is a 23 year old who cost $6.5MM to sign. Even the A’s would have signed him for $6.5MM. He will be earning MLB minimum up to his arbitration years. He will have a full offseason to build up and then have a go at making the rotation next year. I am hoping that he eschews the WBC next year to concentrate on his 2026 season with LAD. But I doubt that happens.
And you are correct. The book has not closed on Conforto. He is certainly capable of going off for a short series or two or three or four. Will he? Last year Tommy Edman finished the regular season hitting .237/.294/.417/.711, and had a so-so NLDS hitting .235/.235/.235/.471. But in the NLCS he hit .407/.393/.630/1.022 and was the NLCS MVP. In the WS, Tommy hit .294/.400/.588/.988. Those last two series got Tommy the extension.
Oh yeah, AF also re-signed free agent Clayton Kershaw.
I thought the AF signing was a good thing at the time. If the rest of the lineup would hit like they should Conforto would just e a luxury if he was over .700 ops with some power. My biggest concern is playing Conforto n Teo at the same time. This is our worst outfield defensive alignment. If Edman gets back my of would be Teo lf Edman cf pages rf. Edman has never been a potent hitter. His strength is defensive versatility, speed on the bases, and some rh punch. For me he should stay in the strike zone and bunt more. This could end up being a bad contract with his health issues.too early yet but if we don’t make a run I would have teo n Glasnow on the trade block. I was excited about the snell signing and still am. Why was Kershaw taken out at 72 pitches? Someone needs to set Ohtani down n tell him how his performance would be improved by staying in the strike zone. Mb someone has and he can’t do it. I always hear he is a baseball junkie. Mb he just can’t read the spin or recognize location quick enough. I would think he would be embarrassed looking at video. Snell would be my number 1 in playoffs. Yamamoto probably 2. Glasnow would have to prove he belongs..
I was listening to Kershaw after the game. He said he had nothing all night. He and Will had to figure things out as the game progressed. He said his slider was bad. He also said, it was the correct decision for Doc to pull him after 5.0 innings. There was no discussion lobbying for him to stay in the game.
Ok thanks
I did not know this till now (maybe I should have), but Kersh was 5-0 in August with an ERA under 2. And 19 total strikeouts.
Amazing.
Nice win.
With all due respect to Kike, I’ve never seen such fanfare for a guy returning from the IL who’s hitting a buck ninety. I know he’s a fan favorite, got 2 hits and plays nice defense at multiple positions but a lineup with him (.212.vs RHP), Conforto (.175 vs RHP) and Freeland (.224) back-to-back-to-backdon’t move my needle that much. I’d take Call in LF but I know I’m wasting my air.
And my man Miggy just continues to play great defense and hit .255 despite drawing little respect from the fan base.
It may not be a big deal if we keep pitching well from the starters. Kersch was nails again with his 5 innings and 72 pitches. He has reinvented himself once again. And it’s apparent how much his injuries last year and prior, hamped him. He looks pain free and just knows what he’s doing. He is such a competitor. The bullpen was good with the exception of Casparius. Right after his team scores 4, he walks the first hitter with a 5 run lead and sure enough, gave up a bomb to Hayes. He then settled down and struck out the side. I hate walks.
It would be nice to get more than 4 innings out of Ohtani, but I doubt that will happen. Thankfully Scott and the back end are pretty well rested as they will have to cover maybe 9 innings the last 2 games. As they whine about an overused bullpen Doc is comfy with 72 pitches from Kersch and maybe 75 from Ohtani. I’m okay if that’s the plan but then don’t whine about an overused bullpen.
I’m not sure how smart Pages is. I love the kid’s bat and arm and I think he could be a .300 hitter, as he matures. But he may be one of the worst baserunners in the league. He fouls up just fundamental stuff and it cost us a run last night. What part of “advance on a ground ball behind you” does he not understand when he’s on second?
I had a player once who just could not understand the “behind you” concept. He and I went out to 2nd during practice and I walked him through the scenario, explaining after his secondary lead what “behind you” looks like. When to advance and when to retreat to 2nd.
I was sure he understood.
Sure enough, he was on 2nd with no outs when a grounder was hit right down the first base line. The first baseman (a kid named Tyler Brayton, who played in the NFL later) made a nice diving play and tossed to the pitcher covering first for an out. Then I noticed that my guy was still on 2nd. He failed to advance to 3rd on the play. The concept of “behind you” also applies to a ball to the right side. At that point there wasn’t much more to say.
I really enjoy Nomar in the booth. He doesn’t overtalk it. And I’ve become a big non-fan of ex-pitchers in the booth. Orel, John Smoltz and other pitchers just overanalyze everything about pitching. I’m a fan of information about pitching, to a point. When they constantly first and second guess pitch selections and locations, I get tired of it. Nomar has a nice balance of information.
Overall, I think ex-catchers make good managers and analysts on TV. Joe Girardi is great on Yankee broadcasts.
Just a quick update on my health. I got the catheter out this morning after 14 days that pain has now subsided, thankfully. I need that new medicine for my pained unit to recover. The one called Mycoxsore.
I see the doctor tomorrow for an update on whether they got all of the bladder cancer or not. Wish me luck.
I hope your doctor’s appointment goes well tomorrow. 🙏
ThaksJeff.
Thinking good thoughts Phil. Please keep us posted, although frankly I think you’re too much of an SOB for cancer to survive inside of you. 😎
With regard to “baseball smarts”, I guess some players just have it naturally. Andy Pages does not appear to be one of those players. On the other hand I applaud him for his progress this year. He’s turned into a real asset, if we could just have someone run for him every time he gets on base. Although he certainly isn’t a Pete Crow-Armstrong, Byron Buxton or Michael Harris, he’s improved his center field play quite a bit from last year.
I hope you’re right STB.
4-2 Seattle over SD after 6. Good game down the stretch in Seattle
Final Seattle 4 pads3
Excellent. Let’s go up 2 tonight!!
Rushing coming up big again. Boy, does Ohtani look like an ace tonight! That curve was devastating tonight. Like to see more of his split against lefties
Are we still gonna DFA our best hitter at the end of August? Freeland has no business hitting right handed. And all of a sudden, Ohtani has warning track power
The one we should consider DFA is our hitting coach. Kike, Rushing, Freeland, Conforto, Edman, all with careers avg low. We are the Mendoza line masters and owners.
Hitting coaches. They no longer have just one. On the Dodgers those guys are Robert Von Scoyoc and Aaron Bates. They used to have 3 but Brant Brown is now the hitting coach for the Cardinals. How much influence a hitting coach really has anymore is a question mark. They suggest more than anything else.
Why would the Dodgers send down another Joan Duran in Edgardo Henriquez? The kid hasn’t allowed a run yet in 11 innings. You saw him strike out the side last night. Hes the flame thrower we don’t really have, save Kopech when he Isnt injured. The kid reaches 100 on a regular basis too. I see no reason to send him down when he hasn’t even allowed a run yet. I know he is only 23, but he seems like he has his head on straight.
Brusdar Graterol is also a power pitcher. He throws a sinker to induce soft contact ground balls vs. throwing 4-seamers by the batter. But he is a power pitcher.
I understand the plaudits for Edgardo Henriquez, and they are deserved. But the Dodgers have 2 pitchers on the IL that will need to be added: Michael Kopech and Alex Vesia. Kopech will be added when rosters expand. When Vesia is reinstated, I assume that Justin Wrobleski could be optioned rather than Henriquez, and I would be okay with that. That would give the team 9 relievers. Assuming that Sheehan moves to the bullpen for the playoffs, who would you replace for Henriquez on the playoff roster: Tanner Scott (L), Alex Vesia (L), Jack Dreyer (L), Anthony Banda (L), Blake Treinen (R), Kirby Yates (R), Ben Casparius (R), Michael Kopech (R)?