Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The thing to focus on for today’s game is Shohei Ohtani‘s rehab continuing to progress, hopefully ignoring the rest of the game, which resulted in the Dodgers falling to the Royals by a 9-5 score.
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As mentioned, Shohei Ohtani started again to continue his rehab, taking another step forward by getting multiple innings. In his first inning, he allowed a one-out bloop single and then gave up a walk to put a pair on, but quickly got out of it with fastballs at 99 MPH, 100, and then a new career-high of 102 to induce a double play that got him out of trouble.
Sorry that started quick. Here's 99, 100, and 102 inside paint to Pasquantino for the double play: pic.twitter.com/6pB247uJOj
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 28, 2025
101.7 mph on the fastball to get Pasquantino to ground into a double play is the new hardest pitch of Shohei Ohtani's MLB career
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) June 28, 2025
He then cruised through the 2nd on 13 pitches, inducing some ugly swings along the way.
These are the swings you like to see as a pitcher, lol. pic.twitter.com/F57518dLX9
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 28, 2025
He looks … back.
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A reportedly sick Ben Casparius started the 3rd with a walk, but that was erased by a Dalton Rushing throw from his knees.
Dalton Rushing from his knees on a curve near the dirt (on review). pic.twitter.com/yuQx7Cp152
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 28, 2025
That’s also when the trouble started, as a single and a bloop double followed, which continued to highlight the Dodgers’ issues with outfield defense.
Watching the Dodgers' outfield defense: pic.twitter.com/IssQ2qBxEt
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 28, 2025
The Royals took advantage as Maikel Garcia doubled off the wall in left to give them a 2-0 advantage.
Maikel for ✌️. pic.twitter.com/riumYrICP9
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 28, 2025
He seemed to settle in with a clean 4th, but then disaster struck in the 5th. A one-out single got to second on an Andy Pages error (again, the outfield defense), then scored on a Jonathan India single. Another single followed to put a pair on, and later with two down, Vinnie Pasquantino destroyed a ball to right for a three-run shot to make it 6-0 just like that.
Smashquantino.@STIHLUSA pic.twitter.com/ryQgBvrb4G
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 28, 2025
Casparius then completed his work with a scoreless 6th, though that was the end of the line: 4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 75 Pitches.
Since the Dodgers announced Casparius would be more of a bulk starter than a multi-inning fireman: 16.2 IP, 19 H, 12 R, 5 BB, 10 K, and ERA up from 2.93 to 3.97. Prior to that: 40 IP, 33 H, 13 R, 7 BB, 44 K, and a 1.73 FIP. FWIW.
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) June 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Luis Garcia started the 7th but didn’t finish it, getting just one out while giving up three doubles and a single for three runs to make it 9-1. Anthony Banda then entered and got the final two outs of the frame.
Miguel Rojas finished the game off in the 9th in some kind of betrayal to Enrique Hernandez.
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Offensively, uh, they basically didn’t do shit.
Oh right, that one run during non-garbage time, well Freddie Freeman homered in the 7th, and hopefully it’s a sign he’s getting hot.
Freeman's first HR since May 11 in Arizona, 41 games, 178 plate appearances ago. Freeman has said he's been searching for his swing since that series
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 28, 2025
Notably, Hyeseong Kim had two hits and a walk.
Also, Max Muncy ruined my recap with his second hit of the game in the 9th to make it 9-2, and then Enrique and Andy Pages both singled to make it 9-5 before it ended.
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| NL West | Record | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | 52-32 | – |
| Padres | 44-37* | 6.5 |
| Giants | 45-38 | 6.5 |
The series will conclude tomorrow at 8:10 AM HT/11:10 AM PT/2:10 PM ET, and it’ll be a pen game with Justin Wrobleski as the bulk guy against Kris Bubic.
