Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Austin Barnes (Page 2 of 4)

Catcher steals make a rare return for Dodger offense

LOS ANGELES DODGERS V ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andrew Toles, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Scott Kazmir, P

By Jon Weisman

In the very first game after A.J. Ellis stole his first base in the Majors on Wednesday, Yasmani Grandal stole his first base as a Dodger on Friday.

Grandal, whose steal came in his 191st game as a Dodger, did have three thefts with the Padres in 2014. Nevertheless, to say this week’s sequence of events was unusual is an understatement.

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Dodgers recall Austin Barnes, option Julio Urías

Dodgers at Cardinals, 5:15 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Brandon McCarthy, P

By Jon Weisman

Sorry for the sparse Dodger coverage this week: We’ve been on a family sightseeing trip to Washington D.C., and though I crossed paths with the team Wednesday at Nationals Park, I’ve mostly been focused on trying to spend one of these 52 weeks a year of fatherhood not tied to the computer.

It’s certainly been another eventful week in the world of the Dodgers, with some bursts from the offense twice out of the three games in Washington, and the transaction wire again hopping daily. This evening brings catcher-infielder Austin Barnes back to the Dodgers, with Julio Urías being thanked for his Thursday spot start (four innings, one run) before being handed a ticket back to Oklahoma City.

Barnes has a lovely .383 on-base percentage and .454 slugging percentage in 63 games with Oklahoma City this year, as well as 17 steals in 19 attempts. He is 2 for 19 in abbreviated action for Los Angeles in 2016.

Fortunately, Cary Osborne will be back tonight to wrap things up after the game. Here’s to a good one.

Dodgers sign Will Venable, option Austin Barnes

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian González, 1B
Trayce Thompson, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Howie Kendrick, LF
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

Having gone without a left-handed bat off the bench since Carl Crawford was designated for assignment June 5, the Dodgers have signed outfielder Will Venable.

Austin Barnes, who was 0 for 4 with a walk since being called up to replace Crawford on the 25-man roster, was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Venable, who will wear No. 25 (which coach Mark McGwire had most recently used).

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Carl Crawford designated for assignment

Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

The Dodger career of Carl Crawford has come to an end.

Crawford was designated for assignment this morning, with the Dodgers recalling catcher-infielder Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his spot on the roster.

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Chris Hatcher returns, Dodgers option Austin Barnes

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCXLV: Kershawter Call Saul 
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Trayce Thompson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Chris Hatcher’s paternity leave lasted all of 24 hours, as he is back today with the Dodgers, who have optioned Austin Barnes to Oklahoma City.

The move gives the Dodgers an eight-man bullpen, and more specifically allows them to keep Adam Liberatore as a second left-hander for the time being.

Barnes is 2 for 15 with two walks and six strikeouts in the young season, starting three games at catcher as well as Thursday’s at second base.

Los Angeles will go with a four-man bench, which tonight features switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal and left-handed hitters Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Chase Utley.

Howie Kendrick is the only player in tonight’s lineup who did not start against Madison Bumgarner when he and Clayton Kershaw faced off six days ago.

Dodgers lose lead and series at San Francisco

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Today’s five-run first inning, capped by this Austin Barnes RBI bunt single, was close to a work of art, but things went south in the Bay Area shortly after that, and the Dodgers finished their season-opening road trip with a 4-3 record after a 9-6 loss to the Giants. MLB.com has the recap.

Scott Kazmir allowed three home runs in a game for the first time since June 24, 2014 and for the ninth time in 273 career starts.

— Jon Weisman

Dodgers aim to keep the power play going

Artifacts from Dave Roberts' first win as Dodger manager. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Artifacts from Dave Roberts’ first win Monday as Dodger manager. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

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

By Jon Weisman

Having electrified Opening Day with a lights-out 15-0 victory over San Diego, the only thing the Dodgers needed to change in their lineup tonight was the battery.

Scott Kazmir will make his official Dodger debut on the mound, and he’ll be throwing to catcher Austin Barnes.

Weirdly, Clayton Kershaw’s seven shutout innings in the Dodgers’ season-opening rout this year nearly duplicated Kazmir’s first game a year ago. Pitching for Oakland on April 8, 2015, Kazmir also threw seven innings of one-hit shutout ball in a 10-0 victory. While Kershaw walked one and struck out nine, Kazmir walked two and fanned 10.

Kazmir had a 0.99 ERA in four April starts last year, with 30 strikeouts against 25 baserunners in 27 1/3 innings. He allowed one home run the entire month.

Beginning his second season in the organization, Barnes should no longer be a stranger to Dodger fans, but it’s true that he is making only his ninth career start (eighth at catcher). As a starter in 2015, Barnes went 5 for 20 with four walks and a hit-by-pitch for a .400 on-base percentage, striking out only four times in 26 plate appearances.

No, not everyone got hurt: 2016 Spring Training stars

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres

By Jon Weisman

One week from Opening Day, it’s safe to say that injuries have dampened Spring Training for the Dodgers this year, like picking the wrong line at Philippe’s 30 minutes before game time. If there’s an upside, it’s that aside from the injuries, there’s been a feast for the baseball senses. Nearly everyone on the field is meeting or exceeding expectations. Here are some of the brightest (and, knock on wood) healthiest lights at Camelback Ranch this month:

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Many happy returns for Vin, Dodgers

https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/713574906013687808

By Jon Weisman

Well, the Dodgers sure treated Vin Scully right tonight in his 2016 exhibition debut, with the exception of giving him some drama.

Before the game was half over, Scully had a “deuces wild,” a “butter and egg man” and “out from me to you” – not to mention a whopping Dodger victory.

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With Ethier sidelined, who gains a roster spot?

Photos by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Photos by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Roster move: The Dodgers have reassigned non-roster reliever Matt West to minor-league camp. The Dodgers have 41 active players remaining in big-league camp.

By Jon Weisman

On this last Wednesday without baseball until the All-Star Break, let’s consider the domino effect of Andre Ethier’s fractured leg, which not only opens up a spot in the Dodger starting lineup but also the bench.

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Kendrick returns as DH, Barnes starts at second base

Los Angeles Dodgers workout

Dodgers at White Sox, 1:05 p.m.
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Howie Kendrick, DH
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Chase Utley, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Austin Barnes, 2B
(Kenta Maeda, P)

By Jon Weisman

Howie Kendrick is starting today for the Dodgers, but their second baseman is Austin Barnes.

Kendrick, who has been nursing groin tenderness, is making his third Cactus League appearance and first since March 5. He will be the designated hitter, while the Dodgers further test out No. 3 catcher Barnes as a multi-position option.

It’s no secret that Barnes has potential to help the Dodgers at second and third base as well as catcher. Last year, he became the 11th player to play all three positions in his Dodger career.

Only Derrel Thomas, who caught five games as a Dodger, and Lew Ritter have played at least five games at all three positions, so Barnes could break new ground in 2016 if he gets the opportunity.

By the way, one of the 11 Dodgers to have played second base, third base and catcher is 100-year-old Mike Sandlock, who is currently the oldest living former MLB player.

In case you missed it: Infield candidates step up

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Dodgers at Rockies, 1:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Andre Ethier, LF
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Kiké Hernandez, SS
A.J. Ellis, C
Cody Bellinger, 1B
Charlie Culberson 3B
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Charlie Culberson, Elian Herrera and Brandon Hicks, whose roles as reserves could increase over the next two weeks of Spring Training – if not Opening Day – while Corey Seager recovers from his strained left knee, each enjoyed spotlight moments Saturday for the twice-victorious Dodgers.

In a pair of topsy-turvy games Saturday, the Dodgers scored the winning runs in the bottom of the ninth against the Cubs and in the top of the 10th against the Mariners.

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In case you missed it: Tale of two Uriases

[mlbvideo id=”551830183″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Julio Urias

Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Spirits soared with Julio Urias’ first inning on a Cactus League mound this year, before his second inning reminded us of his youth.

Taking the mound in the seventh inning today against the Angels, Urias struck out the side — before allowing a single, double, triple and walk to the four batters he faced in the eighth inning of what became an 8-4 Dodger loss, recapped by MLB.com.

Urias told AM 570 Dodger Talk’s David Vassegh that he struggled with his fastball command in his second inning of work. Hopefully, it wasn’t from his coffee run earlier today.

The Dodgers lost despite holding the Angels hitless from the second through seventh innings. Zach Lee gave up three hits in the first inning, including a three-run homer, but then faced the minimum over the next two innings. Kenley Jansen, J.P. Howell, Pedro Baez and Louis Coleman each pitched an inning of hitless ball. They were helped by Charlie Culberson, who made two outstanding plays at shortstop today.

What else have we got?

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Austin Barnes well-positioned for step forward

Los Angeles Dodgers Austin Barnes throws to second during workout

 

Dodgers at Giants, 12:05 p.m.
Carl Crawford, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Chase Utley, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, DH
A.J. Ellis, C
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Micah Johnson, 2B
Cody Bellinger, 1B
(Zach Lee, P)

By Jon Weisman

Before the 2015 season, Austin Barnes had played 195 professional games at catcher, and nearly the same amount (166) at second base and third.

So it came as something of a surprise that the Dodgers had him dedicate last season exclusively to playing behind the plate, save for single appearances at second and third with the big-league club in September.

The year paid off in terms of Barnes’ development as a backstop, and now, the Dodgers have put the other positions back on the table — all good news for Barnes’ Major League aspirations.

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New and familiar faces on Baseball America’s top 10 Dodger prospects for ’16

top 10

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Baseball America’s annual ranking of Dodger prospects actually comes early this year — the 2015 rankings were published 10 months ago — and comes with five names that weren’t on the preseason 2015 list.

Joc Pederson graduated from prospect status, but Corey Seager remains a rookie despite his impressive September debut, allowing the Dodger infielder a second consecutive year in the No. 1 slot. Julio Urias moves up a spot accordingly to No. 2, while right-hadner Jose De Leon leapfrogs into the No. 3 spot.

The top newcomer on this year’s list is infielder Jose Peraza, acquired from Atlanta in the big July 30 deal. “Peraza lacks a high ceiling,” Baseball America’s Ben Badler writes, “but his bat-to-ball skills and wheels should make him a steady player in the middle of the diamond.” In the list of best tools in the Dodger minor leagues, Peraza is called the organization’s top athlete.

Making the biggest leap internally is first baseman-outfielder Cody Bellinger, who skipped Great Lakes after hitting three homers with Rookie League Ogden in 2014 and hit 30 for High-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2015. The 20-year-old is also labeled the best power hitter in the system.

“Bellinger used to gear his swing for line drives, but he made a mechanical adjustment in 2015 to put his body in a better position to create torque,” Badler wrote in his analysis. “Toward the end of 2015, he began to study heat maps to understand his own strengths and weaknesses, and he condensed his trigger slightly.”

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