Rant & Rave Sunday
X-Cites

- This happens every year – some player gets off to a bad start, and fans start calling for their ouster. It’s early – Chill!
- Outman, Kike, Lux, and Taylor are all off the bad starts. I am not worried! They all have less than 50 ABs. I will start worrying at around the 100-150 mark. We see this every year.
- Bobby Miller and Conner Brogden had recent poor performances and the reason was INJURY. Miller has shoulder issues and Brogden has foot issues. Now we get to see LH Nick Ramirez and JP Feyereisen. Let’s hope they are healthy.
- If the players in platoons want more PT, all they have to do is Hit! That’s it! Then you have the “street cred to demand it! Otherwise, shut up and play!
- The Dodgers lead baseball in runs scored, HR, RBI, and strikeouts. They are second in BB, and near the top in OB% and OPS, and the bottom of the order is not hitting. Maybe not all four struggling hitters make it, but most of them will. It is a long season.
- Gavin Stone was incredible last night. He’s looking like a keeper.
- Jurickson Profar is a moron – Stone was not trying to hit him with a perfect game in place. That is why he has a world of talent but is a utility player.
- Andy Pages is red hot at OKC after a 3-4 night. He is hitting .351 with a 1.029 OPS. Andre Lipcius is hitting .341/1.010 with 3 HR as well after a 4-5 night. Miguel Vargas was 2-5 and is hitting .294/.955. Vargas leads the team with 17 RBI, while Pages has 11.
- After a hot start, Diego Cartaya is hitting .167, Jose Ramos is at .172, Fernandez is at .143, and Rushing is at .273/.957 OPS.
- 2B Taylor Young (RHH) is hitting .417 at Tulsa with a .533 OB% and a 1.283 OPS. Hummmm…
- Jared Karos is a man among boys. In the first game last night for Great Lakes, he went 5 innings, allowed 4 hits, 1 ER, with 0 BB and 6 Ks. He’s ready to move to Tulsa, like yesterday.
- Alex Freeland is at .308/1.038, and Nevin is at .381/1.024. Liranzo is hitting .050.
- Peter Hubeck (still just 21) went 5 Innings, allowing 2 Hits and 0 Runs while striking out 8. He also walked 3.
- Kendall George is struggling with the bat – .214 BA, but has 9 walks in 14 ABs for a .522 OB%.
- It sounds like Walker Buehler will get one more start on the 18th or 19th after getting hit on his hand by a ball. He is allegedly fine.
X-Cites
More from Dodger Talk

Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…

Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…

Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…

Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…

Discussion (48)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Mark,
Any news on Hayward ?
great time fot stone to break through! hopefully bobby is ok. profart been around johnny hustle and fernando the ped bull too long! will doesn’t say a lot but why he does it’s usually good. IRRELEVANT! nice way to keep the whole bunch! paxton today? next couple of weeks could be interesting! with Strider down and others dropping like flies the trade market could heat up! miami would have been sitting pretty in trade possibilities but they keep losing starters. washington has nothing of interest to contenders. rockies won’t trade within division, mets foolishly believe they can make the playoffs. every body else in the national league thinks they can stick around. the american league? if toronto falls behind the yankees and baltimore even more , basset and gausman may become available at a kings ransom. in the central every team is in it except white sox. in the west, every team competing needs pitching. texas shy get max back and maybe degrom. i personally believe max is done . degrom? if he’s healthy the rangers go to the top as far as favorite in the AL! houston? verlander a question. they need pitchers ! seattle could fall out and maybe have a pitcher they could move for a healthy return. by the way, if seattle falls out scott service is done! oakland will have old friend Ross Strickling available. wouldn’t be a bad thing. Buehler on the horizon along with clayton in august. what has been said about Emmit? haven’t heard anything. need that win tonight!! yu on the bump for the friars. always liked darvish, its ashame he left, he’s been healthy for awhile. but he’s on the team with a few a—holes so kick is butt tonight! go barnes!