Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
On this episode of Dugout Blues, Jared and I record following the 5-inning perfect game by Kenta Maeda, because nothing else happened after that inning. Sigh.
Yu Darvish was … fine … in his last outing (6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 K), so fine that he’s now on the 10-day disabled list with back tightness. This really just sounds like a precautionary thing. He might miss a start or two, but he was brought here to be healthy in October, and this gives him the best chance to be.
Dodgers had a good series against the White Sox that included a Yasiel Puig walk-off double. They won four of the five games they played this week, because playing .800 baseball is apparently what they do now.
Clayton Kershaw threw a simulated game and appears close to returning to the team. The Dodgers have been great without him (19-4) and should be even greater with him back and healthy. Can it be October already?
The Dodgers made a somewhat surprising acquisition after Friday night’s game. They nabbed Curtis Granderson (and money) from the Mets for a player to be named later in the form of Jacob Rhame. This is a great trade for the Dodgers. They get a more stable outfielder against righties and don’t give up anyone they had in their future plans.
Adrian Gonzalez returned from the 60-day DL. If he’s healthy, he’s going to be the best pinch-hitting/DH’ing player the Dodgers could hope for in October. He’ll get some reps at first base, but don’t expect to see him against any lefties.
They needed a guy like Granderson because Joc Pederson has struggled mightily in August. He continues to tinker and that’s not what this team needs right now. He’ll work with Shawn Wooten in Triple-A in hopes of figuring things out — and sticking with them — for the rest of the season. We talked about what the plan might be for Joc going forward, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them shop him this offseason.
Cody Bellinger rolled his ankle playing right field. It was a moment that had all Dodger fans holding their collective breath. Fortunately, it’s just a mild sprain and he should be back in a few days. Phew.
Grant Dayton was on a rehab assignment and felt discomfort in his elbow. An MRI was “unclear,” which isn’t usually a good thing. Don’t expect him back this season.
On the farm, FanGraphs released a new Top 10 Dodgers prospect list. It was pretty standard except for the fact Starling Heredia was at No. 7. It’s an aggressive ranking, and I kinda like it. Yusniel Diaz was also a surprise at No. 4, but it just shows the Dodgers’ system is still deep and still has impact potential. Walker Buehler is still doing that relief pitcher thing. Yadier Alvarez had his best Double-A start to date this past week (6 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K). The stuff and talent is still there, he just needs more work and more consistency. Ibandel Isabel is fun to watch. He might not ever make the majors, but when he connects, the ball goes a long way. Oh, and he had an 8-RBI game last week. Keibert Ruiz is hitting well and looks to be another rising prospect in the Dodgers’ org.
To close, a Q&A session. Please keep them coming.
Libsyn Link
Direct Link
iTunes Link
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.
If you have questions you’d like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us ([email protected]) or send us messages on Twitter (@JaredJMassey or @DustinNosler). You can also “Like” the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.
