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It's been an uneven first month and change for the Dodgers, who hold the best record in the National League West but have collectively scuffled at the plate for nearly two weeks -- so it felt like a good time to answer some of your questions about the team. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, which have been lightly edited for clarity. |
Multiple questions boiled down to this: What's going on with the offense? Since April 21, the Dodgers have been held to four runs or fewer in nine of 12 games, going 5-7 in that span. They have not homered in six straight games for the first time since July 10-21, 2014 (eight games). Here's what I'm seeing: - On some nights, the Dodgers have been overly aggressive. That has led to them not wearing out starters and seeing fewer pitches. There have been nine games where the opposing starting pitcher has pitched at least six innings on fewer than 100 pitches, and five of them have come in the last 12 games.
- On other nights, the Dodgers have looked too passive. When they don't seem convicted on pitches in the zone that they should be able to drive, that could play into the ongoing power drought.
- And the obvious: Shohei Ohtani is not setting the tone at the top. This Dodgers lineup should not have to rely on him to be productive, to be fair, but it's no coincidence that he and the team tend to be hot at the same time.
One more thing to note: The offensive swoon began after the Dodgers' road series in Colorado, and several members of the team have been feeling under the weather since then. That could be part of the problem, but aches and pains of all kinds occur during a 162-game season. It shouldn't lead to the overall team slump L.A. is going through. |
With Mookie Betts hopefully coming back in May and Tommy Edman in late May, what changes do you see happening on the roster? -- Karen S. from Salt Lake City I'd also add Kiké Hernández to that mix, as he should be on track to be activated from the injured list once he's eligible toward the end of May. Betts should return first, in the next week or two. Hernández should be next. And at this point, I'm getting the sense that June may be a more realistic target for Edman, whose running progression has been slow going. The corresponding move for Betts will likely be between Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim, and right now, I'd have a hard time seeing Kim go down. Freeland has had plenty of runway since making the Opening Day roster over Kim, and he has yet to show much at the plate. When Hernández returns, the Dodgers will have two right-handed-hitting utility men: him and Santiago Espinal. Espinal is out of Minor League options, so he will be exposed to waivers if L.A. removes him from the active roster. Since Edman seems farther away, it's harder to project what the team will do when he's ready to be activated. That may depend on how healthy their position-player group is at that time. |
As Blake Snell is coming back from the IL, are the Dodgers gonna try a six-man rotation? -- Xiang L. from Toronto The Dodgers are already using a six-man rotation, but I see where you're coming from since Justin Wrobleski technically started the season as a long reliever before shifting to starting. There is no reason for them not to keep doing this, especially since Ohtani does not count toward the 13-pitcher roster limit due to his two-way player designation. The big question is which two of Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki stay in the rotation. Performance is a factor, but it could ultimately come down to versatility. Wrobleski has had the best results of the three of them, but he also has been effective in both short-burst and long relief. Sheehan has some experience in long relief as well. And the team has said that moving Sasaki to the bullpen is not an option right now. Read between the lines, and that could mean that Wrobleski or Sheehan may be in line to shift to the 'pen once Snell returns -- if nobody gets optioned to the Minors. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
May is national ALS Awareness Month, but Sheehan wears an important message -- "K ALS" on his glove all season long. Meeting Pete Frates, the late Boston College baseball captain who died from ALS in 2019, opened Sheehan's eyes to the disease when he was in college. The BC baseball team wore "K ALS" gloves in honor of Frates, and Sheehan has continued the tradition ever since. Read more >> |
Here are a few notable things to know about the Dodgers’ next opponent, the Astros: - Probable pitching matchups: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Steven Okert on Monday, RHP Shohei Ohtani vs. RHP Peter Lambert on Tuesday and RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. RHP Lance McCullers Jr. on Wednesday
- Astros' injuries of note: Houston's rotation has taken several hits, with Hunter Brown, Tatsuya Imai and Cristian Javier all on the IL. Shortstop Jeremy Peña and closer Josh Hader are other notable names on a long list of injured Astros.
- Odds and ends: Yordan Alvarez, whom the Dodgers signed as an international free agent in 2016 before he was traded to the Astros for Josh Fields that same year, has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He entered Sunday hitting .331 with a 1.123 OPS and an MLB-best 87 total bases.
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Here's a look at what's going on at Dodger Stadium this weekend vs. the Braves, and as a reminder, the full-season promotional schedule can be seen here. - Friday: Miguel Rojas "Game 7 home run" bobblehead giveaway and Mental Health Awareness Night special event ticket)
- Saturday: Blake Snell "starter series" bobblehead giveaway
- Sunday: Mother's Day clear tote bag giveaway and Viva Los Dodgers
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