Considering all the obstacles the Dodgers have faced over the course of the 2018 season, starting pitching has not been one of them. Sure, there have been quite a few injuries, but each hurdle prompted somebody new to step into the group and perform admirably. Heck, even young righty Brock Stewart deserves some kudos for the hundreds of thousands of frequent-flyer miles he racked up before the All-Star break.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: Ranking the Arms in the Starting Rotation”
Many followers of the Dodgers hoped the addition of veteran reliever Ryan Madson would bolster the team’s relief corps just a little bit, but that doesn’t seem to be the case—at least not yet. Since returning from the DL because of nerve irritation in his lower back, Madson has made four appearances—one for the Nationals (before he was traded) and three for the Dodgers. In 3-1/3 innings of work, the righty has surrendered five hits (one of which was a long ball) and a walk, resulting in three earned runs. Despite his heater sitting in the 94-95 MPH range, he still hasn’t been able to find any mojo from his former self from a long time ago.
Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: Still No Solutions for an Otherwise Shoddy Relief Crew”
While the Dodgers themselves aren’t focusing too far ahead on the remaining 2018 regular-season schedule, many fans are starting to look at the calendar to see what’s left before the NL West division race heats up even more.
Continue reading “Dodgers Schedule: A Quick Glance at the Remainder of the 2018 Regular Season”
Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Justin Turner has been named as the National League Player of the Month for August. The announcement was made early Tuesday on the MLB Network.
Continue reading “Justin Turner Named NL Player of the Month for August”
I’m not a big fan of writing about lineup design, particularly when it comes to the Dodgers and the complex tactics they use putting together the daily batting orders. At first glance, the lineups sometimes look carefully thought-out and well constructed, while other times the order looks like it will have absolutely no success at all. Additionally, fans often see a player who is scorching hot at the plate given an unwarranted day off, resulting in frustrating reactions, especially when the team is not winning.
Continue reading “Dodgers Lineups: Trying to Make Sense of the Daily Batting Orders”
The Dodgers on Saturday announced the first wave of their expanded roster, recalling infielder/catcher Kyle Farmer, infielder/outfielder Tim Locastro and outfielders Andrew Toles and Alex Verdugo from Triple-A Oklahoma City, while activating infielder David Freese and right-handed pitcher Ryan Madson. Los Angeles also reinstated left-handed pitcher Zac Rosscup and infielder Chase Utley from the 10-day disabled list.
Continue reading “Dodgers Announce First Wave of Roster Additions”
Not long before the 2018 deadline for waiver trades and moments before their 3-2 victory over the division-leading Diamondbacks, the Dodgers acquired third baseman David Freese from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Manuel Valdez.
Continue reading “In a Last-Minute Waiver Deal, Dodgers Snag David Freese from Pirates”
While there probably will be a few more critical series down the stretch of the 2018 regular season, none may have more of an impact than the four-game set between the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers this weekend.
Continue reading “Dodgers Set to Host Diamondbacks in Pivotal Weekend Division Series”
Considering that the Dodgers were unable to significantly upgrade their bullpen ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline at the end of July, many folks close to the club believed that a waiver trade was inevitable, especially after Kenley Jansen‘s stint on the disabled list and the inability of anybody else to successfully close out a game. Yet, with the waiver deadline arriving at the end of the week, there hasn’t been much noise indicating that the team is close to completing such a deal.
Continue reading “Dodgers Expanded Roster: So Far, No Bullpen Help from a Waiver Trade”
Aside from the whole clutch performance thing we discussed yesterday, the most glaring weakness of the Dodgers has undoubtedly been the bullpen, especially at the back-end. Kenley Jansen may be at a point where he’s deemed undependable. In the meantime, though, who should be the closer, at least until Jansen figures things out?
Think Blue Planning Committee 