Josh Reddick has eight home runs and a .296 batting average for the A’s this year. (Getty Images)
The Dodgers have traded minor league pitchers Frankie Montas, Jharel Cotton and Grant Holmes to the Oakland A’s for pitcher Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick.
The five-player swap is the Dodgers’ largest — and so far only — move on the day of baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline. Trades must be completed by 1 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Oakland A’s claimed Nick Tepesch off waivers on Monday, two days after the right-handed pitcher was designated for assignment by the Dodgers.
The Dodgers didn’t have Tepesch very long. He was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers earlier this month, then rushed to the major leagues last Friday when the Dodgers ran short on starting pitchers. Tepesch allowed five runs in his only start and took the loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was DFA’d one day later.
Though predictable, Tepesch’s departure creates a hole on the depth chart at the Triple-A level. The Dodgers might seek to address that need externally in the coming days.
Yasiel Puig is examined by Dodgers medical director Stan Conte after Puig’s hamstring stiffened on him in the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-4 loss to the Oakland A’s on Monday. (Associated Press photo)
Telling Lorenzo Bundy he was no longer the Dodgers’ third base coach wasn’t easy for Don Mattingly.
Despite off-days next Monday and Thursday, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he will keep his starting pitchers in turn for the two-game series in Oakland next Tuesday and Wednesday.
That means Clayton Kershaw will take Tuesday’s start and Mat Latos will pitch Wednesday.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers will host the San Francisco Giants from Aug. 31 to September 2. Right now, if no pitcher skips his turn in the rotation, Kershaw and Zack Greinke will miss that series entirely.
“We haven’t set it yet,” Mattingly said of his rotation for the Giants series. “We’re just talking about it.”
Carl Crawford is the Dodgers’ de facto fourth outfielder, and also the highest-paid outfielder on the team. (Getty Images)
Sonny Gray dealt the Dodgers their third straight loss, though they remained a half-game up on the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. The photo gallery is here.
The Dodgers’ fourth outfielder has two years and $43,464,000 remaining on his contract after this season.
Third base coach Tim Wallach discussed the strengths (Howie Kendrick, Joc Pederson, Jimmy Rollins) and limitations (sometimes they lose double plays to The Shift) of the Dodgers’ defense with colleague Mark Whicker.