From bad to worse: Ethier injures left oblique muscle

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Andre Ethier suffered a left oblique injury sliding into second base in the first inning today while trying to break up a double play. From what I understand about these injuries, an absence of weeks is likely.

Ethier and Matt Kemp, who have 22 of the Dodgers’ 45 home runs this season, are now sidelined. The only other Dodgers with more than two homers this year are A.J. Ellis (six) and Juan Rivera (three).

Elian Herrera replaced Ethier in right field. Alex Castellanos and Scott Van Slyke would top the list of potential callups.

Through four innings at San Francisco today, the Dodgers trailed, 2-0, extending their scoreless inning streak to 25 innings. Chad Billingsley, who had doubled, was thrown out on an extremely close play in the third inning today while trying to score on a wild pitch. The Dodger righty then gave up two runs in the bottom of the inning.

  • Anonymous

    Baseball gods seem determined to keep us humble.

  • Anonymous

    Get well soon, Dre.

    Hey, can Loney play right field … since Donnie is in love with Rivera at first for whatever reason?

  • KT

    Since no one is hitting with runners in scoring position we need a Hr. Too bad no one can hit home runs

  • Anonymous

    Think I’ll switch to soccer – at least the team I pick to root for will score now and then.

  • Anonymous

    Defense!

  • Anonymous

    I was unimpressed by Catellanos first recall.  SVS obviously, but has Sands fallen that far?

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

       I think if they choose an OF/1B, Van Slyke is having the better year than Sands (and the better June).  If they want someone with more defensive versatility, I think they pick Alex (who if nothing else continues to rake in AAA).

    • Anonymous

      I vote for SVS – with both Kemp and Ethier out, Dodgers need somebody with at least a threat who can hit it out.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    This could be the Dodger lineup tomorrow.
    Gordon, SS
    Herrera, 2B
    Abreu, RF
    Rivera, LF
    Loney, 1B
    Treanor, C
    Gwynn, CF
    Uribe, 3B
    Capuano, P

    • Anonymous

      Ouch.

    • Anonymous

      Reminds me of a movie from my kid’s childhoods — The Brave Little Toaster.

      Radio:  Things could be worse.
      Lamp:  How could they be worse?
      Radio:  They can’t, I lied.

  • Anonymous

    Well, hopefully Zito and Lincecum go back to getting pounded after the punchless Dodgers leave town.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Tuesday marks the 7th anniversary of J.D. Drew’s season-ending injury. The Dodgers went 33-48 after it happened.

  • KT

    Herrera doesn’t give great confidence in his ability to track and catch flyballs…It looks shaky but he seems to get it done

    • Anonymous

      Wouldn’t mind seeing him remember how to hit again.

  • KT

    Top of the lineup…that spells a run…at least 1…come on Blue let’s do it this inning and get that monkey off your backs

  • Anonymous

    since this LAT’d comment was in answer to Jon, I am reposting it.
    Caught up on game and comments here;Now, on Loney vs Rivera today: Lincecum’s career splits are about even LHB vs RHB, tOPS+ 102 and 97 meaning he is slightly tougher against lefties in his career but in both 2011 and 2012 RHH did better against him. This year, before today, 268/349/482 vs 244/342/375 stemming from esp 7 RH HR, only 1 LH HR. Loney vs RHP in 2012 243/324/349; Rivera 257/280/351. The OBP difference is relatively large in Loney vs Rivera as Loney has 18 BB vs RHP and Rivera only 4 but record against Lincecum cuts the other way: Loney hitting 190 4H in 42AB while Rivera hitting 429 as in 6 for 14 and 5 for 10 as a Dodger. Well that’s the case for starting Rivera as I see it; it’s not all that compelling but I would very slightly favor that choice over Loney.

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

      That comment is a little hard to read.

      Basically, it’s only Rivera’s small sample size that makes the case for him starting, but I’d say the defensive disadvantage might trump that.

      • KT

        very hard to read

  • KT

    why can’t we hit the ball like that

  • KT

    Whew…1 more Chad…Let’s get out of this with no more damage

  • bcmaiden

    Lots of Dodger bias always dissing the Giant offense. They actually have guys who can hit. BA doesn’t mean jack. 

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

    Lost in all the depressing news today and this horrible offensive streak is the fact that Bills has actually pitched pretty solidly overall and just got out of a leadoff triple no out situation by K’ing 2 and getting ground out.  Understandably, this will be lost in the shuffle but, hey, noted.

    • Anonymous

      I feel bad for the Dodger pitchers because several( ie. Bills Clay…….etc. can be good on offense, but they are probably stressed trying to provide that two.

  • Anonymous

    Here we go. We are going to end that streak!

  • Anonymous

    Around the web, I hear cries for various trades to try to get the Dodgers a bat or two to get to the play-offs. But I have felt the Dodgers success this year was an amazing run of good fortune and though I’m not advocating defeatism, I think the new ownership should just begin correcting the dismantling of the franchise for cash that the previous ownership accomplished. If the Dodgers utilize the good personel they still have to really use the draft, and they work to sign international free agents, in just a few years they will be up with several farms systems in their division that have passed them by.( It appears they have done both these things–particularly in the int. market.) Beyond that, people who bought the Dodgers at this price could well obtain some young talented bats if they want quicker results.I’m personally more interested in developing home grown talent; but I would think the new owners would not react well to the slap in the face they have recieved in the last few series.

  • foul tip

    From dodgers.com story on today’s lineup–

    “The Dodgers are 19-12 when Uribe starts at third base. They are 12-5 when Adam Kennedy starts there.”

    How about DESPITE these two starting at 3rd?  That’s more like it.

    If I never see another a stat that says the Dodgers are whatever when some marginal player starts or plays this or that position or bats somewhere in the lineup, it’ll be too soon.

    It may be supposedly related to team “chemistry”–that nebulous, or maybe nefarious, concept, or some other idea–but it’s pure unadulterated horse hockey.
    Aaaaarrrgghhhhh…..

    However, “The Dodgers are 22-11 with Ellis starting at second base and batting second. They are 21-21 when he isn’t” is quite relevant.

    Team winning percentage also is quite a bit higher with Kemp and Ethier in the lineup at the same time also, no doubt.

    How about the Dodgers are 0 and whatever when scoring 0 runs?  Hard not to be on board with that.

    • Anonymous

      Dodger pitchers could throw a no-hitter and still lose at this rate. 

  • bcmaiden

    I am jealous that they have a really good young backup catcher in Sanchez. Dude can hit, play defense, and moves well for a big guy. Bochy is giving him lots of playing time while Posey plays 1st. 

  • http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

    Uribe can’t do nuthin’ right.

    • Anonymous

      At least you don’t sound surprised

  • KT

    Why didn’t I expect a different result…I’ll tell you why because I’m not crazy…you all know the definition of crazy don’t you
     
    Time to go to Physical Therapy…I’ll be rooting for a Dodger run/win while I’m gone…Take care all

  • http://farinella.com/ David Farinella

    deep cleansing breaths

    the season is not over. the season is not over. the season is not over.

    deep cleansing breaths

  • Anonymous

    Yesterday, I was spitting mad. For whatever reason, I am feeling slightly less crazed and more philosophical right at this moment. Maybe it’s because of ‘Dre’s injury, but I find myself kind of surrendering to the train wreck of this series, and my beloved team, and curious to see what the new owners do about helping our boys, if anything.

  • KT

    Dee lost the ball while holding it up to the ump

    I’m out the door now

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/M43RQUOKRIFBFM3DK5T2TERQ6U Old Bear

    So, I wake up from a nap, and I see that we still haven’t scored and that we have lost the best non-pitcher on our active roster for some time.  I think it’s time for a second nap.  The Dodgers appear to be sleepwalking anyway.

  • http://twitter.com/madbeatboy Rob Carnachan

    I don’t know what sport the Dodgers think they are playing, but it’s not baseball.  The primary object of baseball is to score runs — everything else is secondary.  This team needs a bevy of hitters — where they will come from, I have no idea.  We don’t need pitching.

  • Anonymous

    Let Coffey hit.  Really, what is there to lose?

  • Anonymous

    I knew this team wasn’t really good enough to make the playoffs, since they have replacement-level bats (maybe) at the corners and Chris Capuano as their second-best starting pitcher (he should still regress in the second half, but admittedly has been great so far), but I bought Extra Innings because I wanted to watch Kemp play.  That’s the most frustrating part.

  • http://twitter.com/madbeatboy Rob Carnachan

    These games have been so boring that I haven’t had much incentive to watch.  If the Dodgers were losing games 9-8, at least we would be entertained (even if ultimately disappointed in the outcome). But this is just toxic to the eyes and ears.  When you can’t even reliably score 3 or 4 runs per game, it is just ugly baseball — win OR lose.

    • Anonymous

      No, actually some of the best games I have ever seen were 1-0, 2-1, and the like. Great pitching duels with spectacular defense are very fun games to watch for me. The DH-fueled 9-8 junk games belong in the AL and aren’t real baseball. Of course, getting shut out evey day isn’t any fun either.

      • http://twitter.com/madbeatboy Rob Carnachan

        I’m an offense first guy.  Not a fan of pitching duels — every once in a while is okay, but a team that can’t average 4-5 runs a game isn’t a good team IMO.  I’m more a fan of the Dodger teams of the 70s and 90s (and early 2000s) that won with power and runs.  The Dodgers’ 60s teams would have bored me to death if I had been alive to watch them.  To me, the Dodgers need to make the club over in the image of the Red Sox and Yankees — filled with high OBP hitters with power from 1-8 in the lineup.  Then just get a couple good starters, a closer, and “good enough” pitching elsewhere.

      • Anonymous

        I’ll take a good pitcher’s duel over lousy pitching any day.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

     NPUT