The good news is that Rich Hill‘s blister issues weren’t as serious as some initially perceived, as the veteran lefty is set to take the mound in the Dodgers‘ third contest of a four-game set against the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon.
On Tuesday afternoon, Andy put together a rather intriguing story surrounding the question of whether or not the Dodgers should consider a roster move or two based on the early performances of some players, most specifically those in utility or bench roles. Ironically, as the club embraces the middle game of the three-game set against the Cubs at Wrigley, we may see the bullpen revamped with the addition of righty Pedro Baez, while the offense could be infused with the presence of Trayce Thompson, if lefty-killer Franklin Gutierrez does indeed find himself on the 10-day disabled list with a hamstring problem.
As fans patiently wait on the management crew of the Dodgers to make the final few decisions regarding the team’s Opening Day roster, it may be worth recapping a few of the more notable injuries and how they may impact the overall makeup of the squad during the first month of the season.
The Dodgers looked nice and ready for Opening Day yesterday in their game against the Texas Rangers. Clayton Kershaw went for his longest outing yet, and was dominant — he struck out 11 of the 21 batters he faced in 92 pitches, allowing two hits and one walk. The prime time slot for the game last night showed MLB that its best pitcher he’s ready to go.
(Mandatory Credit: Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press)
While quite a number of spots on the Dodgers‘ 25-man roster are presumably set in stone, the bullpen is still a complex gray area that’s loaded with plenty of question marks. Yet after the dust finally settles at the end of March, versatile righty Ross Stripling may have found a spot among the big league relief corps.
(Mandatory Credit: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
While last week’s injury report brought on a bit of concern from many fans of the Dodgers, the outlook for this week is much better, as the two-week mark before the season opener is quickly approaching and the projected 25-man roster becomes a bit more defined.
We’re now a full two weeks into Dodgers spring training and we’ve had our first glorious bat flip. In Sunday’s game, Yasiel Puig sent one out of the park, and his bat flip was in mid-season form.
(Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports)
While the status of the 40-man roster finally became locked down yesterday with the official addition of Franklin Gutierrez, the Dodgers now can begin honing in on the general makeup of the 25-man roster as Cactus League play begins this weekend. After reflecting on our projections in detail for perhaps the hundredth time, there may be two or three spots that are completely up for grabs, with some of the stiffest competition taking place among the bullpen crew.
Happy New Year, TBPC readers! We’ve made it through the holidays — spring training starts next month, and the countdown to Opening Day is on. Most of the team has taken shape, and today we take a look at the state of the Dodgers bullpen.
After taking a quick look at which position players we thought would begin the postseason on the Dodgers‘ NLDS roster yesterday, today we move over to the pitching staff to project the pitchers that will make up the starting rotation and bullpen.