Grandal back behind the plate for Dodgers; Ellis will catch Kershaw Saturday

PHOENIX – Yasmany Grandal was back behind the plate for the Dodgers Friday to open a 3-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That’s the third straight game Grandal was in the starting lineup. He’s now started three games to the one made by last year’s starter, A.J Ellis.

Is a pattern developing?

“Not necessarily,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “It’ll play out. There’s gonna be spots where A.J. is gonna be catching.”

Like, perhaps, Saturday against the Diamondbacks?

“Yup,” Mattingly confirmed.

Not surprisingly, Clayton Kershaw is the scheduled starter Saturday.

Ellis, it should be noted, was behind the plate on Opening Day when Kershaw took the mound against the San Diego Padres.

The coincidence is impossible to ignore.

It’s looking more and more like Ellis is Kershaw’s unofficial-official personal catcher

Mattingly didn’t exactly shoot down the notion.

“If a pitcher has a preference and it works out, and everything’s working out the right way, we’ll always try to take that into consideration,” Mattingly said “It’s just not going to work out all the time.”

Perhaps.

But two up, two down so far with Kershaw and Ellis.

As for Grandal, he arrived in Los Angeles from the San Diego Padres in the Matt Kemp trade with a strong reputation for framing pitches but an equally disconcerting reputation for falling out of favor with the Padres pitching staff.

On one hand, Zack Greinke said “couldn’t draw up a better catcher” after working with Grandal on Tuesday.

On the other, it got so bad for Grandal in San Diego last year he wasn’t behind the plate when  Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy pitched.

Mattingly heard all the talk – the good and the bad.

But once Grandal reported to spring training, it was a blank canvas as far as Mattingly was concerned.

“It’s like anything else, you get guys from other organizations and I think the main thing for me is, this is a new start, a clean slate,” Mattingly said. “Let’s just judge what we see, have an open mind and see what we get.”

So far so good, obviously.

“It’s been really good. I’m happy with both guys,” Mattingly said. “As much as anything, about their relationship and how they’re going about their business.”

As far as how the position will play out – playing time mostly – Mattingly isn’t concerned.

“Not really. I think it’ll be fine,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll be that bit an issue.”