Change is Inevitable, BUT…

What changes will really occur in the next 30+ days?

Let me start with what will not happen:

• Dave Roberts will not be fired;
• Robert Van Socyoc, Aaron Bates, and Brant Brown will not be fired;
• Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller will not be called up;
• Dustin May, Victor Gonzalez, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Danny Duffy, Jimmy Nelson, Daniel Hudson, Walker Buehler, and Andrew Heaney will not be back; and
• The Dodgers will not make a trade.

What will happen after that:

• The Dodger fans will bitch and demand most of the above should happen;
• After August 1st, you may see several of the above-mentioned players activated; and
• It is possible that the Dodgers will make a trade.

Unless the bottom drops out of Miguel Vargas and Mike Busch’s Games, I believe both will be brought up to The Show in the next 15 days. Yeah, I know that is a stretch, and maybe it won’t happen if Muncy and Turner get hot. But, I think one will get the call and probably both. The Dodgers need to see if either one is overmatched. It’s sad, but Trayce Thompson may be sent back to AAA when Mookie comes back.

Hanser Alberto has not been a factor this year. He was a cheap, under-the-radar signing, but he has underwhelmed everyone. He only has 70 ABs so it is not out of the realm of probability that he would be DFA’ed. Miguel Vargas could make everyone forget about Hanser… with a quickness. I think that in the next 15 days (barring a tank job by Vargas) Miguel will get the call. How he does and how Justin Turner and Max Muncy do will determine if the Dodger might seek another bat.

There are options – Muncy and Turner could platoon at 3B although that is less than desirable or Miguel could play 3B and let Muncy and Turner platoon at DH. After Betts comes back, I would like to see this lineup (the batting order is not as important):

• C – Smith
• 1B – Freeman
• 2B – Lux
• SS – T. Turner
• 3B – Vargas
• LF – Taylor/Busch
• CF – Bellinger
• RF – Betts
• DH – Muncy/J. Turner

Bench – Barnes, Thompson

Give Tyler Anderson a Break!

Of course, the Tyler Anderson Haters will say: “See, I told you he would not keep it up.” I say: “Hello, it’s Coors.“ Clayton Kershaw has a 3.73 ERA at Coors. Max Scherzer’s ERA is 3.89 there. Jacob deGrom has a 4.80 ERA there and Luis Castillo, the guy everyone wants to trade the farm for has an 11.57 ERA there. So, cut the crap about Anderson and Coors! Tyler Anderson has a 4.09 ERA in Coors. Right about now his record is 8-1 with a 3.23 ERA. Not bad for a #5 or #6 starter. Lots of pitchers do not pitch well there, but Chad Kuhl did!

Chard Kuhl pitched parts of two seasons for the Indianapolis Indians and to me, he was a guy who should have been better at the major league level than he was. In 98 games started he had a 4.30 ERA, but at AAA he was lights out. Well, he has kind of “pulled a Tyler Anderson” this year and is having a very solid year. Chad pitched an impressive game and is having a fine season after getting away from one of the worst organizations in baseball – the Pirates. Actually, Tyler Anderson did not pitch bad (for Coors), but he was bound to get a “first loss”.

Of course, the Coors factor is real. You come into Denver from Atlanta (1,050 feet above sea level) to Denver (5,280 feet above sea level), and it takes a while for the body to adjust. “Jet Lag” and “Oxygen Drag” are real things. The fact that the Dodgers looked listless last night was not surprising. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep and adjusting to the rare air of Colorado they will look better.

Tony Gonsolin is likely to lose one too! Hopefully, Clayton can pitch well tonight, but I doubt it. I have to record the game as we are headed to a Dead and Company Concert.

Watch Diego Cartaya on MLB-TV

Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET — Dayton (CIN) at Great Lakes (LAD)
MLB’s No. 23 prospect, Diego Cartaya, leads red-hot High-A Great Lakes in a series opener against MLB’s No. 64 prospect, Elly De La Cruz, and Dayton. De La Cruz’s Dragons finished the Midwest League’s first half one game behind the Loons, with the Reds’ No. 2 prospect providing more and more pop as the season goes on. Cartaya, the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect, hasn’t slowed down a bit since being promoted to Great Lakes at the beginning of the month. – From Dodgers.com