Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Yasiel Puig has been terrible lately. Just so, so bad, really, with a line of .211/.301/.239 since Aug. 1. I wish I knew why. I don’t.
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D’Backs
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Dodgers
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6:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles, Ca.
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CF
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Inciarte
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2B
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Gordon
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SS
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Pennington
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SS
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Ramirez
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2B
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Owings
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1B
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Gonzalez
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1B
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Trumbo
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RF
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Kemp
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3B
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Hill
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LF
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Crawford
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RF
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Ross
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3B
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Uribe
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LF
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Reimold
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CF
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Pederson
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C
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Gosewich
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C
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Ellis
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P
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Anderson (R)
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P
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Ryu (L)
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So when it came out that Puig was not in the lineup today, with Joc Pederson playing center, it raised some eyebrows — not because Puig has been good, because he hasn’t, but because it would be the fourth time in 12 games that he’s sat. I get Don Mattingly wanting to put out his best lineup, but it also doesn’t seem like Puig is going to fix whatever is ailing him on the bench. Of course, then we found out that Puig is ill and getting an IV, which is why he’s out today. It’s a big opportunity for Pederson, who hasn’t been terribly impressive so far, especially with Mattingly saying today that there’s a “possibility” he would make a playoff roster, should the Dodgers get there.
In the meantime, it appears the Dodgers have made a very unexpected roster move: outfielder Roger Bernadina, who was signed to a minor league deal in July after being let go by the Reds, has been added to the 40-man roster and recalled. Bernadina is 30 and a veteran of seven major league seasons; he got into 23 games with the Isotopes this summer. Josh Beckett, who is out for the season with a hip injury, was moved to the 60-day disabled list to make room.
No, the team doesn’t really need another outfielder, but Bernadina is at least known for his speed, and with Erisbel Arruebarrena still ailing and Puig out, this at least gives Mattingly another option in the pinch-running department. Is this a direct reaction by Ned Colletti to Mattingly refusing to run for A.J. Ellis on Wednesday? Probably not. Almost certainly not. But I like to imagine that it is.
As for tonight, it’s Hyun-jin Ryu against Chase Anderson and a very motley collection of Diamondbacks. Aaron Hill makes just his second start at third base since 2005. Nolan Reimold, who was claimed off waivers from Toronto just last week, starts in left; Cody Ross, who has had a miserable season, makes his first start since July 19 after a few pinch-hitting appearances earlier this week.
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