Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Scott Kazmir (Page 1 of 3)

Dodgers revise rotation to include Julio Urías

Sandy Koufax speaks with Rich Hill, Julio Urias and interpreter Jesus Quinoes before the Vin Scully Appreciation Day ceremony September 23. Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Sandy Koufax speaks with Rich Hill, Julio Urías and interpreter Jesus Quinonez before the Vin Scully Appreciation Day ceremony September 23. Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Padres, 7:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Andrew Toles, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have announced their starting pitchers for the regular season’s remaining six games, and while it is (as always) subject to change, there are some interesting tea leaves to read.

Fresh off a recent conversation with Sandy Koufax (above), Julio Urías has been pegged to start Thursday for the Dodgers, following — in a switch — Kenta Maeda tonight and Jose De León on Wednesday.

With Rich Hill, Clayton Kershaw and Maeda slated for the final series against the Giants, that means veterans Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy would appear to be all but out of consideration for the National League Division Series.

In their only appearances of the month, Anderson threw five innings September 22, Kazmir a single inning September 23 and McCarthy — most encouragingly — six innings of two-run ball September 25.

There’s never been any shortage of surprises with these Dodgers, but you’d be asking any of those pitchers to start on 2 1/2 weeks of rest, simulated innings aside. Game 4 of the NLDS would be played October 11.

Aside from the implications for finalizing the NLDS roster, the main question now is whether Urías, who has a 3.53 ERA this season but has thrown only two innings since September 13, is in a competition with De León to be positioned as No. 4 starter in the playoffs, or whether this is all a backup plan.

Based on Dodger playoff history from 2013-15, Clayton Kershaw would come back on three days’ rest to pitch in Game 4. His recovery from a disk herniation has mostly tabled that concept, but if Kershaw is feeling 100 percent, would you count him out?

Essentially, the Dodgers can start Kershaw in Game 4, turn to one of the rookies, or treat it as a glorified bullpen game, with Urías or De León combining with Ross Stripling to take the starter innings.

We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?

Meanwhile, Hill pitching before Kershaw this weekend in San Francisco shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted as a change in the pecking order. It’s far more likely to give Hill an extra day of rest before he takes the mound in the playoffs. By pitching Saturday, Kershaw would open the NLDS on five days’ rest, with Hill on seven days’ rest.

However, if you want to mull something off the wall, consider this: There are three days’ rest between NLDS Game 1 (October 7) and Game 4, but four days’ rest between NLDS Games 2 (October 8) and Game 5 (October 13). So if you wanted Kershaw to pitch on normal rest for two games, a Game 2 start would be the way to go. In that case, though, you’re guaranteeing the need for a fourth starter in the series.

Update: Dave Roberts confirmed tonight that it would be Kershaw, Hill and Maeda to begin the playoffs, in that order.

Kershaw, Dodgers look for anniversary clinch

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Rockies at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCLXII: Kershawlth Night, or What You Will
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Howie Kendrick, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

On this night two years ago, Clayton Kershaw took the mound for the Dodgers against the Giants with a fourth consecutive National League West title within reach, and pitched eight innings to a 9-1 victory and the title.

With the Dodgers’ magic number currently at two, Kershaw has the opportunity to do the same thing tonight, with one catch. Los Angeles is hosting the Rockies while the Giants (and Madison Bumgarner) get underway in San Diego 30 minutes earlier, so it’s not entirely within the Dodgers’ control.

Nevertheless, Kershaw will attempt to do his part in his fourth start this month since returning from the disabled list. After allowing single runs in his first two innings at Miami, Kershaw has thrown 12 innings, allowing six baserunners and striking out 14 with a 0.00 ERA.

Chad Bettis, who has a 4.79 ERA but pitched a two-hit shutout at Coors Field against the Giants on September 5, will start for Colorado.

This will be Kershaw’s penultimate start of the 2016 regular season, according to Dave Roberts, who outlined most of the Dodgers’ starting pitching plans for the remaining games.

  • Brandon McCarthy is being activated from the disabled list to start Sunday.
  • After an off day Monday, Jose De León will take the mound Tuesday for the Dodgers at San Diego.
  • Kenta Maeda will follow De León against the Padres on Wednesday.
  • Thursday’s Dodger starter wasn’t officially announced, though Brett Anderson would line up for that spot.
  • For the final series in San Francisco, Kershaw will pitch in the first or second games (September 30 or October 1).
  • Rich Hill — who is being skipped this weekend as part of the ongoing effort to protect his blister-prone finger — will go October 1 or in the finale October 2.
  • Scott Kazmir, forced out of the game after an inning Friday, has neither been guaranteed another start this year nor ruled out.

If the Dodgers win the division, their first playoff game will be October 7.

NL West title in sight after Dodgers top Rockies

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Yasmani Grandal tags Nolan Arenado in the first inning after receiving a throw from Andrew Toles. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers’ fourth consecutive division title could arrive inside of 24 hours.

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As Dodgers sift pitching options, Kazmir to start Friday

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Carlos Ruiz, C
Kiké Hernández, CF
Charlie Culberson, 2B
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

Scott Kazmir will follow Brett Anderson’s Thursday start against the Rockies by taking the mound Friday, Dave Roberts said today.

The left-handed Kazmir hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since August 22, when he allowed four runs and nine baserunners in a season-low 2 2/3 innings against the Reds (a game the Dodgers won, 18-9). Kazmir and Anderson both went on the disabled list the next day.

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Stewart to start Saturday, rehab continues for vets

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers

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

By Jon Weisman

Though it’s not as dramatic as it was in July and August, when seemingly every start was up for grabs, the Dodgers did have some small tweaks and tidbits to share this afternoon about their starting pitching.

Brock Stewart will make Saturday’s start at Arizona instead of previously announced Bud Norris, according to Dave Roberts, who said Stewart was getting the nod based on “the way he’s thrown” in his recent outings. Norris will remain available out of the bullpen.

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Scott Kazmir’s rehab outing cut short

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Joining Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy in the past week, Scott Kazmir tonight had a short-circuited rehab outing.

Kazmir, whom Dave Roberts today said was potentially on track to pitch for the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium next week, faced seven batters for Oklahoma City in its opening playoff game against Nashville. Two walked, two were hit by pitches, and one — Renato Nunez — hit a three-run home run.

Kazmir then left with the trainer before the inning was over, and was said to be heading back to Los Angeles for evaluation, as Jack Baer of MLB.com wrote.

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Clayton Kershaw to start for Dodgers on Friday

San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Padres at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Chase Utley, 2B
Austin Barnes, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Jose De Leon, P

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers’ official roster move today was to make Jose De Leon their 31st player on the active roster and their first to take the mound today against San Diego.

But they also signaled a bigger roster move to come later this week. According to Dave Roberts, Los Angeles plan to send National League Cy Young Award candidate Clayton Kershaw to the mound Friday at Miami for the start of the Dodgers’ 10-game road trip.

If he resumes his big-league campaign Friday and works regularly on four days’ rest, Kershaw would theoretically have five regular-season starts remaining: September 9 (at Marlins), September 14 (at New York Yankees), September 19 (vs. Giants), September 24 (vs. Rockies) and either September 29 (at Padres) or September 30 (on five days’ rest at Giants).

Obviously, that’s just on paper — there’s a lot of road between now and the end of the month.

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Kershaw, Anderson, Kazmir and McCarthy talk about progress

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

The parallel universe that is the Dodgers’ disabled list came to life at Dodger Stadium today.

As the active roster prepared for its game tonight at Colorado, six Dodger pitchers — Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood — strode the field today to continue their rehabilitation from injuries.

Four of them — Kershaw, Anderson, Kazmir and McCarthy — took turns throwing simulated innings off the mound, to a group of imported Dodger minor-leaguers whose seasons have ended.

Kershaw, of course, was the headliner, throwing 35 pitches with high intensity in two innings. He wasn’t ready to pronounce any verdict — “Last time I came out of this OK, got home and felt terrible,” he said — though Andrew Friedman told reporters in Colorado that Kershaw’s next step would be a minor-league rehab game.

“Tomorrow’s probably a better time to answer,” Kershaw said. “As of this second, I feel OK.”

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Scott Kazmir to see doctor in latest pitching twist

Screen Shot 2016-08-22 at 8.20.05 PM

By Jon Weisman

After retiring only seven batters in the Dodgers’ 18-9 victory today at Cincinnati, Scott Kazmir is scheduled to see a doctor on Tuesday, though the initial report of an MRI, as Cody Pace of MLB.com described, has been revised.

“Scott is fighting some physical things with his body,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s doing what he can, but when your body doesn’t feel right, mechanically, it affects mechanics. He knows he wants to go out there and go deeper in a game. When you’ve got a 6-1 lead, he wants the decision, for himself, for the team. When you’re physically limited and you can’t execute, he’s frustrated.”

Kazmir is dealing with some stiffness in his neck and his back, something he said that he’s been dealing with “for years.” The problem with his neck in particular has messed with Kazmir’s mechanics, not allowing him to get his head toward the catcher properly and resulting in him flying open. …

… “No matter what happens, we’ve gotten this far,” Kazmir said. “I know how my body works. If we have some type of imaging, whatever happens, I’ll strengthen it up and I’ll continue to do what I do.”

Kazmir’s next start would theoretically be Saturday against the Cubs. Between now and then, about the only sure thing for the Dodgers is that Kenta Maeda will take the mound Tuesday against the Giants. Rich Hill remains on track to start Wednesday, and then the bigger question marks arise.

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González blasts three HR, Dodgers seven in 18-9 romp

Adrián González hits the first of his three home runs at Cincinnati. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Adrián González hits the first of his three home runs at Cincinnati. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

By Jon Weisman

An offensive onslaught unlike any by the Dodgers in 10 years was unleashed in Cincinnati today, and Adrián González was at the forefront.

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Kershaw, Kazmir, Maeda discuss youth pitching

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Pitching workloads are a big deal in the Major Leagues. They’re an even bigger deal in youth baseball, though there’s still no consensus among parents, coaches or anyone else about what’s right and what’s wrong.

In a recent issue of Dodger Insider magazine, writer Chris Gigley asked Dodger starters Clayton Kershaw, Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda for their thoughts. One of Kershaw’s big points was the value of diverse activities.

“I played football and basketball up until my freshman year in high school,” said Kershaw, whom the Dodgers drafted in 2006 out of Highland Park High School just outside Dallas. “I definitely think it’s important to play other sports when you’re young.”

Read the entire story by clicking here.

Beginning this year, the Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand plus one in October, 13 issues total. It is distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation. Dodger Insider magazine includes news, features, analysis, photos, games, stadium information and more. Fans who still wish to subscribe can do so at dodgers.com/magazine

Big hits betray Dodgers in loss to Phillies

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By Jon Weisman

Nothing reverses fortunes like baseball.

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Gonzalez, Puig playing the hits as Dodgers win again

Gonzalez

By Jon Weisman

Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig are hitting, and the Dodgers are winning.

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Dodgers eclipse darkness in Pittsburgh with comeback

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By Jon Weisman

Shortly after high noon at Pittsburgh, the clock looked like it was going to strike an early midnight for Los Angeles.

The Pirates took a 4-0 lead in the first inning of today’s afternoon special, and the dark side of history had the drop. The Dodgers would need a big rally to avoid their first four-game sweep by the Pirates since 1944 (when it happened twice — in July and August). They were also trying to end an eight-game losing streak at PNC Park.

The last Dodger pitcher to win there was Hyun-Jin Ryu, who hasn’t appeared in an MLB game in more than 21 months.

But whatever flag the Dodgers will hoist this year, it won’t be white. With a run in the third inning and four in the fifth, the Dodgers bucked the Bucs, rallying for a 212-minute, 5-4 victory that was their 23rd comeback win of the season.

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Grandal Rally: Dodgers come back again

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By Jon Weisman

If nothing else, it’s been a tough week to be cynical about the Dodgers.

Two days removed from his walkoff walk, Yasmani Grandal hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, rallying the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over National League East-leading Washington.

In the Dodgers’ five-game winning streak, this was the fourth time the Dodgers had come from behind, and the third time in the eighth inning.

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