We had our annual Memorial Day Party (a week late) yesterday, and it ended around midnight. We did have the Pacers game on, but I deliberately didn’t watch the Dodgers until this morning.
Wowsers!
What an unbelievable beatdown! “We are the World Champs, and you’re not, and just to cement that fact, we are going to give you a classic beatdown!” It’s just one game, but it was fun. Maybe the Muncy and Knack haters will go away. What I like is that the Dodgers talked so much trash after beating the Yankees in the World Series, and are not only backing that up, but they just completely destroyed them.
Discussion (33)
Disagree, not disagreeable
AF might be sorry for the 4 year contract of Tanner Scott. I’m really surprised that he signed him for that long a contract when he usually tries to find relievers internally,trades or the waiver wire.
The Dodgers have also recalled righty Ryan Loutos. In a corresponding move ,right-hander RP Noah Davis was optioned to Oklahoma City.
SCOUTING REPORT
Will Klein has tantalizing stuff, with a fastball that can touch the triple digits but usually hangs out in the upper 90s. He pairs that with a power curve with downward movement and a slider, neither of which he can locate very well, partly due to a delivery that’s hard for him to repeat.
This is another typical AF trade. He has a very high upside!
06/02/25 Los Angeles Dodgers designated RHP Chris Stratton for assignment.
06/02/25 Seattle Mariners traded RHP Will Klein to Los Angeles Dodgers for LHP Joe Jacques.
10:10 PM ET
Mets (37-22)
Dodgers (36-23)
SP Paul Blackburn R
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Dustin May R
3-4 4.20 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
CF Andy Pages R
3B Max Muncy L
LF M. Conforto L
2B Tommy Edman S
C D. Rushing L
SS Hyeseong Kim L
69° Wind 9 mph Out
Betts (toe) remains out of the lineup for Monday’s game versus the Mets.
It’s the fourth straight start Betts has missed after he sustained a fractured left big toe. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Betts ran the bases and went through fielding drills pregame Monday and hopes to return to action Tuesday. Hyeseong Kim is at shortstop and batting ninth for the Dodgers on Monday.
“Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports that the Mariners are sending right-hander Will Klein to the Mariners for Jacques. Klein was just designated for assignment by the Mariners a few days ago. The Dodgers will need to open a 40-man roster spot for him.
Klein has just 7 1/3 innings of major league experience, which all came last year. He allowed nine earned runs in that time. This year, he’s been in Triple-A and has posted a 7.17 ERA at that level with a strong 30.5% strikeout rate but also a massive 18.1% walk rate. That’s generally been his recipe throughout his minor league career”.
The upgrade to Conforto could already be on the roster – Kim. Instead of Edman at 2B and Conforto in LF, why not Kim at 2B and Edman in CF with Pages moving to LF?
We all due respect to Pedro Martinez, we are the Yankees Daddy.
Gave em a token one last night….
For Shoulda-Coulda-Woulda contingent who believe AF made the wrong choice with Glasnow, and shoulda gone for Burnes or Cease, understand, too, that acquiring either of those would have cost A LOT more than Ryan Pepiot.
Glasnow’s injury history was factored into his price, and AF, former Wall Street guy that he is, was getting someone with very high upside at a slightly depressed value.
Burnes is an ace with the track record of durability, but the thing is, there really is no so thing as a durable ace anymore. It’s only a matter of time. The frayed UCL fairy comes for all hard-throwing starting pitchers.
If you accept that reality, it’s smart not to invest too much in any single “workhorse” starting pitcher, because they don’t exist.
Better to assemble an expanded corps of really good pitchers you can plug and play as they go on and off the IL, and try to time it, hopefully, so your best are at full strength come playoff time.
Right now, in spite of injuries to Snell and Glasnow, it’s going to plan. The Dodgers are still in first. Even if those two are out for well beyond the ASB, if the team gets them back in time to stretch out and be fresh and peaking come playoff time, that’s really the best possible scenario.
I kind of agree with Duke that Crochet would’ve been a sweet get instead of Snell, but oh well.
Rojas isn’t bringing much to the table right now other than his leadership, which is important. No speed, not much at the plate anymore. I think most of us thought he couldn’t repeat last year’s offensive numbers. with the emergence of Kim, and the versatility of edman, he may be taking up a spot that could be another outfielder. Should make a very solid manager in the future. … well Max seems to be “fixed “. I’m all in!!! Really, i don’t think anyone on this site hated Max, it’s more of , please don’t make so many errors! BUT, when he’s on, that swing is nice! And let’s hope he continues his hot streak! …. Yamamoto probably throws 7 innings of no hit ball next start. …. Another big new york series starts tonight. need 3out of 4! .. Hate the news about Corbin Burnes. seems like a great guy, not to mention a helluva pitcher. …. Boy did the A’S fall off the edge of the earth! Hopefully Kotsay isn’t made the scapegoat! ….i said earlier, Lovello might be the next one to get the axe. under performance will do that to a guy! …. Giants keep hanging around! Good starting pitching and a decent offense. good manager too. …. Yarbrough was amazing yesterday! he would be a big help right now for the dodgers. Junk pitchers are hell on the dodgers!… Could tell Aaron Boone has a bur in his drawers towards the dodgers!! Funny how that works. A little criticism after the world series, and he loses his sense of humor! …. It truly is the pinnacle of being a dodger fan! go blue!
DODGER MINOR LEAGUE STANDINGS 6/1/2025
Oklahoma City AAA 34-23 1st place 1.5 games ahead
Tulsa AA 22-29 5th place( last place) 5 games behind
Great Lakes A+ 27-24 3rd place 9 games behind
Rancho Cucamongo A 33-18 1st place 9 games ahead
ACL Dodgers Rookie 12-9 3rd place 4 game behind
For more detailed recaps,stats,schedules, standings and box scores for Dodger minor league teams go to the top of this page and cIick on MINOR LEAGUE AFFLIATES.
From MLBTR:
In an early morning deal, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mariners are acquiring southpaw Joe Jacques from the Dodgers. The return headed to Los Angeles is not yet known, though unlikely to be significant given Jacques’s status as a player on a minor league deal.
Contrary to Max Muncy, I have no opinion about Conforto and whether he will come around. I just believe his runway is to the 20th (or so) of June.
Miguel Rojas could be in danger of being cut after the All-Star Break.
Kudos to Max, Passing Garv, Penguin and Matty will be impressive.
That 3A
stint in did wonders for Kim. I didn’t realize he won a GG at SS. Sadly, without a permanent position, no NL GG. Is there one for a utility player? That dinger he hit was hammered!
Looks like the Dodgers big 4 took the night off. 0 for 16, ouch. Max up to his normal average and homers. Pages could be a deserving all star.
It goes to show the limited insight we, the fans, have on what goes on with these players. Many were ready to give up on Muncy, but thankfully the Dodgers don’t rely on the fanbase to make critical decisions.
Go Dodgers!
Well, Muncy has broken out. His OPS is up to .749 – I think his OPS at the end of the year will be over .800, and in case you forget… an OPS of .800 is a distinction of an above-average hitter. A player who consistently achieves an OPS of over . 900 is often amongst the league leaders and is perceived as an excellent hitter. The truly elite, a select group, often hover or exceed an OPS of 1.000. Now, we wait to see if Conforto can be fixed.
Odd series. All the starters who you’d think would dominate faltered
Up until this last offseason the Dodgers have been caught flat footed due to pitching injuries . They didn’t have enough depth to take on the Madres in 22. Not enough in 23 to beat the Dbags. And barely enough last year thanks to pulling Flaherty out of their hat. This last offseason AF said, “ENOUGH!” So he went and took the old axiom to heart.
….you never have enough pitching…….He wanted a starting pitching depth chart 12 deep. So that’s what he did. And he’s been playing 4d chess with them perfectly this season. Pitching is so valuable he will continue to stockpile controllable kids with upside, not trade them for a rental. He would love to continue a new trend where a contender becomes the seller, al a Brewers and Tigers the last couple years. I wouldn’t put it past him to get an overpay for Outman. Checkmate!
Oh and bravo Landon.
Book em
Agree with those who suggest searching for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline seems unlikely at this point in time. Mark outlined the minor league options (Miller, at least) and those returning from injury (Ohtani, Snell, Sasaki, Sheehan) plus the five starters currently in the rotation. That is ten starting pitchers. I was actually sitting here wondering what they will do if just three of Ohtani, Sheehan, Sasaki, Snell, and Glasnow come back. The bullpen seems like a more likely need although Kopech, Yates, and Henriquez are due back within a month and Graterol remains a possible return. Not to mention any excess starters who may transition to bullpen roles.
Cedric Mullins seems to be this year’s Luis Robert in trade rumors. With Pages improving in center and Edman able to play center and Kim/Hernandez at second when Edman is in center, I don’t see the need for Mullins. In fact, if there is a Pages injury or Conforto flatlines again (though he is showing some signs of resurgence), Edman/Kim/Hernandez would likely hold down center and Freeland can fill in at third, short, or second.
I am actually hopeful that this is a quiet deadline and the Dodgers are simply integrating injured pitchers onto their roster.
Recent deadline aquisitions;
2021-Scherzer, Trea Turner
2022-Gallo
2023-Kike
2024-Flaherty, Edman, Kopech
When I read about the Dodgers needing to trade for Zac Eflin or Paul Skenes, I realize I’m reading pure fiction. Let me list the reasons why:
In 2023, the Nats traded a player who was arguably one of the Top 5 players in the game, for six (count ’em 6) San Diego Prospects:
Jarlin Susana – Not rated
CJ Abrams – #1 Prospect
MacKenzie Gore – #4 Prospect
Robert Hassell III – #2 Prospect
Luke Voit – Not Rated
James Wood – #5 Prospect
So, just to be clear, the Nats received four Top 5 Prospects for Soto.
Paul Skenes is arguably one of the Top 5 Pitchers in baseball, so logically, the Dodgers would have to give up four of their top 5 prospects:
Rushing
DePaula
Hope
Freeland
Ferris
It will take four of these five plus two or more unranked players, like Joe Vetrano and Yenier Fernandez. Do you think that is smart? I don’t! Even Zac Eflin (who has a 4.46 ERA) will cost 1 or 2 Top 5 Prospects.
Today the Dodgers rotation is as follows:
Yamamoto
May
Gonsolin
Knack
Kershaw
Bobby Miller is at AAA with 11.2 scoreless innings under his belt. Sheehan will likely be back THIS month. Sasaki, Glasnow, and Snell are supposed to be back in July, but the Dodgers don’t have room for them all. Oh, and then there is Ohtani!
Oh, and Mullins is not bringing his .232 BA to the Dodgers anytime soon. All of this is pure fiction. Andrew Friedman aims to build a team strong enough in the offseason and early part of the season to minimize the need for major acquisitions during the trade deadline period. Friedman has also mentioned that acquiring players at the deadline is often more expensive and can lead to a less optimal outcome compared to acquiring players during the offseason. The Dodgers’ pitching is fine. I suggest some non-fiction material… like this!
06/01/25 Los Angeles Dodgers placed RHP Luis García on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 29, 2025. Right adductor strain.
06/01/25 Los Angeles Dodgers recalled RHP Noah Davis from Oklahoma City Comets.
Corbin Burnes of the Diamondbacks was removed from Sunday’s start against the Nationals due to an apparent injury, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.
“The veteran right-hander showcased some decreased velocity during the fifth inning but still retired the first two batters before giving up a single to CJ Abrams and subsequently departing with the training staff. Abrams then came around to score on reliever Jalen Beeks, so Burnes was charged with one earned run across 4.2 innings Sunday. The specifics of the injury are unclear, but the team is likely to update Burnes’ status in the near future”.
Emmet Sheehan’s line at Oklahoma City today:
3IP 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 5K 39 pitches 27 strikes (impressive)
7:10 PM ET ESPN SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL
Yankees (35-22)
Dodgers (36-22)
SP Ryan Yarbrough L
2-0 3.06 ERA
SP Y. Yamamoto R
6-3 1.97 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
LF Andy Pages R
CF Tommy Edman S
3B Max Muncy L
2B E. Hernandez R
SS Miguel Rojas R
79° Wind 9 mph Out
gonsolin and may are coming off serious injuries. Clayton is slowing building up his innings. Yamamoto is pitching his -ss off. Knack has been good. sheehan coming off injury. So if an innings eater is available, yeah you get him. worry about the quantity later. snell and glasnow aren’t for certain
Saturday scores
Oklahoma City 17, Las Vegas 11
Tulsa 6, Wichita 5
Fort Wayne 6, Great Lakes 2
Rancho Cucamonga 7, Modesto 1
Sunday schedule
Tulsa (Jacob Meador) at Wichita (Connor Prielipp), 11:05 AM PST
Oklahoma City (Emmet Sheehan) at Las Vegas (Kade Morris), 12:05 PM PST
Fort Wayne (Eric Yost) at Great Lakes (Payton Martin), 3:05 PM PST
Rancho Cucamonga (Hyun-Seok Jang) at Modesto (Matt Tiberia), 6:40 PM PST
Overlooked fact:
Kim’s HR was in his first official plate appearance against a lefty. Roberts had been using him exclusively against RHP. (I had previously seen data that I misinterpreted as a previous PA against a lefty, but perhaps he had entered as a pinch runner. Whatever.)
His OPS versus lefties is now 5.000.
Overall, his BA is now .422 in 45 ABs, and OPS is 1.058. Goes to show what a 4 for 4 day can do to small sample.
With Mookie out, let’s hope we see him at SS a few more times, and later he can shift back to 2B.
sunday brunch. …. nice to pound the yankees and ohtani really had a “mediocre “ day…. Teo let me down yesterday! …. Freddie!!!! nothing else needs to be said. …. Will! the best catcher in baseball!….. Andy Pages. Getting better every game. HOSE for an arm!….. Max . my apologies. keep it up!…. Conforto. still have hope. seems to be having fun again……. Edman. a glue stick!….. Kim! Still think he doesn’t belong?…. Knack. see Max! …. Aaron Judge. i hate the Yankees. But that guy is a total beast. Can’t make myself dislike him!! No one in the american league should even smell a mvp vote other than Judge! case closed! … Yamamoto and the sweep?? you bet!! …. Well we finally see Statton. lot of off speed stuff. not sure his fastball scares anyone. worth a look? maybe. …. 26-7 so ffar and the best pitcher on the team pitching? love it!! … Hey, baltimore is cooked. how about a trade for zac efflin? would be a nice addition to the pitching staff. just wondering.
Max should pass Kemp sometime soon. Word is Sasaki is aiming for a late June return. Glasnow probably not until after the All-Star break. Sheehan on his way back too.
Truly amazing that there’s EVER a true “laugher” against last season’s ALCS champs but of course we’re very happy to take it.
But before we all start laughin’ & scratchin’ just remember it can happen to the Dodgers too.
So nice to see Max getting some hard earned results shutting up his critics.
What a great game to watch.