Initial reports via Ken Rosenthal are reporting that Clayton Kershaw will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Of course there has been no official word from the club yet, and according to the reports Kershaw has not seen back specialist Dr. Watkins either.
Sources: Initial prognosis is that #Dodgers’ Kershaw will miss 4 to 6 weeks. Final determination will be made after he sees Dr. Watkins.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 24, 2017
There has been no diagnosis released as well. Dave Roberts confirmed that it could be a muscle issue and that Kershaw did not experience the same symptoms as he did when he suffered his herniated disk that kept him out for two months late last season. Thankfully they have a 10.5 game lead in the NL West.
As for now it is expected for Kershaw to be placed on the 10-day disabled list, although there has been no official release from the club. I expect for that to come soon too. Oh and FYI Brandon McCarthy is going on the disabled list as well with wait for it….a blister problem. SIGH. Actually only 4-6 weeks is pretty good to be honest. It could be much worse. My guess is that Kershaw returns some time at the end of September to tune up before the postseason. In the meantime expect a lot of losing. And I mean a lot. Honestly Kershaw is not a kid anymore. He’s 28-years old and while he still is in his prime he’s definitely not a young man. He’s already got a lot of innings on his body.
Once again here we are late in the season and the entire rotation has already been on and off the disabled list. The Dodger rotation is once again in shambles because of injuries. Starting pitching is so important and the Dodgers are going to have to probably trade a prospect (gasp…OH NOOOOOO) to acquire a front line starter if they are going to win the World Series this year.
Yu Darvish would be a wonderful acquisition, and addition to the Dodger’s rotation, but it’s going to cost a lot in terms of prospects. A’s hurler Sonny Gray is a possibility and so is Justin Verlander, but Verlander has not been pitching well this year. The Dodgers better get someone good and quickly.
Paging Mr. Friedman, paging Mr. Friedman please report to your phone.
Kershaw is pretty much the #1 story on all websites relating to baseball. And panic mode has set in on Twitter. One positive in my mind is that the other 5 pitchers have a combined record 16 games over .500. Wood 11-1, McCarthy 6-4, Ryu 3-6, Maeda, 8-4 and Hill 7-4. That’s 35-19. Their combined ERA in the 3.5 range which is second only to AZ’s starters. They still need an upgrade and another guy with McBrittle headed to the DL. They do not project calling up Buehler until at least September and then not as a starter. If Ryu turns is around, and he is capable of that, and the other 3 pitch as well or better than they have, the team is still in pretty good shape. 63 games left. They go 33-30 they will win 100 games. They play like they have been playing, and they will easily top the 100 victory plateau. Remember, Colorado has to win 11 more than the Dodgers with what they have left just to tie for the division, and Arizona needs to win 12 more to do the same. Dodgers still in a very good place. And a rested healthy Kershaw in September is not a bad thing. FAZ is not known for big ticket deals, but maybe ownership puts a bug up his tail on this one. They do not want to blow this. Right now is when Rich Hill needs to kick it into gear and be worth what they are paying him. Last year the team was 14 games over .500 with Kersh on the DL.
I’m on the same page with you Michael. I think Roberts uses this to unite the team again and win another skipper of the year.
It would be sweet to sweep the Giants with Kershaw on the DL.
We will find out what the remaining starters are made of and I hope Roberts learned from last about covering for Kershaw with the bullpen … this year he and Honeycutt needs to coach like hell to score more and get our starters to go deeper into games. Save the bullpen.
Remember- a pitcher’s Wins mean nothing.
I’m not that worried about the Division. I remain concerned about the staff from 10-1 on.
Division title is in the bag. Overall best record in the NL could be at risk.
BTW, what is the method for determining who gets the 4 home games in the WS this year?
Best regular season record. Right now the Dodgers lead in that category. Houston is right on their tail.
I totally get that. But in my old baseball mind wins mean something. You have to win to get there. Even missing 6 weeks Kersh will be back. Healthy and rested he should be ok. But I like you think they need a real #2 which they have not had since Greinke. Even though Wood pitched like a #2 or even a #1 until the other day. They did not panic last year when he was gone. This team a little better situated to survive a loss like that. Last year the staff was a shambles except for Maeda. Herein lies the rub, and I would like your honest opinion, do you think FAZ will actually make a deal for a frontline pitcher? He has not shown that inclination, how much will the ownership play into it. You have to believe that Wagner wants this team to win now. I know Magic does. He wants that Laker like legacy attached to anything he is part of. My other thing is that they need to address the bench. As it stands right now, I do not think that other than Barnes, that bench is pretty pedestrian. Thompson should go back down and I mean now. Utley and Kike are what they are. Kike rakes against lefty’s, and Utley brings stability and mentorship. I think they need to go back to a 5 man bench and a 7 man bullpen. They are going to need the offense off the bench sooner or later. I think now is a perfect time to see what Verdugo is capable of. We all know who the main 8 are going to be. But in reality I do not see FAZ doing that. We will just have to wait and see what transpires in the next 8 days. Time is running out.
I do not think they will make a deal for a frontline pitcher. But at the moment Darvish is the only pitcher that qualifies as 1 or 2 IMO. Not sure I place Gray or Verlander in that category.
I agree with you there, and for maybe the first time since they took over, FAZ is really under the gun. I also think a lot of what transpires is going to be dictated by ownership. I do not think that they really want to take on the rest of Verlander’s contract. This team is built to go deep in the playoffs. But as most have said, there are some glaring holes. Do you really trust either Avilan or Dayton to shut down Washington’s big hitters in a tense situation with the game on the line? Jansen and Morrow have been the best out there so far, with Fields and Baez pitching well most of the time. Stewart has yet to be scored on. I would give that kid a shot at a start just to see what he could do. I still have major concerns over the bench. But that’s me. I think they could upgrade there. Gray’s ERA over his last 27 starts is north of 4. Not an ace in my book. Darvish is the only real uptick right now.
I was just reading synopsis on our top 30 prospects. Alvarez is not really burning up the league at Tulsa, and he was 2-4 at Rancho with an ERA north of 5. Verdugo hitting .332 at OKC. He has 27 extra base hits. Calhoun is at .300 with 20 homers and 51 extra base hits total. I would really like to find a spot on the roster for that guy. His K rate is pretty low. He is being projected as a Left Fielder. Most of the talent seems to be in the lower minors at A level. Starling Heredia, 18 years old, hit .429 in 7 games in the AZL with 2 HR’s, 2 3B’s and 2 2b’s and 9 RBI’s. Promoted to Ogden, low A, he is hitting .422 in 15 games with 8 doubles, a triple and 4 HR’s and 13 RBI’s. WOW. Ruiz, one of our top catching prospects, Smith and Farmer the other two, is now at RC, and hitting .389 in 9 games and has 3 homers. Smith was just promoted to AA. Rios was promoted to AAA and looks like he is finally getting his legs under him. He has 5 extra base hits in 13 games. Most of the pitchers are not really lighting it up. The ones doing well are the older guys with MLB experience at AAA Masterson and Font.
The talent always appears to be in the lower minors…….until guys either 1.) lose interest/desire or 2.)gain weight/do not stay in top shape or 3.) injuries begin to set in or 4.) talent level increases the further they climb and they begin to look pedestrian or 5.) the years in the minors take their toll (pay level & bus rides) or 6.) they are blocked at the big league level or 7.) girlfriend/wife/children issues or 8.) addiction to foreign substances or 9.) they think they are already good enough or 10.) they do not get along with their teammates/coaches.
Hence, why I laugh at the folks that continue to boast about guys at the rookie/class A levels. For every 1 guy that makes it to the bigs, at least 10 did not. If one would keep all of the articles written about these lower level prospects, over a few years one would see how misleading and wrong the reporting and promoting of said ‘star’s at the lower levels actually are.
I could not agree more. Falling in love with prospects is a good formula for a broken heart.
I remember thinking that Greg Brock was going to be a super star, another was Billy Ashley. Hit some monster shots in AAA. Brock had a couple of good years and Ashley never got more than a cup of Joe. Could name a bunch in the Dodgers past alone. Jose Guzman, Henry Rodriguez, some they traded, some never got close. Wasn’t it just last year we were raving about the catching prospect Leon? Seems to have fallen right off the radar and I have not seen his name anywhere on the minor league rosters.
Michael I am not one who devalues wins.
And no, I don’t believe Friedman will outbid anyone for a star. I do believe he is more likely to do what he has done before.
So what is the Hill equivalent out there these days?
Juan Nicasio! Just kidding……..
Choose:
http://scores.nbcsports.com/mlb/stats.asp?file=inj
I kind of think this is poetic justice and a wake up call to the FAZMASTER. Should know better than to hook your wagon to just one horse. Even if that horse is the best thoroughbred in the race. Even horses get lame. Your other nags, are either old…infirm, or still learning their trot.
But Michael, remember the depth! We really don’t need anyone because of our depth!
Exactly!
There’s already Stewart and Stripling in the ‘pen. Both, remember, were starters last year. McCarthy won’t be gone long. Hill and Wood are in good form.
If they can get a quality starter, it’s a bonus.
You can call that depth if you choose bluto. I call it something else Stewart has pitched 13 innings of 3.95, Stripling 45 innings of 3.55. Stripling has thrown 3 innings at AAA, Stewart 8.2. So, they should be well rested. Let’s see if FAZ sticks them in there.
What else is it, if not depth?
I think it’ll take some time to stretch them out into starters though. Font is already stretched out, but not on the 40.
Maybe slowly stretch Stewart out? Only aim to get 4 innings at first?
What else? It’s 40 men on a 40 man roster. Every team has the same number.
I would go more with Stewart than Stripling. I think Stripling likes the role he has. Stewart to me looks like a starter.
Michael N. Norris: “I kind of think this is poetic justice and a wake up call to the FAZMASTER. Should know better than to hook your wagon to just one horse. Even if that horse is the best thoroughbred in the race. Even horses get lame. Your other nags, are either old…infirm, or still learning their trot”.
Well “Rip Van Michael”, here is your wake up call:
http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/year/2017/seasontype/2
Badger: “Some of FAZ’s moves have worked. But many of them were colossal busts. It’s a good thing they have the bankroll they do”.
I know, I know, FAZ didn’t trade Seager and Urias for Hamels. Heard it from you a thousand times. Your only defense now is, I never said BOTH Seager and Urias. Yeah, maybe Seager alone could have got it done.
We heard it from you, soooo often, “Any time you get a chance to get an Ace for prospects you do it!!! FAZ really swallowed an olive on that one”. Your shining example on how it should be done, Stewart and LaRussa (Dumb & Dumber) trading outfielder Ender Inciarte, right-hander Aaron Blair and shortstop Dansby Swanson for Shelby Miller? That one looks like a real hairball to me!
Ya know Box, your head is up your ass. What has the great FAZ gotten from his infirm pick ups and so so arms? No World Series yet. I have never advocated striping the farm for anybody. Nor did I ever say they should trade Seager and Urias for Hamels. I knew they asked for them and am glad they were not traded. But what good is Urias now? What would giving up some of the guys who are blocked for a solid arm hurt? The traded 3 guys for a couple of rentals who did squat. I do not think 3 wins out of Hill and then paying him 48 million to stay was such a bright idea. His big move last year after Kersh went down was to trade for Bud Norris. We all know how well that worked. Tepesch, Bolsinger, the list goes on and on. Neither did I think they should pay Greinke that ginormous contract. Prospects are basically a crapshoot in them selves and none of YOU FAZOPHILES can guarantee that anybody in the Dodger system right now is going to be a solid player once they get to the bigs. Bad trades are made by every organization and it is easy to nit pick after the fact. I could name dozens of deals the Dodgers made in the past, and free agent signings that were not exactly brilliant. The team as constructed right now is pretty solid. But you just lost your biggest gun. The rest are pop guns compared to CK. They have not had a solid # 2 in a while. Wood has been a revelation and surprised everybody. But your depth just went in the toilet because 3 of the 7 you started with are now on the DL. Good thing they have a large lead. But the idea is to win the World Series if they get there. Unless they get a pitcher who can lighten the load on Kershaw, we are destined to see another October failure. That’s a fact, not an opinion.
Michael, you better get your head and ass wired together or someone is going to take a giant shit on you!
What has FAZ gotten for his infirm pick ups and so so arms? Answer: the number ONE pitching staff in baseball.
Admittedly, you never wanted to trade Seager and Urias for Hamels. That was Badger!
What good is Urias now? Answer: Isn’t this how this debate started? Urias is out for this year and next. Dodgers have number ONE pitching staff in baseball. FAZ did NOT hook their wagon to just one horse.
What would giving up some of the guys who are blocked for a solid arm hurt? Answer: Who for who?
I don’t think 3 wins out of Hill and then paying him 48 million to stay was such a good idea. Answer: It was a good idea, you were late to the Grandal party also. Hill already has 2.3 WAR as a Dodger. I’ll let you in on a secret, Hill wasn’t acquired last year for the regular season, although he did have a 1.83 ERA for the Dodgers in 34.1 innings in the regular season, he was acquired for the playoffs. Just think what could have been if Kershaw had matched Hill’s ERA in the post season last year.
The team as constructed right now is pretty solid. Answer: No shit Sherlock.
Wood has been a revelation and surprised everybody. Answer: Not everyone!
Good thing they have a large lead. Answer: Thank you FAZ for the Juggernaut!
Unless they get a pitcher who can lighten the load on Kershaw, we are destined to see another October failure. That’s a fact, not an opinion. Answer: Beware of false prophets! Badgerdamus at LAdodgerreport has as good of track record as Fraudy at Dodger Therapy, maybe worse. Take it from Boxout, Dodgers already have number ONE pitching staff in MLB.
That is the problem with all you FAZ lovers. You think you are the end all know all of baseball knowledge, and I will guarantee you this, you had better be one large human being to try and shit on me. My head and ass are wired together, and I know what I am talking about. #1 staff maybe, but for how long if you continue to burn the bullpen like you are and you just lost your best piece moron. Hill might be turning his season around and it is about damn time he earned that huge contract. How long will Wood keep doing what he is doing? No one knows. It is better to have a solid foundation than to have to keep patching the damn. But you would not know anything about that sort of thing because you believe in the FAZBIBLE. They have won NOTHING. Between the 2, how many World Series Championships do you see. Getting to the playoffs is just the first step. You have to win it and they never have. Do the Dodgers have a good baseball team? Yes, is it a Championship team, Only October will tell. They would be up shit creek if Wood had not basically come out of nowhere. Hill has pitched good for about a month. McCarthy is off and on, Ryu is now a 5 inning guy. Maeda has won 8 games, but not really pitched that great. The bullpen has saved them, not the starters. They probably will win this in spite of FAZ. Why, because they believe in each other, have a never say die approach to the game, and the manager has the confidence of his players. But what would getting that extra front line arm hurt? The farm system is loaded. No, that’s not FAZ’s style. They can forget about Darvish, because all the reports out of Texas today are that the Rangers have told teams he is not available, which is ok with me since he would just be a rental anyway. Who can they get? Who knows. There are so many teams out there right now needing pitching the need is more than the supply.
If Freidman was as good as you guys think he is, he would have won 2 Championships by now. For all his genius he has 1 World Series appearance. Over half this team was here before Fried brains and Zorro arrived. They have added some pieces, subtracted some and the result has been the same. Playoff meltdown. Depth is great as long as it wins the whole shebang. You really expect mediocre players to win:>? Hill was not a great trade and he was not all that in the playoffs either. Reddick sucked, Norris sucked, Tepesch, why the hell did they sign that guy in the first place. I don’t like Grandal, never will, but I admit he has been better this year, more consistent at least. He still kills rally’s and is not all that great in the clutch, but he has improved his game. I might have resigned Hill for a year maybe, but not 3. No way that guy lives up to that money over 3 years. You and all the FAZ lovers think your boys can do no wrong, they are the baseball guru’s. Well they got beat last year by a guy who was willing to go get a solid batch behind his ace. And over a 7 game series, they had the advantage. This year, the starters on the other teams are pretty good. The Dodgers might be leading in pitching stats right now, but anything can happen over the next 62. Sometimes you need to give quality to get quality. FAZ does not think that way.
Texas did not give their top prospects to Philly. We didn’t need to either, especially considering Seager and Urias were rated much higher than anyone Texas gave up. I suggested a package led by De Leon, who was also rated higher than anyone Texas ended up using. We needed a #3. We got clobbered in game 3 because we didn’t have one. FAZ is the one who coughed up the hair ball that year. We all live with it. Your memory is worse than your analysis.
Did the same hair ball act last year too. Hill was not all that, and there was no real # 3 so they got beat.
Yep. Which is why I don’t expect anything different than what they’ve shown they know how to do.
Couple of trades went down today. Royals got Cahill, Buchter, and Maurer from the Pads for cash, Ruiz Strahm and Wood. Atl traded Garcia and Recker to the Twins for Huascar Ynoa???? Tepesch traded to the Jays for cash. Machi and Lowe to the White Sox for cash. Dodgers called up Josh Ravin and Edward Paredes. a lefty reliever and sent Thompson back to AAA.
Reports say the Rangers are leaning towards keeping Darvish unless they go on a losing streak and get knocked way down in the wild card race. Does not look like they really want to trade the guy, Dodgers options are dwindling.
The lefty reliever is much more of a need than another starter.
What about Dayton, Liberatore and Avilan? That’s not depth at LHR?
Now we can add Paredes to that list. 4 LHR. If that’s not depth, what is it?
I say bring back JP Howell while we’re at it
FAZ does it again!! The new LHRP, Paredes, wins the game in his first Dodgers appearance. I would think some of you guys would get tired of eating your words, but probably better than what’s in the feed bag, huh, BAAAAAger?
Liberatore is a ways away from health.
Dayton hasn’t recaptured last year’s magic (as tonight’s outing showed.)
Avilan is no great shakes.
Surely, this cannot be a surprise or arguable point that the Dodgers need a lefty relief man.
And yes, I know your name is not Shirley.
I’m pulling your lanyard Bluto.
But the latest scrap heap pickup, 30 year old rookie Paredes looked ok last night. Two rockets hit off him but as long as they hit them right at somebody he should be fine.
Grant Holmes had a really nice outing:
7.0 Inn, 3 H, 0R, 5K
Also in AA, Dodgers prospect Dennis Santana had his debut.
5 IP, 4 H (2B), 2 R – 2 ER, 2 BB, HBP, 6 K; 85 pitches – 52 strikes; 7 groundouts – 1 flyout
Holmes just needs to hit his spots. When he does, he’ll be up.
Yeah, isn’t he an A now? Figures. But he is a little ways away for them.
Parades is a glowing example of FAZ thinking. I will put this guy in the minors, he will be depth, and in his first appearance he will win! Not, it was pure luck. They hit a couple of screamers off of him. Bellinger saved the day on that one. Paredes was the receiver of a real gift. I am happy for the guy, but he is no lock down lefty, and neither are Avilan or Dayton. Also I think it is lunacy carrying 14 pitchers like they are at this moment. Roberts had 3 bench guys last night. That was it.
Jeren Kendall already promoted today to Single A