Here are some items for your mailbox:

  • Since the wild-card era began in 1996, only five of 126 teams that were, as the Dodgers are, at least five games under .500 and five games out of a playoff spot on May 31 have made the postseason, according to Tom Verducci of SI.com.
  • Amid all the bullpen injuries, Dodger manager Don Mattingly resisted naming one of his veteran relievers as a primary closer, preferring to keep them for middle-relief situations and showing a willingness to use youth at the end of the game, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Times.
  • My friend and former Variety colleague Laura Clark offers at L.A. Story a perspective on going to Dodger Stadium from a non-regular.
  • Make your All-Star picks here in this fun format at ESPN.com.