ElAttrache

Dr. Neal ElAttrache speaks at Monday’s celebration of the life of Dr. Frank Jobe. More photos from Jon SooHoo here.

By Jon Weisman

It’s still April, but sunshine has definitely found Southern California and Dodger Stadium this week. With Max Scherzer and the Tigers coming to town, things are heating up.

  • Hours before A.J. Ellis’ pending knee surgery was revealed, Mark Saxon discussed his managerial potential at ESPN Los Angeles. Impossible not to agree, though when his retirement day comes (hopefully far off), the broadcasting world will no doubt offer itself to Ellis as well.
  • Ellis underwent a 20-minute arthroscopic procedure today by Dr. Neal ElAttrache to debride (clean up) the medial meniscus of his left knee, the Dodgers’ PR department announced. Ellis will start his rehabilitation Wednesday, with recovery expected in four to six weeks.
  • Brian Wilson made his second rehab appearance for Rancho Cucamonga, facing four batters and retiring three, with a strikeout. Dylan Hernandez of the Times has more on Wilson.
  • Is Kenley Jansen throwing harder this year? Dave Cameron asks and explores the question at Fangraphs.
  • Chad Moriyama captured the best pitches thrown by Dodgers in 2013 at Dodgers Digest. (And to be fair, he also captured the least best.)
  • In his past three games with Albuquerque, Joc Pederson is 6 for 11 with two HR, three walks, two SB. In 14 trips to the plate, he has touched 17 bases on his own.
  • Lindsey Caughel might have less notoriety than his teammates on the Rancho Cucamonga staff, but he deserves attention, opines Ron Cervenka at Think Blue L.A.
  • Former Dodger general manager Fred Claire discussed his efforts to promote and develop baseball in New Zealand.
  • Warren Spahn went 298 wins and 15 years between road victories over the Dodgers, notes John Lowe of the Detroit Free-Press.
  • Today is the 40th anniversary of the first baseball game I can remember. Here’s to Henry Louis Aaron, whose 715th home run I watched on TV during spring break from first grade, 1974.