Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Erisbel Arruebarrena (Page 2 of 2)

The Triunfel-Arruebarrena hula

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Dodgers at Rockies, 1:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Miguel Rojas, 2B
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

Erisbel Arruebarrena, 5 for 16 with a walk at the plate and as smooth a fielder as you’ll see at shortstop, didn’t have a long stay on the Dodger active roster this time around.

Two days after his recall, Arruebarrena went on the disabled list with a right hip flexor strain, and the Dodgers brought back Carlos Triunfel to take his place.

Don Mattingly told reporters that the injury happened sometime during Arruebarrena’s first at-bat Friday.

Meanwhile, Carl Crawford went 1 for 2 in a four-inning appearance with Albuquerque last night.

* * *

Earl Robinson, who made his Major League debut with the Dodgers in their first year in Los Angeles, died at the age of 77, according to the Dodgers’ public relations department. Robinson, who went to Berkeley High School and then attended California, went 3 for 15 with a walk for the Dodgers, and later played three seasons for Baltimore.

Dodgers going for it with Ramirez, but call up Arruebarrena anyway

Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Hanley Ramirez tested his calf before today’s game in Colorado and apparently passed the test, because he’s in the starting lineup for the Dodgers.

Today was the last day Ramirez could be put on the disabled list and be ready to be activated for the first game after the All-Star Break on July 18. Of course, that’s not to say that Ramirez couldn’t go on the disabled list a day from now and come off July 19.

In any case, the Dodgers have switched up their sixth infielder, sending down Carlos Triunfel after his disappointing performance Wednesday and calling up Erisbel Arruebarrena, the defensive whiz who now has a .410 on-base percentage with Albuquerque.

Arruebarrena had three singles, a double and a walk for a .357 on-base percentage in 14 plate appearances in his first stint with the Dodgers.

The Rockies, meanwhile, made their own big move, activating third baseman Nolan Arenado, who had been on the disabled list since last playing May 23. Colorado was 26-22 when Arenado went on the DL (with an .823 OPS and Gold Glove glove) and was 10-27 since.

Dodgers Top 40: The best plays of the first half

By Jon Weisman

How exciting a 2014 has it been for the Dodgers? I started out planning to pick out the top 10 plays of the first half of the season, then (after realizing that Dee Gordon could practically fill that quota by himself) saw that list balloon to 40.

So here, in all their glory (and in an unplanned tribute to Casey Kasem), are the biggest thrills of the first 81 games. Thanks to MLB.com for the videos, as well as pieces of text here and there.

Now, prepare to lose yourself …

* * *

March 30 at San Diego: Hyun-Jin Ryu fields a sharp comebacker and throws to home to start a double play and escape a bases-loaded jam in the first.
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Dodgers replace Arruebarrena with Rojas

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have called up Miguel Rojas and optioned Erisbel Arruebarrena, in a move no doubt partly designed to allow Arruebarrena to continue his development.

Arruebarrena went 4 for 13 with a double, walk and .742 OPS in four starts for the Dodgers, subbing in when Hanley Ramirez was sidelined, but had played only four innings with no plate appearances in the Dodgers’ nine games since May 26.

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Notebook: More Josh Beckett goodness

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Reds at Dodgers, 5:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Erisbel Arruebarrena, SS
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P

By Jon Weisman

Here’s a bunch of news, notes, links and quotes in the afterglow of the past 24 hours:

  • Beckett’s no-hitter, in case you didn’t notice, was the Dodgers’ first complete game of the season and first since Hyun-Jin Ryu threw an eight-inning complete game in a 2-1 loss to Colorado on September 16. The Dodgers hadn’t had an individual shutout since Zack Greinke’s two-hit masterpiece on July 13.
  • At age 34 and 10 days, Beckett is the third-oldest no-hit pitcher in Dodger history, behind Sal Maglie (39) and Dazzy Vance (34 and 193 days).

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Arrueready for Arruebarrena?

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS NEW YORK METS
Jon SooHoo was all over the Yasiel Puig catch Friday. Check out his photos at LA Photog Blog.

Dodgers at Phillies, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXXVII: Kershawue Detective
Dee Gordon, 2B
Chone Figgins, 3B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Erisbel Arruebarrena, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Erisbel Arruebarrena gets his first Major League start tonight, as Hanley Ramirez takes a day off.

Andre Ethier is starting in center field, and there are hints that we might see more of him out there, as concern over Matt Kemp’s defensive performance has become more explicit. From Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

“We continue to look at it and give Matt the opportunity to keep working and get better,” Mattingly said. “He doesn’t look the same. The burst, the outrun-the-ball thing. We’ve talked to Matt and don’t hear anything medically that he’s not feeling good. We just want to see the same burst. We don’t know if it’s a matter of him being out a few years. He’s trying, been working and we’ll continue to go from there.”

Four extra-base hits cleared Kemp’s head, contributing to all four Mets runs, one of them scoring because Kemp dropped a ball he picked up off the warning track.

“I just need to play better defense,” said Kemp. “Burst or anything, I’m not getting as good a jump as I need to. I cost us one run bobbling the ball, and it’s nobody’s fault but mine. No excuses. I’ve made a couple bad plays in the outfield. It happens.”

Either’s on-base percentage fell to .247 on April 24. Since then, in 62 plate appearances, he has a .419 on-base percentage and .455 slugging, with no home runs but six doubles and six walks. He has started 12 of the Dodgers’ 23 games in that stretch.

Uribe heads to disabled list, Arruebarrena called up

Los Angeles Dodgers Erisbel Arruebarrena

Dodgers at Mets, 4:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P

By Jon Weisman

There will be no wait and see with Juan Uribe’s right hamstring strain. The Dodger third baseman is going on the disabled list, with defensive whiz Erisbel Arruebarrena (above left, with Yasiel Puig in Spring Training) coming up to fortify the infield in his absence.

The Dodgers are also expected to activate starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu from the disabled list. A corresponding roster move has yet to be announced. Update: Chris Withrow has been optioned to make room for Ryu.

Uribe injured himself in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s game while running out his 11th double of the 2014 season. It was his fourth start and fifth appearance since missing five games with the original hamstring injury.

Arruebarrena1Following his redemptive 2013 season, Uribe was off to another strong start in 2014. According to Fangraphs, Uribe has been the fourth most valuable third baseman in baseball this year. His .785 OPS and 119 OPS+ are even higher than his totals from last season. Uribe has already reached base more times seven more times in 2014 than he did in all of 2012.

Arruebarrena, whom the Dodgers signed to a five-year contract February 22, has a sterling defensive reputation at shortstop. His bat could be a liability, as illustrated by a .252 on-base percentage and .302 slugging percentage at Double-A Chattanooga, though he is 12 for 37 with a walk, a double and a home run in his last nine games.

At least initially, Justin Turner and Chone Figgins figure to take the bulk of Uribe’s missing innings.

Ryu, who has a 3.00 ERA in seven starts this year, hasn’t allowed a run on the road in 28 innings dating back to last year and has a 0.98 ERA on the road dating back to August 8, with 45 strikeouts against 38 baserunners in 55 1/3 innings.

Withrow has a 2.95 ERA in 21 1/3 innings with the Dodgers, extending his career-long streak of allowing no inherited runners to score to 16.

April 13 pregame: Some progress on the health front

LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Tim Federowicz, C
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

Carl Crawford has tightness in his right side, reports Bill Plunkett of the Register, helping to make him one of the reserve outfielders today against Arizona.

But there’s also some progress to report from the medical side of things:

  • This update on Clayton Kershaw comes from Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

    Proof of improvement in Clayton Kershaw was visible Saturday, when the disabled Dodgers ace threw off the bullpen mound for the first time since being injured.

    Kershaw, disabled with a strained teres major muscle in his back after winning his Opening Night start in Australia, was not throwing full speed, but wasn’t lobbing either.

    Manager Don Mattingly said Kershaw remains under orders to hold back on velocity and is monitored by trainers using an app that calculates pitch speed.

  • Brian Wilson can return to active duty Tuesday, and it isn’t expected to take much longer, Gurnick writes.
  • Alex Guerrero has been activated from the disabled list by Triple-A Albuquerque, which released Brendan Harris to make room, reports Gurnick.
  • Gurnick added that Erisbel Arruebarrena “is still at extended spring training in Arizona but will likely be assigned to Double-A Chattanooga within the week to play shortstop alongside prospect Darnell Sweeney.”
  • And, looking ahead …

March 15 pregame: Julio Urias to start

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs

Padres vs. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Tim Federowicz, C
Mike Baxter, RF
Miguel Rojas, 3B
Julio Urias, P

By Jon Weisman

Above, Jose Vizcaino gets some workout time in with newcomer Erisbel Arruebarrena.

Three games in 27 hours, and then the team heads for Sydney.

  • The Dodgers’ Wheel of Bullpen is spun by Ken Gurinck of MLB.com.
  • The possibility of Yasiel Puig in the leadoff spot is explored by David Schoenfield of ESPN.com’s Sweet Spot.

Introducing Erisbel Arruebarrena

Los Angeles Dodgers Erisbel Arruebarrena
More on the newest Dodger from Jon SooHoo here.

— Jon Weisman

Dodgers officially sign Erisbel Arruebarrena

By Jon Weisman

Defensive infield whiz Erisbel Arruebarrena has inked a five-year contract with the Dodgers, becoming the latest Cuban expatriate to join the organization.

In a corresponding move, the Dodgers designated infielder Justin Sellers for assignment. Sellers had a .278 on-base percentage and .301 slugging in 266 plate appearances with the Dodgers.

Arruebarrena, 23, was a teammate of  Yasiel Puig with Cienfuegos in 2010-11.

“We are excited to sign Erisbel, who we’ve scouted in international competition for a long time.” said Dodger vice president of international scouting Bob Engle. “He brings another superb glove to our organization.”

Added general manager Ned Colletti: “Signing Arruebarrena gives us another very good middle infielder, who is an outstanding defender. It continues our efforts internationally to add talent that can positively affect the Major League club – be it immediately or in the very near future.”

Arruebarrena’s last name is shorter than Todd Hollandsworth, 13 to 12, but his first and last together top the former Dodger Rookie of the Year, 19-16.

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