The Arms Race
It’s early, and the Rockies have no chance at even getting to 10 games below .500 this year, so the Dodgers are their shot at fame. That’s a thing… but also the Los Angeles Dodgers have some arm issues. Roki Sazaki can’t throw strikes, and his velocity is about 5 MPH off his top…
It’s early, and the Rockies have no chance at even getting to 10 games below .500 this year, so the Dodgers are their shot at fame. That’s a thing… but also the Los Angeles Dodgers have some arm issues. Roki Sazaki can’t throw strikes, and his velocity is about 5 MPH off his top speed last year. I think Edwin Diaz needs Tommy John… No, I really do. I am not psychic (psychotic… maybe), but I write what I see and think. I hope I am wrong, but Diaz pitches like that. The Los Angeles Dodgers say that Edwin Díaz is dealing with right knee discomfort, causing reduced fastball velocity, and are using a cautious approach to his usage.
I still have a lot of hope for Emmet Sheehan – he is pitching like someone who missed last year with TJ. I think he just needs to get built back up. The Dodgers need him to be the #6 starter. This is what the rotation should look like:
- Yamamoto (Cy Yama)
- Snell (Expect to return in late May)
- Glasnow (Not a bad #3)
- Ohtani (#1 if he just pitched)
- Wrobleski (I think he can hold this spot down)
- Sheehan (Getting better and stronger)
- Stone (Due back in June)
This is what it might look like next week:
- Yamamoto
- Glasnow
- Ohtani
- Wrobleski
- Sheehan
- Klein (Opener)
You can always do a bullpen game now and then, and of course, there are off days, so right about now, it’s not a big deal to have a full rotation. I have omitted Sasaki – he either needs to go to Tulsa (not OKC – he needs some air for his pitches) or to the bullpen. I am worried that he may need TJ as well due to his drop-off in velocity. Brock Stewart will allegedly be back in May, and Blake Treinen will continue to get some runway, but he looks good and then … well, pretty bad!
Ben Casparius, The Bazooka, Jake Cousins, and Bobby Miller could be back (or available to be back) in May or June, and Evan Phillips is set to return after the All-Star Break. Tanner Scott has returned to form, and Phillips should help… even if Diaz is out. Kyle Hurt has filthy stuff, and Dreyer and Vesia are solid-to-great! Henriquez shows great promise. Keep running him out there. Hopefully, he will learn…
River Ryan might happen… if he can ever stop being injured. But I look for Gavin Stone to return with a vengeance. Don’t count out production from Chase McDermott! The Dodger IL is going to get a lot of business, especially with the age of this roster, which is why Kike and Tommy Tanks are important. The Dodgers are set up to weather the storm with their incredible depth, and injuries do not control their destiny… unlike most other teams. I think that the pitching will be just fine.
- Congratulations to Ryan Ward for two hits in his MLB debut. The Over-Under on how long he stays with the Dodgers is 2. How long he stays with the organization is 19.
- James Outman got two hits for the Twins yesterday and elevated his batting average all the way up to .091.
- James Tibbs III, BA, has dropped to .282. (1.082 OPS)
MiLB SUMMARY REPORT
Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies) 17 – OKC Comets 4
LHSP Cole Irvin was making his 2nd start of the series having started Tuesday. He completed 6.0 innings and threw 91 pitches in that game. In this one, Irvin completed 4.0 innings, allowing 7 runs (all earned), 9 hits, 3 HR, 1 BB, and 2 K. He threw 77 pitches.
RHRP Chris Campos and RHRP Jerming Rosario were not much better. Combined they allowed 10 runs (8 earned), 9 hits, 1 BB, and 3 K in 2.0 IP. RHRP Wyat Mills and LHRP Ronan Kopp each pitched a scoreless inning.
Not a lot of offense. Jack Suwinski and Ryan Fitzgerald each had a pair of hits. Zach Ehrhard continued to produce at the top of the order. He went 1-3 with a BB and sac fly. Suwinski (3), Austin Gauthier (3), and Noah Miler (3) each had a double.
James Tibbs III added a sac fly.
Tulsa Drillers 11 – Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 3
LHSP Luke Fox also started Tuesday, so this was his second start of the series. Fox allowed 1 hit in 4.0 scoreless innings, with 4 K. His pitch count was a very efficient 52. He left the game leading 4-0.
LHRP Maddux Bruns pitched a scoreless inning with a BB and K. He threw 17 pitches (9 strikes). He got the win.
Not all relief work went well. RHRP Lucas Wepf allowed 1 run in his 1.0 IP, and LHRP Christian Suarez allowed 2 runs in his 2.0 IP. RHRP Carson Hobbs pitched a scoreless 9th, allowing 2 hits with a K.
The Drillers punched out 14 hits and were issued 8 BB to go with the 11 runs. Zyhir Hope had THE big day with a 4 hits, including a 2 run HR (3). Hope scored 3 runs in this one.
Kendall George continues to shine. He reached base 6 times. Okay, once was on an error. But he also had two hits and 3 BB. He stole 3 BB, but was caught attempting a SB for the first time this year. He now has 11 SB in 12 attempts. His BA is .409 with a .977 OPS.
Josue De Paula also continued his hot start with another 2-hit game. He also reached base with a BB. He is hitting .333 with a .909 OPS.
The big surprise was Jake Gelof. Gelof entered the series without a hit, but for the series he registered 8 hits in 16 AB, including 2 HR and a double.
Kyle Nevin is also staying hot with another 2 hit game, including his 2nd double. He is batting .300 with a .841 OPS.
Hope, Nevin, and Sean McLain each had a pair of RBIs.
Dayton Dragons (Reds) 6 – Great Lakes Loons 5
RHSP Christian Zazueta had a nice bounceback start. After giving up 3 runs and 4 hits in 3.2 IP last Sunday, today he completed 5.0 scoreless innings, 3 hits, 2 BB, and 9 K.
After a great start, the bullpen took over, and it did not end as well as it started. RHRP Alex Makarewich surrendered 3 runs on 3 hits, 1 BB, in 1.2 IP. But hey, the two outs were strikeouts. That gave Dayton a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 6th, Great Lakes scored the 3 runs right back with the benefit of 2 singles, 2 BB, a wild pitch, and a groundout.
Dayton tied it up with a run in the 7th. But Great Lakes went back up with a 2-out single, walk, and a run scoring single by catcher Victor Rodrigues.
RHRP Reynaldo Yean pitched the 9th allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, and 3 BB. Oh yeah, he too got 2 Ks.
So the HARD throwers, Alex Makearewich and Reynaldo Yean, can strike out batters, but also have zero control and command.
OF Charles Davalan, 2B Nico Perez, and Rodrigues each had a pair of hits. OF Jose Meza hit his 1st HR, and drew 3 BB.
Ontario Tower Buzzers 23 – Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 7
Less than 24 hours after Fresno drubbed Ontario 18-8, Ontario returned the favor with a 23-7 shellacking.
The only inning Ontario did not score in was the first. Fresno jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 2nd frame. Fresno scored the runs on three walks, 2 singles and a double, all of RHSP Mason Estrada. Estrada lasted 3.0 innings, surrendering 6 runs on 5 hits, 6 BB (of course), and 2 K.
After Estrada exited, 5 relievers combined to allow just a run on 2 hits, 3 BB, and 7 K.
Fresno scored the 23 runs on 22 hits, 11 BB, and reached on 5 Fresno errors. Every Ontario hitter had at least 1 hit, and 7 had at least 2. Every Ontario batter scored a run. Every Ontario batter except one had at least 1 RBI.
Here is the onslaught.
- Joendry Vargas – 4-5, 4 runs, 2RBI, 2 BB, 2 doubles (6)
- Mairo Martinus – 4-6, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 0 BB, HR (2)
- Emil Morales – 3-5, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 BB, double (8), triple (1)
- Easton Shelton – 3-5, 2 runs, 5 RBI, 0 BB, double (3)
- Anson Aroz – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 BB
- Chase Harlan – 2-5, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 1 BB, HR (2)
- Ching-Hsein Ko – 2-6, 3 runs, 4 RBI, 1 BB, HR (2)
- Jaron Elkins – 1-4, 3 runs, 0 RBI, 2 BB
- Jose D. Hernandez – 1-5, 1 runs, 1 RBI, 1 BB
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Discussion (78)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Nice win, Wrobo definitely should stay in the rotation. Rockies made 3 errors.
Muncy 4-4 with 2 bombs. Now tied for league lead with 8. Max not hitting .303. Rojas at .383. Rushing just hit his 2nd of the night, LA has 5 bombs. Rushing’s 7th.
Bobby Miller had a really good rookie season before his troubles started. I wouldn’t hug a first-round pick because he was a first-round pick. Yes, mistakes are made–but the raw talent lives on, and other teams might be able to help. Of course it all depends on the return. My failed blockbuster for Mason Miller could have included Bruns and Bobby Miller as mere sweeteners for the overpay. Right now, the Dodgers are so strong that it’s hard to find plausible trade candidates who can improve the roster. Wrobo is just wrolling along….seven innings now— And doing it at altitude.
Middle of the lineup, Smith, Hernandez and Pages, just 1-12 tonight so far. Rojas and Muncy have 6 of the teams 10 hits. Max’ s BA up to .293 and he leads the team with 7 homers. He is 1 back of the league leaders and Rushing hit #6, putting him ahead of Ohtani.
Speaking of Joey Gallo, that’s who AF traded for when he could have simply kept Outman on the ML roster–just before Outman’s stellar rookie season. Let’s remember that Gallo joined Vargas on the playoff bench DESPITE Miguelito’s ugly debut. AF may be a genius, but he put together a stupid bench for the playoffs that year, when Trayce Thompson wound up starting ahead of Belli. Mark, you insist you don’t really have favorites, but even the Dodgers brass do exactly that. How else to explain the misplaced faith in the keystone combo of Lux and Vargas when even mere fans like us knew that Lux didn’t really have the arm to be a top-tier SS? Plus, Vargas proved incompetent at 2B, not “stellar” as you once proclaimed as his chief publicist. The good news is that Miguelito’s struggles paved the way for that right fielder who took over 2B took over SS from Lux. The Betts trade even fixed that mess. Certainly Vargas is in a better place now. The White Sox need him. Right now the brass is obviously favoring Sasaki, allowing him plenty of opportunity to improve as a starter. I expect this to continue. I hope the Sasaki Project doesn’t complicate the return of Gavin Stone and River Ryan. Snell will be back in due course. As I write this, Wrobo is definitely solidifying his spot in the rotation. Another stellar outing–very efficient. He’s thrown 77 pitches thru six innings, including 57 strikes. One earned run and ZERO walks. All considered, I’m more concerned about Diaz and his “loose bodies” than Sasaki, as well as Treinen’s inconsistency. The Dodgers just have a bunch of rich people’s problems. The big picture remains bright and rosy.
Our second stringers hit different
The latest controversy about its unfair the Dodgers are able to, have 14 pitchers because of Ohtani. Bowden was on his soap box this morning on the mlb network on Sirius radio. Craig Counsell said it’s a bizarre rule to the associated press. It’s kind of funny but it also lazy to nitpick at everything the Dodgers do. It’s not the fault of the Dodgers for the Ohtani rule, MLB put that in place when he was with the Angels. It sucks about Diaz, but if Scott steps up and holds things down until August. Diaz and Phillips should be back as 2 big deadline additions. He should also be rested for October.
I guess Rushing best second stringer in baseball
Yikes Tucker and Diaz. Not working out so good yet. Lets see how Scott does year 2
Plead poverty AND refuse to open their books.
Against a pitcher they have owned recently.
They say 3 months at least.
Brian, there is always a first time, and they did make it to one World Series in 84, of course, they were steamrolled by the Tigers, who were just unreal that year.
4 second stringers?
I had the same thing at quarterback my senior year. I could not throw a football. It was painful. Had to switch to running back. He will be out a while.
From AI: For an MLB pitcher, “loose bodies”—fragments of bone or cartilage that break off and float within the joint—are typically treated through arthroscopic surgery to “clean out” the elbow joint. The primary remedies include: 1. Surgical Removal (Arthroscopy) This is the most common definitive treatment for professional athletes. Procedure: A surgeon uses minimally invasive incisions to insert a camera (arthroscope) and specialized tools to remove the fragments. Debridement: Along with removing loose bodies, surgeons often “shave down” bone spurs (osteophytes) that may be contributing to the irritation. Recovery Time: For a standard “clean-out” without ligament repair, a pitcher can typically return to the mound in 6 to 8 weeks. In some cases, especially if symptoms are mild or occur mid-season, a pitcher may attempt to manage the condition without immediate surgery: Rest and Ice: Taking a break from throwing to allow inflammation to subside. Medication: Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or receiving cortisone injections to manage pain and swelling. Physical Therapy: Focusing on strengthening the muscles around the elbow to improve joint stability and range of motion.
8:40 PM ET Dodgers (15-6) Rockies (9-13) SP Justin Wrobleski L 2-0 2.12 ERA SP Jose Quintana L 0-1 5.63 ERA Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L RF Alex Call R C Will Smith R LF T. Hernandez R CF Andy Pages R SS Miguel Rojas R 3B Max Muncy L 2B S. Espinal R 1B D. Rushing L 78° Wind 7 mph R-L
LHRP Jake Eder recalled to take his place.
Edwin Diaz to the 15 Day IL with loose bodies in his elbow. Los Angeles Dodgers recalled LHP Jake Eder from Oklahoma City Comets.
I acually like the idea of an opener for him. Dreyer for two then bring in Roli?
I’m begrudgungly admitting the Padres are to be taken seriously. Doesn’t change the fact they’ve never won anything.
Yes, AF loves doing business with Boston, but I cannot see Boston returning his call after they have been fleeced twice by AF.
The Dodgers still have 10 consecutive days with games. Sasaki will still be needed to start against the Cubs on April 25. The way the schedule works out, LAD can stay on a 5 man rotation from there until May 6. Sheehan would be scheduled to pitch on a 5-man rotation rest on that date, or the Dodgers could put Sasaki in that start pushing everyone back a day. May 7 is an off day, so the team could empty the bullpen if needed. That would allow Sasaki to miss one start after his April 25 start. The Dodgers embark on another 13 consecutive game run on the schedule, and that could give Sasaki another two potential starts, May 13 (at home vs Giants) and May 19 (away vs Padres). Snell could conceivably be back in the rotation on what would be Sasaki’s next start, May 26 (at home vs Rockies). Sasaki is a 3 pitch pitcher, making him ideal for a reliever. Sasaki’s average 4-seam velo is 97 putting him in the 87th percentile. That is 0.9 MPH uptick from last year. So it is not his velo. Sasaki’s problem is that his 4-seamer has very little movement. His vertical break is well below average, and that can work once through the lineup. His problems rise with the second time through. Consider him an opener until Snell gets back. What difference does it make to a bullpen if it is Sasaki, or Dreyer, or Klein as the opener? An opener is an opener. I cannot see the Dodgers making any changes in Sasaki’s status as a SP until that May 26 date. Let’s see where he is at on May 26. It would have been different had River Ryan or Gavin Stone been available to start, but they are not.
Dodgers’ depth is being tested early. Remember, they got off to a hot start last season and then went cold. Consistency is the key. The Padres real depth is their bullpen. It is a lock down crew. Last night King totally shut down the Angels lineup as a starter.
That could work Mark. Let high leverage relievers face the top 6-7 once so Roki can face the bottom of the order twice/thrice. That might give him a few extra outs. Heck, he could might maybe possibly get 6 innings that way by not facing the top 6 three times. I think that’s right. You can check my math. Is it a bad sign we are talking about Openers in the first month of the season? Kinda feels like it.