Daily Distractions: What to watch for in the second half.

Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp leaves the field with athletic trainer Nancy Patterson on after straining his right hamstring in a 4-3 loss to the Angels. (Associated Press)

The “second half” of the season will consist of 68 games for the Dodgers. Here’s what to watch for:

1. For lack of an obvious turning point in the Dodgers’ schedule over the next month, check out the Diamondbacks’ road trip from July 30 to August 4: Two in Tampa, one in Texas (a makeup game), followed by three in Boston. The Dodgers play the Cubs four times in that stretch, making it a good time to make up ground in the division.

2. The fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. They belong to Ricky Nolasco and Stephen Fife, once healthy, until further notice. The Dodgers are expected to announce a decision on Ted Lilly today — one that doesn’t involve him going back into the rotation — and move Chris Capuano to the bullpen once Fife returns from the disabled list.

3. The bullpen. As I indicated in my midseason report card, the Dodgers need more than three reliable pitchers out of the bullpen. With two open spots on the 40-man roster, count on one going to a relief pitcher over the next six weeks. Maybe it’s Carlos Marmol. Maybe it’s someone outside the organization who can provide a better right-handed complement to Kenley Jansen than deposed closer Brandon League.

4. Matt Kemp‘s shoulder. How much will a week’s worth of rest and a few rehab games do for Kemp’s swing? His power was almost nonexistent in the first half, as reflected in a devilish .666 OPS. Kemp could easily find himself batting fifth or lower when he returns next week from his latest stint on the disabled list.

5. Outfield playing time. Only left fielder Carl Crawford seems assured of an everyday place in the lineup. For all their talent, the others each have something to prove: Kemp that he doesn’t need occasional rest to be a productive hitter; Yasiel Puig that he’s not a strikeout machine; Andre Ethier that he’s not a platoon player (his batting average against left-handers is down to .245 and at home it’s .226).

Some bullet points to tide you through the weekend:


• There’s no reason to believe the Dodgers are aggressively looking to upgrade the third base position. Juan Uribe aggressively upgraded himself into a .273/.343/.413 hitter. But … if you’re looking to convince yourself something better is available on the trade market, read about some other major-league third basemen here and here.

• In case it needed reiterating, Bud Selig is not the George Foreman of MLB commissioners. He’s not a puncher. According to CBSsports.com he’s Muhammad Ali, with no computer and a Diet Coke and an unfailing ability to rebound from a big hit.

• No Dodgers rumors addressed in this article on MLB.com, but you can learn the likely fates of the Giants (not selling) and Rockies (not selling).

• Univision is reporting that Puig is being sued for $12 million.

FanGraphs.com continues its Trade Value countdown and concludes that Clayton Kershaw has the highest trade value of any Dodger, more than all but 14 major-league players.

• When the baseball season goes silent except for the noise of ESPN, the Home Run Derby, and the All-Star Game, it’s never a bad idea to read “The Silent Season of a Hero.”

• The Beatles’ “Real Love” was built on the sample of an acoustic guitar piece called “Real Life” by John Lennon: