I feel like I keep watching the same bad movie over and over again. Roki Sasaki continues to struggle and the offense tries to make a valiant comeback but it’s too late. Same shit, different day. I hear consistently that Roki has nothing to prove and nothing to learn in AAA. From my seat in my Lazy Boy, I think there is plenty for Roki to work on at OKC. One of the most important may be confidence as he has little to be confident in right now. * He’s a 3 pitch guy; 4 seamer, splitter and slider. First of all, the slider and splitter are the same speed, 86 – 87. And both break the same direction. Most splitters break down and arm-side. Roki’s is the opposite, with the same shape, most of the time. The difference is the spin out of hand, but the shape is the same. His slider has no yak and hangs way too much. It’s not a good breaking ball. And he throws splitters up in the zone. * As we’ve discussed before, his 4-seamer sits at 95 and can reach 97 but it is staring as an arrow. So his speed differential is basically 10 mph between all 3 pitches. He needs a change up, in my opinion. * In AAA, he can work on grips, thumb and finger pressure on the 4-seamer, a 2-seamer perhaps, a better shaped breaking ball, and maybe a change-up. * But most of all, he needs command and learn how to finish off hitters. He works the top of the zone with that straight fastball but can’t throw consistent fastballs down and away. The high splitter, needs to go. * If he remains a starter, there is plenty to work on in AAA. * As of now, his stuff likely plays better for 1 inning as a relief pitcher. When Snell is back or the Dodgers promote a starter, Roki needs to learn to pitch at OKC.

His value is what the Dodgers seem to place very high on their wish list. He is a utilty infielder who will bring GG capabilites to multiple positions. He is still 23 years old. He will not hit a ton, but he is improving. I believe you (and others) said the same thing about Miggy Ro’s hitting. While I agree he is not a Mookie replacement, I do not agree that Kim is the heir apparent either. He was moved to 2B from SS in Korea for a reason. He is an okay SS but an excellent defensive 2B. 0 DRS and 0 OAA. Last year he had a +9 DRS and a +4 OAA as a SS. -1 DRS and -2 OAA at SS. He is a 2B who can play SS rather than a SS who plays 2B. I agree with Brian that Miller could be moved as was Jacob Amaya. Good comp. BTW, Amaya is 4 years older than Miller and plays in Reno, a far more hitter friendly park than OKC. Ball jumps in Reno giving him a higher SLG. Miller has a higher BB rate and a lower K rate than Amaya. Miller is also a better defender, and Amaya is good.

No, but I don’t think they are being smart when they are hitting. No one protects the plate with 2 strikes. Looks to me like they are all trying to hit the ball to the moon. A guy like Kim, he should be bunting and slapping the ball around, not trying to swing for the fences. And frankly, their situational hitting sucks. Pujols when he was with the Dodgers was a perfect example of a power hitter who knew when to shorten up and try to hit the ball the other way. Pages is pull happy again.

I totally agree, unfortunately for us fans, the Dodgers do not. Maybe back in the day a starter could get away with 2 or 3 pitches, Koufax basically had 2, but they were the best in the league. Today, you need at least 4 that give the hitter different looks.

Katie Woo thinks it’ll be Sheehan who leaves the rotation.

Snell gives up a 2-run homer in the first at Round Rock. OKC down 2-0.

Wrobo is succeeding with basically two pitches this year, fastball and slider. Not sure he can sustain that for a full season but it’s sure working now.

We just had a conversation about the number of pitches a guy needs the other day and it was determined command on 2-3 pitches is more important than having more pitches than that and not spotting any of them. A 97 mph fastball can become a 93 mph fastball just by moving it back on the fingers a half inch. There’s two pitches right there. Back it up further and you’ve got a change up. That splitter of his should be thrown belt to thigh high over the middle of the plate. It needs to be a strike out of hand or it’s a wasted pitch. From what I’ve seen that pitch is too often a non competitive pitch out of hand. And the slider? Bounce it. Phil made a point I’ve been trying to make here and that is grip and finger pressure. Learn them. Use them.

Could be, but I would take Sheehan over Sasaki at this point, but I am not running the team. Finally, two hits with men in scoring position.

I agree with Katie Woo

Noah Miller was being discussed earlier. Here’s BA’s latest take: Track Record: The younger brother of journeyman infielder Owen Miller, Noah was drafted by the Twins in the supplemental first round of the 2021 draft. He was dealt to the Dodgers in 2024 for Manuel Margot. He missed part of the season while completing his rehab from a torn meniscus in his left knee. Scouting Report: Miller is the Dodgers’ best infield defender and has the skills to lock down any position on the dirt. He is quick, agile and fearless and has a strong, accurate throwing arm as well. Those skills alone should get him to the big leagues and keep him there for a long time. The switch-hitter is much better from the left side, and all but three of his extra-base hits came from that side of the dish. He does a solid job hitting pitches in the strike zone, but he needs to tone down his chase rate quite a bit. Miller’s exit velocities are OK, but he could get more out of his bat by getting the ball in the air more often. He made strides in that regard after moving from Double-A to Triple-A but still has further to go. Miller was most successful against breaking pitches but struggled against velocity, and registered just two extra-base hits against heaters thrown 94 mph or harder. The Future: Miller is ready for the big leagues, where he could hit toward the bottom of the order and become a pitcher’s best friend on defense. Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 30 | Run: 40 | Field: 70 | Arm: 60

Translation: He’s the next Ozzie Smith! 😉 Hyperbole Alert!

Dodgers have hit into three double plays this game, after hitting into four last night. Snell has settled down over the last three innings at Round Rock; he hasn’t given up any more hits or runs.

Finally a two out hit for an RBI. Ohtani hasn’t hit a ball hard in a week.

For those of you who don’t think kike should be on the team, ask Miggy Ro: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7243189/2026/05/01/dodgers-mlb-miguel-rojas-kike-hernandez/?source=athletic_freeweeklyemail&campaign=602288&userId=147501 In part, “Miguel Rojas recalls it as the darkest point of his career. “I was in such a bad place mentally,” he said during a recent conversation with The Athletic. “Especially because I knew I was on the back end of my career, and I didn’t know how much longer I could play for.” It was the end of May last season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were well above .500, but difficult decisions were being made. An organization lauded for its loyalty had cut ties with two long-time clubhouse staples to make way for newer players. Austin Barnes, who had spent his 11 big-league seasons with the Dodgers, was designated for assignment when the club elected to call up top prospect Dalton Rushing. A few days later, Chris Taylor, who had been with the team since 2016, was DFA’d when it came time to activate Tommy Edman off the injured list. Rojas, underperforming and relegated to a 26-man role, figured he was next. “There are the things that start creeping into your mind when you’re trying to decide if you’re still good enough to play baseball at the highest level,” Rojas said. “I didn’t want anyone to take that (decision) from me.” The Dodgers continued to stack up wins, but the San Diego Padres were lurking just behind in the division standings. Each game felt heavily scrutinized, even for early June. But Rojas was trapped in a negative mindset, demonstrating a sullenness uncharacteristic of the nurturing, supportive presence his Dodger teammates had come to expect. He began to retreat, secluding himself from the clubhouse. It didn’t go unnoticed. A veteran teammate could see the trouble brewing below the surface. On June 5 of last season, the Dodgers departed Los Angeles for a three-game stint in St. Louis against the Cardinals. When the team arrived at its hotel in Clayton, Mo., Kiké Hernández extended an invitation: pour a drink. I’ll come to your room and let’s talk some things out. The two spent the next few hours on Rojas’ balcony. Several drinks were had, several tears were shed. When Hernández endured a similar experience in 2024, it was Rojas who stepped in with support. Hernández knew it was time to return the favor. “I wanted to change the mentality, because if he didn’t, he was going to be on the way out,” Hernández explained. “Not because it was going to happen, but because he was going to do that to himself. I basically told him, ‘I’ve been where you are right now, and it’s not a good way to live. If you put a stop to it, and you say the season starts tomorrow and that’s the mentality you bring in each and every day, you’re going to be much more enjoyable.’” Rojas put it a little less eloquently: “He told me to get my s— right.” But Rojas took what Hernández said to heart. Shortly after the World Series, he opened up publicly for the first time about that talk on the balcony. Ten months later, he believes that conversation with his teammate saved his career.” That’s what Kike Hernandez brings to the Dodgers! It’s way beyond the boxscore.

Sounds like he still chases and can’t hit Major League fastballs. Not sure how that makes him “ready for the big leagues”. And if the Dodgers have 3 other shortstops rated higher in their own organization, how many other prospects are out there rated higher? The Dodgers prefer hitters, and I would think that includes shortstops who are hitters. Who, among Morales, Lindsey and Vargas, might that be?

Oh shit: Snell averaging 96.1mph on fastball. Buh-bye NL West. No way should Henriquez be sent down. I think Kim shoulf be starting 2b when Mookie returns. Tucker is a good player whatever the stats say. Go blue

Badger, I actually had success teaching a very unconventional change-up. I had a few pitchers who struggled getting a feel for a circle change or a “choked” change-up. Kershaw couldn’t master those. Some taller pitchers seemed to want to shove the ball back in their hand and push it towards home, like a knuckleball, instead of throwing it normally and letting the grip scrap off the speed. Instead of choking the pitch, we would do the exact opposite; move the ball with a crab grip, the middle and ring fingers on 2 seams, as far out on the finger tips as possible, when they still could control the ball. Through practice they could throw it with the index finger and little finger on the side of the ball and be able to control it off their finger tips. No twisting or turning it over. Just throw it like a fastball and the ball would come out like a dead fish. The real Glavine circle change has intentional pronation (all pitches have pronation after release) and I found that hard on young arms. So we didn’t do that. We got enough speed scraped off that it made it effective and much easier to throw.. It’s especially good with young kid with small hands who want a change up that’s thrown like a fastball and easy on the arm. Grab a baseball and mess around with it. We called it a “crab change”.

It could be argued both Sasaki and Sheehan have better stuff than Wrobo, but Wrobo is a warrior. Throws strikes, doesn’t walk many and attacks hitters. He’s a keeper.

Dodgers explode for 4 runs! Wrobo saying he wants to start in October!

So the reason the Dodgers aren’t a little younger is because those two shrinked each other.

I’m declaring Bruns done.

Why? He only walked 4 batters in one inning? He could have walked 5. 😉

If it leads to game saving double plays and game tying home runs, I’m all in.

News from around the league: Lux’s ankle is still sore. He has not returned to action; he is on a rehab stint at AAA. Good news for the Dodgers, Ronald Acuna was placed on the 10-day IL with a strained hammy. He will miss the series next weekend. Atlanta recalled Jose Azucar to replace him. Cubs reinstated Palencia, and DFAd Rios. Padres activated Griffin Canning and placed Marquez on the 15-day-IL. Mets selected Vidal Brujan and DFAd Wagaman. Nationals claimed Zak Kent. Tigers selected Zack Short and DFAd Grant Holman. Mariners claimed Jose Suarez and DFAd Rhylan Thomas. Angels placed Kikuchi on the 15-day-Il. Marlins promoting top catching prospect Joe Mack and sending Agustin Ramirez to AAA. Cubs claimed Luis Peralta off waivers from the Cardinals. Joe Ryan left his start for the Twins with elbow soreness.