Category Archives: Spring Training

Dodgers’ starting rotation watch drags into final week.

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The Dodgers still have eight starters in camp, and all eight remain on a starter’s plan. Even Ted Lilly.

“We’ve had some conversations with guys, but at this point everyone is working as starters,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told reporters in Glendale this afternoon. “Anything could happen. Until Opening Day we don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ve talked about the possibilities of it with guys just so psychologically guys could know where it sits. We’ve tried to prepare for that as much as possible.”

That the Dodgers are in no rush to get a look at Lilly, Chris Capuano or Aaron Harang as relievers is a strong indication that a trade or two (or three) will come soon.

Poll: Where should Yasiel Puig start the season?

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We know what will happen. Barring something unforeseen, Yasiel Puig will be wearing a Chattanooga Lookouts uniform to begin the season.

But what should happen?

We’ve explored the pros and cons throughout spring training (examples here, here and here). Now it’s your turn to weigh in.

Dodgers option Yasiel Puig to Double-A, Dee Gordon to Triple-A.

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Yasiel Puig

The spring training leader in batting average won’t begin the season in the majors. Or in Triple-A for that matter.

The Dodgers optioned Yasiel Puig, their most productive hitter since Cactus League play began, to Double-A Chattanooga, ending weeks of speculation about where the organization’s most intriguing prospect will begin his first full season outside Cuba.

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Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang still starting for Dodgers. What does that mean for Ted Lilly?

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Chris Capuano

Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano threw 85 pitches on a back field Monday against a team of Cleveland Indians minor leaguers. He went seven innings, allowing three hits, no runs, striking out 11 batters and hitting another with a pitch.

The performance came on the same day that the Dodgers’ coaches were expected to meet to discuss plans for the pitching staff. There’s still a surplus of three starters with one week left before opening day. Aaron Harang is listed as the starter tomorrow against the Rockies. Capuano stretched himself out today. The only one of the octet that isn’t starting a game anytime soon appears to be Ted Lilly.

Lilly, as we’ve noted repeatedly, was the first Dodgers starter to raise his hand when asked if he’d accept a bullpen role. It could be that this is the direction the team is leaning. We’ll learn more tomorrow.

Dodgers’ Carl Crawford is on track to play Opening Day. What does that mean for Yasiel Puig?

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Yasiel Puig
Carl Crawford is playing his third straight game in left field tonight as the Dodgers visit the Kansas City Royals in Surprise.

The Dodgers didn’t want to pencil in Crawford as their Opening Day left fielder until he passed a threshhold for throwing distance, mentioned previously at 125 feet. He has passed that threshhold “and he’s still got five days of throwing,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly noted Monday. That’s great news for Crawford, who underwent Tommy John surgery just last August and was initially speculated to be out until May.

That’s not great news if you were hoping to see Yasiel Puig in left field come Opening Day.

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Dodgers release Mark Lowe, bringing camp roster to 38.

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Mark LoweThe Dodgers opened camp with three experienced right-handed relievers vying to make the team as non-roster invitees: Kevin Gregg, Peter Moylan and Mark Lowe.

They couldn’t all make the team. None still might, though the Dodgers have eventually given a roster spot to a non-roster camp invitee the last 11 years.

It won’t be Lowe, who was granted his release Sunday morning. Continue reading →

Obscure MLB rule, bruised finger will dictate where Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley pitches March 28.

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Updating our earlier item about Chad Billingsley‘s next start on March 28, the Dodgers haven’t determined where it will be.

It definitely won’t be in Anaheim. Manager Don Mattingly said Saturday that Hyun-Jin Ryu will start the “Freeway Series” opener against the Angels at 7 p.m.

There’s also a 6 p.m. split-squad exhibition game that night against the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes at The Epicenter. That would be the logical place for Billingsley to start, but it would cause a minor inconvenience if the Dodgers decide to put the right-hander on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised index finger when the regular season begins.

If Billingsley pitches in Rancho he wouldn’t be able to start his potential disabled list stint until March 29 because the exhibition game has a paid attendance. That’s an MLB rule. If the DL is still a possibility for him in four days, Billingsley would pitch in a game without a paid attendance, such as a simulated game at Camelback Ranch.

Billingsley wouldn’t be eligible to come off the DL until April 13 if he starts against the Quakes.

Even though he was able to pitch 4 2/3 pain-free innings Saturday, Billingsley didn’t throw a curveball because he can’t throw a curve without pain. Last year Billingsley threw curves on less than 3 percent of his pitches, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Billingsley “is going to need to have all his weapons” by the time he makes his first start of the season. Right now, that’s scheduled for April 2. If Billingsley goes on the DL, Ryu will make the start instead.

Speaking of Ryu, here are the projected Freeway Series matchups:

Thursday (in Anaheim): Ryu vs. Joe Blanton
Friday (in Los Angeles): Josh Beckett vs. Jason Vargas
Saturday (in Anaheim): Zack Greinke vs. Tommy Hanson

Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley encouraged by Triple-A start.

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Chad BillingsleyHow good is Chad Billingsley without his curveball?

He was OK on Saturday afternoon in a Triple-A game against the Cleveland Indians at Camelback Ranch. Facing live hitters for the first time since he bruised the index finger on his right hand eight days ago, Billingsley threw 92 pitches in 4 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, two runs, walking four and striking out seven. He threw one wild pitch and no curves.

More importantly, Billingsley reported no discomfort after the start. Can he start against the San Francisco Giants 10 days from now?

“As long as there’s no setbacks, yeah,” Billingsley said. “I’m planning to be ready.”

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Injured at the 2009 WBC, Alfredo Amezaga can relate to Dodgers teammate Hanley Ramirez.

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Alfredo AmezagaThis spring marks the second go-around for Alfredo Amezaga in the Dodgers organization. You’re forgiven for not remembering the first.

Amezaga signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers in Feb. 2010, less than a year removed from major knee surgery. He didn’t play in spring training. He didn’t play in the regular season either, save for one game at Double-A Chattanooga. Amezaga spent nearly the entire season on the disabled list and became a free agent in October.

On the day the Dodgers learned that Hanley Ramirez would miss the next eight weeks with a thumb injury, it’s worth noting where Amezaga suffered the injury that caused him to miss all but 31 games in a two-year span: The 2009 World Baseball Classic.

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