Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: Health/injuries (Page 7 of 33)

Ryu goes two in rehab debut

Cardinals at Dodgers, 5:07 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Howie Kendrick, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Alex Wood, P

By Jon Weisman

Hyun-Jin Ryu threw two scoreless innings for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga today in his first rehab appearance, retiring six batters in a row after a leadoff single and striking out two.

Ryu is expected to require three or four more rehab appearances before the Dodgers would activate him, Dave Roberts said Saturday.

J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News said that Ryu threw 22 pitches in the game, plus 10 more in the bullpen afterward, and that both strikeouts came on curveballs.

“Ryu said he was exerting about 60 to 70 percent of his maximum effort, which explains his lower-than-usual 85-mph average fastball velocity,” Hoornstra wrote.

Hyun-Jin Ryu to pitch rehab game Sunday

Screen Shot 2016-05-14 at 3.36.51 PM

Cardinals at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Carl Crawford, LF
Scott Kazmir, P

By Cary Osborne

Hyun-Jin Ryu will pitch in a game Sunday — the first time he has toed the rubber for a game since March 17, 2015 in Spring Training.

Dave Roberts said today that Ryu will start his rehab assignment in Rancho Cucamonga, where he will pitch possibly two innings.

The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start in San Bernardino, where the Quakes will take on Inland Empire.

Roberts said he anticipates Ryu making four or five appearances before he’s ready to return to the Dodgers.

In addition, Brandon McCarthy pitched another simulated inning at Dodger Stadium today and faced Charlie Culberson, who was taking hacks against him.

“Charlie said the ball was coming out good — fastball, changeup, curve — and so that’s another step in the right direction,” Roberts said. “He puts some good swings, but there were also some swings and misses, which was good to see from McCarthy’s standpoint.”

Roberts said McCarthy will get one more simulated inning before being sent out for a rehab assignment.

Yimi Garcia, who went on the disabled list April 23 with right biceps soreness, is in Arizona and not near a return.

“We’re a little beside ourselves on the lack of progress, so he’s just kind of laying low and not really doing any baseball activities,” Roberts said.

Garcia felt soreness on April 22 and left after two-thirds of an inning in Colorado.

One more note: Chase Utley returns to the starting lineup at second base, a day after Howie Kendrick went 2 for 5 and was robbed of a home run.

Roberts said he wanted Utley’s left-handed bat in the lineup with right-hander Carlos Martinez’s ball running in on right-handers.

Day by day, Brandon McCarthy keeps moving forward

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By Jon Weisman

It might have been just another day in the post-Tommy John surgery life of Brandon McCarthy, but every day forward is a good one.

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Dodgers hold team meeting before batting practice

Padres at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Alex Wood, P

By Jon Weisman

In the wake of their four-game losing streak, the Dodgers held a closed-door meeting at 3:30 p.m. in the clubhouse that Dave Roberts said essentially addressed the same issues he brought up after Thursday’s game.

“You just got to get back to the fundamentals and trying to play clean, crisp baseball and play every pitch,” Roberts said. “I think that there are signs of that. … Whether we’re winning games or not winning games, I still think there’s a process that needs to be in place, and you just don’t want things to get away from you. So right now, it’s kind of hit the reset button a little bit.”

Among other issues, Roberts has the sense that Dodger batters are pressing at the plate.

“You know, it’s funny — I think it’s just guys are trying too hard,” he said. “And you hear it all the time when guys aren’t swinging well, that guys want to do it so bad, it’s a little bit, ‘Try a little less hard.’ Because guys just start swinging the bat, and you start coming out of the strike zone.”

One thing not addressed in today’s meeting was the 80-game suspension of former Dodger infielder Dee Gordon that was announced late Thursday. Reaction to that news is amply covered at a number of sites, but Roberts echoed the feeling of many.

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Yimi Garcia isn’t progressing

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Corey Seager, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
A.J. Ellis, C
Trayce Thompson, CF
Scott Kazmir, P

By Jon Weisman

The trouble with Yimi Garcia’s pitching arm remains localized in his bicep, Dave Roberts said this afternoon, but so far there’s been no progress for the 25-year-old righty since he went on the disabled list April 23.

“Not a whole lot of improvement,” Roberts said. “He’s disappointed, because after not picking up a baseball for three or four days, you’d expect that to kind of subside. … I don’t know when he’s going to pick up a baseball.”

Garcia has a career 3.12 ERA (120 ERA+) with 81 strikeouts in 75 innings for Los Angeles.

As for the active members of the Dodger bullpen behind Scott Kazmir tonight, all should be available for action, with the possible exception, I would expect, of Louis Coleman, who threw 10 pitches Monday and 20 Tuesday. J.P. Howell has also worked the past two games, but with only nine pitches combined.

As he indicated Tuesday, Roberts is looking for an improved performance from Kazmir, who pitched six shutout innings in his Dodger debut but has allowed 14 runs in 13 innings since.

“No. 1 is fastball command, and No. 2 is to see how his changeup is, because that’s been his best secondary pitch, and over his last couple of starts, he hasn’t really been able to get the depth and finish hitters with it,” Roberts said. It’s a swing-and-miss pitch, so I think if his change is good, presenting it as a strike and having the depth, then he’ll be in a good place.”

Starting pitching notebook: Kershaw, Kazmir, Stripling, Ryu

Scott Kazmir and Clayton Kershaw (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Scott Kazmir and Clayton Kershaw (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw has thrown at least seven innings in each of his four starts this season, and the Dodgers would love for him to make it a fifth.

It would be going too far to say they need him to, but … it sure would be nice.

Of the Dodgers’ 20 games this season, starting pitchers have gone at least six innings 11 times — twice in the past seven games.

“I think those guys would be the first to tell you, we’ve got to get length,” Dave Roberts said. “Obviously, we came from (three games in) Denver, but I think to win a lot of games and to go deep in the postseason, we can’t beat up our pen, and so that starts with the starting pitching.

“Last night, I tried to get a little extra length with Ross (Stripling), and unfortunately in the sixth inning they scored a run, but I’ve kind of got to think about the pen usage as well as trying to win that night. There’s that fine balance, certainly.”

Kershaw is making his final start of April tonight. If he completes five innings, he would become the first Dodger starting pitcher to average at least seven innings per start in April since Derek Lowe in 2005. (He’s also on pace to post the highest April strikeout-walk ratio for a Dodger starting pitcher in history: 10.0.)

Next after Kershaw comes Scott Kazmir, who has been bothered somewhat by a sore left thumb and wrist. Kazmir through off flat ground today and is ready to make his scheduled start Wednesday.

“Kaz is a pro,” Roberts said. “He doesn’t want to use it as an excuse, but when you’ve got the wrist-thumb thing, it’s kind of hard for him to get on top of the baseball, so I think he was getting a little outside and under it. So just now even watching him play catch, he was kind of getting the extention he needed and the ball was coming out really well, so I do think it’ll make a big difference.”

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Carl Crawford officially activated, will start tonight

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCXLVII: Kershawg Day Afternoon
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Carl Crawford has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, with Zach Lee returning to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Crawford started (but didn’t finish) the Dodgers’ first three games of the 2016 season and pinch-hit in the fourth, going 3 for 11 with a double.

“Just seeing him jump around and want to be back with the guys and be an active player again, it’s exciting, and we look forward to getting him back in the lineup,” Dave Roberts said.

Roberts talked about how Crawford would fit into an increasingly crowded rotation in left field, with Howie Kendrick, Trayce Thompson and Kiké Hernandez.

“It’s kind of one of those high-class problems,” Roberts said. “We’ve talked about depth, and this is kind of where it’s showing its head a little bit in that now there’s different options, and guys have to be unselfish. Today, it’d be great to get Howie back in there, but for me I’m going to give him a day and get him back in there tomorrow.”

Roberts later added that optimally, Crawford would start three or four times a week.

“We’ve seen there’s a propensity to get injured,” Roberts said. “I think for me, even in the beginning of the season, you saw I took him out just to kind of keep him off his feet, and so the idea of running him out there until he breaks is not something I believe in, so I just try to kind of conserve as much as possible and use that depth.”

Lee was with the big-league club for four games but did not pitch.

 

Yimi Garcia heads to DL, Zach Lee recalled

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Yimi Garcia has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with right biceps soreness by the Dodgers, who have recalled right-hander Zach Lee to take his roster spot.

Garcia, tied with Chris Hatcher for the team lead in games pitched with nine and innings with 8 1/3, has allowed 11 baserunners this season while striking out four. In his big-league career, Garcia has struck out 9.7 per nine innings with a 0.94 WHIP.

Lee has a 1.56 ERA in 17 1/3 innings (three starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing 22 hits but walking only one while striking out 14. He was scheduled to start tonight in Iowa, but is with the Dodgers now as a long reliever.

Scott Kazmir said he doesn’t expect to miss his next start despite “minor discomfort where the thumb meets the wrist,” according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Also, Louis Coleman returns from his bereavement leave Monday.

By the way, Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Mike Bolsinger, whose bid for the Dodger starting rotation was thwarted by a strained oblique muscle a month ago, has begun throwing off a mound.

Justin Turner has a bruised toe but is available to pinch hit, according to Gurnick.

View from the top: Andrew Friedman analyzes three keys to the Dodgers’ future

Roberts Friedman

Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts before a rain delay April 9 at San Francisco. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

Taking a break from the standing desk in his office overlooking left field at Dodger Stadium, 18 months into his tenure as Dodger president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman was asked to reflect.

In the brief pause that followed, you could feel the sheer volume of all the moves and maneuvering roll through his brain like a freight train.

“It’s been such a frenetic pace,” Friedman said, “I feel like I’ve been drinking out of a firehose for the past year and a half.”

But the moment did provide an opportunity for Friedman to assess the state of the squad and look ahead toward a future filled with potential — all in pursuit of the unquestioned grand prize of a World Series title.

What follows are Friedman’s thoughts on three areas critical to that pursuit …

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Injury questions mark Dodger loss in Colorado

Corey Seager is congratulated by third-base coach Chris Woodward. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Corey Seager is congratulated by third-base coach Chris Woodward. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

By Jon Weisman

The injuries woes that have bedeviled the Dodgers at Coors Field returned Friday during a 7-5 loss to the Rockies.

Starting pitcher Scott Kazmir developed an issue with his left thumb, while reliever Yimi Garcia had to leave in the middle of a difficult inning with right bicep soreness, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

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Baez recovering, but Coleman bereaving

San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Braves, 9:10 a.m.
Kershaw CCXLVI: Kershawll We Dance?
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Joc Pederson, CF
Trayce Thompson, RF
Kiké Hernandez, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Charlie Culberson, 3B
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

“Right” said Pedro Baez, or something to that effect, the morning after an Adam Liberatore midgame warmup pitch Wednesday accidentally struck the right-handed reliever in the head.

Baez played catch in the outfield today and told reporters today that he feels fine, though Dave Roberts said in his pregame chat that the team hadn’t determined if Better Off Ped is available to pitch today.

However, the Dodgers have called up southpaw Luis Avilan from Triple-A Oklahoma City, because Louis Coleman has been placed on the bereavement list following the passing of his grandfather.

Avilan, who had a rough Spring Training, has thrown six shutout innings so far this season in the minors, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out nine. Left-handed batters are 1 for 9 against him with two walks and three strikeouts.

He’ll boost a Dodger bullpen that has been taxed over the past two nights and that will be hoping for a reprieve today with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Number of pitches Dodger relievers have thrown since Monday’s off day:

  • 33 J.P. Howell (10 Tuesday, 23 Wednesday)
  • 31 Joe Blanton (12 Tuesday, 19 Wednesday)
  • 24 Yimi Garcia (six Tuesday, 18 Wednesday
  • 16 Chris Hatcher (16 Wednesday)
  • 13 Adam Liberatore (nine Tuesday, four Wednesday)
  • 13 Louis Coleman (13 Tuesday)
  • 13 Kenley Jansen (13 Wednesday)

Dodger Stadium at night, courtesy of Jon SooHoo

San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Giants at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Trayce Thompson, RF
Scott Kazmir, P

By Jon Weisman

Some pregame notes follow, but mainly they’re just to fill out the post beneath Jon SooHoo’s great shot of Dodger Stadium from Friday (click the pic to enlarge). Make sure you’re regularly checking out his blog.

Carl Crawford is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment with Oklahoma City, flying east Monday, Dave Roberts told reporters today.

Crawford was placed on the 15-day disabled list one week ago.

Yasmani Grandal, who came off the disabled list Tuesday, could start back-to-back games for the first time in 2016 this weekend. Yasiel Puig has his first scheduled game off today but is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has a groin strain that forced him to postpone today’s scheduled bullpen session for at least a couple of days.

Grandal and Kendrick activated, Van Slyke to DL

Scott Van Slyke, before the pain. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Scott Van Slyke, before the pain. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Trayce Thompson, CF
Corey Seager, SS
A.J. Ellis, C
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers lost one more player to the disabled list but gained two back today.

Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal have returned to the active roster for the Dodgers, who placed Scott Van Slyke on the DL with lower back irritation.

Kendrick is starting today at second base, but Dave Roberts added that he could see some time in left field in the short term (given the Dodgers’ quantity of injured outfielders and the strong start by infielder Chase Utley). Kendrick has 26 career MLB games in left, most recently in with the Angels.

“We were talking about when Howie resigned with us, he was open to playing some outfield, so we might be dipping into that well,” Roberts said.

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Dodgers acquire Walters, Ramsey from Indians

Zach Walters has 10 homers in 165 career MLB at-bats. (David Maxwell/Getty Images)

Zach Walters has 10 homers in 165 career MLB at-bats. (David Maxwell/Getty Images)

Dodgers at Giants, 1:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Trayce Thompson, LF
Austin Barnes, C
Scott Kazmir, P

By Jon Weisman

Infielder-outfielder Zach Walters and outfielder James Ramsey have been acquired by the Dodgers from the Indians in exchange for cash considerations.

Walters and Ramsey were designated for assignment by Cleveland before Opening Day. They will join the Dodger 40-man roster while being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, with Andre Ethier and Josh Ravin being shifted to the 60-day disabled list.

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Carl Crawford to disabled list, Micah Johnson recalled

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres

Dodgers at Giants, 1:05 p.m.
Kershaw XXXLIV: Kershawrace and Pete
Kiké Hernandez, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Trayce Thompson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Carl Crawford has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back tightness, and the Dodgers have recalled Micah Johnson from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

As Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported Friday, Crawford has been dealing with the back issue since the middle of Spring Training.

Crawford, who has missed at least a month a season with an injury for each of the last five years, said he has had occasional lower-back issues in the past that would “flare up and cool down.” He said he is particularly puzzled because he worked over the winter and spring specifically in an attempt to avoid injuries.

“It seems like the opposite happened,” he said. “I feel terrible about that. I really tried hard to maintain my strength in the core and back and I’m still having issues.”

Crawford was 3 for 11 with two RBI in the young 2016 season, playing 17 innings in three games in left field.

Johnson is a second baseman, but he started in left field Friday with Oklahoma City for the first time in his pro career. He was 3 for 9 in Triple-A in two games, after OPSing .841 in 2015 with 28 steals in 35 attempts.

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