Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Dan Haren starts for the Dodgers today against his former team with which he spent 2008-10. He was a two-time All-Star and put up a 3.56 ERA with the D-Backs until he was traded to the Angels at the deadline for Joe Saunders, Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez, and Tyler Skaggs.
Haren faces off against Trevor Cahill, who has followed up an atrocious spring (6.95 ERA) with a worse start (7.90 ERA) to the 2014 season. The Dodgers also previously beat Cahill down in Australia, chasing him after four innings. Additionally, the D-Backs are the worst team in baseball by both record and run differential so far this year. All of that means Cahill probably throws a complete game shutout or something. Cause baseball.
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Dodgers
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Diamondbacks
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1:10 pm PT
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Phoenix, AZ
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2B
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Gordon
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RF
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Parra
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RF
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Puig
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2B
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Hill
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SS
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Ramirez
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1B
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Goldschmidt
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1B
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Gonzalez
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3B
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Chavez
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CF
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Kemp
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LF
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Trumbo
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LF
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Ethier
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CF
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Pollock
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3B
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Uribe
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SS
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Owings
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C
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Federowicz
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C
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Gosewisch
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P
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Haren (R)
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P
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Cahill (R)
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Clayton Kershaw took a step forward to returning on Saturday, as he threw off the bullpen mound. However, there is still no timetable.
Kershaw, disabled with a strained teres major muscle in his back after winning his Opening Night start in Australia, was not throwing full speed, but wasn’t lobbing either.
Manager Don Mattingly said Kershaw remains under orders to hold back on velocity and is monitored by trainers using an app that calculates pitch speed.
“They only allow him to throw so hard,” said Mattingly. “Stan [Conte, trainer] has been educating me about the velocity injury. He has to keep it below that so he won’t injure it.”
Given the location of the muscle and that it affects velocity, the team should take as much time as necessary. That should go without saying, but a lot of fans and even media can get very restless when they’re constantly told “no timetable” for a guy that just signed a gigantic contract.
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–Brian Wilson is eligible to be activated Tuesday and he’s having no troubles in the minors thus far. Chris Withrow has options, but he basically shares setup duties with Chris Perez at this point, so sending him down to keep Brandon League to “retain depth” seems more like a move to “retain crappy pitchers for no reason” to me.
–Alex Guerrero and Erisbel Arruebarrena are alive. Guerrero has recovered from an oblique injury and will be in AAA, as the team released Brendan Harris to clear room. Arruebarrena was assigned to AA.
–Scott Elbert threw a bullpen session on Saturday and wants to be ready for a rehab stint in June. Couldn’t hurt to have a third capable lefty in the wings, especially since he thrived in the pen when he has been healthy.
