Dustin May
Dustin May is 2nd to Yamamoto in innings pitched on the Dodgers. Yamamoto has 40 IP and May has 33. This is after missing two years due to injuries. Dustin May is the Dodgers’ 5th or 6th Starter and is a little rusty after such a long layoff. His ERA sits at 4.36. Bryce Elder of the Braves has a 5.06 ERA. Dustin May throttled the Braves, EXCEPT for Austin Riley, who is a really, really good player. I like what I have seen in Dustin May. Give him time! There are about 29 other teams that would love to have him.
Hyeseong Kim & CT3
For some reason, Dodger fans are fascinated with Kim. They expect him to be an All-Star like he was in Korea. He was hitting .252 at AAA. Chris Taylor could hit that at AAA with his eyes closed. He’s never going to be a huge offensive force, but CT3’s contract is up after this year. So is Kike’s, Miggy Ro and Austin Barnes. Next year, we will see some changes on the Dodgers’ bench. Someone once said that Kike should be a Dodger for Life. I agree, but the other three utility players may have come to the end of the line… after this year. I wrote this yesterday and stand by it:
Like it or not, Kim is still an AAA hitter. The Dodgers signed him for $12 million over 3 years. That is what you pay to utility players… Taylor, Kike and MiggyRo all make more per year.
Kim is up because the Dodgers had an injury… to Edman. He won’t play much and will go back when Edman comes off the IL… unless there is another injury.
I can’t see Freeland playing in LA this year, barring a catastrophe!
Maybe Kim will develop into a regular, but when the team is healthy, he is not needed.
Some fans may not like CT3, MiggyRo, Barnes, or Kike, but they are part of the fabric of this team. They are here for the season… barring injury!
Right now, the Dodgers know that CT3 can play excellent defense just about anywhere. On a team that is the best offensive team in baseball, it is a luxury to have four players on the bench who are excellent defensively. The Dodgers are just fine with this bunch.
Down on the Farm
Just a few notes:
- James Outman: 4 ABs/4 K’s. He has a 41% strikeout rate at AAA. That is horrible! That’ Joey Gallo bad.
- Rushing and Freeland were 0-6.
- Jackson Ferris is turning it around after a bad start: 5 IP. 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
- Jose Ramos was 2-4 with his 9th HR – .290 BA/.977 OPS – He’s way old for AA and needs to move up. Is he just a late bloomer?
- Kendall George 2-3.
- Josue DePaula was -3 with a BB. .275/.894
- Sirota was 4-4 with his 4th HR..364/1.131. Call him up to GL, like now!
- Lindsay hit a 3-Run Shot!
- Elijah Hainline was 3-4. .316/.869
Discussion (33)
Disagree, not disagreeable
“Clayton Kershaw shifts rehab to Arizona Complex League with 6 hitless innings
4th rehab start for Kershaw comes on the backfields at Camelback Ranch, with likely one more rehab start coming next week before returning from the 60-day injured list”.
In no universe should a team like the Dodgers lose a game with JP Feyereisen on the mound in a tie game in the top of the 10th. He is cannon fodder at this point of his career
hopefully Garcia is the next to get sent packing!
Play of the year? At least in the top 3
The Dodgers are planning a bullpen game for the finale of their series with the Miami Marlins tomorrow.
Right-handed pitcher Landon Knack is with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Miami, hinting at a potential roster move incoming.
6:40 PM ET
Dodgers (24-11)
Marlins (13-21)
SPTony Gonsolin R
1-0 4.50 ERA
SP Cal Quantrill R
2-3 8.10 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Andy Pages R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
LF M. Conforto L
SS Miguel Rojas R
CF James Outman L
2B Hyeseong Kim L
In Domed Stadium
05/06/25 Los Angeles Dodgers placed RF Teoscar Hernández on the 10-day injured list. Left groin strain.
05/06/25 Los Angeles Dodgers recalled CF James Outman from Oklahoma City Comets.
The Dodgers will place Hernandez (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s game in Miami, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
“Hernandez had to exit Monday’s game against the Marlins with left hamstring tightness. There’s no word yet on the results of an MRI, but evidently it was bad enough that a trip to the IL will be required. James Outman appears poised to take Hernandez’s roster spot and could see reps in the outfield. The Dodgers also figure to give Hyesong Kim a look in the outfield while Hernandez is out”.
I thought I read somewhere that Outman is on the team while Teo will be on the IL, is that true or was I dreaming it?
Dodgers add J.P. Feyereisen to bullpen, designate Yoendrys Gómez for assignment
Dodgers prospect Sean Linan wins California League pitcher of the month for April
“20-year-old right-hander had a 1.40 ERA in the opening month for Rancho Cucamonga, with a minor-league-leading 45 strikeouts against only six walks in 25.2 innings”.
Unlike minor league players, whom I might be able to watch 20-30 times a year over a three or 4-year period, I have only seen a couple of videos of Kim and a few games. It’s clear he has the speed and defense to excel. He does have a 24% strikeout rate, which is high for someone who is not a slugger. However, he does have 5 HR.
In his first AB, which resulted in a flyout, he hit a 99 MPH sinker for a flyout. The fact that he was able to hit a 99 MPH sinker was more impressive to me than his hits.
His first hit was off a 97 MPH 4-Seamer, which traveled 142 ft. It was a hit, but almost an “excuse me.”
His second hit was off a 87 MPH changeup that had a 67 MPH exit velocity. Again, it was of the excuse me variety.
I was more impressed with his fly out on a 99 MPH sinker than his hits. Maybe he is a wizard with the bat… I don’t know, but I hope we can see him for a few games until Edman comes back.
If you are talking about impressive hits, I was impressed with CT3’s ability to drive in a run. I can see the Dodgers not renewing CT3’s Contract in 2026, but I can’t see them cutting him THIS year. Team chemistry is a big part of this Dodger team’s success, and CT3 is a key part of that and has been for 10 years. He has tenure. Yes, Kim has great defense and I have no doubt he will be on the team in 2026, but CT3 has good defense too… at more positions.
Mike Sirota, Sterling Patick win weekly player and ptcher honors for Rancho Cucamonga
“Sirota hit two home runs and drove in four runs last week, playing five of the Quakes’ six games against the Stockton Ports. Sirota was 7-for-20 (.350/.458/.750) with a triple and seven runs scored during the series, which was capped off with four hits on Sunday.Through 19 games this season, the outfielder is hitting .364/.456/.675 with a 197 wRC+.
Patick pitched five perfect innings on Friday against Stockton, striking out four of his 15 batters faced. It was the longest and best career outing to date for Patick, who was drafted by the Dodgers in the 18th round in 2023 out of South Hills High School in West Covina”.
Great start for Kim last night. Showed all his skills – good D, base running and opposite field hitting against a lefty. Brett Butler would be a good comparison too. You can’t teach speed. He will be a great asset to any lineup
Kim, Tommy and Pages would give the Dodgers a much speedier lineup.
I still have a hard time wondering why certain children, I mean men, feel a need to throw stones at our host. What are you thinking? Whoops, dumb question. Have a Dodger take and for God’s sake, stop sucking! I can feel the energy getting sucked out of this community every time you post.
Barring injury, the 26 man will not change. The kids need to play and that will only happen down on the farm. The bench players know their role. And they are fine with it. As far as Conforto goes….prop him up ,cheer him on. Can you imagine how a month long funk can mentally drain you. He needs an encouraging word , maybe even a hug from Doc. By the way…………..
‘WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! ‘
of the world
Book em
Well…. Conforto had a strong second half in ’24, and his offense in away games was much better than his offense in SF.
Plus, Conforto had reverse splits in ’24.
Those are some the reasons the Dodgers signed Conforto. He should improve.
For the record, I hope Kim is in the lineup tomorrow.
I will say that the Dodgers did three deals over the winter that I was not a fan of:
1. Yates
2. Conforto
3. Scott
I was a fan of the Kim deal.
Dodgerpatch and Dodgerrick,
You are evidently twins because you excel at the Olympic Sports of Putting Words in my Mouth and Jumping to Conclusions. Earlier, I said this:
I have no opinion on how Conforto will do, but even after two disastrous years at DF, he had a .800 career OPS. I think he is a platoon player, but lately he has had reverse splits… so maybe not.
I am not a Conforto fan, but I am an Andrew Friedman fan… however, EVERYTHING he does is not perfect. Conforto could be a dud. I have no opinion. He will get about 30 days more and I can give you $17 Million Reasons why. He did get a nice hit tonight, but who knows?
I like Kim. He has two hits tonight, but he is playing against a AAA team. 😉
His stats are very similar to the other Kim (Ha-Seong), EXCEPT that he had 37 HR in 8 seasons, and the other Kim had 133 HR is 7 seasons. Our Kim OPS’ed .766 in Korea while the other Kim had an OPS of 100 points higher!
OK, the Dodgers think they can help Kim develop more power and they have done that in the past with other players, so it is not out of the question that he could develop it.
All I am saying is that they are invested in Conforto for at least 30 more days and that Kim likely needs more time at AAA. Remember, he’s here because of Edman… not Conforto.
Conforto could very well be DFA’ed if he is not doing well by June. Kim won’t be a starter, but he could very well be back on the team.
I just do not see the Dodgers cutting CT3 right now. They don’t need to, because Defense trumps Offense for subs on this team.
It’s like you want to make a straw man to create a fight… I have better things to do!
I missed why Taylor is there and not Teo, does anyone know what happened?
Congratulations to Kim on the first hit of what I hope will be many…
Totally agree.
Could we be witnessing the birth of a new Timmons narrative?
Years from now, we might be reading something along the lines of: “I always said Kim was nothing more than a AAA hitting utility player. Many of you said he was a future All-Star. MORONS! See! I was always right! Hahahaha!”
Then again, if he’s successful, this opinion might be memory holed into the dustbin of Timmon’s bold predictions right alongside Alex Verdugo being the next Tony Gwynn.
Yes, Rojas and CT3 are making more than Kim, but those salaries reflect a proven track record in the major leagues. I don’t think the Dodgers would’ve given Kim that 12 mil contract (22 mil with incentives) unless they thought he might have some significant upside, certainly more upside than being a AAA depth piece.
What could that upside possibly be in a best case scenario (because, as a Dodger fan, I’m going to look at the best case scenario)?
In his three full seasons with the Padres, Ha-Seong Kim averaged 3 WAR a season.
Granted, Ha-Seong has more power than Hyeseong, but they are both exceptional defenders with good speed, and WAR is WAR.
Jung Hoo Lee was given a 113 million contract by the Giants. Yes, he has a higher offensive ceiling than Hyeseong, but he also struggled during his first year. Now he’s one of the best players in the game, and a big reason for the resurgent Giants.
Hyeseong might be the best defender of the three, and he has elite speed.
If he can hit .250-.275, with an 8% walk rate and 8 home runs in 450-550 plate appearances, while stealing 25 bases, that’s worth a lot more than 4 mil/year AAV.
It’s a struggle to transition from the Korean league to the major leagues. There’s about a five MPH velocity differential between major league pitching and the Korean league. Jung struggled with the transition. as did Ha-Seong.
And my hunch is that the Dodgers are beginning to gain more appreciation for speed now that the bases are bigger and stealing is easier. The Dodgers are running more, and speed might be more of a factor in the game now.
Hyeseong is probably the fastest player on the 40 man. We saw what he did the other night. Speed + high baseball IQ = disruption for the opposing team and manufactured scoring opportunities.
Actually a not terrible comp is Tommy Edman. Edman has more power (not by much, though), and perhaps a slightly higher overall offensive ceiling, but they are both great defenders with exceptional speed. IMO, Kim is may be slightly better overall defender and is faster.
I’d prefer not to write off Kim before he gets an opportunity.
6:40 PM ET
Dodgers (23-11)
Marlins (13-20)
SP Ben Casparius R
3-0 2.91 ERA
SP Sandy Alcantara R
2-3 8.31 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
RF T. Hernandez R
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
LF M. Conforto L
2B Hyeseong Kim L
In Domed Stadium
Kim starting at 2nd base
Six weeks into the season, Dodgers fans are losing their minds about Michael Conforto. Earlier in the season, it was Andy Pages, but with his ascension, fans need a new whipping boy. It’s Conforto and CT3 now. CT3’s struggles are irrelevant because he plays so little. Defense, not offense, is paramount.
The Dodgers saw something in Conforto, and unless you believe that Andrew Friedman is just stupid and likes to hand out $17 Million Contracts for no reason, I guarantee that Conforto was being courted by other teams AT THE SAME PRICE.
Conforto came to LA with the idea that he needed to re-do his swing. That can take a while. Either he will… or he won’t fix it. Let’s have this same conversation in 30 days… maybe one of us will shut up. Maybe Dalton Rushing will be in LF by the All-Star Break… or maybe Conforto will hit 25 bombs.
You guys do this every year (many times on multiple players) and then have to eat crow. You must love that kind of bird!
I have no opinion on how Conforto will do, but even after two disastrous years at DF, he had a .800 career OPS. I think he is a platoon player, but lately he has had reverse splits… so maybe not.
I was able to make it to Atlanta last night in time to catch ch the game at trust Park and from the first base side what stood out to me the most was speed. Dustin May adjusted his speed masterfully. I know Riley tagged him twice, but he really looked in complete control of his arsenal. Then there was Kim on the base paths. Wow! I would love to know his times, the speed just jumped out at you. Yes, he got a good jump, but the speed after the jump was impressive.
Casparius is slated to either start of serve as a bulk reliever in Monday’s game against the Marlins in Miami, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling announced his retirement this morning over social media. He signs off after nine big league seasons with the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Giants, and Athletics.
Thank God Conforto is only a one year deal. Annoncers on all the broadcasts are saying he is late on fastballs. Same is true with Taylor. Both bad contracts, but the Dodgers have to deal with it until the postseason when both can be left off the roster. Unfortuantely we will have to suffer through the regular season watching it.
I agree we need some glove first bench players. But with several holes in the lineup it would be comforting to be able to pinch hit and have a sense ego hope
Conforto has not been a good hitter for several years.
2024 – .237/.309/.450/.759 as a platoon player with 1.3 bWAR
2023 – .239/.334/.384/.718 as a platoon player with .8 bWAR
His last good season was 2020. And notwithstanding last night’s good catch, he’s a horrible defensive OF.
I know that he has a “track record” 5 years ago and that they are paying him a lot of $$, but it’s not working right now. It might work later but doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
Can’t disagree with having our current bench or role players. The problem with a glove first bench is when you have two holes minimum in the starting lineup against right handed pitching. Would love to see a hit first guy on the bench to bring up. In last nights ninth inning I was hopeful but not real optimistic.
Pretty bold statement that Kim is a Triple A hitter…. not.
Has Kim had any major league at bats yet? Nope.
Anyway, right now I’d rather see Kim swing a bat than Conforto.
Maybe the veteran earning $17 million just needs a couple of days off for a reset. Put Pages in LF, Kike in CF and Kim at 2B…
Or put Kim in CF and Rojas in 2B. Whatever.
It’s nice that Kim got into a game and stole a base. His speed would add a dimension to the bottom of the order. What’s the point of bringing him up if he doesn’t get the opportunity?
As for the OF prospects, Ramos, Hope and Sirota should all be promoted. They need to get tested at higher level.
And get De Paula a glove to play 1B…
DODGER MINOR LEAGUE STANDINGS 5/5/25
Oklahoma City AAA 22-11 1st place 5 games ahead
Tulsa AA 12-15 4th place 4 games behind
Great Lakes A+ 13-14 5th place 4 games behind
Rancho Cucamongo A 19-8 1st place 6 games ahead
ACL Dodgers Rookie 0-1 last place 1 game behind
I think Ferris could be ready by mid-season next year.