On Tuesday, the Dodgers announced they have recalled top prospect catcher Keibert Ruiz. For the first game of the doubleheader against the Cubs, the Dodgers did not call up a 27th player, which teams are permitted to do. However, they can announce a move after the conclusion of the first game.
To make room for Ruiz, the Dodgers designated for assignment left-handed pitcher Mike Kickham. During this three-game series, it is more than likely we will see old fried Joc Pederson, who was recently activated by Chicago. It will be interesting to see if Ruiz helps the Dodgers, especially regarding the insane number of stolen bases they’ve allowed.
The Dodgers also announced a few other roster moves. Unfortunately, we will not see Dustin May for quite a while on the mound. The Dodgers announced he will undergo right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery next week in Los Angeles. May was the fifth starter for the Dodgers but could easily be a number one or two guy in any other pitching rotation. However, the Dodgers do have some alternative options in David Price and Tony Gonsolin once they become healthy
The Dodgers also announced they claimed right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford from the Milwaukee Brewers.
This series against the Cubs will be the last before the Dodgers return to Southern California for the Freeway Series in Anaheim. The Dodgers look to win their first series since taking two out of three in San Diego in mid-April.
In Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Dodgers will have Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer throwing—it is always good when you have two Cy Young Winners pitch back-to-back games.
It may seem the offense has come back to life, as they exploded for 16 runs on on Sunday afternoon, with Matt Beaty and AJ Pollock recording 15 RBI between them. They became the first Dodger duo to have 7-plus RBI in one game.
The Dodgers will face right-hander Kyle Hendricks during the first game. Hendricks has quite struggled this season, as he is 1-3 with a 7.54 ERA. In his last start, he lasted 3-⅔ innings, giving up 11 hits and seven runs, including four in the first inning.
In the second game, making the start will be right-hander Keegan Thompson for the Cubs. It will be his first Major League start. He’s previously only pitched one inning in the Majors so there is not much of a small sample size.
The first game of the double heart will be at 11:20 a.m. and the second game will take place at 4:40 p.m. Pacific.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Kaybear – one swing, one homer, while everyone else is flailing around. He needs to start the second game no matter who else needs to be moved around or benched to accomplish that.
Give the kid some at bats so we can see if he’s ready to stay here. Don’t park him on the bench, give him a couple of pinch hit at bats and then send him packing to OKC. Let’s see what we have!
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The Dodgers scoring a huge amount of runs in one game mainly because of two players does not mean the offense is on its way back to health. The first game of the doubleheader underlined that concern.
If Ruiz can help stop the run game that would be great but as we all know the pitchers have to help with that. Jansen has never been good at holding runners. Obviously, most of the Dodger pitchers are not good at it.
Bring up Ruiz Yes! Try others, Busch. Hoese anyone that might make consistent contact. `
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Lux managed a couple of hits in the first game and is now above the Mendoza line Woohoo! Rios still at .083.
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Well, Game 1 didn’t pan out as I expected. Kershaw been mowing them down, Hendricks with a 7.45 ERA. I woulda bet on Kershaw.
1 run. Not gonna win with 1 run. Over in the 1st. Sigh.
de Grom to have MRI.
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Back in Cali, my leaving did not stop the losing streak
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All problems have been solved. Andrew has just re-signed Kevin Quackenbush to a minor league contract.
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Morning. No worries. It is easy to be upset that they are not playing well, but it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay to early to consider slitting ones wrist. If they are this bad, then go ahead. I am sure AF and his staff are working diligently on possible fixes. One thing for sure, Rios needs a time out. Morrow will not be of any use, I read a report that his arm is still hurting. Maybe Quackenbush has a few good innings left. There are plenty of free agent options still out there.
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Rios and Lux need a time out. Glad they brought up Ruiz. Need people in the line-up that can hit line drives. Lux does not look good at the plate. He is back to 2020 form. Hard to sustain a rally with strike-outs.
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Totally agree on Rios. He needs some time at OKC.
Lux, on the other hand, has 4 hits in his last 9 at bats. He doesn’t look spectacular at the plate but with the exception of one bad throw he’s fielding his position well and I would give him some more rope. We know that at his best he’s a major asset. I wouldn’t want to screw with his confidence now that he’s beginning to come out of the funk he got into when he hurt his wrist.
I still have no clue what games Roberts is playing with Beaty. He announces he’s going to play in one of the games yesterday and then doesn’t follow through. Then, he uses him as a pinch hitter with the sole purpose of forcing a pitching change so that Neuse could replace him and strike out. The guy is hitting .357 and you’re keeping him on the bench while you start a player who not only is hitting below the Mendoza line, he’s hitting so poorly they haven’t even got a name for the line he’s hitting under.
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Jeff Lux was 2 for 6 yesterday. He went 0 for 3 in the last game. He has not instilled me with confidence. The Dodgers need guys that can get the bat on the ball. Rios and Lux have not been able to do that. They have been rally killers.
Beaty is hot. Roberts has never figured out that you go with the hot batter. Roberts was below average as a baseball player and is the same as a manager.
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I think you and I are both Busch fans and would like to see what he could do at second, but before we bring him up you need to know that in his first game last night at Tulsa he struck out 3 times and made an error. And that’s AA, not the majors.
OK, we can’t agree on everything Tmax. I’m for giving Lux more time and you would like to see someone else there. So be it.
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The whole team is a K machine, even Mookie. The need Belli in the middle of the lineup to help. Some suggested they should have kept Kike and given him the 2nd base job, but he was handed the job twice and did not hold it. Others think they should have kept Pederson, but after a stellar spring, he started off ice cold and is now on the IL. This is not just one guy, This is team wide. Only Turner has been immune.
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Don’t forget CT3. He’s been a definite contributor this year also, but two out of eight in the lineup ain’t gonna cut it.
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Yeah, he has been good and even Pollock has been better of late. But they definitely need Bellinger back and soon.
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Watching Seager when we know he wants a Tatis or Lindal type contract and that he simply is not capable of being an elite defender at SS. At SS you should have one of your best athletes and he should be a superb defender. Seager is an average or a below-average defender. I think he would make a very good 3rd baseman if his arm will handle it. The problem becomes that Seager appears to be stubborn and a bit immature. Immature because he brings up that the Dodgers talked about trading for Lindal. Stubborn as he demands to play at SS and he continues to swing at the first pitch when everyone knows that is what he will do and the pitchers have adjusted. I realize this is a problem for next season. But it does put extra weight on how Lux is doing. Also, I am curious to see Minor League play and how Estevez, Amaya, Busch, Mann, and Hoese play. I think Seager may price himself out of the LA market and rumor has it he and his wife want to be closer to their parents in North Carolina.
Trying not to dwell on the LA problems of today.
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Although there is no denying that Lindor is a vastly superior fielder to Seager, he is only hitting .163 this year after a subpar 2020. The Mets may regret that extension at some point.
I agree that a team should have an outstanding fielder at shortstop. That guy ain’t Corey.
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Few players are worth that kind of long-term commitment. The Pujos deal comes to mind. Harper’s has not worked out so far. The Betts deal got LA a WS Championship so it was worth it just for that. Trout is again tearing the league apart. So right now I would say Trout and Betts are the only ones that look to have made sense. Tatis may need shoulder surgery, Lindal has always been a bit of a loose cannon. I bet the Yankees wish they did not have the Stanton contract on their books.
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Jeff, actually we do not disagree as I wrote today in another reply. Lux’s development is more important than just the present. How he develops will impact what they are willing to offer to Seager. I still think Lux can do it I just would like to see Lux and Rios pulled down to the alternate site to give them a mental reset. The first thing you do with people digging a hole is to grab their shovels! Just like what they did with Beaty.
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Theoretically we were in a good position to just let Lux develop. But with the blind squirrel circus performances of Rios and Muncy, Seager 4 for his last 25, Mookie 1 dinger in his last 80 PA’s, Bellinger absent, Smith hitting .230, Barnes being Barnes…..when these guys go cold as a team it makes the idea of waiting for Lux more difficult. Lux hit every where he played. He needs to get it going here. His timing is off. He’s beating the ball into the ground way too often.
Agree about Seager’s defense and have been in more than a few debates with Seagerphants regarding it. He’s never going to be more than an average defender. In fact, at this time, in a contract year, he’s putting up a negative .2 dWAR. In contrast, Lindor, clearly in an offensive slump, already has +.3 dWAR.
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