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Los Angeles Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: It's time for Kiké Hernández to retire ... as a pitcher
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. If the Dodgers put Kiké Hernández on the injured list, does that count as another injured pitcher? There are few Dodgers who have been more loved than Hernández. He plays almost every position and plays them well. He is the Dodgers' version of Mr. October come the postseason. He plays catch with kids in the stands occasionally before games. He brings a fun-loving spirit to the team, something that was noticeably missing when he was playing elsewhere. But it's time for him to stop pitching. The goofy looking helmet and the lobbed pitches were cute at first. But they have grown increasingly less cute as time has gone on (though he doesn't wear the helmet every time now). It borders on disrespectful, especially when the Dodgers have a big lead. It's more like 'You can't hit our real pitchers, so try this guy.' It's Little League. Sure, the Dodgers are playing within the rules, but that doesn't make it more palatable. Yes, they want to save a bullpen arm, but they aren't even doing that anymore. He came in June 14 against the Giants with an 11-0 lead and gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning. He had to be relieved by Anthony Banda. He came in Sunday against the Nationals with a 13-3 lead, gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and had to be relieved by Alex Vesia. So, what is pitching him accomplishing exactly? This really points to a bigger problem in baseball, if I can sound like an old guy for a moment. It's sort of sad that any team with eight relief pitchers has to turn to a position player in order to preserve arms. Yes, the game is different. Pitchers are asked to throw as hard as they can on every pitch, and just about every pitcher, especially in relief, has a 95-mph-or-better fastball. In the late '70s, the Dodgers had a four- or five-man bullpen. In 1977, it was mainly Charlie Hough (can you imagine a knuckleballer being a closer today?), Elias Sosa, Mike Garman and Lance Rautzhan. The 1988 Dodgers had Jay Howell, Alejandro Peña, Tim Crews, Brian Holton and Jesse Orosco. And this isn't just limited to the Dodgers. Last season, 40 position players pitched in a game, some in multiple games. They pitched 66 1/3 innings and had a 7.08 ERA. In 2006, no position players pitched. In 2021, it happened 112 times. That's ridiculous. Might as well bring in the stilts guy from the Savannah Bananas to pitch. Of course, this is a byproduct of starters not able to go past five innings for the most part. This season, the six Dodger pitchers with the most starts are averaging 5.26 innings per start. In 1988, Orel Hershiser averaged 7.82 innings a start. The five top Dodger starters average almost seven innings a start. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela averaged 7.69 innings per start. The four top Dodger starters averaged 6.77 innings per start. So, there's a need for more relief pitchers today. But you have eight and need to use a position player? Something has gone wrong when that happens. And can we please stop talking about how 'we are preserving arms' when there are more pitching injuries now than any time in history? Will this change one day? Not soon, but it could. It will take a team who is willing to develop starters who can go deep into games, and then win consistently doing that. The stolen base disappeared from the game until Maury Wills won an MVP award and would at times single-handedly win games for the Dodgers. Four-man rotations were around for years until the Dodgers switched to a five-man rotation and found much success. There is something lost when you can't cheer a Clayton Kershaw when he walks off the mound with two outs in the eighth inning, clinging to a 2-1 lead, and then watch one reliever come in and close it out. That's how legends are made and how baseball elevates itself as a sport. That's what kids talk about on the way home. The noise of that crowd when the pitcher comes out. It's not the same when Kershaw stays in the dugout after five innings, and the 17th reliever the Dodgers have used this season, just called up that day, comes in to pitch. Followed by the 18th pitcher. The kid doesn't go home in awe of that. Those little moments have been lost. Let's hope one day in the future they come back. In the meantime, don't let Hernández pitch, since you don't seem to be preserving anything by doing so. At the end of April, may baseball pundits across the land called for the Dodgers to get rid of Max Muncy and trade for Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals. Muncy was through. It was all over. He was toast. (If you are wondering what was said in this newsletter, dig out the April 28 edition, or, if, you have a digital subscription to The Times, you can read it here). On April 28, Muncy was hitting .180/.295/.236 with five doubles, no homers, 14 walks and 34 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances. On April 29, Muncy started wearing glasses during games. He homered. On Sunday, he hit two homers, a grand slam and a three-run homer. Since April 29, he was hitting .268/.410/.514 with four doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 41 RBIs, 35 walks and 30 strikeouts in 183 plate appearances. 'You look at the last 30 days, I think he's been our best hitter,' Dave Roberts told reporters after Sunday's game. 'We never wavered in our confidence, and we've shown that, and he's proven us all right.' Muncy has gone from being one of the worst hitters to someone who should get All-Star consideration. It's a testament to him, it's a testament to the Dodgers not giving up on a veteran and it's a testament to optometrists everywhere. While I'm channeling my inner 'old man yells at cloud,' let's talk a little bit about how loud Dodger Stadium is. It has gotten so loud, you can't talk to people seated next to you between batters. Recently, Times reporter Bill Shaikin took a decibel reader to Dodger Stadium. It topped out at 95 decibels, which is the sound a jackhammer makes if you are 50 feet away from it. It's also the level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss. To be clear, it wasn't always at 95; it was 95 during the pregame lineup introductions. And it gets louder than that when a home run or another exciting play happens. But I get emails every week from readers, both young and old, complaining about how their ears are ringing a day after going to a Dodger game. Or that they can't hear their seatmate. Shaikin took his decibel reader to Angel Stadium and San Diego's Petco Park. Dodger Stadium was louder, especially in the hour before the game. The players Shaikin talked to seem to love it. 'I think it's great,' Clayton Kershaw said. 'Even on the road, I'd rather have that than quiet. St. Louis was just really quiet. It almost felt like golf at times. 'The louder, the more fun, the better. The Dodgers have the best sound system out there. So why not use it?' Mookie Betts: 'It's just all part of an entertainment show. There is no 'too loud.' ' Read all about it here. Will Smith is leading the league in batting average (.328) and on-base percentage (.425) and is seventh in slugging (.544). Freddie Freeman is second, third and 11th in those categories. Shohei Ohtani is 10th, fifth and first... In the May 19 newsletter, we discussed the tough 29 games the Dodgers were about to play, all against teams at the time in or on the cusp of a postseason spot and how we'd get a real sense of how good the Dodgers are after that. The games were: seven against the Mets; three with Cleveland; three against the Yankees; three against St. Louis; three against Arizona; seven against San Diego; three against San Francisco. The Dodgers went 17-12 in those games. So, they're pretty good. Six of their next nine games are against the two worst teams in baseball, the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. Now watch them go 2-4 against them. ... Tyler Glasnow, on the IL since April 28, made his first rehab start Sunday, pitching two scoreless innings for triple-A Oklahoma City. He walked three and struck out one, throwing 48 pitches.... If you want to vote for the All-Star Game starters this season, you can do so online by clicking here.... On Friday, the Dodgers announced they have committed $1 million toward assistance for families of immigrants affected by the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, as well as plans for further initiatives to be unveiled in the coming days. 'What's happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,' team president Stan Kasten said in a statement. 'We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.' A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .254/.320/.436, 297 plate appearances, 12 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, 110 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .271/.365/.504, 271 PA's, 13 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 44 RBIs, 148 OPS+ Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA's, two doubles, two homers, 12 RBIs, 38 OPS+, on the IL Gavin Lux, Reds: .262/.352/.371, 261 PA's, 14 doubles, one triple, three homers, 33 RBIs, 96 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .272/.351/.427, 266 PA's, 10 doubles, seven triples, four homers, 21 RBIs, 120 OPS+ Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA's, five doubles, one triple, two homers, six RBIs, 49 OPS+, on the IL Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .248/.279/.321, 258 PA's, 12 doubles, two homers, 24 RBIs, 72 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .234/.322/.389, 199 PA's, six doubles, seven homers, 16 RBIs, 106 OPS+ Chris Taylor, Angels: .200/.294/.400, 34 PA's, three doubles, one homer, three RBIs, 93 OPS+, on the IL (numbers with Angels only) Justin Turner, Cubs: .204/.296/.255, 115 PA's, two doubles, one homer, 11 RBIs, 61 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .300/.357/.450, 342 PA's, 16 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 35 RBIs, 121 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .243/.323/.438, 310 PA's, 20 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 34 RBIs, 113 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .247/.305/.302, 197 PA's, 10 doubles, 12 RBIs, 70 OPS+ Pitching Ryan Brasier, Cubs: 0-0. 1.93 ERA, 9 1/3 IP, eight hits, three walks, eight K's, 204 ERA+ Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 5-5, 5.95 ERA, 59 IP, 67 hits, 22 walks, 53 K's, 70 ERA+ Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 5-8, 4.83 ERA, 78 1/3 IP, 64 hits, 31 walks, 93 K's, 82 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 1-2, 4.39 ERA, 15 saves, 26 2/3 IP, 26 hits, nine walks, 25 K's, 95 ERA+ Craig Kimbrel, Rangers: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, one IP, one hit, one walk, one K, in the minors Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, nine hits, six walks, eight K's, 52 ERA+, in the minors Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 5-6, 3.04 ERA, 94 2/3 IP, 76 hits, 28 walks, 91 K's, 131 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, three IP, three hits, 0 walks, one K, 77 ERA+, on the IL Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-1, 3.90 ERA, 55 1/3 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 49 K's, 103 ERA+ Is there a player you'd like to see listed here? Email me at and let me know. Tuesday: Dodgers (TBD) at Colorado (Germán Márquez, 3-8, 6.11 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-6, 2.76 ERA) at Colorado (Chase Dollander, 2-7, 6.19 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Thursday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 3-0, 3.31 ERA) at Colorado (*Austin Gomber, 0-1, 8.38 ERA), 12:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Dodgers commit $1 million for assistance for families of immigrants affected by ICE raids Arellano: Welcome to the deportation resistance, Dodgers. What's next? Dave Roberts suspended one game by MLB for actions during Dodgers-Padres game While Dodgers wait to speak, Jaime Jarrín, Kiké Hernández and others support immigrants From 1992, rookie Eric Karros hits a walk-off home run against the Pirates. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. 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Los Angeles Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Do the Dodgers do worse against good teams? Plus, top 10 shortstops
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Congratulations to my granddaughter, Riley, for graduating from the fifth grade this week and moving on to, gulp, middle school (or as they called it when I was a kid, junior high. That was back when we had to walk to school every day. Barefoot. In the snow. Uphill both ways. Fighting off dinosaurs. Kids today have it so easy). We could talk about Max Muncy or Michael Conforto or Tanner Scott again, but let's give them a break this edition and focus on something else. The Dodgers are 38-25, on pace for 98 wins. But who have they built their record against? Let's take a look. vs. teams with a winning record (.500 or better)Chicago Cubs, 3-4Cleveland, 2-1Detroit, 3-0NY Mets, 3-4NY Yankees, 2-1Philadelphia, 1-2Total, 14-12, .538 vs. teams with a losing recordAngels, 0-3Arizona, 4-3Athletics, 2-1Atlanta, 5-1Colorado, 3-0Miami, 5-1Pittsburgh, 2-1Texas, 2-1Washington, 1-2Total, 24-13, .649 They have done well against both. They project out to 87 wins if they played a full schedule against winning teams, and 105 wins against teams with a losing record. About what you would expect from a team that could win the World Series. Last year, they went 51-41 (.554) against teams with a winning record, 47-23 (.671) against teams with a losing record. So, they aren't doing as well as they did last year. But here's some good news for the Dodgers. If you look at their remaining schedule, the Dodgers have the second-easiest schedule the rest of the way among the 30 teams in baseball. The easiest schedules the rest of the way. List number is the combined current winning percentage of the rest of the teams on their schedule: 1. Houston (no relation), .4672. Dodgers, .4843. San Francisco, .4854. Arizona, .4855. Cleveland, .488 Of course, two other NL West teams are also in the top five. The teams with the most difficult schedule: 1. Chicago White Sox, .5272. Cincinnati, .5213. Colorado, .5154. Miami, .5145. Boston, .512 The Padres are in 14th place at .502. Having the easiest schedule doesn't guarantee anything of course, but it's better than having the toughest schedule. And here's the weird things about this season: The Dodgers haven't played the Padres or Giants yet. And the Padres and Giants have played each other only four times. The NL West will come down to who can win the most games among the Dodgers-Padres, Dodgers-Giants and Padres-Giants. The Dodgers play the Padres 13 times (first game is Monday at San Diego) and they play the Giants 13 times. If the Dodgers can go 8-5 or better against both, then it gives them an enormous advantage in winning the division. A losing record puts them at a disadvantage. The Dodgers last play the Padres on Aug. 24. They don't play them at all in September! I'm sorry, that's just bad scheduling on the part of MLB. They play the Giants for the final time on Sept. 21. They close the season against Seattle! Again, just bad scheduling. MLB needs to have enough vision to see how the division races are probably going to play out and the final six games of the season should have been against the Padres and Giants. It's little things like this where MLB hurts itself. They don't see the little things that are important to fans of any team. It's like going to a great restaurant with the best food, but they forget to give you silverware and the plates are chipped. It makes the main product less appealing. By the way, last season after 63 games, the Dodgers were..... 38-25, the same record they have this season. They had a seven-game lead in the West. Bad news for those awaiting the return of Tyler Glasnow. A week after throwing his first bullpen session since going on the injured list in April with shoulder inflammation, he has been feeling 'general body discomfort,' Dave Roberts said. 'There was one 'pen, and then [his] body didn't respond,' Roberts said. 'So we're trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up.' If you're like me, when you hear the phrase 'general body discomfort,' you immediately think of former Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall, who might have missed more games with 'general soreness' than any player in history. We begin our 'Top 10' series with shortstops. Who are the top 10 shortstops in Dodgers history? First, my picks, then who readers picked. Numberslisted are with the Dodgers only. Gold Gloves are also listed, but keep in mind Gold Gloves were first awarded in 1957. Click on the player name to be taken to his full stat page at 1. Pee Wee Reese (1940-42, 1946-58, .269/.366/.377, 68.4 WAR, 99 OPS+, 10-time All Star) Reese is the clear No. 1 shortstop in Dodgers history and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also finished ninth the last time we did reader voting for the greatest Dodgers of all time. Harold Henry Reese was born on July 23, 1918, in Meade County, Ky. When he turned 21, he was 5 feet 6 and 160 pounds, but he was called 'Pee Wee' long before that. Not because of his size, because of his other hobby other than baseball: marbles. He won a couple of pee wee marbles competitions in Kentucky, so people started calling him Pee Wee. After graduating from high school, Reese, who played in only five baseball games in his senior year, didn't seem headed for Major League fame. He took a job as a cable splicer for a telephone company. He often said that climbing all those poles made him much stronger physically and helped him reach the majors. Reese led his semipro team to the Louisville city championship in 1937 and signed with the minor league Louisville Colonels. He did so well there that Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey bought the Colonels in 1938 in order to secure the rights to Reese. One problem: the Red Sox were led by Joe Cronin, one of the best shortstops around. Cronin did not want to move from short to make room for Reese, so Yawkey decided midway through the 1939 season to sell Reese's contract to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $35,000 and two players, Red Evans and Art Parks, neither of whom ever played for the Red Sox, so it was quite a good deal for the Dodgers. Reese made it to the majors in 1940 and was a great fielder, but only an average hitter for three seasons before he spent three years in the Navy with the construction battalion. He returned to the Dodgers for the 1946 season and was a much better hitter, batting .284 with 87 walks. In spring training of 1947, a few Dodgers signed a petition that threatened a players' boycott if Jackie Robinson joined the team. When it came time for Reese to sign, he refused, later saying, 'If he's man enough to take my job, I'm not gonna like it, but, Black or white, he deserves it.' Reese died on Aug. 14, 1999. He was 81. At his funeral, Joe Black, one of the first Black pitchers in the majors and a former teammate of Reese, said: 'Pee Wee helped make my boyhood dream come true to play in the majors, the World Series. When Pee Wee reached out to Jackie, all of us in the Negro League smiled and said it was the first time that a white guy had accepted us. When I finally got up to Brooklyn, I went to Pee Wee and said, 'Black people love you. When you touched Jackie, you touched all of us.' With Pee Wee, it was No. 1 on his uniform and No. 1 in our hearts.' 2. Maury Wills (1959-66, 1969-72, .281/.330/.331, 32.1 WAR, 87 OPS+, 1 MVP award, 2 Gold Gloves, 6-time All Star). Wills made the stolen base popular again. In 1960, his first full season as the Dodgers' shortstop, Wills led the league with 50 stolen bases, becoming the first National League player to steal 50 since Max Carey stole 51 in 1923. Wills stole more bases by himself than three NL teams did. 1961 was a bit of a down year as he stole only 35, which was still more than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates team (29). 1962 was his year though. Wills broke Ty Cobb's 47-year-old record by stealing 104 bases and was named NL most valuable player. He stole more bases than every other NL team. In 1965, he stole 94 bases, more than every other team except the St. Louis Cardinals, who stole 100. So you could say that Wills is the Babe Ruth of base stealing. He definitely should be in the Hall of Fame. By the way, in the year Wills stole 104 bases, he was caught only 13 times. After the season, Wills said, 'Do I think I'll ever steal 104 bases again? No, I can't believe I did it now. I don't see how I can ever come close again. The physical beating I took is more than I want to endure.' Wills died on Sept. 19, 2022, surrounded by family. He was 89. A year before he died, Wills answered question from readers of this newsletter. You can read that here. Wills finished 11th in the 'all-time greatest Dodgers' voting. You can read that here. 3. Bill Russell (1969-86, .263/.310/.338, 31.3 WAR, 83 OPS+, 3-time All Star) Russell was an outfielder his first three seasons before moving to short to replace Wills. Russell was the shortstop on four Dodgers World Series teams, winning one (1981). He played more games than anyone in L.A. history and, though Russell was often criticized for his fielding, Tommy John said Russell was the best shortstop he ever played with. Russell wasn't flashy and seldom drew headlines. He was considered one of the best clutch hitters on the team, a reputation cemented during the 1978 postseason, when he hit .412 in the NLCS, including the walk-off hit in the pennant-clinching game against the Phillies (you can watch that here) and .423 in the World Series. 4. Corey Seager (2015-21, .297/.367/.504, 20.9 WAR, 131 OPS+, Rookie of the Year, 2-time All Star) Russell beats out Seager because of his longevity with the Dodgers, but if you want to move Seager up to third, you could. He was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft and made the Dodgers in September 2015. He hit .337 in 27 games and was the starting shortstop in the postseason, winning the job from Jimmy Rollins. In 2016, he was named Rookie of the Year and finished third in MVP voting. He had another solid year in 2017, which was also the last time he made the All-Star team as a Dodger. He missed almost all of the 2018 season after having Tommy John surgery (yes, sometimes non-pitchers need it). He led the NL in doubles in 2019 with 44. 2020 was a great year, as he hit .307/.358/.585 in the COVID-shortened season, then was named MVP of the NLCS and World Series. He left the Dodgers as a free agent after 2021, rejecting the Dodgers' eight-year, $250-million offer for a 10-year, $325-million offer from Texas. 5. Rafael Furcal (2006-11, .283/.351/.406, 15.7 WAR, 100 OPS+, 1-time All Star) Furcal was signed as a free agent before the 2006 season and helped the Dodgers improve from 71-91 in 2005 to 88-74 and a postseason berth in 2006, finishing 14th in MVP voting. He was a significant upgrade offensively from César Izturis, who remained as his backup. He had a serious back injury that sidelined him for most of the 2008 season, but returned for the postseason. He may have regretted that after setting a dubious record: most errors in one inning in an NLCS game, in the fifth inning of Game 5. He had an off season in 2009, but hit .300 and made the All-Star team in 2010 before injuries limited him to 37 games in 2011. He left as a free agent after that season. 6. Bill Dahlen (1900-03, 1910-11, .266/.354/.357, 20.6 WAR, 123 OPS+) The further back you go, the harder it is to judge players. But Dahlen belongs in the top 10 somewhere, and I'm placing him sixth. William Frederick Dahlen was born in Nelliston, N.Y. on Jan. 5, 1870. He played for the National League's Chicago Colts from 1891-98, where he became one of the best players of the fledgling league, but was also known for his temper. He was ejected from 10 games in 1898 and was arrested in the offseason for killing a mule that belonged to a farmer. That was enough for the Colts, who traded him to Baltimore, which also owned the team in Brooklyn. He was transferred from Baltimore to Brooklyn, as the ownership group wanted to congregate their best players on one team (one of the reasons you can't own more than one team now). What he did for the then-Brooklyn Superbas was make them consistent winners. They had a winning record each season he was with the team, the first time they had a winning record for four seasons in a row. He was a big RBI man, probably would have won four Gold Gloves and stole bases. But, he continued to get thrown out of games and broke curfew constantly. Team owner Charles Ebbets had enough and traded him to the New York Giants. 'In the first place, Dahlen, while a great player, never was an observer of discipline. He looked upon rules from the standpoint that they were made only to be broken, and while this has in no way affected his playing ability, still the injury to the team in a disciplinary way has been great.' That was his pattern as a player. The team owners and managers recognized his greatness on the field, but didn't care for him much off the field. He died in Brooklyn in 1950 and lies in an unmarked grave in Brooklyn's Cemetery of the Evergreens. He fell one vote shy of making the Hall of Fame in a Veterans Committee vote in 2013, and hasn't come close since. You can read more about Dahlen here. 7. Hanley Ramirez (2012-14, .299/.368/.506, 9.7 WAR, 144 OPS+) Ramirez was the best pure hitter the Dodgers have had at short. The Dodgers acquired Ramirez from Miami on July 25, 2012 for Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough. He tripled in his first at bat. He had double-digit homers each season with the team and in 2013 hit .345/.402/.638 with 20 homers in 86 games. Which points to his big drawback: injuries. He played in the World Baseball Classic before the 2013 season and tore a ligament in his thumb diving for a ball. He started playing for the Dodgers on April 29, and three days later strained a hamstring while running. He came off the IL on June 4, and, probably not coincidentally, the Dodgers went on a 46-10 run and ended up winning the division. He finished eighth in MVP voting despite playing in barely half the games. Then came the pitch many Dodgers fans won't forget. The Dodgers were one of the favorites to win the 2013 World Series, and defeated Atlanta in four games in the NLDS. In Game 1 of the NLCS, Ramirez was drilled in the ribs with a fastball thrown by..... future fan favorite Joe Kelly. Two ribs were broken. Ramirez wore a protective vest the rest of the series and went two for 15 as the Dodgers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games. Did Kelly throw at Ramirez on purpose? In an interview for this newsletter, Kelly said 'Hanley Ramirez probably should have gotten out of the way or turned inside a little more.' More injuries hampered Ramirez in 2014 and he became more of a defensive liability at short. He left as a free agent, signing with Boston, which moved him to left field. 8. Ivy Olson (1915-24, .261/.295/.325. 4/5 WAR, 74 OPS+) Why is Olson on the list? Brooklyn made the World Series its first two times with Olson at short, and he was a big reason why. Ivan Massie Olson was born Oct. 14, 1885, in Kansas City, Mo. He went to the same school as Casey Stengel, who described Olson in Robert Creamer's book 'Stengel,' as a bully in school. His toughness was a big reason he made it to the majors, as he hit only .225 in the minors, but the game was much different then. Players slid into second with their spikes high (and sometimes even sharpened). You needed a middle infielder who could retaliate, and word quickly spread that if you slid in spikes high on Olson, he'd tag you hard, with the ball, right on your nose. Or, as the New York Times wrote in a game recap (as recounted on Rabbit Maranville tried to knock the ball out of Olson's glove in a play at third, but Olson resented this, and promptly began to bang Maranville on the shins with the ball. This was the signal for the real fun, Maranville's punch for the head missing its mark but striking Ivan on the knee. Then Ivan's return sweep whizzed past the Rabbit's head. Umpire Cy Rigler, who had followed the play to third, then jumped after Olson, grabbing him about the neck and pulling him away, while half a dozen ball players made a circle around Maranville. Both men wanted to continue, but Rigler evidently figured out that the gate was too small and that the 800 fans had had enough for their money.' He played for Cleveland, then the Reds, who released him in the 1915 season. He was picked up by the Dodgers and hit .077 in 18 games. The Robins made the World Series for the first time in 1916, and manager Wilbert Robinson gave much of the credit to Olson, saying he brought much-needed toughness and togetherness to the team. They made the World Series again in 2020. He was the Kirk Gibson of his day. One hundred years from now, someone writing the Dodgers newsletter will look at Gibson's numbers in 1988 and wonder how he won MVP. Occasionally, there are players who transcend their numbers. For the Brooklyn Robins, Ivy Olson was that player. You can read more about Olson here. 9. César Izturis (2002-06, .260/.296/.336, 3.7 WAR, 65 OPS+, 1 Gold Glove, 1-time All Star) The best fielding Dodger shortstop, by far, since Maury Wills. Izturis was acquired along with pitcher Paul Quantrill from Toronto for Luke Prokopec and Chad Ricketts before the 2002 season. Izturis' big problem was he couldn't hit, drew almost no walks and had little power. But his glove made up for a lot of that. His best season was easily 2004, when he hit .288 with 32 doubles, 62 RBIs and 25 steals, He also won the Gold Glove award that year, the last Dodger shortstop to win a Gold Glove. He got off to a hot start in 2005, hitting .348 through the end of May and remained hot enough to earn his only All-Star berth. But he injured his elbow and had season-ending Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers acquired Rafael Furcal in the offseason, and when Izturis returned in 2006, he was a backup. He was traded July 31, 2006 to the Chicago Cubs for Greg Maddux. He remained in the majors until 2013, almost entirely because he was such a great fielder. If you saw Izturis play at Dodger Stadium, he seemed to make at least one play every game that was superhuman. Going deep into the hole and throwing a missile to first. A diving stop behind second. He was always positioned perfectly. He was a wonder to watch. Izturis is currently the bench coach for the Tijuana Toros in the Mexican League. His son, Cesar Daniel Izturis, was in the Seattle organization for a while and currently plays for Durango in the Mexican League. 10. Don Zimmer (1954-59, 1963, .228/.286/.366, -0.1 WAR, 69 OPS+) Really, once you get past Nos. 5 or 6 on this list, the rankings become interchangeable. There are a few guys I considered for the final spot, but settled on Zimmer, a member of the 1955 and 1959 World Series champion Dodgers. Zimmer became much more famous as a manager and as the guy Pedro Martinez tossed to the ground during a Yankees-Red Sox on-field melee. Zimmer was signed for $2,500 out of Cincinnati's Western Hills High in 1949. He slowly moved up the minors before his career, and life, almost came to an end on July 7, 1953. Playing for triple-A St. Paul at Columbus, he was hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Jim Kirk. His skull was fractured and he laid unconscious in a hospital for 10 days. Three holes were drilled in his skull to reduce the pressure on his brain (those holes were later filled with titanium plugs). He recovered and returned home after spending a month in the hospital. He returned to St. Paul for the start of the 1954 season, as his path to the majors was blocked by Pee Wee Reese. He hit .291 with 17 homers at St. Paul and was called up to the Dodgers when Reese was injured in July. He played OK for a couple of weeks and, when Reese returned, was given the option of riding the bench in Brooklyn or returning to St. Paul. He chose Brooklyn, but rarely played the rest of the season. Zimmer remained the backup to Reese during the 1955 season after having a great spring training. Manager Walter Alston wanted to find a way to keep Zimmer's bat in the lineup, so he asked if he had any experience playing second base. Zimmer, who had never played second base before, said 'Yes.' So Zimmer became the backup at short and second, playing enough to hit 15 homers with 50 RBIs in 88 games. He appeared in four of the seven World Series games as the Dodgers won the title for the first time. In 1956, Zimmer was again Reese's backup, with his season ending when he suffered a broken cheekbone when hit in the face with a pitch by Hal Jeffcoat. It took until 1958, the year the Dodgers started playing in L.A., for Zimmer to win the starting shortstop job. Reese, who had aged out of the shortstop role, moved to third base. Zimmer had his best season, hitting .262 with 17 homers and 60 RBIs. But it was just one season of glory, as he lost the job to a newcomer named Maury Wills in 1959. Zimmer hit .169 in the season and appeared in only one World Series game as the Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox. Zimmer was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the 1960 season for Johnny Goryl, Lee Handley and Ron Perranoski. He eventually made his way to the Reds, who traded him on Jan. 24, 1963 to the Dodgers in order to make room for a promising rookie to make the team: Pete Rose. He spent a few weeks with the Dodgers before he was traded to the Washington Senators. Zimmer died on June 4, 2014 in Dunedin, Fla. He was 83. Honorable mention: Dave Anderson, Mariano Duncan, Leo Durocher, Lonny Frey, Alfredo Griffin, Miguel Rojas, Trea Turner, Glenn Wright. Note: Players will be listed at the position where they played the most games. The results from the top 10 shortstops lists that you sent in. I assigned points based on where a person was ranked. First place got 12 points, second place nine, all the way down to one point for 10th place. There were 572 ballots. 1. Pee Wee Reese, 423 first-place votes, 5,982 points 2. Maury Wills, 115 first-place votes, 4,857 points 3. Bill Russell, 3,670 points 4. Corey Seager, 33 first-place votes, 3,579 points 5. Rafael Furcal, 1,901 points 6. Hanley Ramirez, 767 points 7. Trea Turner, 1 first-place vote, 713 points 8. César Izturis, 689 points 9. Bill Dahlen, 674 points 10. Alfredo Griffin, 571 points. In all, 30 players received votes, not counting votes given to players who didn't play short, such as Ron Fairly and Ron Cey. Up next: Catcher. Who are your top 10 Dodgers catcher of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list top10catchers@ and let me know. and l will compile the results to be revealed soon. Friday: Dodgers (TBD) at St. Louis (Sonny Gray, 6-1, 3.65 ERA), 5:15 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-4, 2.39 ERA) at St. Louis (Erick Fedde, 3-5, 3.82 ERA), 11:15 a.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.09 ERA) at St. Louis (TBD), 11:15 a.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-hander Will Dodgers' pitchers ever get healthy? How the team is tackling its biggest problem Shohei Ohtani thought he was 'in trouble' before Dave Roberts gifted him a toy Porsche Hernández: Can Clayton Kershaw contribute to Dodgers' title chase? 'I'm gonna bet on him' Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball legend with ties to the Dodgers, dies at 89 Dodgers star Freddie Freeman's family appreciated kind gesture from slain Baldwin Park officer 'It's costing us.' Tanner Scott's brutal season continues in Dodgers' loss to Mets Dodgers reviewing stadium safety after hunk of concrete reportedly falls on Yankees fan Dodgers injuries: Mookie Betts nears return, but Tyler Glasnow's body 'not responding' A look back at the 1981 World Series champion Dodgers. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: A closer look at the pitching problems
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. One day it's hot, the next day it's cold. I think the Earth might have the flu. Let's face it, the Dodgers haven't been playing all that brilliantly lately. They are 10-9 in May and had a four-game losing streak at one point. The fault for this is mainly the pitching, which has been in shambles lately. What's gone wrong, and how can the Dodgers, uh, deshambleize? One of the best things about baseball is they keep track of every conceivable stat. So let's take a look at some numbers. Most runs given up in the first inning this season: 1. Colorado, 532. Baltimore, 392. Athletics, 394. Dodgers, 385. Houston, 335. White Sox, 337. Angels, 32 The fewest number of runs given up in the first inning this season is three by Kansas City. Most runs given up in the first three innings this season: 1. Colorado, 1262. Athletics, 1103. Baltimore, 1084. Arizona, 875. Dodgers, 856. Angels, 84 The fewest: 33, by the Royals. Most runs given up in the ninth inning this season: 1. Arizona, 352. Philadelphia, 293. Angels, 244. Mets, 235. Toronto, 236. Texas, 226. Pittsburgh, 227. Dodgers, 21 The fewest: Nine, by Minnesota and the Cubs If you are near the lead in giving up runs at the beginning and end of games, then you are fortunate to be 31-19. It's not sustainable, but it seems unlikely the Dodgers' pitching will be like this all season, particularly when guys start making their way off the IL. And let's look at the IL for pitchers again: Dodger pitchers on the IL and when they are expected to return: Tyler Glasnow, shoulder (before All-Star break)Brusdar Graterol, shoulder surgery (September)Michael Grove, shoulder surgery (2026)Edgardo Henriquez, broken foot (June)Kyle Hurt, Tommy John surgery (2026)Michael Kopech, shoulder impingement (later this month)Evan Phillips, elbow (unknown)River Ryan, Tommy John surgery (2026)Roki Sasaki, shoulder (unknown)Emmet Sheehan, Tommy John surgery (around the All-Star break)Blake Snell, shoulder (before All-Star break)Gavin Stone, shoulder surgery (2026)Blake Treinen, forearm (July)Kirby Yates, strained hamstring (early June) Shohei Ohtani is expected back as a pitcher soon after the All-Star break. Three members of the season-opening rotation are on the IL. Three members of the season-opening bullpen are on the IL. Not a recipe for success. Glasnow and Snell have begun throwing, so they could be back before the break. Kopech is close to a return. Phillips had a setback in his recovery, but all signs are positive for everyone else. 'It still doesn't feel like last year, but we're in May, so not gonna jinx it and get into any comparisons,' Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, told reporters. 'For the most part, the things that we've gone through are shorter-term. Last year, they were significant and resulted in surgery. In some ways, maybe we're over-indexing some and just being a little bit more cautious and trying to make sure it doesn't get to that point. 'But I said this a lot, and I think anyone who doesn't say it is not being honest, there's a lot we don't know about injury stuff, and I think it's important not to pretend like we have all the answers. There's a lot to it that is really challenging, and we're hoping to continue to grow and learn from experiences and just try to make the smartest, best move we can, knowing we're going to make mistakes. … It's by far the No. 1 thing that keeps me up at night.' Best starting rotation ERA this season: 1. Mets, 2.832. Texas, 2.873. Kansas City, 2.934. Philadelphia, 3.345. Minnesota, 3.4123. Dodgers, 4.3030. Colorado, 7.03 Best bullpen ERA this season: 1. San Francisco, 2.662. Houston, 2.863. Mets, 2.914. Minnesota, 3.095. Detroit, 3.1916. Dodgers, 4.0030. Angels, 6.67 Sometimes, a low bullpen ERA can be misleading. Let's say a reliever comes in with the bases loaded and one out. He gives up a bases-clearing triple, then strikes out the last two batter. The reliever's ERA is 0.00, but did he do his job? No, so we also need to check a stat called inherited runners who scored, or IRS%. In the example given, the reliever's IRS% is 100%. The league average this season is 32.9%. Here are the best teams this season in IRS%: 1. Toronto, 20.8% (15 of 72 inherited runners scored)2. Yankees, 23.1% (18 of 78)3. Dodgers, 23.4% (11 of 47)4. Baltimore, 24.7% (18 of 73)5. Seattle, 27.3% (12 of 44)30. San Francisco, 42.9% (21 of 49) Dodgers' ERA as a starting pitcher this season: Ben Casparius, 0.00 (one inning)Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1.86 (58)Blake Snell, 2.00 (9)Tony Gonsolin, 4.05 (20)Dustin May, 4.09 (50.2)Matt Sauer, 4.50 (4)Tyler Glasnow, 4.50 (18)Roki Sasaki, 4.72 (34.1)Landon Knack, 6.61 (16.1)Jack Dreyer, 6.75 (5.1)Clayton Kershaw, 11.25 (4)Justin Wrobleski, 14.40 (5)Bobby Miller, 18.00 (3) Yamamoto has carried the rotation this season. Finally, the Dodgers are 10-9 this month. Have they had any months where they finished .500 or worse since 2017? Ten worst months by the Dodgers since 2017: September, 2017: 12-17, .414April, 2018: 11-14, .440July, 2024: 11-13, .458May, 2018: 14-14, .500June, 2023: 12-12, .500August, 2018: 14-13, .519May, 2025: 10-9, .526June, 2022: 14-12, .538July, 2021: 14-12, .538April, 2017: 14-12, .538 Note: This does not include short months (March or October) when they may have gone 0-1 or 2-3. So, except for 2019, every full season since 2017 has included one mediocre month. Maybe the Dodgers are getting it out of the way in May this season. This stretch of games calls for patience. The Dodgers have made moves to improve their offense this month. But there's not a lot to do to improve the pitching except wait for guys to get healthy. It's hard to be patient when there are four teams playing so well in the NL West, with one of the four guaranteed not to make the playoffs. Think of it this way: They say patience is a virtue, and couldn't we all use a little virtue in our life? We've been doing the 'Ask.... ' series for quite a few years now, where Dodgers from the past answer questions posed by readers. I have a couple lined up that I won't reveal just yet, but what I'd like to know is: Who would you like to hear from? Is there a former Dodger for whom you have a question? Email me at and let me know. No promises, since the person has to agree to do it, but I can try. And before you send me this name, Sandy Koufax is off the table. I've asked more than once, and he just doesn't do interviews. And I respect that. But any other former Dodger is fair game. Except the ones who are no longer with us, I guess that technically makes them a member of the Angels now. Previous interviews: Ron Cey Fred Claire Carl Erskine Joe Davis Shawn Green Mickey Hatcher Orel Hershiser Tommy John Eric Karros Tom Niedenfuer Peter O'Malley Jerry Reuss Steve Sax Mike Scioscia Maury Wills I'm probably forgetting a few, but you get the idea. And, now you know not to ask for the people listed. Again, email me at and let me know who you'd like to hear from. The flip side of the previous leaders: Dodgers' all-time worst in batting average with two out and runners in scoring position, minimum 150 at-bats, excluding pitchers. Franchise1. Dave Anderson, .1792. Rick Monday, .1853. Austin Barnes, .1884. Steve Yeager, .1905. A.J. Ellis, .1936. Joc Pederson, .1947. Yasmani Grandal, .1988. Dave Hansen, .2009. Ollie O'Mara, .20010. Jim Bucher, .204 Los Angeles only1. Dave Anderson, .1792. Rick Monday, .1853. Austin Barnes, .1884. Steve Yeager, .1905. A.J. Ellis, .1936. Joc Pederson, .1947. Yasmani Grandal, .1988. Dave Hansen, .2009. Greg Brock, .20910. Tim Wallach, .21111. Yasiel Puig, .21512. Frank Howard, .21713. Max Muncy, .21814. Cody Bellinger, .22015. John Roseboro, .222 Memorial Day is Monday, so there will be no newsletter that day as we honor those who gave their lives for this country. Dodgers Dugout will return next Friday. Friday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 0-0, 11.25 ERA) at New York Mets (Griffin Canning, 5-1, 2.47 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Apple TV+, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-0, 4.05 ERA) at New York Mets (*David Peterson, 2-2, 2.86 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-1, 6.17 ERA) at New York Mets (Kodai Senga, 4-3, 1.43 ERA), 4 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Hernández: It's tempting to rush Shohei Ohtani back on the mound, but the Dodgers shouldn't do it Reinforcements soon? Injured Dodgers pitchers, including Shohei Ohtani, are finally progressing Why a tight NL West race factored into Dodgers' decision to cut Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes Vin Scully reflects on Roy Campanella. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Farewell, Chris Taylor
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Let's hope the Dodgers don't have to face the Angels in the postseason. Last week, the Dodgers designated longtime backup catcher Austin Barnes for assignment to make room for Dalton Rushing. The other shoe dropped Sunday when the Dodgers released Chris Taylor to make way for a returning Tommy Edman. Taylor is a longtime fan favorite whose last good season at the plate was 2021. After that season, he signed a four-year, $60-million contract. He also had elbow surgery that offseason, and was never the same after that. Still good-to-great defensively, but on offense, well, the numbers speak for themselves: 2022: .221/.304/.373, 89 OPS+2023: .237/.326/.420, 102 OPS+2024: .202/.290/.300, 72 OPS+2025: .200/.200/.257, 29 OPS+ Taylor had only 35 at-bats spread over 28 games this season. When Hyeseong Kim came up from the minors and played so well, there was no reason to keep Taylor when Edman came off the IL. It would have been really hard to justify sending Kim down. But, showing that it's possible for two conflicting thoughts to be true at the same time, while it was the best thing for the Dodgers to release him, it's still hard to see him go. 'This has been a very emotional week for all of us,' president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters before Sunday's game. 'Barnsey and CT have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both guys have left an indelible mark on our culture and where we're at at this point. So the decisions were incredibly difficult. The conversations were tough. But with where we are, the division race, the composition of roster, everything. We felt like this was in the Dodgers' best interest in terms of how to win as many games and put us in a position to best win the World Series this year.' Taylor, who went to Virginia, was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. He reached the majors in 2014 with the Mariners and was considered a disappointment at the time after hitting only .240/.296/.296 in 86 games with the Mariners. The Dodgers acquired him on June 19, 2016 for one-time top prospect Zach Lee. Not much attention was given to the deal, and the attention it was given was for the Dodgers giving up on Lee. A few years later, Jerry DiPoto, who was GM of the Mariners for the trade, called it the worst deal he ever made. Taylor hit .207 in limited playing time with the Dodgers over the rest of the 2016 season, before the Dodgers, or Taylor, or both, unlocked something offensively. He hit .288/.354/.496 with 34 doubles, 21 homers, 72 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2017 while playing five different positions and was a key player on the team that reached the World Series before losing to the Houston Astros*. Taylor hit two homers during the NLCS and one during the World Series. He was named co-MVP of the NLCS with Justin Turner. Little-known fact: He didn't make the team out of spring training. He was brought up for the minors on April 19, 2017 when Logan Forsythe suffered a broken toe when hit by a pitch. How would Dodger, and Chris Taylor's, fortunes have changed if Forsythe wasn't hit by that pitch? in 2018 he hit .254/.331/.444, with 35 doubles and 17 homers, .262/.333/.462 with 29 doubles and 12 homers in 2019 and .270/.366/.476 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He made his first and only All-Star team in 2021. And then the wheels started falling off. Here's a guy who has been with the team since 2016, and what do we know about him? Not much. He never sought the spotlight, just did his job every day to the best of his abilities. 'He is the consummate pro, the way he did a trust fall when he got here,' Friedman said. 'He came in hungry and wanting to get better, and dove in with our hitting guys, with our position coaches. … He was a huge part of so much success that we've enjoyed. Can't say enough about the human, the worker, the teammate, the player.' If you dig a little deeper about Taylor, you discover he quietly helped families who were hurt by the devastating wildfires earlier this year. His CT3 Foundation raised millions of dollars for organization in L.A. and his hometown Virginia Beach, including Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Variety Boys and Girls Club, The Friendship Foundation, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters, and Roc Solid Foundation. He was just shy of reaching 10 seasons in the majors. Once a player reaches 10 years of service, they are eligible for up to $265,000 per year if they wait until age 62 to activate their pension. Seasons are counted as 172 days on the 26-man roster, so if you are bounced up and down from the minors, only your time in the majors counts. That's how Taylor can be listed as '12 seasons' in the majors on most stat sites, but really be shy of 10 seasons. He needed to be on the Dodgers until early August to make it. If some other team signs him, then his time there will also count toward his 10 seasons. Taylor is at 9.037 seasons. He has also been paid almost $74 million in his career, so he should be fine. He just beats me out by about.... $73,500,000. Austin Barnes was at 8.098 seasons of service. He has been paid $18 million in his career. Taylor's first career home run was a grand slam with the Dodgers. His 100th career home run was a grand slam with the Dodgers, making him the only player in history whose first and 100th home runs were grand slams. He appeared in 80 postseason games with L.A., hitting .247/.351/.441 with 13 doubles, nine homers and 26 RBIs. The most important homer may have been his walk-off homer in the 2021 wild-card game against St. Louis. You can watch that here. Taylor was a part of two World Series winning teams. There aren't a lot of players who can say that. It seems likely some other team will pick him up and see if he can recapture some of his old magic. We wish him well and thank him for some great memories. *-The Astros cheated during that season and postseason. Clayton Kershaw had his first outing of the season Saturday and the results were.... mixed. He gave up three runs in the first inning and looked bad. Then he settled a bit before seeming to tire. His line: Four innings pitched, five hits, five runs, three walks, two strikeouts. We can draw no conclusions from this. We couldn't if he had thrown five hitless innings. It's going to take a couple more starts to figure out just how Kershaw is. 'I love getting back out there. It's a special thing to get to go back and pitch at Dodger Stadium,' Kershaw told reporters after Saturday's game. 'Obviously, I wanted to pitch better. I need to pitch better going forward. But I think there's some glimpses of some of my stuff being there, which is good. The problem tonight was just command.' Dave Roberts on Kershaw to reporters after the game: 'The stuff overall, I was impressed with. The velocity was more than it's been in quite some time. At times the slider was good. At times the curveball was good. He mixed in a lot of change-ups, which was good. The command just wasn't consistent. He got to a lot of two-strike counts and couldn't put hitters away, where typically that's his hallmark.' We asked readers of our Sports Report and Dodgers Dugout newsletters, 'Should Pete Rose and Joe Jackson be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?' After 19,803 responses Pete RoseYes, 46.6%No, 53.4% Joe JacksonYes, 55.4%No, 44.6% The Dodgers' all-time leaders in batting average with two out and runners in scoring position, minimum 150 at-bats. Franchise1. Howie Schultz, .3452. Freddie Freeman, .3433. Billy Herman, .3334. Del Bissonette, .3325. Jack Fournier, .3326. Mickey Owen, .3307. Jake Daubert, .3288. Corey Seager, .3279. Augie Galan, .32610. Dixie Walker, .325 Los Angeles only1. Freddie Freeman, .3432. Corey Seager, .3273. Mike Piazza, .3184. Mookie Betts, .3175. Lou Johnson, .3136. Paul Lo Duca, .3117. Jeff Kent, .3048. Steve Garvey, .2959. Ron Fairly, .29310. Adrián González, .287 Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you'd like to see Email me at and let me know. A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .258/.331/.458, 178 plate appearances, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 28 RBIs, 123 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .255/.355/.463, 172 PA's, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 25 RBIs, 131 OPS+ Jason Heyward, Padres, .177/.227/.278, 89 PA's, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 42 OPS+ Gavin Lux, Reds: .291/.379/.399, 169 PA's, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 19 RBIs, 113 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .281/.367/.418, 170 PA's, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 125 OPS+ Joc Pederson, Rangers, .130/.259/.243, 136 PA's, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 47 OPS+ Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .280/.327/.363, 168 PA's, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 97 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .300/.346/.520, 107 PA's, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 148 OPS+, on the IL Justin Turner, Cubs: .169/.291/.185, 79 PA's, 1 double, 9 RBIs, 40 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .294/.352/.378, 196 PA's, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, 104 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .245/.328/.4219, 180 PA's, 10 doubles, 6 homers, 21 RBIs, 114 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .264/.322/.340, 115 PA's, 8 doubles, 9 RBIs, 85 OPS+ Pitching Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-1, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 32 hits, 9 walks, 29 K's, 98 ERA+, on the IL Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 2-5, 4.44 ERA, 46.2 IP, 42 hits, 15 walks, 56 K's, 90 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-2, 5.40 ERA, 8 saves, 13.1 IP, 15 hits, 3 walks, 12 K's, 80 ERA+ Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K's, 52 ERA+, in the minors Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 2-5, 3.93 ERA, 50.1 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 45 K's, 101 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 1-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 21 hits, 10 walks, 20 K's, 107 ERA+ Is there a player you'd like to see listed here? Email me at and let me know. Monday: Arizona (Brandon Pfaadt, 6-3, 3.73 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-1, 5.89 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: Arizona (Ryne Nelson, 1-1, 5.13 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-3, 2.12 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: Arizona (Corbin Burnes, 3-1, 2.56 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 1-4, 4.43 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Dodgers release Chris Taylor, parting ways with another veteran 'A lot of gratitude and gratefulness to get back.' Clayton Kershaw reflects on 2025 return Chris Taylor hits a walk-off homer to win the 2021 wild-card game. Watch and listen here. Chris Taylor makes an incredible catch to preserve a 2018 NLCS Game 7 lead over Milwaukee. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: What should the Dodgers do about Michael Conforto?
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A belated Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. Sometimes it appears a dark cloud is constantly following a player, sort of like Joe Btfsplk or is just hapless where nothing ever seems to go right, like Charlie Brown. or there's just doom and gloom whenever they are around, like Eeyore. The first time I remember it is during the 1988 season, when it seemed for a couple of months that this would happen in every at-bat by Jeff Hamilton: fastball down the middle, taken for strike one; fastball down the middle, takes for strike two; curveball in the dirt, swung on and missed, strike three. This season, that player for the Dodgers is Michael Conforto. We haven't talked much about Conforto, so let's do a little background on him. Conforto was born March 1, 1993 in Seattle. He was a star at Oregon State and was taken by the New York Mets in the first round (10th overall pick) of the 2014 draft. He reached the majors quickly, appearing in 56 games with the Mets in 2015. The Mets lost in the World Series that season, but Conforto became only the third player to play in the Little League World Series, College World Series and Major League World Series (the other two: Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek). His breakthrough season was 2017, when he hit .279/.384/.555 with 20 doubles and 27 homers in 444 plate appearances and made the All-Star team. His power numbers began to dip a bit, but were still solid (28 homers in 638 plate appearances in 2018, 33 in 648 plate appearances in 2019), but he was a solid major leaguer. Let's take a look at his OPS+ each season: 2015: 1302016: 952017: 1482018: 1222019: 1272020: 1542021: 1002023: 1002024: 116 You'll notice 2022 is not represented. Before the 2021 season, Conforto turned down a $100-million contract extension. That turned out not to be wise. Conforto had an off year by his standards, hitting .232/.344/.384 with 14 homers in 479 plate apperances. He became a free agent after the season and signed with... no one. His agent, Scott Boras, said Conforto injured his shoulder while working out in January, 2022, had surgery and would not play at all that year. In January 2023, Conforto signed a two-year, $36-million deal with the Giants. He hit .239/.334/.384 in 2023 with 14 doubles and 15 homers in 470 plate appearances and .237/.309/.450 last season with 27 doubles and 20 homers in 488 plate appearances. The Dodgers signed him for one-year, $17-million, and he started off well. After his first six games, he was hitting .368 with four doubles and a homer. Then, the roof caved in. From April 4-May 9, Conforto was eight for 93, good for an .086 batting average. And he struck out 34 times. Because he also walked 15 times in that span, he scored 12 runs, which may be a record for a guy who went eight for 93. Last week, Conforto talked to our Jack Harris and said, 'This game will kick you down. It will kick you when you're down. It can be cruel. So sometimes, you just have to lean on what you know you are as a player, and all the support you have around you … and keep going straight ahead, keep working. ... I think we're right on the edge of getting things back. There's just been a few of them where, you hit it [well], you look up and there's somebody there. It just seems to happen more when you're not going right.' Dave Roberts: 'It's still easy to bet on him because the head is still there, the work is still there. 'He's just got to keep taking good at-bats, and they'll fall. A guy that's been around for so long, I think he can handle this five weeks of adversity.' The luxury of the Dodgers having such a good team is they can afford to give someone like Conforto a longer chance than most other teams could. James Outman could have taken some playing time from him, but Outman is one for 15 since returning from the minors, while Kiké Hernández and Chris Taylor haven't exactly been candidates for the Silver Slugger this year either. Conforto has three hits in his last six at-bats. Not a sign that the slump is over, but a step in the right direction. The Dodgers play the long game, which can be frustrating for fans. The Dodgers are very patient with players and have been for quite a while now. It should come as no surprise that they will give Conforto ample time to rediscover his offense. They have the best record in baseball and can afford to be patient. By the way, Conforto's mother, is Tracie Ruiz Conforto, who won gold medal in the solo and duet synchronized swimming event at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Clayton Kershaw made what is hoped to be his final rehab start, pitching four innings while giving up two runs, two hits, two walks and striking out two for triple-A Oklahoma City. If all goes well, he will come off the IL and start against the Angels on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. Tyler Glasnow has started playing catch again as he tries to return from shoulder inflammation. Blake Snell was supposed to start throwing again Sunday, but did not because of discomfort in his pitching shoulder. Glasnow and Snell will be checked by doctors on Monday, but this isn't a good sign for Snell. Just imagine being a Rockies fan. They haven't made the postseason since 2018 (when they were swept in the first round) and haven't won a postseason game since 2009. They lost to the Padres on Saturday, 21-0. And Sunday they fired their manager, Bud Black, before they beat the Padres 9-3. That 'improved' their record to 7-33, before they lost Monday to drop to 7-34, which means they are on pace to finish 28-134, which I'm guessing would not be a good enough record to sneak into the postseason as a wild-card team. Their GM, Bill Schmidt, blames a lot of it on injuries. But it can't be too fun to be a fan of the Rockies lately. Also, just as a reminder that the Dodgers aren't the only team that struggles at times, the Padres bullpen has given up 29 runs in its last 16 innings, including six runs in the ninth inning at home against the Angels on Monday. The Dodgers' all-time leaders in OPS+, minimum 1,000 plate appearances Franchise1. Dan Brouthers, 1722. Gary Sheffield, 1602. Mike Piazza, 1604. Freddie Freeman, 1574. Jack Fournier, 1576. Reggie Smith, 1527. Pedro Guerrero, 1498. Lefty O'Doul, 1459. Babe Herman, 1449. Hanley Ramirez, 1449. Jim Wynn, 144 Los Angeles only1. Gary Sheffield, 1601. Mike Piazza, 1603. Freddie Freeman, 1574. Reggie Smith, 1525. Pedro Guerrero, 1496 Hanley Ramirez, 1446. Jim Wynn, 1448. Mookie Betts, 1439. Duke Snider, 13610. Justin Turner, 133 Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you'd like to see Email me at and let me know. A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .221/.293/.382, 150 plate appearances, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 homers, 20 RBIs, 91 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .262/.360/.500, 150 PA's, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 24 RBIs, 142 OPS+ Jason Heyward, Padres, .181/.225/.292, 81 PA's, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 45 OPS+ Gavin Lux, Reds: .282/.377/.389, 151 PA's, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 18 RBIs, 111 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .274/.370/.395, 147 PA's, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 16 RBIs, 121 OPS+ Joc Pederson, Rangers, .130/.237/.230, 115 PA's, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 37 OPS+ Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .292/.343/.377, 140 PA's. 5 doubles, 2 homers, 14 RBIs, 106 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .300/.346/.520, 107 PA's, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 148 OPS+ Justin Turner, Cubs: .155/.271/.155, 70 PA's, 7 RBIs, 26 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .310/.371/.394, 170 PA's, 7 doubles, 2 homer, 14 RBIs, 118 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .215/.312/.319, 154 PA's, 8 doubles, 2 homer, 12 RBIs, 83 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .241/.300/.325, 38 PA's, 7 doubles, 7 RBIs, 76 OPS+ Pitching Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-1, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 32 hits, 9 walks, 29 K's, 96 ERA+, on the IL Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 1-5, 4.61 ERA, 41 IP, 37 hits, 14 walks, 35 K's, 85 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 7 saves, 10 IP, 12 hits, 2 walks, 9 K's, 80 ERA+ Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors on a rehab assignment Kenta Maeda, Tigers: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K's, 52 ERA+, released by Tigers Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 2-4, 3.86 ERA, 44.1 IP, 42 hits, 16 walks, 38 K's, 104 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 0-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 21 hits, 10 walks, 20 K's, 107 ERA+ Is there a player you'd like to see listed here? Email me at and let me know. Tuesday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-0, 4.61 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 4-3, 1.80 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Thursday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.72 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed How Freddie Freeman unleashed a hot streak at the plate with a single off Paul Skenes Dodgers continue 'to bet on' Michael Conforto, but can he break unthinkable early slump? Shaikin: Agent Nez Balelo 'wouldn't do anything different' with Shohei Ohtani's $700-million deal Hernández: Shohei Ohtani pitching this season initially felt like a luxury. Now it's a necessity Are the Dodgers in a glass-half-full situation or glass-half-empty? | Dodgers Debate From 1929, all-time Dodgers great Dazzy Vance talks pitching. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? 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