Minor Help on the Horizon?
I am losing patience with silly comments by people who always say the same thing in relation to players. Zero Understanding is something I do not tolerate well, so keep saying silly stuff and see what happens. This does not apply to most of you. Take it for what it is worth, but…
I am losing patience with silly comments by people who always say the same thing in relation to players. Zero Understanding is something I do not tolerate well, so keep saying silly stuff and see what happens. This does not apply to most of you. Take it for what it is worth, but I do get my share of it right. With all the insane trade proposals I am hearing from Dodgers fans, I thought I would look at what the Dodgers have internally that could help.
Clayton Kershaw. – I talked to a surgeon friend yesterday, and he asked me what I thought about Kershaw being shut down. I said, “I want to know what you think about it. Is it bad?” He then went on to tell me with that kind of surgery, it would have been unusual if he didn’t have soreness. He said he would only worry if it persisted for several weeks. “It’s part of the healing process.” is what he said! In case you missed it, yesterday in an article in The Athletic, Mark Prior said this:
“There’s been a lot of improvements over 20 years, but again, we’re still having injuries,” he said. “Guys are still having elbows and shoulders. I don’t know if we’re that much better at preventing them than we were before when we didn’t know all the information.”
— Mark Prior
The biggest difference today?
“I think teams have realized that it’s not a matter of if somebody gets hurt, it’s just a matter of when,” he said. “And then it’s like, have you constructed a deep 25- and 40-man roster to weather those storms for the year?”
So, if you think Andrew Friedman is going to trade a bunch of pitching prospects for Crochet and Robert, Jr. you are smoking something very delicious and delusional. Here’s what is down on the farm or on the IL:
Bobby Miller – Well, he is back, but he is not “back” to what he was. Some fans have suggested that he should go back to OKC because they have no knowledge or understanding of why he is up in the first place. Let me break this down to you: Bobby Miller has not been very good after his first start when he pitched six shutout innings and struck out 11! Since then, he was ripped in two out of three games in April and then shut down. In June, he was bombed in both games. Why not send him to OKC? Because the Dodgers believe that after the first start, when he felt shoulder tightness, he has compensated, and his mechanics are off. Mark Prior, Conner McGinniss, and the Dodgers Medical Staff want to monitor him and work with his mechanics. Now, Justin DeFractus and Doug Mathis at OKC may be fine people, but they are new at coaching pitching, and with all due respect, Mark Prior and Conner McGuinness are two of the best in baseball. The Dodgers also have Rob Hill, and David Hill out of their Performance Innovation Lab to help with his mechanics. THAT’S WHY HE IS NOT GOING TO OKC and I happen to know a little about this! It pisses me off when I hear people with no knowledge of the situation say stuff that has no basis in fact. Will Bobby Miller be OK? I do not know, but I believe the Dodgers believe he will be. My main worry is that he has lingering soreness.
Walker Buehler – This is more concerning. He has had two Tommy Johns and as I have said before, I have no expectations… but I do have hope that his “bulldog mentality” will prevail.
Kyle Hurt – He is rehabbing at OKC and could get called up very soon. He got the save last night at OKC.
Michael Grove – This guy has become a very valuable piece in the bullpen. After a tough start, he has been a real asset to the bullpen.
Dustin May – I have no expectations that he will be back this year… but it is a possibility.
Tony Gonsolin – Same as above.
JP Feyereisen – Once one of the best setup men in baseball, he has been awful lately. I am not holding my breath, but you never know.
Justin Wrobleski—His stuff is some of the best in the Dodgers Organization, and the fact that he is LH makes him a rarity. I do not think he needs much more time in the minors, and I see him as a #4 or #5.
River Ryan – He could be a weapon out of the pen this year, as his stuff will play up in short spurts.
Ryan Brasier – We know what he can do. Can he get healthy? He’s about a month off.
Joe Kelley – We need him for the playoffs. Icewater runs in his veins.
James Outman – This is a Good News – Bad News Situation. James Outman is hitting .291 with a .406 OB% and a .953 OPS. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he is hitting .107 with a .286 OB% and a .429 OPS against LHP, while crushing RHP. He should get a callup soon, but he will platoon with Pages.
Andre Lipcius – He has somewhat of reverse splits. All except 2 of his HR were against RHP. I would like to see what he can do, but the Dodgers Front Office may know something we do not. I don’t know everything but I do have sources that help me a little.
Mookie Betts – He will be back in about six weeks.
Max Muncy – They are planning for him in August and not pushing it. Hopefully, he gets hot in September.
There are others who could get the call, including James Casparius and Ronan Kopp, but I think they will be next year. Diego Crtaya could be a possibility if the Dodgers (God Forbid) lose a catcher. There are a lot of names to choose from, but many times, the prospect you trade may be better than the Veteran you get. Due to Garret Crochet’s “fatigue factor” I would rather have Wrobleski over Crochet this year. Tomorrow, we will look at trade prospects.
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Discussion (70)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It’s nice that Ohtani set a new record with RBIs in 9 straight games…. but doesn’t that record seem a tad thin?
I’m hoping Ohtani can push that record higher and higher.
Stone’s ascension is the #1 feel-good Dodgers story so far this season.
I think any concerns about Lux’s arm can be put to rest with his throws on the SS side of 2nd base in the last 2-innings. Both excellent fielding and throwing plays.
Now if he can just get his BA &OPS up to respectable levels – maybe say .250 and .700.
Stone All-Star Game starter…..