If ever there was a shred of doubt about who the Dodger’s Ace might be, Tyler Glasnow removed it yesterday with a masterful eight innings and 101 pitches of shutout baseball. Here’s a stat for you: Number of starts with 7+ IP, 0 ER, 0 BB & 10+ K in a single season (Dodgers history):
- 4 – Clayton Kershaw (2015)
- 3 – Sandy Koufax (1965)
- 2 – Tim Leary (1988), Walker Buehler (2019), Tyler Glasnow (2024)
I have not heard Tyler comment specifically about how much fun he is having, but his undiagnosed UCL injury (where the ligament was detached from the bone) caused him to have to spend over an hour just warming up. It might be an amazingly good feeling to no longer have to go through that every time he throws, and we can see the results.
I have said that Glasnow is not “injury-prone” because it was essentially the same undiagnosed injury for four years that limited him. He is now free of that and is a workhorse. He is certainly a Mountain of a Man on that mound and will absolutely be in the running for the NL Cy Young Award. He is now 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.
The lineup has gotten a little longer now that Andy Pages is stepping up. However, the #8 and #9 spots are still a Black Hole. The clock is ticking… TICK, TICK, TICK!
Discussion (20)
Disagree, not disagreeable
“Dodgers right-hander Blake Treinen started a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, and got the results of someone seeing his first game action in over six weeks.
Treinen pitched the fifth inning in the hitter haven in Albuquerque, entering a game in which 11 runs had already scored. Treinen struck out his first batter faced, looking on a cutter, but then gave up a single, triple, and single to his next three batters. Two of the hits were considered hard-hit by definition (at least 95 mph), with exit velocities of 104.1 mph (the first single) and 97.1 mph (triple)
Treinen was pulled at 20 pitches, presumably his limit. He allowed three runs and recorded one out”.
Dave Roberts about to lose his Dodger home run record
An otherworldly explosive sound from the guided missile Ohtani launched off his bat.
Wrobleski gives up 4 ER in the first for Tulsa.
6:45 PM ET
Dodgers (13-11)
Nationals (10-11)
SP James Paxton L
2-0 2.81 ERA
SP Patrick Corbin L
0-3 8.06 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
RF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
LF E. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
SS Miguel Rojas R
68° Wind 10 mph
News From Internet:
Hot Sheet @ Baseball America ($$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/ranking-the-20-hottest-mlb-prospects-hot-sheet-4-23-24/
6. Jeral Perez, 2B, Dodgers
Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .360/.467/.800 (9-for-25), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: …The power should come as no surprise, given that his 11 home runs in the Arizona Complex League in 2023 were tied with Rangers prospect Echedry Vargas for the most on the circuit. (JN)
Baseball America’s Podcast looks at Andy Pages and has a tidbit on Michael Busch:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/baseball-america/id201539011?i=1000652668643
Mostly about Pages’ great spring and power. A little caution over his Ks.
Nabil Crismatt:
5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 Ks, 0 BB
49 strikes in 69 pitches ERA is 0.79!
Don’t look now, but oft-lamented prospect Kody Hoese is hitting .364, OPS .917 & has hits in all but 1 game this year. He’s probably not going to be what the team thought he would be, but kudos to him for persevering and lets hope for extended health, success, then MAYBE opportunity.
Davy Andrews @FanGraphs on the Dodgers OF:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-dodgers-outfield-has-been-very-very-bad-to-start-the-season/
The title, The Dodgers Outfield Has Been Very, Very Bad to Start the Season, says it all, but here’s a nice bit on Outman:
However, it’s way too early to assume that Outman can’t replicate his 2024 performance or find ways to get better in his sophomore campaign. So far this season, he’s hitting the ball a bit harder and his contact rate has improved from infinitesimally small to merely microscopic. Outman isn’t going to run a .242 BABIP all year, and it’s too early to panic about him.
Geoff Pontes chat at Baseball America ($$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/hot-sheet-mlb-prospects-chat-4-16-24/
Q: When is Payton Martin expected to start pitching this year and is he a better prospect then any of the pitchers listed in this chat?
A: I believe we’ll see him in the next month but I know he was held back. I’ve heard he’s healthy.
Q: No love for Justin Wrobleski yet? Does his lack of extension lower the grade of his fastball?
A: He was in consideration but he gave up a couple of runs. Hes got really good stuff and he’s lefthanded so maybe his lack of extension is less of an issue? I do think it’s a big league arm of some type whether that is a reliever or a starter remains to be seen. I think he’s more of a 4-6 out reliever.
Q: Two intriguing lower minors guys off to nice starts are Lonnie White and Zyhir Hope. Thoughts on them?
A: I covered White above, I like Hope more. The feedback has been good and the underlying skills look good right now. He’s not swinging and missing much, he’s hitting for power and there’s athleticism. Hope is a name to circle and follow this spring.
Q: How has statcast data changed the scouting industry?
A: I think it’s shrunk scouting departments and made it easy for teams to scout via video. At the end of the day scouting is still the art of identifying traits you feel your player development can nurture. In someways it’s also made scouts more accountable. Theres some good and bad.
Jay Jaffe Chat:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jay-jaffe-fangraphs-chat-4-16-24/
Jason: Are the Dodgers actually giving to give Pages a legitimate chance or is he going to get the last season Michael Busch treatment?
Jay Jaffe: it’s not clear yet. This is mainly as a fill-in for Heyward’s roster spot, which effectively puts him in the short half of a platoon with Outman, though it’s more crowded than that, with the two Hernandezes and Chris Taylor also out there. If he hits, he’ll stick around but I suspect this is a short-term thing for now
War2D2: Trout is mashing like Trout of yore. What injury do you think will waylay him this time? My bet is on losing a toe to a freak glazing accident.
Jay Jaffe: let’s just say that I want him to stay away from all bungee-related activity
kingmitch: What are mookie betts weaknesses? if any?
Jay Jaffe: It sometimes takes him two bounds to leap over tall buildings, and I’m told he has a tendency to underseason his pasta sauces just a bit.
John: If Mookie Betts retires right now, is he a Hall of Famer? I say yes, and consequently submit that McCutchen should be, too, even if his peak isn’t quite as high
Jay Jaffe: Huh? Betts is 31, has been playing at an all-Star Level since he was 22 and has 66.6 bWAR, some of which comes from being 156 runs above average in the field. Cutch is 37, hasn’t played like an All-Star since he was 28, and has 48.6 bWAR, in part because he’s 77 runs below average in the field. They’re not close.
Matt VW: With his season ending injury, Trevor Story will post 3.5 bWAR in the first three years of his Red Sox contract. Xander Bogaerts posted 10.3 bWAR over the first two years of the same span, with nearly a full season to add on.
I know no one tries to get hurt, but this casts the Red Sox’s determination to part with Bogaerts in a pretty bad light. How much of this was foreseeable and how much just bad luck?
Jay Jaffe: The Red Sox have made some pretty dubious choices when it comes to seeing some of their homegrown stars off in recent years— Lester, Mookie, Bogaerts — but hey, John Henry’s gotta be happy with that payroll flexibility, right?
Zach: How long do the Dodgers give Lux to figure it out? He looked fine in spring but he doesn’t look close offensively at the moment. I guess his surprisingly elite defense at second might buy him more time. At some point, they have to see if Trey Sweeney, or maybe a Vargas move back to second, would be better for the team, right?
Jay Jaffe: as I just found out about the move at the start o this chat I haven’t read anything about the rationale but it may be that the Pages move puts a squeeze on Lux by bumping Taylor and/or Kiké to more infield work while Lux sits. But I think he’s still got some runway to figure it out.
Farhandrew Zaidman: Re: Pages – CT3 has looked dreadful and Kiké hasn’t looked much better. Obligatory “it’s april” but maybe the beginning of the end for LA’s two super-Util guys?
Jay Jaffe: Certainly not out of the question. Taylor has been dancing along the edge of a cliff since 2022
Ben Clemens Chat
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ben-clemens-fangraphs-chat-4-15-24/
Jeff Passan on the Ohtani skeptics:
“Is it possible that Ohtani, Mizuhara, the Dodgers, the Angels, the IRS, the Department of Homeland Security, Ohtani’s agent, Ohtani’s accountant, Ohtani’s investment advisors, and Ohtani’s bank all got together and got on the same page with a story to protect Ohtani and to put his interpreter in Federal Prison, in all likelihood, in a neat tidy package in mere record time? Is that a possibility?”
Jay Jaffe on Michael Busch:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/so-far-michael-busch-has-been-a-big-hit-for-the-cubs/
D-Backs release Jace Peterson and place Merrill Kelly on the IL.
Jackie Chiles!
comment in jail
Pages has a real nice swing, easy and compact.
He will be very good , hopefully sooner than later. Dodgers certainly could use it.
Have to decide at some time of the season who to keep; Kike or CT3.
Lets see what Striker has left.
dePaula with a real good game yesterday. 2 doubles , a triple going 3-4. That swing is classic.
What is bafffling a bit: cartaya is playing only every other day so far. Tough to get into a rythm that way.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
From an article in The Athletic about the numbers:
102 1/3 – That’s how many innings the Dodgers bullpen had logged this season entering Sunday, by far the most in baseball. The Dodgers aren’t getting enough length from their starting pitchers. And when you’re running essentially a six-man rotation with a bullpen game plugged in, that’s a problem. Especially when Dodgers starters entered Sunday having faced just 68 batters a third time through the order, the third-fewest in baseball.
221 – That’s how many times Dodgers hitters had struck out this year entering Sunday, most in baseball. Their overall strikeout rate is more palatable (24.6 percent, ninth-worst in baseball), but it has reared its ugly head, especially after the top of the order. Beyond the top four spots in the lineup, the Dodgers have struck out 30.7 percent of the time, the most frequent in baseball within that split.
Wow – yesterday was one game. Just like when they lose, you can’t generalize from one game.
There are trends to evaluate. These aren’t good. Many things will fix themselves, others are fixable. Some may not be.
In general, I don’t like the decision making. Their best OF is playing SS. Their best SS is on the bench. The bench is built with guys who aren’t the same players that they were 3 or 4 years ago and really don’t contribute. (Kike and CT)
The bullpen may be better if Graterol and Treinen return, but we can see how inconsistent that relievers are.
Yamamoto’s fastball is really hittable in the early goings. Stone has pitched well once in 4 starts. Miller will be out a while.
No one knows what the Dodgers’ actual roster will look like. Or how it will perform.
One other thing – yeah, it’s early, but the games count just the same in April as they do in September.
Fun game to watch. Let’s just keep it going on the road trip. Keibert Ruiz was put on the IL due to the flu, but he has lost almost 20 pounds since he went on. Get to see old friend Justin Turner this weekend. JT is hitting .308 with 2 homers and 11 driven in. Then we go to Arizona for three. Their pitching has taken another hit with Kelly having issues now.
Outman going to get it going here soon.
He has put some good AB’s together lately just doesnt have the results yet. No K’s yesterday. Stick with em!
Glasnow and Ohtani were impressive yesterday. Good team win overall to end the homestand.
Comments from Friedman regarding Buehler were surprisingly positive. Would be great to have Walker back to form this year.
In Buehler we trust
When OC Register’s Bill Plunkett asked Friedman about Buheler, he thought Buehler was in a ‘really good spot.’
“Actually watching his start last night, I think his stuff is in a really good spot,” said Friedman, who watched video of the outing. “I’ve seen it with a lot of major-league pitchers who are on a rehab assignment – the adrenaline is different. I don’t think we’ll have a really good answer until he’s built up and back. But we’ve all seen Walker a lot over the years and we would absolutely bet on him.
“But the most important thing for us, watching a guy on rehab, is where’s their stuff and execution. Just looking at the box score last night, I assumed the execution was poor. Watching it, it was way better than that and the stuff is in a really good place. Those are the two most important factors that we look at with a guy on rehab and I would say he checked both those boxes.”
—Bill Plunkett, via OC Register
So . . . Assuming the first four are set and Smith’s recent contract cements him as a top guy, that leaves the 5/6 as Muncy/Teoscar [flawed but dangerous] and the bottom third as:
7) Outman–leash is long due to last year
8) Pages–even when Heyward returns
9) Lux/Rojas–fine for 9th
Taylor & Keekay are 100% bench guys and Heyward can rotate in at CF and RF.
I think we’re good right now. Just get some key guys back on the mound and start rolling.
Good win! Getting on the road with the good feeling of Sunday might just be what the squad needs.
Hang with em, long long long and long season….
Joe and Orel were great yesterday!
I will give Friedman/ Roberts credit for choosing Glasnow as the number 1. They could have chosen Miller or Yamamoto. As of now there is no contest. Imagine Glasnow is Mr. dependable with his history. Hopefully that is all in the past. Baseball needs guys like Glasnow who is fun to watch. However, when healthy and at their best Miller and Yamamoto have ace quality.
If Pages and Lux could get going the offense would be so much better. Lux should do it but I don’t know if it is fair to expect Pages to be a playoff hitter. The problem is you have Muncy k Hernandez k and outman k. Spread them out in the lineup. Pages mb k as well. We need a pesky hitter down in the lineup that can make contact and hit both lefty/righty. Lux is the only one on the current roster who could fill that roll. He has to hit first but then improve against lefties.