Dodgers send Brian Barden, Omar Luna, Jeremy Moore to minor-league camp.

The Dodgers reassigned infielder Brian Barden, infielder Hector Luna and outfielder Jeremy Moore to minor league camp, reducing the number of players in major-league camp to 48.

Barden’s .478 batting average was the highest of any Dodger with more than three Cactus League at-bats. The 31-year-old from San Diego had nine singles and two doubles among his 11 hits, and was doing it against pitching that was somewhere above Triple-A, but below major-league quality, according to baseball-reference.com’s Opponent Quality Index:

Luna was hitting .313/.313/.389 and Moore .333/.407/.542. Neither player has extensive major-league experience. Barden does — 119 games’ worth — but he wasn’t going to make the team without injuries to several of the infielders on the 40-man roster (Gonzalez, Ellis, Ramirez, Cruz, Gordon, Punto, Uribe, Sellers).

Moore was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup for tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. Yasiel Puig started in his place.

Dodgers spring training preview: Infielders.

Adrian Gonzalez

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is about as close as it gets to a sure thing here – on the field, in the community, in the clubhouse. Second baseman Mark Ellis is aging but consistent. Then the questions begin. Who will back him up? Can Hanley Ramirez’s glove be trusted at shortstop or at third base? What happens to Dee Gordon? What is Juan Uribe doing here?

Skip Schumaker and Jerry Hairston Jr., who can be expected to log some innings on the infield, were intentionally previewed with the outfielders. Upward and onward:

Continue reading “Dodgers spring training preview: Infielders.” »

Dodgers inviting 17 NRIs to spring training.

Here is the updated list of non-roster invitees to spring training, which is up to 17 as of now:

RHP Juan Abreu
LHP Kelvin De La Cruz
RHP Greg Infante
RHP Peter Moylan
RHP Matt Palmer

C Eliezer Alfonzo
C Wilkin Castillo
C Ramon Castro
C Jesus Flores

INF Alfredo Amezaga
INF Brian Barden
INF Nick Evans
INF Omar Luna
INF Ozzie Martinez
INF Dallas McPherson

OF Tony Gwynn Jr.
OF Jerome (Jeremy) Moore