Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Months ago, Don Mattingly said that Alex Guerrero‘s best position was designated hitter. With two in Oakland followed by three in Houston this weekend, we might finally get the chance to see that.
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Dodgers
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A’s
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7:05 p.m. PT
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Oakland, Ca.
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SS
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Rollins
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CF
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Burns
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2B
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Hernandez
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LF
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Fuld
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3B
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Turner
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3B
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Valencia
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1B
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Gonzalez
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C
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Phegley
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LF
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Van Slyke
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1B |
Canha
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RF
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Puig
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DH
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Butler
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DH
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Guerrero
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RF
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Reddick
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Ellis
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SS
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Semien
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CF
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Pederson
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2B
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Sogard
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Or, and perhaps far more likely given the ongoing difficulty in finding a place for Carl Crawford to play, this is going to be a platoon situation. Of the five games, two — Felix Doubront tonight, and Scott Kazmir in Houston — are likely to be against lefties. (Yes, the Dodgers are going to miss Dallas Keuchel, who starts tomorrow.)
Whether that means Crawford is simply slotted in as DH against righties, or some maneuvering is done to get Andre Ethier or Yasiel Puig a partial day off, well, I don’t know. But considering how rough a time it’s been for Guerrero for months, it’s hard to argue that he has to be in there all week. Either way, he’s going to get more of an opportunity than he would otherwise, and it’s not the worst time to take advantage of it. Scott Van Slyke and A.J. Ellis pick up expected starts against the lefty as well; Joc Pederson sticks in center, in part because Enrique Hernandez is needed at second.
There’s pitching news: Mat Latos was supposed to go tomorrow, but now: nope. He’ll instead be in the bullpen until the end of the month, with Alex Wood starting tomorrow. That sounds like a demotion, and perhaps it is in some sense, but remember how weird the schedule is. The Dodgers were off yesterday, they’re off Thursday, and they’re off Monday. They don’t really need a fifth starter for a while, and this lines up Brett Anderson, Zack Greinke, and Clayton Kershaw in Houston — and, not coincidentally, keeps Greinke and Kershaw to finish up the next Giants series.
So there’s that. The schedule is weird and it’s doing weird things. Oh, and it’s Mark McGwire bobblehead night:
Your pitcher bobbleheads will shake with fear. Get a Mark McGwire Bobblehead, by Chevrolet, tonight vs. the Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/QeFkC4haDE
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 18, 2015
