Author: Dennis Schlossman

Trayce Thompson Amidst Immense Career Chance

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

trayce_o6yewoiq_pxqjpm8h(Photo Credit: mlb.com)

After a seemingly endless seven years in the Chicago White Sox farm system, Dodgers’ rookie Trayce Thompson is finally living his dream as a starting outfielder, and if his early performances are any indication of the future, may conceivably stick to the big league, 25-man roster over the long haul.

With both Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke on the 15-day disabled list suffering back problems, Thompson was the easy choice for the starting nod in left field. Even when lefty-killer Enrique Hernandez is inserted into the outfield lineup to get his share of hacks, Thompson can be shifted to any of the three outfield spots, as his defense is undoubtedly the strongest point of his game.

Continue reading “Trayce Thompson Amidst Immense Career Chance” →

Dodgers Eager to See Frankie Montas Compete

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

15083223714_5287230b70_o_i31z231h_wl1v7xzb

(Photo Credit: Jason Wise/MLB.com)

Although he’s still not yet close to any type of official rehab assignment, the Dodgers remain confident that hard-throwing righty Frankie Montas will recover fully from surgery, and hope that he’ll make an impact at the big league level at some point during the 2016 season.

Continue reading “Dodgers Eager to See Frankie Montas Compete” →

Dodgers Bullpen: J.P. Howell’s Sinker Appears Lifeless

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

Dodgers_JP_Howell_2013

(Photo Credit: sportstalkflorida.com)

Just one day after the bullpen managed to collaborate and shutout San Francisco, the entire relief corps looked to be lethargic on Sunday surrendering three critical runs, as the Dodgers lost to the Giants, 9-6. Los Angeles managed just one win in the four-game series, dropping to 4-3 overall.

Starter Scott Kazmir was pulled from the game early after only four innings of work, having allowed six earned runs and seven hits, three of which included home runs. Kazmir was afforded the luxury of a five-run lead in the first inning, but couldn’t quite maintain any positive momentum or effectiveness in his second outing of the season.

Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: J.P. Howell’s Sinker Appears Lifeless” →

Dodgers Sign Lefty Reliever, Place Crawford on 15-Day DL

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

usa-today-8525447.0(Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

In two separate transactions Saturday morning, the Dodgers signed veteran lefty reliever Sean Burnett to a minor league deal, while placing outfielder Carl Crawford on the 15-day disabled list with a sore lower back.

Continue reading “Dodgers Sign Lefty Reliever, Place Crawford on 15-Day DL” →

Dodgers Bullpen: Two Games Do Not a Season Make

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

dave-roberts

(Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

If setup man Chris Hatcher would have successfully shutdown the Giants in the eighth inning of Friday night’s game, and Kenley Jansen enter the ninth to strikeout the side in trademark fashion, the Dodgers’ decision to remove rookie Ross Stripling amidst a no-hit bid through 7-1/3 innings would be considerably less controversial.

Instead, baseball writers and pundits across the country thrived on the outcome, composing articles with hypothetical finishes until the wee hours of the morning, ultimately questioning manager Dave Roberts‘ decision to not let Stripling finish what he started.

Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: Two Games Do Not a Season Make” →

Grandal, Kendrick Preparing for Dodgers’ Home Opener

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

Kendrick-Dodgers-Yasmani-Grandal-EFEArchivo_821327866_2993674_667x375

(Photo Credit: EFE)

After battling nagging injuries that left them off the Opening Day roster, Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick have begun their respective rehab assignments, and barring any major setbacks, expect to be part of the Dodgers’ 25-man roster for the home opener against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Both players took part in minor league action on Thursday night. Kendrick appeared as the designated hitter for High-A Rancho Cucamonga at Lake Elsinore, while Grandal caught seven innings for Oklahoma City in Nashville.

Continue reading “Grandal, Kendrick Preparing for Dodgers’ Home Opener” →

Dodgers Welcome New and Improved Yasiel Puig

Published on by Dennis Schlossman1 Comment

osmosing-yasiel-puig-1406310401(Photo Credit: sports.vice.com)

It’s a bit too early in the season to provide detailed analysis or insightful predictions about any players in the Dodgers‘ organization, but if the first two games against the Padres were indicators of what’s in store, the new version of Yasiel Puig that we’re seeing has the potential of contributing to the team in a huge kind of way.

Originally, the working title of this short, little editorial was intended to be something like “Yasiel Puig Showing Glimpses of Old Self,” however, truth be told, there are a few characteristics that we’re seeing from Puig that have either been invisible or never existed in the past.

Continue reading “Dodgers Welcome New and Improved Yasiel Puig” →

Dodgers Prioritizing Health of Carl Crawford

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

carlcrawford1280_1hnnk3kv_jyjvg5d2(Photo Credit: mlb.com)

Having pulled away from the Padres with an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Dodgers wasted no time in making their first substitution of the 2016 campaign on Monday, moving left fielder Carl Crawford to the bench in favor of the versatile Trayce Thompson.

It seems like every other word uttered about the Dodgers these days is “depth.” Sure, the Dodgers are very deep in terms of having a very talented organizational pool of players, however, the number of seasoned veterans on the field with both fine leadership skills and World Series experience are few and far between.

Continue reading “Dodgers Prioritizing Health of Carl Crawford” →

Projecting the Starting Rotation at Oklahoma City: Final Edition

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

JulioUrias1280_zlr77p3x_2q7jxxeo(Photo Credit: mlb.com)

When the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 25-man roster became official on Sunday morning, everybody connected to different levels of the farm system began scrambling to assemble the building blocks to each of their respective squads.

With the big league starting rotation finally set, scouting directors, managers and coaches at Oklahoma City are sifting through all the remaining uninjured players, and will indeed announce their own 25-man roster, including a starting pitching rotation, sometime before Opening Day on April 7.

Continue reading “Projecting the Starting Rotation at Oklahoma City: Final Edition” →

Ross Stripling Earns Dodgers’ Fifth Rotation Spot

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

usa-today-7772660.0(Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)

After being probably the biggest question mark encompassing most of the Dodgers’ spring camp, manager Dave Roberts finally named the fifth starter in the pitching rotation Friday afternoon, announcing that 26-year old righty Ross Stripling will take the hill on April 8 against the Giants.

Continue reading “Ross Stripling Earns Dodgers’ Fifth Rotation Spot” →