Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
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Dodgers
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D’Backs
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6:40 p.m. PT
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Phoenix
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LF
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Kendrick
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2B
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Segura
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SS
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Seager
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CF
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Bourn
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3B
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Turner
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1B
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Goldschmidt
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1B
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González
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3B
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Lamb
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RF
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Puig
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C
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Castillo
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CF
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Van Slyke
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LF
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Herrmann
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C
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Grandal
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RF |
Tomás
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2B
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Taylor
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P
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Corbin (R)
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P
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Norris (R)
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SS
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Ahmed
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Somewhat by design, 2016 has not been a healthy year for the Dodgers. Still, one would hope that in the first game in five days, the Dodgers would be playing at full strength. However, that’s not the case. Trayce Thompson is sitting against the left-handed Patrick Corbin and is dealing with some sort of problem with his lower back. Before the game, Roberts said Thompson will be sidelined for at least two games.
This is a big issue given how the Dodger roster is constructed this year, because it leaves them short on the already short bench. The Dodgers can back-date any DL assignment to before the break, but it’s not exactly obvious who they would bring up to replace the ailing Thompson, especially if they want another outfielder on a suddenly thin depth chart. Joc Pederson started a rehab assignment today and won’t be ready until early next week. Andre Ethier is having a bone scan today to see when he’ll be able to return (and just had his timetable pushed back again). Nothing is really ideal. Especially non-ideal is starting Scott Van Slyke in center, which is what the Dodgers have elected to do today. Remember when the Dodgers had too many outfielders? Me neither.
In more positive news, the All-Star break has been kind to the recovery of the Dodger pitching staff. Both Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood will throw 60 pitch simulated games tomorrow. The Dodgers have already stated that Kershaw will likely not require a rehab assignment, so if all goes well he might be back as early as next week. Wood will need some tune-up time, which could give the Dodgers time to resolve the ever-threatening but never-happening starting rotation roster crunch. Brett Anderson is also working his way back, and he threw a bullpen session that Dave Roberts described as “electric.” It’s a somewhat strange choice of words given that I wouldn’t use that adjective to describe Anderson’s stuff when healthy, but the bottom line is that he’s trying to work his way back as well.
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