Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
On this episode of Dugout Blues, Jared and I talk about the second week of Dodger baseball. Some was good, some was not so good.
Clayton Kershaw was part of the good. After some started to fret after one poor start in Colorado, Kershaw threw 8 1/3 innings of 1-run ball against the Diamondbacks and looked just fine doing it.
Rich Hill was not so good, mostly because the blister on his left middle finger reared its ugly head again. He came out of the game early and is likely heading to the 10-day disabled list … again.
Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda were … meh. Ryu struggled a little bit against the Cubs, while Maeda didn’t fare too well against the D’backs. They’re going to have to start pitching better to help save the bullpen some innings and to keep their rotation spots.
On offense, Yasmani Grandal, Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig were all really good. Grandal rebounded from a somewhat down first week, Turner is showing he’s one of the best hitters in the game (not just on the Dodgers) and Puig is off to a fantastic start that has seen him hit for power and walk more than he has struck out.
Joc Pederson is pressing a bit, as he hasn’t looked great on the whole this season. He’s trying to do too much and needs to relax. Adrian Gonzalez is, well, struggling. He’s not hitting for power and hitting too many balls on the ground. Whether it’s the elbow, age or overall attrition remains to be seen, but his struggles should prompt a permanent move down in the lineup (until he starts hitting, at least).
And, in #TrueDodger fashion, Logan Forsythe has a sore hamstring. It doesn’t sound too serious. Then again, it never does.
On the farm, man, do the Dodgers have some awesome pitching prospects. Walker Buehler and Mitchell White are doing amazing things in Rancho Cucamonga, and that rotation is adding Yadier Alvarez (who starts today), which, wow. That trio probably isn’t long for A-ball, so it’s best to get out and see them before it’s too late. Offensively, Cody Bellinger is hitting incredibly well and could force the Dodgers’ hand sooner rather than later if he keeps it up. Yusniel Diaz is showing why the Dodgers gave him a $15.5 million signing bonus after a slow start. DJ Peters has also picked it up, while Carlos Rincon is hitting all the dingers in Great Lakes. We also touch on Brendon Davis, Edwin Rios, Alex Verdugo and others.
To close, a strong Q&A session from the listeners. Please keep them coming.
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Look for new episodes of “Dugout Blues” every Monday. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we’re always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.
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