Monthly Archives: April 2014

Apr 07

A.J. Ellis to have surgery

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They’ve played 7 games and already Ellis is out with a meniscus tear and his batterymate Kershaw is out for a month.

It was not said how Ellis, who had four singles and four walks in 28 plate appearances to start the 2014 season, suffered the injury. Ellis was out in a bang-bang play at the plate Saturday but remained in the game, though he did not play Sunday.

Fedex will probably be recalled from AAA Albuquerque to replace him.

Old friend Nathan Eovaldi is talked up as a strong addition to your fantasy baseball team.

Apr 06

Game Eight, 2014

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Giants at Dodgers, 5:00PM PST, ESPN2.

Zack Greinke goes for the Dodgers and Matt Cain goes for the Giants. Oddly, they have identical ERAs of 3.60 for the young season. Greinke has a win and Cain has no record.

Lineup:

Hmm. No Puig. From a tweet an hour after the lineup was posted: “Don Mattingly: Yasiel Puig is on his way to get an MRI. We don’t expect it to be anything major. X-rays were negative.”

Apr 05

Ease up on Puig

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So says Dan Le Batard of ESPN the Magazine.

Puig is still young, man, and he’s going to do young-man things, no matter our sensibilities. According to ESPN The Magazine’s Tim Keown — and there have been precious few illuminating profiles written about this sports star, the American media machine still somehow having trouble climbing over the language barrier even as our country browns like a pie crust — Puig’s favorite entertainment viewing is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” There are very mature adults, celebrities in that part of the world, who can’t handle Hollywood’s vices and excess, and they are not 23, and they are not new to this culture, and they aren’t being asked to carry a baseball team with Magic Johnson as the owner and an $8 billion television contract, and they are not watching “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

It’s a good column. Don’t read the comments unless you want to read a whole bunch of privileged wannabes moralizing about the kid who oughtta know better. Le Batard’s point is simple: “how could he know better? He’s been here less than a year; he grew up on an island which has food shortages, dilapidated cars, and few people who could explain America to him. Give him a break.”

Apr 05

Game Seven, 2014

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Giants at Dodgers, 1:10pm, Bumgarner against Maholm. TV, Southern California: Sports Net LA, Fox Sports 1; Northern California: CSN-BA

Bumgarner’s first start was pretty bad, although he came out with no decision and a 0.00 ERA. He lasted four innings and gave up four runs, all unearned. This will be Maholm’s first appearance of the season.

Lineup:

Play Ball!

Apr 04

Game Six, 2014

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Today is the home opener for the Dodgers, and it’s against their fellow migrants from New York, the San Francisco Giants, also known as “the hated enemy.”

First, we get the news that Matt Kemp will start in center field. Second, we learn that that was not the original plan, but that Mattingly changed the lineup to try to get the message across to Yasiel Puig that being late costs playing time.

It’s Ryu v. Vogelsong at 1:10PM PST on SPNLA or in Northern California on CSN-BA.

Due to a quirk in the schedule, this will be Ryu’s third start in five games, all on normal or better rest.

Paul Maholm and Zack Greinke will start Saturday and Sunday for the Dodgers, while rehabbing right-hander Josh Beckett will pitch in a Minor League game Friday.

Maholm was signed to be insurance if fifth starter Beckett wasn’t fully healed from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Beckett’s recovery, however, was complicated by a bruised right hand suffered in the clubhouse in Spring Training. This will be Maholm’s first start of the season.

Beckett will pitch for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. Greinke, who pitched five innings for a win Tuesday, will be pitching on normal rest.

Lineup:

Update: According to SI, “Puig thought he was supposed to be at the park at 10 AM PT, when he was actually supposed to be there in time for a stretch at 9:40 AM.” Okay, that’s a lot less annoying than I thought it might be. I was expecting that he’d underestimated traffic and hadn’t left his home on time, which in my world is unacceptable (I’m ten minutes early for everything).

Apr 02

Game Five, 2014

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Dodgers v. Padres at Petco Park, on SPNLA TV at 7:10PM PST. The Dodgers send out Dan Haren for his first start for his new team in 2014 while the Padres send out Tyson Ross, a 26-year-old in his second year with San Diego.

Lineup:

In other news, the Dodgers claimed infielder Carlos Triunfel off waivers from Seattle. They’ve optioned him to Albuquerque. You may well ask why they need another middle infielder and shortstop, what with Hanley Ramirez, Corey Seager, Alex Guerrero (being moved to second base) and Erisbel Arruebarrena already on board.

Apr 01

Game Four, 2014

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Dodgers at Padres, 3:40PM PST, TV: In LA, SportsNet LA. In San Diego, FSSD, FOX Deportes San Diego. Greinke v. Kennedy.

Lineup:

The middle of the Dodgers’ lineup has not yet begun to hit. Hanley Ramirez is hitting .091. Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .111. Andre Ethier is at .167. Anybody worried?

Update: Disappointing news about Kershaw from the pregame show: after an examination by Dr. Neal ElAttrache earlier today, his injury is “more serious” than previously thought. He may not be allowed to pitch for another two or three weeks.

Well, that stinks.