Since he took over as President of Baseball Operations in November of 2014, one thing that Andrew Freidman has valued in his players is versatility. Players capable of playing multiple positions have made this team very versatile and to have the ability to replace stars who are injured with players who can capably play well until the star returns. This was shown over the last couple of years especially when Mookie Betts went down with a broken hand in June of 24.
I wanted to look back at players who have made careers out of being that guy, but only those I have actually seen do this for the Dodgers. So, 1958 is my starting point. That year, the Dodgers first in Los Angeles, they finished 7th in the 8-team National League. The stars of the Brooklyn powerhouse of the 50’s were all in their 30’s and on the downside of their careers. Youth was beginning to enter the Dodger clubhouse. A couple of Brooklyn holdovers were the Jacks of all trades in 1958.
Jim Gilliam: In 1958, Gilliam was 29 years old. He had been the 1953 Rookie of the Year. He had already played 2nd base and left and right field for the Dodgers. In 58, he was the primary 3rd baseman. He also saw time in all 3 outfield positions and at 2nd base.
Junior as he was called, was Alston’s go to guy and was as good of a 2-hitter as the team has ever seen. He was totally unselfish at the plate and hit behind Maury Wills once he became the leadoff man and was invaluable as the guy who would take pitches so Maury could work his magic on the basepaths. Gilliam retired as a player after the 64 season and became one of Alston’s coaches.
Due to lackadaisical play by the team’s 3rd basemen in 1965, Tracewski, LeJohn, Gilliam was activated from the coaching ranks and played in 111 games. He hit .280 on the season. He only hit .214 in the World Series against the Twins. In Game seven though, Gilliam made a game saving play at 3rd base, he stopped a hot shot down the line and got up in time to beat the runner to third. Koufax would pitch a complete game shutout, despite not having his best stuff and working on 2-days rest.
He retired again after the 65 season. But once again Alston felt a need to activate him from the coaching ranks. 37-year-old Gilliam would play in 88 games, mostly as a backup for 3rd baseman, John Kennedy. He hit just .217 in his final season. Jr. would hit .266 for his career of 14 years with the Dodgers. He scored 1163 runs as a Dodger. After the loss in the 66 series to the Orioles, Jr. went back to the coaching ranks where he remained until his untimely death at age 49 in October of 1978. His and Fernando’s are the only numbers retired for players not in the Hall of Fame.
Don Zimmer: Zimmer was signed as a SS. But during his 12-year-MLB career, he also played 2nd, 3rd, some outfield and he caught 35 games when he was with the Senators at the end of his playing career. Zimmer was brought up for a cup of coffee in 1954. He was Pee Wee’s backup and being groomed to take over when Reese retired. Zim signed with the Dodgers in 1949 when he was 18 years old. His nickname was “Gerbil”.
In July of 1953, Zimmer was hit in the head in a minor league game by a pitch from Jim Kirk. He lost consciousness and developed a blood clot on his brain that required two operations. He woke up two weeks later thinking it was the day after the game. Because of this, MLB eventually adopted batting helmets to be worn by hitters when batting.
In 55, Zim hit 15 homers for Brooklyn. He played just 17 games in 56 and 84 in 57. In 1958 when the Dodgers moved to LA, Zim, playing SS in 114 of his 127 games, batted .262 and slugged 17 homers. With Reese retiring and becoming a coach in 1959, SS was his for the taking. Unfortunately, Zimmer never got his season going. He would hit just .165 with 4 homers. LA brought-up Maury Wills in June to play SS. Wills brought speed to the team. Zim was 0-1 in the World Series. After the season the Dodgers traded Zimmer to the Cubs for John Goryl, Lee Handley, Ron Perranoski and 25,000 dollars. He returned to LA for a short stint with the team in 1963. After his retirement Zim moved into the coaching ranks and then became a manager. He would manage the Padres, Red Sox, Rangers and Cubs.
In the first few years following Gilliam’s retirement, LA did not really have a player who could play multiple positions and do it well. The reserves, guys like Tracewski, Popovich, were good fielders who were not very good at the plate. In 1969, 23-year-old Bill Sudakis became the starting 3rd baseman replacing Bob Bailey, who had been the return for Maury Wills from the Pirates. Sudsy as he was nicknamed, hit 14 homers, which was second on the team to Andy Kosco’s 19. In 1970 thought, Sudakis took on the utility role. He hit 14 homers again and raised his average 30 points to .264. That season he caught, played 3rd, 1st and some outfield. He did the same in 1971. But he hit just .171 and in March of 72, the Mets claimed him off of waivers.
In 1972, the Dodger roster was filled with infielders and a dilemma of sorts as they tried many different combinations. Maury Wills, in his second stint with the team, was in his last season. He would play just 71 games. The infield consisted of Parker at 1st, Lacy at 2nd, Russell at SS and Garvey at 3rd. Also, on the roster at one time or another were Bobby Valentine, Lefebvre, Lopes, Grabarkewitz and Cey. Valentine appeared at five different positions that year. 2nd, 3rd, SS, left and center field. Grabarkewitz three.
Guys who would have careers moving around the diamond got their start in LA. Lee Lacy, who would be traded to the Braves in the Baker trade, was primarily a 2nd baseman when he was called up in 1972. He would actually play most of his MLB games in the outfield. Jerry Royster, primarily a 3rd baseman when called up in 1973, and also sent to Atlanta in the Baker trade, played 2nd, 3rd, SS and the outfield over his 16 years in the majors. Lacy was traded back to the Dodgers in 1976 when they sent Mike Marshall, the pitcher, to the Braves for Lacy and Elias Sosa.
LA had brought the “Infield” together in 1974. Guys like Rafael Landestory, Teddy Martinez, Lacy, Rick Auerbach, were the scrubbenies into the 80’s. In December of 1978, the Dodgers signed Derrell Thomas as a free agent. For five seasons, Thomas would be Lasorda’s Swiss Army knife. He played SS, 2nd, C, 3rd and even a couple games at 1st. He provided excellent defense; some speed and a slight case of angst to Lasorda every time he made a basket catch ala Willie Mays in CF. He was a .257 hitter while with the Dodgers and played on the 81 World Champs and the 83 Division champion teams.
Over the next few years, LA used several players in utility roles. In 1987, they brought Mickey Hatcher back to LA as a free agent. Hatcher, originally drafted as a 3rd baseman, had been part of the 1981 trade to the Twins for Ken Landreaux. For Minnesota, he played 3rd, 1st the outfield and he was the DH on occasion. In 87, he got time at 1st, 3rd and in the outfield. He played in 101 games, hitting .262 with 7 homers. Hatcher also brought enthusiasm and some comedic relief to the clubhouse.
The big news before the 88 season began was the signing of Kirk Gibson as a free agent. Behind the scenes, a group of second stringers would become known as “The Stunt Men”. Hatcher, Danny Heep, Dave Anderson, Mike Davis and Rick Dempsey were the “charter members”. Anderson played 116 games at SS, 3rd and 2nd. He actually had a better season at the plate than the man brought in to replace him at SS, Alfredo Griffin, who hit just .199.
Davis, brought in as a free agent after hitting 22 homers for the A’s in 87, had a miserable year. just 2 homers and a .196 BA. Heep would play in 96 games and hit .242. He played LF, RF, 1B and actually pitched in 1 game. Dempsey was Scioscia’s backup. He hit .251 with 7 homers, 4 more than Scioscia, and 30 RBI’s. Hatcher played 88 games in RF, LF, 3rd and 1st base. He hit .293 with just 1 homer.
Hatch got the most playing time in the playoff against the Mets, getting into six games and driving in 3 runs. Gibson was hurt during the playoffs and his availability for the World Series was in question. Hatcher took his spot in the starting lineup in left field. Most of us know the history of that World Series. Davis drew a key walk in the 9th inning that brought Gibson to the plate. His stolen base put him in scoring position if Gibson could single and drive in the tying run. But Kirk homered and the game was won.
But there was no Gibson for the rest of the series. Pitching would win the series, but who was the Dodgers hitting star in the 88 series? None other than Mickey Hatcher. Hatcher led the team in hits with 7. He hit 2 homers, after only hitting 1 all year, and he drove in 5 runs, next best was Mike Marshall with 3. Hershiser was the series MVP, but it could just as easily have been Mickey Hatcher. Hatcher played until 1990 and then went into coaching, most notably on Mike Scioscia’s staff with the Angels. Mickey is definitely a Dodger Legend as are “The Stunt Men”.
Lenny Harris had joined the team in a trade with the Reds in 1989. He and Kal Daniels came to LA for Mariano Duncan and Tim Leary in July of 1989. He played some third and right field that first year. In 1990, he added 2nd and SS to his resume. It was pretty much the same in 91 and 92. In 1993, he also added pinch hitter to his resume. And he was pretty good at it. Over his 18-year career in the majors, he would accumulate 212 pinch hits, a major league record. He left the Dodgers after the 1993 season and resigned with the Reds.
1994 was shortened by a player’s strike. Play stopped on August 11th. The Dodgers beat the Reds that day 2-0 behind Ramon Martinez. They were 58-56, in first place by 3.5 games. Play would not resume until April 25th, 1995. They would play a 144-game schedule. The Dodgers won the West but were swept in the LDS by the Reds. Cory Snyder, who joined the team in 1993, played 1st, 3rd, SS, and all 3 outfield spots in his 2 years in LA.
In 1995, the utility spots fell to Chad Fonville and Dave Hansen. Fonville played just 4 years in the majors. Hansen, a Dodger 2nd round draft choice in 1986, had several short stints with the team but he played 132 games in 1992, and 100 in 1995. He was a free agent in 1997, and he signed with the Cubs. He returned to LA in 1999 as a free agent and remained until 2002. In all, he played parts of 11 seasons in LA. In 2000, he set a major league record for pinch hit homers with 7. Hansen also played 2nd, SS, left and center field and he had 28 appearances as a DH for the Mariners. Hansen had 138 career pinch hits, sixth on the All-Time list in MLB.
The 90’s brought changes to the Dodgers as ownership sold the team to FOX, Tommy Lasorda had a heart attack and was forced to retire. They had 5-consecutive Rookies of the Year, Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Hollandsworth. FOX infuriated the fan base by trading Piazza. All of that did not translate to success on the field. They never made the playoffs under Fox. Fron 1997-2003, they finished either 2nd or 3rd in the West. The 92 team had lost a Los Angeles record 99 games.
Fans were a little happy when FOX finally sold the team before the 2004 season. Their joy would be short-lived. Frank McCourt took over ownership and Paul DePodesta was his first GM. The best thing about the 2004 team was the fact that Logan White was running the scouts. Many future Dodger stars would be drafted under his leadership, including one Clayton Kershaw in the first round of the 2006 draft.
The 2004 team was led by Adrian Beltre, the team’s 3rd baseman who was in his walk-year. That team did not have a player who would be considered a utility guy. No one played more than two positions all year. They would win the West in game 161 when Steve Finley hit a walk-off grand slam against the Giants. LA returned to the playoffs but were quickly dispatched by the Cardinals in 4 games.
DePodesta made numerous moves that winter, including signing Jeff Kent and JD Drew. Didn’t matter. The team finished 4th at 71-91 and DePodesta was fired in November. Oscar Robles, who played in 110 games was the utility guy, playing SS, 2nd and 3rd. Antonio Perez also played all over the infield and got into 98 games. Jose Valentin, the 37-year-old vet played in 56 games.
The first two changes to the team came with the hiring of Ned Colletti from the Giants in November and then hiring Grady Little to manage the team on December 8th. He became the seventh manager since the team moved to LA in 1958. Colletti installed 23-year-old Russell Martin at catcher and signed 32-year-old, Nomar Garciaparra, who would become the team’s first baseman. He also signed Rafael Furcal to play SS.
The 06-team finished 2nd but were the Wild Card in the playoffs. They were swept by the Mets in the LDS. They had one of the more embarrassing playoff moments when two players were tagged out at home on a weird play. Once again there was no pure utility player on the team.
They finished 4th in 07, and that winter, Little was basically forced out and Joe Torre was hired. Colletti’s big free agent signing turned out to be a huge bust. Andruw Jones reported to camp overweight and never came close to being the player he was in Atlanta. LA cut him loose after 75 games and a .158 average. Delwyn Young and Mark Sweeney were the utility guys. The team’s fortunes turned on a trade at the deadline that brought Manny Ramirez to LA. Manny went on a 53-game tear and LA won the West. They beat the Cubs in the LDS but then lost to Philadelphia in the LCS. Manny hit .500 for the playoffs with 4 homers and 10 RBI’s.
They would win the West again in 09, despite losing Ramirez to a 80-game PED suspension. They beat the Cardinals 3-0 in the LDS but again lost to the Phillies in 5 games in the LCS. Cracks were beginning to show in McCourt’s ownership. He was going through a nasty divorce and money problems.
In 11 and 12, they finished 4th and then 3rd in 12 under new manager, Don Mattingly. MLB finally took over running the team in 11 and forced McCourt to sell the team to the Guggenheim Group. With the change of ownership and new money available, Colletti made several moves to improve the 2012 Dodgers. Hanley Ramirez, Juan Rivera, Luis Cruz, Yasiel Puig, Brandon League, Shane Victorino, and Joe Blanton all came onboard. Puig would not make his debut until 2013. Then in August, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto came on board. Elian Hererra was about the only pure utility player on that team. There was so much roster movement, it was hard to keep up.
2012 had been a year of evaluation for new ownership. In 2013, they looked to win. Three players, Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto, and Jerry Hairston Jr., were the Swiss Army knives on that team. Schumaker got into 125 games playing 2nd, left, center, right, DH and he pitched in 2 games. Punto, 116 games, played SS, 2nd and 3rd. Hairston, 96 games, played 1st, 3rd and in the outfield. LA won the West. They then beat the Braves 3-1 in the LDS before losing to the Cardinals in the LCS.
In 2014, they won the West again. Greinke and Kershaw led a solid staff. They hit .265 as a team. Justin Turner, who was profiled not too long ago, was their most valuable utility player. JT hit .340 in 109 games playing 3rd, 1st, 2nd and SS. He had been plucked from the Mets who released him after the 2013 season. 25-year-old Miguel Rojas saw time at SS, 2nd, 3rd and a game in left field.
In 2015, Guggenheim lured Andrew Freidman away from the Rays and made him President of Baseball Operations. What followed was pretty much a heavy overhaul of the team’s roster. In November, he hired Farhan Zaidi away from the A’s to be his GM, but make no mistake, Freidman was behind the trades and free agent signings. Zaidi advised.
In December, he traded away, Matt Kemp, Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Miguel Rojas, Matt Magill, Tom Federowitz, and Drew Butera. He got Yasmani Grandal, Zack Elfin, John Weiland, Chris Heisey, Autin Barnes, Kike Hernandez, Chris Hatcher, and Andrew Heaney in return, he then swapped Heaney to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. Barnes could catch and play 2nd base. Kike could play anywhere on the infield and some outfield. Kendrick, though primarily a 2nd baseman, could also play 1st and some outfield. It was clear that Freidman was looking for players who were versatile. In May, he traded Juan Uribe and Chris Withrow to the Braves for Alberto Callespo, a versatile infielder, and pitchers Ian Thomas and Eric Stults.
At the deadline, he made a 3-team trade with the Braves and Marlins, sending 3 minor leaguers, Hector Olivera, and Paco Rodriguez and got Mat Latos, Mike Morse, Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jose Peraza, Jim Johnson and Alex Wood in return. He then shipped Morse to the Pirates for OF, Jose Tanata. Alex Guererro and Kike were the main utility players. The Uribe traded opened up 3rd base for Justin Turner to become the everyday starter there. The won in the West but were knocked out by the Mets in the LDS.
Mattingly was replaced as manager by Dave Roberts. On June 19th, he made an under the radar trade with the Mariners sending former 1st round pick, Zach Lee to the Mariners for SS, Chris Taylor. Taylor would play 34 games for LA in 2016. He played 2nd, 3rd and some SS. No one knew it at the time, but Taylor was about to become the Dodgers second Swiss Army knife player. From 2017-2025 when he would finally be released, Taylor would play in 1007 games for the Dodgers. As a Dodger, he hit .250/108/423. He had some outstanding moments as a Dodger, like his great catch against the Brewers in the 2017 LCS. His walk-off homer against the Cardinals in the Wild Card game in 2021, and his 3-homer performance against the Braves in game 5 of the LCS which staved off elimination for 1 day. If Chris had a weak point, it was that he struck out way too much. 1044 times as a Dodger. He hit 20 or more homers twice and reached double figures 6 times.
Most fans disliked the contract he got after the 21 season, injuries and bad play dogged him after that. But he never let his hitting problems affect his defense, which was stellar, both in the outfield, and infield. His partner in crime was Kike.
From the time he was acquired in trade, Kike was ticketed to be the super-utility player. In his first season he played the outfield, SS, 2nd and 3rd. He hit .307 with an OPS of .830. He has never come close to matching those numbers since. But he is extremely popular with the fans, partially due to his penchant for having outstanding post-season numbers and making game saving plays. He too has had two seasons when he hit 20 or more homers. To date, he has hit in double figures 7 times. In post season play, he has 16 homers, 11 of those with the Dodgers. He has 131 career homers, 96 of those with LA. His career BA is .237 and his career OPS is .710, .717 as a Dodger. He has played every position as a Dodger except catcher.
LA brought Miggy Ro back a couple of years ago, and it has been a joyful reunion. A leader in the clubhouse and on the field, he is one of the more versatile players on the team and his defense sparkles wherever he plays. His bat has been better than expected and he carved a permanent niche in Dodger legend with his game tying homer in game 7 of the World Series last year.
Last on the list is Tommy Edman. Acquired in trade with the Cardinals at the deadline in 2024, he did not make his Dodger debut until August of 24. He hit just .237 in 39 games, with 6 homers and 20 RBIs. But he was the MVP of the LCS against the Mets, with 11 hits, a homer and 11 RBIs. He hit a homer and drove in 1 in the World Series win over the Yankees.
His 2025 season was marred by an ankle injury that seriously affected his game. He came out of the blocks hot and had 8 homers in March and April. Held to just 97 games, he hit just .225 with 13 homers and 49 driven in. He played well enough in the post season with 2 homers and 7 RBIs. He just returned to the team after having off season ankle surgery and is looking like his old self. Edman is a gamer.
With Kike expected to depart after this season, and Miguel Rojas retiring, Edman is the lone true utility player who should be back with the team next season, if there is a season. AAA OKC has Hyeseong Kim, Austin Gauthier, and Noah Miller, who play multiple positions. Kim is the closest to being a MLB player. Miller has a MLB glove right now. His bat, not so much.
OKC Comets 8 – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 2
RHSP Landon Knack is still a long way from rejoining the MLB Dodgers.
In the 3rd, C Griffin-Lockwood-Powell and 3B Ryan Fitzgerald hit one out singles. DH Zach Ehrhard walked to load the bases. CF Alek Thomas hit a bases clearing double (5).
Knack pitched 3 scoreless innings, but the 1st and 3rd were with stress. He gave up a single to the first batter he faced in the 4th. The good thing was this was the first time Knack came out for the 4th. Progress..
LHRP Garrett McDaniels relieved Knack with an inherited runner on 1st with no outs. McDaniels walked the first batter but struck out the next two batters. Both runners moved up on a WP, and both scored on a single.
In the 4th, 1B Matt Gorski drew a BB. 2B Noah Miller hit a ground rule double. SS Hyeseong Kim hit a run-scoring infield single with Miller to 3rd. Kim stole 2nd. Fitzgerald reached on a fielder’s choice when Miller beat the throw at the plate. Ehrhard singled to score Kim. A WP put OKC runners on 2nd and 3rd. Fitzgerald scored on a ground out, for a 7-2 lead.
RH Jack Suwinski hit a HR (19) in the 7th to finish the scoring.
RHRP Christian Romero pitched a scoreless 4.0 innings, and RHRP Carlos Duran pitched a scoreless 9th for the win.
- Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Zach Ehrhard – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Alek Thomas – 1-4, 1 run 4 RBI, double (5)
- Jack Suwinski – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (19)
- Noah Miller – 1-4, 1 run, double (12)
Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 9 – Tulsa Drillers 8 – 10 innings
RHSP Peter Heubeck struggled a bit through the first two innings but kept Wichita scoreless. Until the 3rd. Heubeck gave up a leadoff HR in the 3rd. Heubeck walked the next batter who stole both 2nd and 3rd and scored on a single. After 2 outs, the runner stole 2nd, and scored on a RBI double. RHRP Cam Day relieved Heubeck and struck out the first batter to end the inning.
In the 5th, CF Mike Sirota ended the shutout when he homered (7). 3B/SS Jake Gelof doubled (13) and moved to 3rd on LF Zyhir Hope’s single. 1B Chris Newell reached on a fielder’s choice as Gelof was thrown out at the plate. DH Kole Myers singled to load the bases. 2B Taylor Young doubled (4) home Hope and Newell.to tie the score. C Hayden Gilliland followed with another 2-run double (3) giving Tulsa a 5-3 lead.
Day gave up a 2-run HR in the 5th to knot the game at 5-5.
In the 7th, C Frank Rodriguez doubled (4) and scored on a single by JDP.
LHRP Evan Shaw was in his 3rd inning. With 2 outs he gave up a triple. RHRP Carson Hobbs came in relief and gave up a game tying single.
JDP started the 10th at 2B and scored on Gelof’s single. Hope doubled Gelof to 3rd, where he scored on a WP.
RHRP Antonio Knowles pitched a scoreless 9th, and came back out for the 10th with a 2-run lead. He gave up 3 runs without getting an out, giving the Wind Surge the walk off win.
- Zyhir Hope – 4-6, 1 run, double (15)
- Taylor Young – 4-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (4)
- Josue De Paula – 2-6, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Jake Gelof – 2-4, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (13)
- Mike Sirota – HR (7)
- Doubles – Hayden Gilliland (3), Frank Rodriguez (4)
Great Lakes Loons 5 – Ft. Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 0
In his first start after being promoted to GL, RHSP Tyler Gough pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and 2 BB with 7 K. Not quite as dominating this time. Tyler did pitch 5.0 scoreless innings, but allowed 2 hits and 3 BB, and only struck out 6. Gough is 22 (23 in August) and he is in high A. The Dodgers will have a decision in November…to protect from Rule 5 or not. I would feel more comfortable with that decision if Gough was pitching in AA. Maybe they push him for more decision-making data.
RHRP Isaac Ayon is getting better acclimated to multiple inning relief. He now has back-to-back 3.0 scoreless innings. The game before that, he also pitched 3.0 innings but allowed 1 run.
The Loons were also kept off the boards until the 6th inning. With one out in the 6th, 2B Jose Izarra singled, and with 2 outs, 3B Logan Wagner hit a 2-run HR (10).
In the 7th inning, with one out, DH Chase Harlan walked and scored on LF Jose Meza’s 1st triple. Meza scored when 1B Cameron Decker singled.
In the 8th, 3 Loons walked to load the bases for SS Emil Morales. Emil Morales hit the ground ball for the DP but beat the throw to 1st and a run scored.
There were no Loons batters with more than 1 hit. The Wagner HR and the Meza triple were the only XBH.
Ontario Tower Buzzers 13 – Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado) 0
Ontario scored in each of the first 5 innings. In the 1st inning, CF Jaron Elkins led off with a HR (11). SS Mairo Martinus singled and stole 2nd (24). Martinus scored on 1B Easton Shelton’s single.
In the 2nd, 3B Oswaldo Osorio slugged his 4th HR.
With 2 outs in the 3rd, LF Brendan Tunink walked and moved to 3rd on C Francisco Espinoza’s single. Tunink scored on a WP.
Ontario scored 4 in the 4th. 2B Javier Herrera opened with a double (5). Elkins singled, moving Herrera to 3rd. Elkins stole 2B (25). Martinus singled to score both runners. With one out, DH Conner O’Neal was HBP. Tunink singled to score Martinus and moved O’Neal to 3rd. Espinoza singled to score O’Neal.
In the 5th, Herrera led off with a triple and scored on a Elkins SF. Martinus hit his 10th HR, giving Ontario a 10-0 lead.
In the 9th with 2 outs, Elkins reached 1st on an error and Martinus singled. RF Ching-Hsien Ko joined the party with hitting a 3-run HR (13).
RHP Will Gagnon made his first professional start. He made his longest outing with 4.1 IP. He did not allow a run on 5 hits 1 BB, and 6 K. Three relievers combined to pitch 4.2 scoreless innings on 3 hits, 4 BB, and 3 K.
- Mairo Martinus – 4-6, 4 runs, 3 RBI, HR (10)
- Jaron Elkins – 2-5. 3 runs, 2 RBI, HR (11)
- Easton Shelton – 2-6, 1 RBI
- Brendan Tunink – 2-3, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Francisco Espinoza – 2-5, 1 RBI
- Javier Herrera – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, double (5), triple (4)
- Home Runs – Oswaldo Osorio (4) and Ching-Hsien Ko (13)
Discussion (55)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Fun Observation:
Thru 4 innings 8 of 9 Dodger hits against lefty Freeland by left handed batters
Freeman & Freeland vs. Freeman & Freeland
Cliche after Cliche in USA Belgium game
That loud noise you hear is all the air rushing out of the USA soccer balloon!
Soccer players are bigger floppers than basketball players.
Buehler getting clobbered again. 6 earned in 3.
Buster Olney said today he thinks Tampa will go for Skubal. That could be interesting.
07/06/26 Los Angeles Dodgers designated C Chuckie Robinson for assignment.
07/06/26 Los Angeles Dodgers released LHP Jake Eder.
07/06/26 Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Evan Phillips from the 60-day injured list.
07/06/26 Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of RHP Carlos Duran from Oklahoma City Comets.
07/06/26 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned RHP Paul Gervase to Oklahoma City Comets.
Sports Illustrated has an article about the Orioles RP Garcia coming to the Dodgers. Great numbers and controlled through 2031. They say he would not require a top 10 prospect. O’s need a starter and a few position pieces. Should we trade?
SI is AI slop
Yes, sad how the mighty have fallen and how far….
Jake McCarthy, Rockies CF is hitting 308 850 OPS. . I voted for Pages because I am a Dodger fan but McCarthys hitting and 13 SB and 47 RBIs for the pitiful Rocks tugs at me a bit. Hopefully he gets an injury invite.
Not sure how Lauer is doing it but he is avoiding big innings and pitching well enough to win. Hope it lasts.
10:10 PM ET
Rockies (37-54)
Dodgers (59-32)
SP Kyle Freeland L
2-7 7.25 ERA
SP Eric Lauer L
4-5 4.84 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
CF Andy Pages R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Mookie Betts R
RF Kyle Tucker L
LF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
2B Miguel Rojas R
C D. Rushing L
74° Wind 9 mph Out
Great article, Bear. For some reason, it made me think of pinch hitters that were a big part of the game before the DH. Harris, Mota, Hanson, and Johnstone stand out in my mind.
Dave Hansen was the main guy from my youth. Danny Heep & Len Matusek little bit.
Al Holland passed away at the age of 73. Pitched for the Phillies back in the day. To those of you who did not know, Tyler Fitzgerald is still with OKC. He is on the 7-day IL. C.C. Sabathia was talking about his son possibly being drafted next week. They showed some video of the kid hitting and he has some serious power.
Kyle Hurt seems to be the new punching bag for LAD relievers. Here is a comment I read on MLBTR…” Kyle Hurt blew chunks tonight and hasn’t been great all year.” When Hurt is bad, he is very bad. Last night was one of those nights. But hasn’t been great all year? Hurt has pitched in 31 games this year and has allowed 15 runs in 29.2 IP. Not a good ERA for a reliever. But if you look deeper, you will find that in 3 of those games and 2.0 IP, he allowed 11 of those runs, on 7 hits, 6 BB and 2 HR.
In 28 games and 27.2 IP Hurt has been a very good pitcher. 24 games he did not allow a run, and 4 others he allowed just 1. His ERA in those 28 games is 1.30, his WHIP is 0.976, and he allowed 1 HR in 27.2 IP. So, in 24 of 31 games, Kyle was excellent and in 4 others he was very good.
His record is 3-1, 1 save, 1 blown save, and 8 holds. He got the blown save and loss in the same game, one of the three games he pitched poorly.
Nobody wants the Kyle Hurt in those three games and 2.0 IP. He was bad. But I would be satisfied with what he has done in the other 28 games.
I tend to agree.
He misses a lot of bats, but to me it looks like he’s throwing the change way too much recently. Especially when he’s behind or (obviously) coming off a walk.
He’s young, he’s not used that much.
He’s figuring it out.
His metrics are pretty favorable though.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/kyle-hurt-669165?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb
I prefer him to the Vulture of days gone by.
Mike Sharperson was another good utility player.
BA podcast previews the upcoming MlB draft:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/baseball-america/id201539011?i=1000775646646
Dodgers take Aiden Robbins
Rumor mill says Astros are in on both Skubal and Gray and are willing to part with MLB ready talent to get one of them or both.
Not surprised. There will be a number of teams in on pitching.
Story of the season are all these high-profile disasters.
Mets, Red Sox & Giants are god awful.
Blue Jays huge disappointments, Mariners somewhat lesser failures.
It’s us against the world.
Add–SD Big Disappointment
To San Diegans maybe, but I never thought they were a contender anyway. They knew before the season started that they would be without Musgrove and Pivetta. Posey sure messed up the Giants. Bet they really regret trading for Devers and signing Adames.
Were the Dodgers hurrying thru the game last night to watch the end of the Mexico-England game?
Sure looked like a lot of fans stayed home last night to watch the “futbol!”
Probably a lot will tonight as well. Especially if the Dodgers play tonight like they did last night!
Bear, a nice look back at some very talented and valuable utility players. MT mentioned Kiki’s seemly GG defense at almost every position they ask him to play. He is truly amazing. Hopefully, he’ll be back healthy for the remainder of the season and throughout the playoffs. For the first time in the past few seasons the Dodgers could have a strong bench going forward in 2026 with Kiki, Edman, Rojas, Rushing, and Call.
With the Dodgers currently with a 14 game lead on both Arizona and San Diego it gives them opportunities to get more looks at Sasaki and Sheehan. I know many here are ready to throw in the towel on these two. Roki is only 24 and Emmet is 26. They appear to have the arm talent. It’s the mental part of pitching they need to work on right now. Both seem to have 2-4 productive innings and then the wheels come off with their location. Can these lapses in concentration be corrected? I hope so. Because it would be a shame to waste the arm talent these two young pitchers have. One positive is that they are at least available to pitch on a consistent basis. Which is more than I can say for the “ace” starters, Snell and Glasnow.
I think the same might be said about Alex Freeland. A plus on defense and currently really struggling on offense. It is troubling to have a hitter with no power have such a tough time making contact. I know it’s taboo these days to mention a hitter like Freeland to work on not looking to keep a hit ball off the ground. If, in fact that’s true. It’s similar to the Kim situation. Both have plus speed. Especially with Kim. Hitting ninth the emphasis should be of getting on base anyway possible and become a RBI opportunity for the top of the lineup. It seems like not maximizing the talent and capabilities of these two players. Then, again, it just may be that they don’t have MLB hitting skills. If the Dodger coaching staff feel that might be the case then Edman and Kiki are there to play 2B. Again, with the team’s dominance in the division they have the flexibility to get that position figured out.
Carry on.
From Houston Mitchell’s Dodger Dugout:
Dalton Rushing has certainly been in the spotlight lately. From his miscommunication with Shohei Ohtani to getting emotional on the bench. We put the spotlight on him recently in this newsletter, which you can read here.
This led to readers asking whether his teammates like him. And while you can never know what lies in the heart of a person, it seems very likely that they do. We quoted colleague Maddie Lee‘s story last time. This time, we look at a couple of interesting quotes from Katie Woo’s story in the Athletic.
Freddie Freeman: “Everyone here loves Dalton Rushing. The person he is in the clubhouse, before games, after games, doesn’t get to be shown on the field. But there’s that three-hour window where his emotions come forward, and it can be a lot. I wish people could see the Dalton Rushing inside the clubhouse, on the plane, on buses. It’s not what you see during the game. He’s a young guy who’s learning the starting role, who wants to be great, who is just learning, and we’re here to help, and that’s why you see so many people trying to help him.”
Miguel Rojas: “It’s really hard to change one person’s personality from one year to another. We have to understand and give him a little bit of a break, because he’s young. Now, if we’re seeing this next year, or the same thing happening two years from now, there’s probably going to be a conversation with the organization. You have to see growth.”
That sounds like two guys who like him, and are trying to help him navigate through all of this. Which is what teammates are for.
However, is Rushing in sync with the pitchers? Let’s take a look at the starting pitcher ERA with Rushing and with Will Smith in their career. We’ll include Austin Barnes and Ben Rortvedt too.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
ERA with Rortvedt: 0.86 (21 innings)
Barnes: 1.64 (33)
Rushing: 1.75 (92.2)
Smith: 3.29 (221.2)
Justin Wrobleski
Smith: 2.60 (86.2)
Rushing: 3.75 (72)
Rortvedt: 6.14 (7.1)
Barnes: 10.90 (17.1)
Shohei Ohtani
Rortvedt: 0.00 (11)
Smith: 2.08 (82.1)
Rushing: 2.97 (39.1)
Barnes never caught him
Roki Sasaki
Rortvedt: 0.00 (2)
Barnes: 2.00 (9)
Smith: 4.32 (58.1)
Rushing: 6.21 (37.2)
Emmet Sheehan
Rortvedt: 0.00 (1)
Rushing: 3.04 (50.1)
Smith: 4.20 (124.1)
Barnes: 7.56 (16.2)
Tyler Glasnow
Rushing: 1.46 (24.2)
Rortvedt: 2.89 (18.2)
Smith: 3.42 (210.2)
Barnes: 5.40 (10)
Blake Snell
Rortvedt: 0.47 (19)
Smith: 3.26 (30.1)
Rushing: 4.80 (15)
Eric Lauer
Smith: 1.50 (6)
Rushing: 3.86 (23.1)
All Dodgers pitchers this season
Smith: 3.02 (393)
Rushing: 3.74 (341.1)
Chuckie Robinson: 4.88 (59)
All Dodgers pitchers in 2025
Rortvedt: 2.89 (140.1)
Rushing: 3.87 (325.1)
Smith: 4.00 (865.1)
Robinson: 5.14 (7)
Barnes: 5.16 (103)
You can see why the Dodgers liked Rortvedt so much.
Good stats.
Who are you gonna believe, a guy who covers the Dodgers or someone who evaluates psychographic information based on how they run to second base and coined the oxymoronic phrase attendance per capita?
It is a tough one
Who are you referring to?
Very interesting stats. I suppose the more innings you catch the more times a pitcher will suck.
It was so great to see the Dodger Stadium crowd give Alonzo a standing O when he came to bat. Had to be a very emotional day for the young man. I remember his dad when he played for the Giants. 14 game cushion over the Padres 6 games before the All–Star break, I’ll take that any day. Arizona 14 back also. Matchups for series with the Rockies Tonight: Freeland vs Lauer, Tues: Lorenzen vs Wrobleski, Wed: Feltner vs Sasaki. Means Ohtani and Yoshi are going to pitch against AZ and probably Sheehan. Watched part of the OKC game last night. In the 8th inning, 19-year-old Eduardo Rojas PH for Ehrhard. He was just called up from the Arizona developmental squad. He flew out, but it was the first time he had played in front of people who actually paid to see a game. Hit well over .300 in Arizona. He is from Venezuela.
Yes we shouldn’t forget Lauer! He went from being a Dodger killer to a very good so far Dodger pitcher! It’s fun speculating about potential trades and signings! Sometimes I get scorched a little for my ideas, but it’s all good. I really believe they go get a starting pitcher, possibly to replace Emmit. I have always liked Sheehan, but 4 2/3 innings a start ain’t gonna cut it. He may get it back, but it better start soon!
Lauer, Wrobleski, and Sasaki against the Rockies. They are 5-5 in their last 10, so it could be a good battle. I’m sure Bear will be listening to the Rockies crew!!! Funny thing. Last night I went around 2-3 innings without any play by play. Anyone else have that issue.? Kinda like the way nbc does that, having a Dodger guy and a padre guy on at the same game. So I wonder who’s doing the Rockies series? Please!!! No you know who!!!! Kyle hurt got hurt last night!! Just when he looked like he had figured it out!
I hope that crack about listening to the Rockies broadcast team was a joke. Because they sure are. I will be watching with the sound OFF!!!
Don’t worry Bear! I wouldn’t piss you off! I was just kidding. It’s a little like beating a dead horse, but today’s play by play guys are for the most part horrible. If they’re going to broadcasting school to get these jobs, then the class must not be very hard! It’s not just baseball, it’s most sports particularly the big 3. One guy I never liked was Musberger. Was ok in studio, but I thought he was “programmed “ in the booth. Ernie Johnson is someone I like in the studio and as a person. But he does some play by play for tbs for mlb playoffs and he stinks.? Dan Schulman who does the blue jays games and college basketball is in my opinion, at the top of the list. Wish he was the Dodgers guy! I don’t dislike Buck like you Bear, but he’s not my favorite either. I thought his dad was good. The current “crop” of guys that mlb network shoves down our throats is annoying. Vascersian thinks he’s adorable. Like many of you guys, Vin spoiled us all. Everything today is about being “cute” and “funny”. Now you don’t have to be boring as hell, but be interesting and provide some context. I agree with someone here who said he was tired of Davis’. Family history segments! “When he was 6 years old he pooped in a blue bucket and his father was so proud of him!! He still has that bucket!!! “ Nuff info!! The pregame shows are entirely useless. Sportscenter is something I have not watched in 10 + years! I guess we’re all just gonna have to shut up and get used to it! But in all my years of watching baseball, I never thought I would ever use the mute button on a game! Wow was I wrong about that! Pretty girls on the sidelines. Pretty girls hosting the pre and post postgame shows! Some are talented, some are just pretty! I bet Mark would be a damn good play by play man. And Bear would be a no nonsense great color guy! AVF and Bluto , along with Jeff would do the pregame show. Bradley could be the guy with rumors and trade ideas that would keep us fans scratching our heads! And we could get Miss Rizzo back on the field for in game interviews and analysis! There , I fixed it! Maybe we wouldn’t have the prettiest crew, but at least we would have the one with the most knowledge!
I am not sure, but I think Rizzo is working for the Red Sox now on NESN. Neverett’s old job. I thought Jack Buck was a very good announcer; his kid is boring as whale shit. He just drones on. I took broadcast classes for a while on the GI bill. The one thing I never got the hang of was doing commercials. Waste of breath in my mind. But necessary to work in that field. Davis had the toughest job in sports, replacing Vin was impossible. But now that he has been on the job for about 10-years, he is just a clone. No personality and he can be aggravating as hell.
Nice post DDad. I would definitely listen to that broadcast! Oh. You forgot me. I’m the bus driver.
Book em
Prospect profile on Mairo Martinus?
If you want to know who might be a future Kike’, it very well could be Mairo Martinus. He is considered a very good defender. He has played every poistion this year except pitcher and catcher. He needs more work at 3B, but he is playing all over and it will take him time to get comfortable and experienced everywhere. He has also started hitting this year. He’s healthy this year. .312/.358/.519/.877, 20 doubles, 7 triples, 10 HR, 25 SB vs. 4 CS. Some will say he strikes out too much, and he probably does. But he is 21 years old.
I would like to see him moved to Great Lakes for an extended run.
Awesome, thx
Hard to keep track of all these prospects
And a top ten name!
Great post Bear! Thanks for bringing my last name into the article.
You are most welcome.
We keep forgetting Lauer. Getting the job done better than Sheehan or Sasaki. Now 2.88 ERA in 6 starts
I haven’t forgotten Lauer at all. He and Wrobo have more than made up for Sheehan and Sasaki’s lack of success.
Great walk down memory lane, Bear. The Dodgers have had some excellent Swiss Army Knives, but I have to say that I have never seen a player, other than Kike Hernandez, who could play EVERY position on the field at a HIGH LEVEL Defensively! He’s one of a kind.
Also, I had almost forgotten about Landon Knack. If healthy, I believe he’s a #5 or 6 starter. He could be in the equation in a month… or not.
Kike is one of a kind it is true. Taylor played at a high level of defense everywhere except 3rd where he seemed to have a bit of trouble.
Emmit looks like long relief to me. Made some nice pitches last night, and made some non competitive pitches also. He is not what I would call sharp. At this moment, he doesn’t seem to be a starter they can depend on. With Sasaki pitching like he is , it’s amazing they are the best team in baseball!
Bats were silent last night. Credit to Sears, I guess. Manny had his “big” moment last night. Don’t like him at all, he can still pick it at third.
What do you hate most about pitching? Giving up a bomb on an 0-2 count? Walking the number 9 hitter to lead off an inning? Hitting a batter on an 0-2 count? Shaking off your catcher multiple times just to give up a hit? Making horrible faces after a fielder makes an error allowing a run to score, a runner that was walked? Just a few of the things that drive me nuts. Of course I couldn’t do those things, because I didn’t have any talent! Just a thought!
Freeland is playing his way out of town. Not defensively mind you, just can’t make a lot of contact right about now. Looks even worse from the right side of the plate. Pulling for him, hopefully he can right the ship.
Teo had some ugly swings last night! He comes back and Pages gets it going again. Now Andy must help his mentor! Between the 2 of them, they can destroy a baseball, or they can create a windstorm! They will be fine.
Happy but sad night for Alfonzo My heart goes out to him and his family. Wish his debut had gone better. Really don’t know how humans can cope like they do. I’m not sure if I could handle situations like that. Although we know his family would want him to play, just continue to chase his dreams! God bless him and his family. Things like this should unite us all.
Hurt hung one and Manny hit it. He can do that but pitch him on the edges and you take his power away.
Dodgers didn’t need the win but the sweep would have been nice.
Pages is getting his share of walks recently, two last night. Sheehan is pitching like what he is, a 4/5 starter. I like him there and Saski going to the pen or down for “more training”. Once the injured come back it will get sorted out and, shockingly, this team will be even more solid with more options.
I personally don’t trust either of them past the 4th inning.
I am such a Sheehan fan that I’m not as clear-sighted about his performances. His pitch count seemed to hurt him the most, and maybe too many NCPs.
I hope to see Sheehan, Stone, and Wrobleski in the rotation someday. I read recently, sorry, Bluto–don’t remember where, that if Sheehan were doing better, the Dodgers could think about trading Glasnow.
DJ, the Dodgers have already said that Sasaki isn’t going to AAA to “learn” how to pitch. He will get much better coaching, encouragement, and support in LA. I believe having Ohtani and Yamamoto to help mentor him is another reason he isn’t going to OKC. I would think they’ll keep working with him through the end of this season and then make a decision for the postseason. I think some have forgotten what he provided last season in the postseason, after an injury and poor performance regular season.
Assuming Snell and Glasnow are going to get healthy and stay healthy is not a given. As usual with the Dodgers we have no idea on the health status for either of them. If they both can return and be available for the postseason that would really solidify and add depth to an already really good starting staff and the bullpen. With just having Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Wrobo going into the playoffs is really strong. Adding Snell and/or Glasnow or a deadline trade starter would make a three peat a real possibility.
When AF made that signature trade for Mookie–a deal that I think ushered in a new era for the team–I doubt that he envisioned him as the team’s future shortstop. More likely, I think, he figured Mookie would move to 2B in his mid-30s.
Nobody thinks of Mookie as a UT guy, but his versatility is amazing. Gys like Ernie Banks and Robin Yount moved from SS to less demanding positions. But I can’t think of another superstar making the move Mookie made so successfully. ..
Dale Murphy moved from catcher to CF. Craig Biggio moved from catcher to second base. Catcher in my mind is the more stressful position. But both were excellent after being moved.