Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Surprise! Dodgers Announce Ross Stripling as The Fifth Starter

Ross Stripling

Surprise! The Dodgers shocked everyone by announcing that they will be giving the fifth starter spot to rookie right hander Ross Stripling. This is not an april fool’s joke either. With Mike Bolsinger on the shelf battling an oblique injury and Brett Anderson more useless than ever, the Dodgers were expected to probably give the fifth starter job to right hander Carlos Frias, or Zach Lee. I guess the Dodgers didn’t have much confidence in either starter. Frias and Lee will remain in the minors for insurance.

Stripling was drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2012 amateur draft. He’s 26-years old and went to Texas A&M University. Stripling underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014, and didn’t pitch again until the middle of the 2015 season. He went 3-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 14 starts for the Tulsa Drillers.

Stripling has looked ok but not spectacular for the club this spring. He made four appearances and one start, posting a 4.09 ERA. In 11 innings he allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out 11. He walked just four and gave up three home runs this exhibition season.

Stripling has always shown talent in the minors, but has yet to see any major league action. The move comes as a big surprise as he wasn’t high on the Dodger’s radar when the spring began. Stripling posted a 2.83 ERA in the minor leagues in 55 games. Stripling posted an 8.9 strikeout per nine rate, and a 7.8 hits per nine rate across 235.1 minor league innings pitched. Stripling has never played above the triple-A level.

Stripling actually pitched a no-hitter while in college pitching for Texas A&M. He threw the eleventh no-hitter in school history against San Diego State University. In that game Stripling struck out seven and made 106 pitches while only allowing a fifth inning walk during the Aggie’s 1-0 victory. That was the first no-hitter for a Texas A&M pitcher since Zach Jackson’s no-no against Tamu-Corpus Christi in 2014.

Stripling has four pitches, a fastball, curve, slider and change. His fastball has 90-94 life, and he has pretty good command over it. His Curve and change have good movement on them as well. Stripling is 6’3 and 210 pounds. Perhaps his best season was in 2013, when he went 8-4 with a 3.10 ERA and struck out 117 against just 30 walks across 127.2 innings pitched between the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, and Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League.

Scott Andes

Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic

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Scott Andes
Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic
https://ladodgerreport.com

85 thoughts on “Surprise! Dodgers Announce Ross Stripling as The Fifth Starter

      1. Flying fish can make powerful, self-propelled leaps out of water into air, where their long, wing-like fins enable gliding flight for considerable distances above the water’s surface.

        Maybe a flying fish might have something to say to a turkey or a quail Quas?

        1. I had to come up with something for opening my yap. Okay….how about a one armed man giving tango lessons?

      2. Quas I was reading some comments and I thought of you. If you know someone who has TWC, or Charter, you can buy this thing called a sling box , and your able to see the Dodgers on your computer, or iPad, or phone, at your place, from there service, with a sling box, at there house.

        1. Hey thanks MJ. I have TWC. But I can surely say I’m not at all happy with a company that has too many outages (one of which was game 2 vs Mets in the playoffs) and their continual fee raising plus they even unlawfully are not honoring their deal with Samsung that would allow me to dump their cable box ($10 per month soon to be more) which blocks SNLA only. I’ve already paid the demanded ransom but they’re still slipping the pickle. Their tactics don’t deserve support when all they did was purchase middle right to screw over fans by stealing something from us we already had. This reminds me, I need to call Samsung.

          1. Quas I have Charter and they are suppose to be the same company. Sometimes there is a little interference, but no total black out.

  1. Regarding Pollock, If AZ didn’t see this coming, they weren’t looking. “The 28-year-old had already dealt with some elbow issues this spring, but seemed to be on track for Opening Day. But the injury is all the more concerning given that Pollock missed all of 2010 with a fractured growth plate in the same elbow, back when he was still a rising prospect”.

    AZ has no centerfield depth. Poor planning to rely on injury prone players. Anybody know how many lube jobs Greinke got this year?

    I predict all of the AZ offseason moves will collectively become known as, Stewart’s Folly!!

      1. MJ, Say what? “Poor planning to rely on injury prone players”?

        I can’t believe you aren’t criticizing Stewart for no centerfield depth. He knew Pollock’s elbow history and traded Inciarte anyways. Now who is going to play center for AZ, “Lucille”?

        My after the fact injury crystal ball works just as good as anybody else’s crystal ball. Even if my crystal ball looks more like an eight ball (with a little flat spot), its 100% accurate if I ask it enough.

        1. I find your use of the name Lucille a cheap shot. Are you not better than that? Dave Stewart has an admirable record in baseball.

          And maybe you weren’t listening. Socrates Brito.

          1. Badger: “I find your use of the name Lucille a cheap shot”. Really!! And you call yourself a “progressive”. Do you have something against transgender people? Stewart obviously doesn’t!!! This is the 21st century, I suggest you work on becoming more tolerant towards others.

          2. I asked the question “are you not better than that?”

            Clearly you are not. I find your insults weak.

  2. “Brett Anderson more useless than ever.”

    Great line Scott.

    “Poor planing to rely on injury prone players.”

    Yeah. Who would do such a thing? Dummies.

    Stewart’s Follies. I like it. Can we go with FAZcapades on our side? Dbacks have a guy named La Russa there too. I understand he knows a thing or two about baseball.

    By the way, the Dbacks have a 23 year old named Socrates Brito that looks pretty good. One of the greatest names in baseball. He’s no Pollock, but, he has skills.

    1. That was a good one Badger. And isn’t Anderson the ballerina, of the Dodgers? That is what I have heard, by many.

    2. I have to say it would be somewhat delicious if Socrates did really well and it turns out that it was Arizona’s depth that helped them more than the Dodgers’ depth helped the Dodgers..

      1. Good point Bum. The Giants and Dbacks have not the depth in their minors that we do of course, but somehow they manage to keep bringing up players that are pretty darn good.

        1. Badger it seemed like the Dbacks became really good, in only one year. It was like one year, they were bad, and the next year good. They didn’t have the pitching, but every time I saw them play the Cardinals, or a team in that division, they were always in the game, in the last couple innings. And if they lost, it was always by one point, it seemed.

          1. They knew they had the offense. What they didn’t have was pitching. They spent a lot, but they got pitching. Enough? Guess we’ll see won’t we. Losing Pollock was huge, but remember Socrates Brito. He might surprise.

  3. FAZcapades? Hmm, Maybe.

    The ICE Capades were traveling entertainment shows featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Started in 1940, ICE Capades grew rapidly and prospered for fifty years.

    I would love for FAZ to have fifty years of success. OK, FAZ Capades it is.

        1. No, Faz’s Fizzles is better. That way, when FAZ’s players kick butt, Oscar can call em Faz’s Sizzles.

  4. Stripling begins his career next Friday at SF. Win that one and you win the hearts of LA fans (beginning with B17)

    2 more days, and we can post our predictions!!

  5. Lee only needs 3 more injured Dodger pitchers to get his chance. I thought 4 injuries would be enough after Frias and Stripling’s last outings. The 2015 minor league pitcher of the year…. I’m disappointed. I think Lee should have been given the ball for at least one game.

    1. I think Lee might sign a letter of intent any day. I know he is depth, but he isn’t valued very highly. It appears to me they are looking everywhere but at him.

      1. In Bleacher Report, it said that Lee’s value, couldn’t get any lower. I just hope Stripling, does a good job. He didn’t pitch that badly, in his last game, even though, he gave up three HRs. There is no way, that Jon Jay, would have hit a oppo, in most stadiums, without, a lot of wind, blowing out. He is just, not that kind of hitter.

        1. I’m not opposed to Lee getting one more shot. There was a time I believed in the kid, and I’d hate to see him get shipped out and find his arm slot for another team

  6. Did anyone notice that Pederson isn’t pointing his front toe in the air anymore? A little late to be giving up on that experiment? What a team! Our starting centerfielder can’t yet figure out his batting stance. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in AAA after a month. Is he still a solid centerfielder? When he came up he could steal bases and run like the wind in the outfield. And hit home runs. Can he do any of those things anymore? I don’t see it. Who plays backup centerfield? Puig? It looks like it might be: SVS; 66; and CC. Not good.

    1. Pederson hasnt been raising his toe for well over a week and his front foot is a little more closed. I think his stance looks good and he seems comfortable at the plate, doesn’t even take those deep open mouth breaths before stepping into the box any more.

      Maybe the plan was for Pederson to fix something in his swing and that raised toe helped him accomplish that. Now he can go to a more comfortable stance.

      Both Puig and Pederson seem more relaxed at the plate. Good things come from that.

      17, do you know the story about the two wolves of our mind that fight to control what we do, say, and think. One is negative and mean and the other is positive and supportive. The wolf that wins is the one that gets fed. Each time we are positive we feed the positive wolf and starve the negative wolf.

      1. That toe up, was a way to over compensate, in a opposite way, so Joc would stop doing a bad habit he picked up. Doesn’t it seem, that the Dodgers are having trouble hitting fastballs, right down the middle of the plate, right now? Bum are you telling me, that you didn’t feed your dog, when he got negative?

          1. Feed the white dog. Yep, heard that one for years. It does actually work on a personal level. Think positive. I read once that human beings have 60,000 thoughts a day and up to 90% of them are negative.

            Now, back to the Dodgers and their 28 year drought. If I hear you correctly, if we all BELIEVE they will win, they will win. Kind of reminds me of a friend of mine who believes she will eventually win Publishers Clearing House. Hasn’t worked for her yet. But, you know, hang in there with it.

          2. I agree Badger, the wolf thing has been around a long time and I heard it told again yesterday when I was watching the new TV show Underground. I have always liked it, the wolf thing and that TV show.

            The feeding the wolf story has nothing to do with collective thought or the power of collective thought to create an outcome. If we become what we think, say, feel, and do then the more we think, say, feel, and do positive things we become a more positive, supportive, empathetic, person because it is becomes our habit.

            If our habit is to be sarcastic, negative, mean, shallow we will react to circumstances in that manner because that is our habit, what we fed.

            That said, Roberts was with Boston when they were down 3 games to 0 in the playoffs and behind late in game 4 when the Boston fans might have willed the team to a victory against the Yankees and then on to their first WS victory in 80 years.

          3. Post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for thinking it is so never makes it so.)

            Negative isn’t helpful -either is positive. We have to work to control what we can control but if we try to control what we can’t control, we make ourselves crazy.

            We can’t control what the Dodgers do or how they do – we are just fans. We can make observations about what we see. We can enjoy watching them play and root for them all year. We can grouse when the Braintrust doesn’t run the team the way we want them to or in the case of some posters, cheer them when they do.

            The idea that group positive thinking will help is a little crazy.

      2. And Pederson did fly out to deep CF without over swinging. Yeah he does look a little bit relaxed. However I didn’t notice if he is slower than last year. Hopefully not!

    2. Bobby: “SVS; 66; and CC. Not good.”
      The second half of ST hasn’t been great for SVS, but we know the guy can play. He should get things going in the regular season.
      Puig is right on the cusp of finding his swing. We’re seeing flashes of it. Last night he rapped out a solid, right on the button single. If the coaches can get him to find discipline -look out, world.
      As much as I am not a fan of CC, homeboy can still hit. He’s not a total wash-out when he’s healthy.
      This is probably his last go-round as an everyday player for a big team. Here’s hoping he can keep hi legs under him and stay healthy.

  7. Just read the Stripling story on Dodger Insider. Neat. He admits he throws with a different arm angle, and Roberts also talked about the different plane of his pitches. That’s what I thought I saw in Arizona when I was there. Roberts also talked about his “true” curveball, which he says is the hardest pitch to h it, statistically. Good article.

  8. I agree with the decision to let Stripling have his try at 5th starter. He has “upside” – that is, the possibility of being really good – more than mediocre. Frias will never be more than mediocre as a starter. He will be better in relief. Lee will be lucky to be mediocre. I say let the kids play!

    1. I think one possibility is that with Stripling, if he does well early, FAZ can move him along with someone that was unmovable, and then still have Bolsinger returning later.

      If Lee or Frias do well early, we are a bind when Bolsinger returns, as their trade value is low and won’t get better with a couple of nice starts.

      This is a shrewd call by FAZ and Roberts.

      1. Interesting take. If he’s the best option, why not just keep him around. He’s 26. He’s been in the minors since ’12. Not sure he has more value to someone else than he does to us, especially now. With the makeup of this staff, we might need all hands all year. But, I like the construct of your plan.

  9. Eye test shows Lee’s stuff isn’t really all that great. I saw that in his only start last year, and saw it again in the spring. His only chance at success is Greg Maddux or Zack Greinke type control, which he doesn’t have.

    I agree with not giving him that 5 job

    1. Badger doesn’t seem like a lot of the players, are having trouble hitting fastballs, right down the middle of the plate?

          1. He hit .450 with 7 home runs on the first pitch last year. Don’t tube anything against that guy.

  10. Today’s Dodger lineup at Angels:
    Crawford LF
    Utley 2B
    Turner 3B
    Gonzalez 1B
    Puig RF
    Seager SS
    Pederson CF
    Van Slyke DH
    Barnes C
    (Wood P)

  11. Years ago, when I used to do the LADodgerTalk TOP 10 Prospects, Zach Lee was never on the list and neither was Joc. I have steadily said that I did not believe Zach Lee was a major league pitcher. Nothing I have seen dissuades me from that. I also always felt Joc was a 4th or 5th outfielder but I jumped on his bandwagon after last season’s start. I think that was an aberration. I am not high on Joc.

    The Dodgers need a leadoff hitter and a centerfielder. They now have the resources to make a trade. The Braves won’t be good for a couple of years. How about FAZ tries and gets Incarte to play LF. Give them Crawford (and pay 100% of his salary) along with some of the following: Pederson, Verdugo, Cotton, Johnson, Farmer, or some other prospects not named Bellinger, Holmes, Urias or De Leon.

    I heard Vin says that in 2015, A-Gon had like 70 less opportunities to drive in runs that in 2014. A leadoff hitter would help.

    1. Incarte LF
    2. Utley/Kendrick 2B
    3. Turner 3B
    4. A-Gon 1B
    5. Puig RF
    6. Grandal C
    7. Seager SS
    8. Thompson CF

    Joc needs a new start. We need a leadoff hitter. Maybe we take back Bourn too to save the Barve $9 mil. THat lineup would do

    1. Lee and Joc. I agreed with you then and I still do.

      Inciarte. I say again – they aren’t going to let that guy go unless they are overwhelmed. Why would they? He’s 25 coming off a 5.3 WAR year. He’s just getting started. We traded our best leadoff option, and for now we live without a good leadoff hitter. I suggest we accept it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t put something together later…. as in 2018.

  12. Well this one tonight says that until the answer of a leadoff hitter comes before us, Turner leads AGon fallows and and put those continual failures at utilizing the !st inning leadoff at the bottom of the order in front of Turner, AGon and so on…

  13. Watching CJ Cron hit for the Angels. I really wanted him in the first round of 2011. But we took Chris Reed. 2 picks later Oak took Sonny Gray. and then Anaheim took Cron

    oh well

    I also disagree about Joc. He was a top prospect, and he will figure it out. He still plays a good CF, and he plays hard. He will eventually be like a Jim Edmonds, and I”ll be more than happy with that.

    But I think almost all of us agree on Zach Lee

  14. So how you feeling about the Dodgers chances and play now!

    Maybe they can turn it on come Monday or so, but looks to me like a team that will have many loses. With sometimes it being poor hitting or no hitting, sometimes it being poor starting pitching, sometimes it being fielding.

    I do not care what Crawford has left in the tank — just let him go. Put a rookie out there who can field and throw with some speed.

    Mark, I was just thinking earlier tonight of the Dodgers trading Joc. The difference is, I have always liked him. But the Dodgers really need a centerfield who can hit mlb pitching now.

  15. I don’t care who disagrees but it’s pretty….no very clear that it’s stupid having Turner and AGon coming to the plate when 2 outs are there. The most dependable have both gotten on twice tonight with it all resting on Puig to not make the only out left. Geez! Hey do we have enough depth to get Gordon?

  16. I know I just defended Joc. And I know he just technically got a hit there.

    But why didn’t he bunt the guy over? Why didnt he pull the ball to get the guy to 3b? Still not smart baseball played by these guys. Doc needs to manage better obviously

    1. Bobby Joc way over swung three times. And I think it is because Cory got a double, so Joc wanted to hit a HR. His swing is still long, and he is still becoming off balance. And Puig didn’t do better, when he came up, with people on base.

  17. It gets anoying when we have a runner on third, with less then two outs, and the hitter, try’s to hit the ball to hard, when all you need is a sac fly.

      1. Bobby the Giants try to get there bat on the ball, anyway they can, with two strikes. They keep on fouling the ball off, with two strikes, so they can eventually get a good pitch to hit.

  18. Bobby — say, after each game (and most times before the game) I have to add and subtract from my music on my little box. I have to check my messages. I have to call my Mom and Day. Then my brothers. I have to check the stock report to see how much money I have.

    Then there are the games on my little box. I am on level 16 of King of the World, let me tell you I almost met my death yesterday on level 15. Wow. Then text messages; my fans want to hear what I have to say. Then it is pizza time.

    So I have a very busy life before and after games. Not much time to practice and some day I will get around to reading, Playing Baseball the Dodger Way.

    Joc

  19. Just looked at the box score. Puig stinks. He hasn’t learned a thing. I say April for the team will be .350. Don’t forget that Kershaw is a slow starter. The only reliable hitters on the team: Agon, Turner, Kendrick. The rest are shtt. How can Wood still be on this team? And the #4 starter? Prospects and depth won’t overcome skill. We don’t have enough in the skill dept. 2016 will be hard to watch. I’m counting on Grienke beating the giants about 8 times. Go Dbacks.

  20. Nothin like going into the season on a roll. We must be like 1-11 in our last 10. I know this one isn’t over yet, but it is for me. This team has bored me into sedation here. Soporific Dodgers.

    I wonder if Lee can still throw a football.

  21. This Dodger group has the most money and largest salary.

    This Dodger group is supposed to have such sharp GMs.

    This Dodger group — is so far away from looking and playing like a real baseball team — is it time to rebuild??? Is is time for changes in the decision making machine???

  22. We haven’t addressed the lead off situation for 3 seasons. Dee is playing better in a Marlins uniform for whatever reason.

    I suggested Fowler a few months back – but didn’t get any positive support. I’d certainly rather see him at the top of the order than drawing lots every night.

    So, here we go. The 2016 season is upon us.

    I hope the Boys in Blue surprise me.

    1. Gordon is playing better in another uniform because he was getting better while he was still in a Dodger uniform! After all, Gordon was a 2014 Allstar and the reason AGon had more opportunities to drive runs in than he did in 2015. FAZ is way-way smarter than me. But I’m smarter than their computers!

      1. Quas Gordon had a lot of help from his God father, in both off seasons. I think his God father is Barry Larkin, and he knows how to play the infield, as you know. Mattingly was the one that had Gordon, and Kemp traded. When this front office first came here, Mattingly got in there ear. They at the time, had a lot of respect for Mattingly. Gordon wasn’t happy that Mattingly came to the Marlins. Gordon said, that maybe Mattingly will be different, when he comes over to the Marlins. Remember this front office, wanted a more functional team? How would they know how all of the players, were like? They were new. Mattingly wanted Puig over Kemp, at the time, because Kemp wasn’t happy, with the way, he was played.

  23. I didn’t like any of the three games against the Angels and no one cheered me up here.

    Joc hits 6th in the lineup, walks, singles, and strikes out against a left hander that was really on his game and most here basically say he failed as the lead off hitter and should be traded. Now, I know no one literally said he failed at lead off, but …

    Its way too early to trade Joc. For one thing, he is the only good CF and success requires strength up the middle.

    I have made proposal after proposal that would have traded Puig for a pitcher so I am on record that Puig should be traded but SVS has faded this spring and Thompson never did enough to justify putting him on the team. Its too bad Ethier got hurt.

    Crawford, I have predicted he would not be on the opening day 25. I have one more day to repeat it. I don’t think he will be on the 25 on April 4.

    1. Morning Bum.

      Joc. I think his hit was a bloop. I still don’t like what I see him doing in the box. I don’t see him improving much as long as he swings like that. He may be able to get on at .350 again, and if so makes him better than anyone else we have to leadoff.

      Crawford. If he’s healthy, he hits .280. We need as many of that as we can get. If he’s not healthy, he’s DL’d and the insurance kicks in.

      Puig. I’m beginning to not give a crap about him anymore. So much talent. I still don’t think he is a dunderhead, as Mark continues to pound in here, I think he is just incredibly immature. He needs a Uribe presence to slap him upside the head and there is no one in that dugout to do it.

      This roster is out of balance. The injuries hurt of course. Maybe everyone gets healthy at the same time and we run off 20 straight wins. Or maybe more go down. I am still not sold on the rotation. Nor am I sold on Roberts to lead the team. I’m told, by you know who, that Maddon didn’t want to come here. Maybe that’s true. But if he had, and the team would have committed to a rebuild after ’14, I could see us being the Cubs as early as this year, maybe ’17. Now? I’m not in to win, I’m in for Vin.

      Let the games begin.

    2. Bum I know that you are disapointed with Joc’s at bats last night, like the rest of us. I think it was more that we need a outfielder that can be depended on to hit. In that trade, Crawford and a lot of players were brought up, to get another outfielder, in left. Both Joc and Puig looked bad. And Crawford hasn’t done anything yet. The problem is, when the Dodgers have people on base, these players come up, and try to hit a HR, instead just hit the ball. Scotty did the same thing. All we needed was a hit or a sac fly, and they swing way to hard.

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