Things seem to moving in the right direction, as far as the Dodgers‘ pitching staff is concerned. On Sunday, Dennis highlighted how Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler are progressing towards Opening Day. On Monday, Kershaw threw an official bullpen for the first time since he was sidelined with a shoulder issue.
Kershaw reportedly only threw fastballs in his bullpen. Afterwards, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said that Kershaw was “free and cleaner” in his delivery today, and it was ” a great first step.” If there are no issues, Kershaw will throw another bullpen in the next two or three days. When asked about Opening Day, Kershaw said, “One step at a time.”
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed on Monday that there was a chance that both Clayton and Buehler could be ready for Opening Day, now only 16 days away. Either pitcher would only be able to pitch for four to five innings if they happen to be the Opening Day starter.
In other pitching news, Birthday Boy Rich Hill will be stretched out to 75 pitches and five innings in a minor league game on Monday. Hill turned 39 and could be in line for the Opening Day start if the team feels the need to hold both Kershaw and Buehler back.
The plan for Caleb Ferguson is to stretch him out to three innings, so he could be a long reliever. There is not much room on this staff if you are a starting pitcher. If all arms are healthy, the rotation would be Kershaw, Buehler, Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Kenta Maeda in some order. That leaves out Julio Urias, Ross Stripling and Ferguson. All three of those guys could be in the rotations of other teams. It’s going to be interesting to watch how this plays out as the year goes on. The past few years, the Dodgers had been master manipulators of the 10-Day DL. Now that that no longer exists, one wonders how the Dodgers’ staff will manage the arms to keep them fresh for the playoffs.
Urias has looked especially sharp this spring. In his six innings of work so far, he has allowed just one hit. He also is touching 96 on the radar gun. But because of his recent surgeries, he is on an innings limit, and will not be in the starting rotation for the big leauge team. If last year’s postseason is any indication of how Urias will do in this year’s playoff games, he will be worth the wait.
The Dodgers have made some more cuts from their camp. On Sunday, right handed pitchers Yadier Alvarez and Josh Sborz, along with left hander Donnie Hart, catcher Rocky Gale and infielder Matt Beaty were optioned to minor league camp. RHP Mitchell White and Omar Estevez, Gavin Lux, DJ Peters, Cameron Perkins and Jake Peterwere reassigned to minor league camp.
On Monday, the team optioned right-handed pitchers Dennis Santana and Brock Stewart, catcher Keibert Ruiz and infielder Edwin Rios and reassigned catcher Will Smith to minor league camp.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Outside of those moves that were mentioned, the Dodgers today placed outfielder Andrew Toles on the restricted list. That move opens up a spot on the 40 man roster, and it was something I predicted they would do.
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Definitely better than just outright releasing him and it also shows they haven’t given up on getting him back at some point.
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Yep, for him it is. There still has been no word on just what exactly the personal issues are……
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I’m guessing he’s dealing with his anxiety issues again. That’s the kind of problem where a team would want to support him and it certainly isn’t the kind of thing that can be fixed from one day to the next.
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Let us hope it is something like that and not the drug issues that plagued him when he was younger.
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“Kershaw not holding anything back.” Alanna Rizzo.
Really? He held back on anything that breaks.
He felt good throwing nothing but fastballs. While the feeling good part is encouraging, did he throw any of those fastballs over 88 mph? “It was a great first step”. Pitchers reported about a month ago and with 16 days until the opener our ace took his first step.
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As long as the shoulder was just a flair up, and not anything structurally wrong, I don’t mind if kersh starts a week or two later, the FO was going to try to cut down his starts a little this season anyway. Like you scoop, I will feel better when I hear CK is throwing breaking balls.
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JP Hoornstra reporting that Kershaw had an anti-inflammatory shot in his shoulder back in February and the only ones who reported it were Forbes. Team hasn’t commented or verified that report. Kind of strange that they would find the need to keep it under wraps.
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Why was a February anti inflammatory injection needed?
These issues are pegging the needle on my suspectometer. This hard throwing major league pitcher with the unorthodox delivery has had numerous trips to the DL of late, has had back surgery and biceps tendinitis. What else might be going on here? Maybe I have this wrong, but this doesn’t feel right to me.
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Word has it that Kersh’s right ankle is in excellent shape. Everything else is suspect.
By the way, where did you buy your Suspectometer Scoop? Amazon, Home Depot, 99 Cent Store?
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I built most of it using parts from an old police issue polygraph, an Ohuhu Tens unit and one of the filters from Dilbert’s 6 Filters of Truth. I assembled it after reading somebody suggestions from one of Einstein’s papers entitled “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity…. and I’m not sure about the universe”. I added a solar cell, so it doesn’t work at night or in Seattle. To be honest it’s mostly for show. I use it to impress girls. And, I use it to prove myself wrong because only by making mistakes can we find progress. I think you can also buy one from Amazon.
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Even if available on Amazon, your custom-made one would definitely be of better quality. Glad we’ll be able to refer to it during the season. We’ll probably need to analyze a number of statements coming from Doc and AF and this will be a big help. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Just checked Scoop. You’ll be able to use your Suspectometer in Seattle 152 days a year (on average). I’m guessing most of those are between April and September, so it might be more useful than you thought.
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You two guys are as full of crap as a Christmas goose.😄
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Hey Keith, any more of your snide comments and we’ll have to think about charging you admission to the great show we’re putting on here. It certainly beats discussing the fact that our lineup, consisting mostly of regulars, only managed to get 3 hits today against the Giants extraordinary pitching staff.
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Live by the launch, die by the lack of launch. Los Angeles Launch Anglers. As long as we average 1K/inning all will be copasetic in LA LA land. If you’re not striking out you aren’t trying hard enough.
I saw the Jays deployed 4 outfielders against Harper. Nobody on the left side of the infield. And he didn’t bunt. That’s how little today’s sluggers think of the single. And apparently it’s ok with their managers. Two singles in 4 at bats is an OPS of 1.000. You OPS 1.000 for the season and you will make a lot of money. But, no. They seek LA. Even if they are hitting against a slow pitch outfield the gotsta go for the fence. Players today don’t know how to bunt. Hell, even the pitchers don’t work on it anymore. And rather than learning to bunt, MLB is instead talking about making certain defensive alignments illegal. That’s some wrong headed thinking if you ask me. But they didn’t ask me. And since I’m not a paying fan anymore, they really don’t care what I think. I’m just an old man with old fashioned ideas. And a suspectometer.
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I’m still a paying fan and I’m an old man without a suspectometer, but I agree with everything you just said.
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Where is Brett Butler when you need him. Not many of those type of players in the game any more, but he was very effective. One of my favorites while he played for us, get on base anyway he could, hbp, walk, bunt. Was listening to Rick Monday on the radio today, he was talking about how Andrew has the stat guys looking at how to beat the shift, with a possibility of more bunting. I think that would be a welcome change to the new launch angle/ pull the ball no matter how many guys are on that side of the field mentality. We’ll see, I’m a little scepticle.
Where’s a suspectometer when you need one.
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Brett Butler is currently a coach for the Miami Marlins. He is the base running and outfield coach. Here is a little tidbit, Butler and Dusty Baker were both born on June 15th.
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Sorry, skepticle.
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The skepticle is where I file the reports from my suspectometer.
Has anyone seen a bunt this Spring? Maybe they aren’t showing this strategy. They are going to spring it on teams this summer and watch teams fall all over theme trying to defend it. Couldn’t think of a way to fit winter in there. Any suggestions?
As far as I know Votto is the only guy I’ve seen that can beat the shift with a single to left. He’s hitting.500 against the shift. I believe I read that at 4channel so it must be true.
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How about, “a good bunt strategy is how you separate the winters from the losers.”
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I thought a skepticle was something you spit in.
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I like it Jefe. Good work.
You’re thinking of cuspitoon Bear. And I’m thinking of a reskepticle.
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I have seen one bunt attempted so far this spring. Joc Pederson tried to beat the shift about a week ago in a game. It is the only bunt try I have witnessed. As to the opposition, I have not seen any bunts at all. Maury has been in Dodgers camp working with the pitchers and getting them ready to hit, which according to Roberts they will start doing after today’s game with the White Sox. 16 days until opening day. I stand by my roster predictions….that’s my story and I am stickin to it!
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Joc tried it? What happened?
Seems like a no brainer to me, which by definition seems right down Harper Alley. Nodoby over there. Are you telling me you can’t send a duck snort that direction, or are you telling me you could do it easily but would rather roll the dice on hitting one out? Dumb. Really. Really. Dumb.
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It went foul, but it was close……struck out on the next pitch
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I’m starting to get SKEPTICLE about you three’s hold on your faculties.
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I spent a few years being a working member of a faculty. Been a while. No doubt things have changed.
Kershaw dealing with something in his “joint”. Yep, those of us who have more miles on us know all about what that means. When it’s an issue with muscle tissue it’s one thing, but when it works it’s way into the joint it’s a completely different bailiwick. That’s “jurisdiction” for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, and I’ll explain what that means….. when I was climbing 14ers a few years back the gluts and quads would fatigue and cause some discomfort, but suddenly that pulverizing discomfort settled into the knees and the pain level went screaming past ibuprofen into therapeutic level 3 percs, oxy’s and vics. Coming down Mt Elbert ten years ago I was calling “Corpsmen Up!” for a shot of morphine. The pain was excruciating. My climbing days ended when I finally, mercifully, reached the car parked at 9,000’. Kershaw is getting anti-inflammatory shots in his shoulder before his first pitch in April? Not a good sign people. He’s at 9,000’. Don’t send him up. Not yet anyway. I believe that is why Urias is being stretched out early. Julio is Plan B.
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