For all the flack that Yamamoto has taken, here he is with a 3-1 record with a 2.01 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Not bad for a guy who is just starting to pitch up to his capability. Knack went back to OKC so that the Dodgers could have a couple of fresh arms in the bullpen, and both Feyeriesen and Varland did their jobs last night. JP i not a strikeout pitcher, but he might be the best at getting weak contact in baseball. After missing two years, he might just be rounding into form.
Landon Knack has driven up his value, and I would not be surprised to see him used in a trade. Many of you are thinking of a relief pitcher, but I am thinking 2B. Jose Abreu accepted a demotion to A Ball as a sign that he was a team player. Chris Taylor needs to do the same. Yes, he had a hit and two walks, but I did not see any evidence of a breakout. Then there are the cases of James Outman and Gavin Lux. Vaughn Grissom was expected to be the Atlanta Braves SS in 2023 after a successful debut in 2022, but he flopped and was traded for Chris Sale, and now he is back at AAA. I am not saying that he won’t be a good player. I am just saying that progress is not linear!
I would guess that by the end of this month, we will start seeing some movement IF the above players do not turn it around, and frankly, I am not confident they will. Sometimes, they need a change of environment and a new voice.
Miguel Vargas is among the leaders in every offensive category in the PCL, and he plays a solid LF. Let’s face it: LF is not in a defensive position, but he is fine out there. He has exactly 100 ABs with 6 HR, 10 doubles, and 1 Triple. He is batting .310 with a .429 OB% and a 1.039 OPS. He also has 5 stolen bases. The fact that he was so disappointing in his initial callups probably gives them pause, but his tools are evident, and he is not a platoon player. He hits both lefties and righties. I think we will see him at a Ravine near you this month! His buggy whip swing is quick again. It’s almost time.
Minor League Report
- OKC BOX – Lamet went 5, allowing 3 H and 0 Runs. He also struck out seven and walked 3. Blake Treinen went an inning and allowed a hit and a K. He will allegedly pitch again today, and we may see him this weekend. He was 93 -94 on his fastball, but on the MLB level, that will tick up 2 or 3 MPH.
- TULSA BOX – Tulsa smoked the Cards 11-0. Rushing, Lockwood-Powell, Fernandez, Lewis, and Alleyne all for two hits, and Brenden Davis got 4. Ben Casparius went 5.1 allowing 3 Hits and 7 K’s . Lefty Ben Harris (2.00 ERA) closed it out.
- GL BOX – Jared Karros went five 3 Hit innings (2.16 ERA) and the Loons put up 11 runs, but the other pitchers tried their best to give it back, allowing 10 runs.
- RC BOX – Perez, Gelof, and George all remain hot. Peyton Martin went 2.2 innings, allowing 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, and 5 Ks.
Soon, I will have a column on “Moving on Up” about players who are ready to slide up a level.
Discussion (18)
Disagree, not disagreeable
These are my thoughts on Vargas, He has nothing left to prove at AAA. Right now, there is not a roster spot for him. Outman at this point in time has 81 at bats. They will probably evaluate his performance when he reaches 150. Chris Taylor is in a little different position than Outman or Lux. He has a long history with the team. He also has come up big in many important games. Chris has 51 at bats. They will stick with him a little longer. Lux has 77 at bats. Lux is also trying to come back after missing more than a year. Lux would be well served going to AAA and working on his game there. He is not helping all that much here. Vargas’s problem is that at this point in his career, LF is his best spot, and the Dodgers do not have a need there, just yet. If Vargas could still play second, they might flip-flop him and Lux. His only path to the bigs right now is either sending Outman down or releasing Taylor. I still do not believe Pages can be an everyday center fielder. With his arm, he should be in a corner outfield spot. The other option is including Vargas in a trade for an everyday second baseman. Lux might be better served playing somewhere else also.
Dodgers have the largest lead of any division leader in the majors. 4.5 games over the Padres.
It’s true that Houston cheated, but not just in the World Series, they did it all season long, so maybe they didn’t deserve to play in the playoffs, maybe they didn’t deserve to play against NY, and they definitely didn’t deserve to beat the Yankees… So Why do some still think that LA was robbed of a championship?
I keep reading that the Dodgers should have won the World Series in 2017, that they should have 2 rings instead of just 1, are you sure?
BTW, yesterday was a “getaway game.”
8-0.
Whit is probably available, but he is OPSing below .700. He’s likely done too.
more fun , less hostility! can i get an Amen? Whit Merrifield would have been a good sign! probably should not give up on chris taylor just yet. but the ice is melting quickly!
exactly! i’m. sorry. if. i run my. comments. together. ! i. will. try. and. do. more. better! go. barnes!!!! having. fun. !!!!
sorry i’m not as smart as some.
calling doc one of the best managers is ok. i don’t see any of today’s managers as being great . if you want to look at a very good manager, look at mark kotsay in oakland, dave martinez in washington, kevin cash in tampa.(not including world series blunder) , this fdoes not include aj hinch or cora! i’ll never give those 2 any credit for anything! while i would say baseball managers are by far more involved in coaching than say , nba coaches, analytics and front offices do play a major role. i would also say doc does more to help the team win than he causes losses. one i forgot to mention was Hyde in baltimore. weathered the rough patch and is now a good manager. you can have ay the talent in the game and still not win. while some argue the dodgers should have at least 2 more championships ( me included) can’t blame Doc for everything. the cheaters in houston will go down as a should have been. but the loss to the nationals hurts just as bad! doc probably deserves a good amount of blame fy that one. the other losses were not on him! boston was better. the lossrs to san diego and atlanta? lack of pitching and hitting ! so no there are no great managers out there. (sorry bochy) . and i do believe vargas should have one more shot! i mean, taylor hitting under .100? chris is very versatile! but if a nba player is versatile and averages 1.2 per game, how valuable is he really?
Neither is this Dodger related, but on this date 85 years ago, Lou Gehrig pulled himself out of the lineup. 2,130 consecutive games.
He knew the time had come when a teammate congratulated him for making an ordinary play in the field.
Sometimes you need to know when to say when, is the appropriate cliche.
Not LA Dodger baseball related, but a couple of weeks ago when OJ died there was comment about a lack of evidence in the case etc. As a retired homicide detective myself I’ve always been intrigued with the OJ Simpson case and then came across this very recent video podcast of an interview with lead detective Tom Lange (retired LAPD) and Kato Kaelin. It’s an hour long but Tom is an excellent detective and thought some of you might find his interview entertaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDH_PMMVxC4
Vargas is coming! Congrats! Your favorite player! I know how you are so obsessed with him. He should be primarily a bench player and play/platooned maybe once a week against lefthanded pitching. If he does well we can trade him for someone useful. Lux and Outman should be playing EVERY day to get out of their slumps. The way they’re being used now guarantees failure. Maybe they deserve the chance that Busch got.
Anyone else think that Roberts can only manage with his nose to his instruction booklet? He seems so clueless like he had never had managerial experience before the Dodgers.
Go Dodgers.
Taylor plays once a week, maybe twice, and he is the 26 man on the club. He is not hurting the team.
He has value. He can play just about any position and play it well.
Play the long game here, he is going to come up clutch in October…again.
Hang with em!
Thursday Dodger Minor League Schedule
4:40 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Peter Heubeck) at Wisconsin (Will Rudy)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Orlando Ortiz-Mayr) vs. Springfield (Edwin Nuñez)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Elieser Hernández) vs. Salt Lake (Zach Plesac)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Patrick Copen) at Modesto (Will Schomberg)
I’m thinking trade for a SS.
Yes The Nats would want a haul, but CJ Abram’s is gonna be a helluva player.
Get him now and add him to Mookie, Will, Shoehei and Freddie as Cornerstones for the foreseeable.
It’s a position of need, and we have a lot of prospect capital that as we’ve seen before, will lose value the longer time goes by. Push whatever they want in now, and grab him before the cost rockets.
He’s got lots of team control left, and addresses a position of weakness in our system.
Let Mookie play 2B. Knack, Sheehan and DePaula should get it done.
We’d be adding a young potential superstar who can hit, run and field, and who together with the named above would see us right for some time.
We never get to pick the elite prospects in the draft, so we need to secure then either through trade or Free Agency.
Then, bearing in mind Shoehei’s deferred money, sign Soto in the winter. That would be 6’ elite position players and
Glasnow, Yamamoto, Miller and Ohtani with Stone, May, Gonsolin and potentially Kershaw and Beuhler as Starters.
AF can fill the remaining spots with Pages, Outman, Vargas and the rest.
Cmon, you know it makes sense.
What we all have been waiting for. From the Official Dodger Page:
“May 1: RHP Walker Buehler to start for Dodgers Monday
Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Buehler will be called up and start for the Dodgers on Monday at Dodger Stadium against the Marlins.
Buehler, who last appeared in the big leagues on June 10, 2022, has been recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. He had the procedure after being drafted in 2015 and then again in August 2022. He made his sixth rehab appearance on Tuesday, and his performance followed by healthy recovery was enough to convince the Dodgers he is ready.
“I was really impressed because he was pitching,” Roberts said. “I thought he used his entire pitch mix really well, and the velocity was still there and he was getting outs. So last night I thought was clearly his best one.”
Roberts said he expects Buehler to have some nerves after such a long absence, but he’s sure it’s nothing the 29-year-old can’t overcome.
“I’m sure there’s going to be some anxiousness, some nerves that there naturally should be until you get a couple starts under your belt. Clayton Kershaw is going to have that when he comes back, so if he’s going to have that then sure as heck Walker is going to have that, which is normal.”
Lux and Outman each have two options remaining and both should be sent to Oklahoma City to play everyday against both right handed and left handed pitchers. Sitting on the bench with the Dodgers against left handed pitching will not enhance their confidence or batting skills. Either one or both could be traded at the deadline if they can increase their trade value by July.