Just when Scott Kazmir was making progress in his quest to return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation, cruel fate stepped in and shoved him right off the mound in his start against the Colorado Rockies today.
Kazmir was scheduled to pitch two innings, but he didn’t get anywhere close to that modest goal. The Dodgers figured he would toss about 45 pitches today, but he was lucky to get 14 in.
Things began well enough. Kazmir gave up no runs, only one hit, and struck out one in his first inning. He went out to the mound to begin the second, threw one pitch, and that was that. He stopped, the skipper and the Dodgers’ trainer came out to the mound, and then Kazmir walked back to the dugout, leaving huge question marks in his wake.
David Vassegh reported Kazmir felt tightness in his hip and all down his left side during his pregame warmups. As a result he was unable to generate any power in his pitches.
33-year-old Kazmir is in his second year with the Dodgers, and this one is starting out just like his first injury-plagued season with the club. He believes his troubles last season began with that same tight hip and compounded with overcompensation that affected his delivery. That in turn led to neck and shoulder problems that sidelined him in August.
“It’s something we’ve been working on all spring. To try to get that flexibility, to keep that flexibility. It’s just something where, you know, you kind of scratch your head. We’ve been on it constantly. To be able to throw something like a 30-pitch bullpen, and the next day it’s tight, really restricted; it’s just something we try to stay on top of. It just tightened up on me today.” – Scott Kazmir post game
In his first outing this spring, Kazmir had results that were similar to today’s. He did well enough in his first inning, and then the wheels came off. In the second inning he gave up a double, walked two and had a wild pitch before being pulled.
Everyone is now in a holding pattern, waiting for an MRI on Kazmir.
There’s no shortage of arms vying for spots in the Dodgers’ starting rotation, but with today’s setback, Hyun-Jin Ryu‘s questionable spring, and the trading away of Jose De Leon, things are getting very interesting.
Speaking of interesting:
Andre Ethier also left today’s game early due to back soreness. He’s listed as day-to-day.
Chris Hatcher was LIT UP by the Rockies. Not good.
Corey Seager will be sidelined (back trouble) until Friday, and by the way, the Dodgers lost to the Rockies 10-9.
On the bright side: Joc Pederson blasted an opposite field home run.
No Dodger game on TV tomorrow, but they’ll be available via radio. Small victories.
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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I have a feeling McCarthy will be a respectable pitcher that does his part towards the team winning 90+.
I have no such feeling towards Kazmir. He’s probably more or less cooked by now.
So what ya got, innings limits aside, when Kazmir can’t be counted on?
Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Urias, McCarthy, Stripling, Stewart, Ryu?
Pray for the Tigers to drop out and Verlander to come over?
But we have depth. We have about 12 pitchers in AAA. We have 15 pitchers in AA and another 25 pitchers in Class A.
Yes, yes….every other organization has the same number of pitchers in there systems too BUT they weren’t drafted, signed or traded by the great FAZ. Thats why our pitchers are all better than every other organizations. In fact our pitchers are so good FAZ has traded 5 of them away. Who needs them anyway. We got 25 in class A and at least half of them are future HOFer’s.
That 2017 Dodger Blue Kool-Aid is some really good stuff. The more I drink the more HOFers are on the horizon. Give me another one!
Kool-Aid infused new guess at rotation:
▼
Kershaw
Hill
Maeda
Wood
McCarthy
Morrow
Fields
Avilan – no options + Liberatore will need reps in the minors
Baez – currently injured so maybe Rhame (he’s on the 40 and has 3 options left)
Dayton
Romo
Jansen
I think Ravin has a better chance at sticking than Rhame. He got lit up the other day by the D-Backs, and did not look good at all. My rotation would look pretty much the same as yours since I think Kazmir is done………Stripling, Stewart to AAA…
Ravin’s a good call. Totally forgot about him.
Thanks Michael.
Nyah.
I think McCarthy will be fine. The fifth spot is Stewart/Stripling/Ryu until Urias can join the rotation.
I’d quite like to see Wood in that spot, but for whatever reason he’s not being mentioned for it.
I am beginning to think they want Urias to be fresh for the second half of the year, and if he pitches at all like he did last year it will almost be like making a trade. I am less sold on Ryu doing anything before the first of June. So I like you think it will be Kersh, Hill, Maeda, McCarthy and the young Mr Wood.
I agree. All this means is Wood instead of Kazmir, if Kazmir goes on the DL.
Urias is going to be in extended spring training, bank on it. Ryu probably not ready until at least June. Stewart and stripling will be in the AAA rotation along with Oaks.
This was a well written recap again. The site is really getting better.
And I think I know Kazmir irks me more than McCarthy. They both suck and are soft, but Kazmir takes himself too seriously and makes excuses. McCarthy’s a bit self deprecating.
From Dodger Nation referencing Plaschke column:
“The Cubs are still the odds-on favorites, but the Dodgers are coming back with a vengeance. As Plaschke noted, health is the most important factor. But none of us should be surprised if the boys in blue finally break through.”
With the Dodgers policy of signing high risk players the “health factor” will remain a constant. We said the same thing last year. We didn’t get younger and more athletic over the winter. And I won’t be surprised if Maeda pitches fewer innings than he did last year. Who knows, maybe this is the year Lester, Scherzer, Bumgarner, and/or Cueto and Arrietta all get DL time. That would help with the break through objective.
Will we be better than 29th in IP by starting pitchers? Yeah, sure. Set the bar high. 25th this year.
Never.
Reference.
Plaschke.
Even through 2nd hand means.
Gosh I hate that guy.
Bluto
I think you need to sign reliable pitchers, to fill your starting rotation.
And if you want to sign high risk pitchers, with a high up sides, to back up the rotation or for depth, that would be much better.
Maybe at the Rays, and the A’s, these guys had to bet on these type of pitchers, but this is the Dodgers, and this is a large market team.
I think these type of pitchers add up, and it is easier to pay a little more money, and sign reliable, starting pitchers.
And it might even be cheaper in the long run.
You generally pay for what you get.
You hate him so we can’t reference him?
He’s an LA writer and 6 time National Sports Columnist of the Year. He’s authored 5 books and has several awards for his community service. The man is an icon. You can’t hate icons. It’s unpatriotic.
MJ, about signing reliable starters. Clearly there are other options to that approach. In our case it’s Modus FAZorandi, where FAZoplectic pitchers, those chucker commodities with broad transdisciplinarial adaptive structure deficits are hired at inflated costs. It’s a tax shelter, used only by smarty pants front offices who are clearly way ahead of the curve.
Common sense usually reigns, supreme!
Uh, not always……….
YES!
It’s all up to me!
I alone have the power (operating under this psuedonym) to outlaw bad writers who are out-of-touch and inane.
Thanks for affirming that Badger.
I love posts like MJ’s recent one, which selectively invoke the “Front Office has a small market mentality” if only because it’s selectively cherry picking a set of transactions and then examining them and only them to surmise what the Front Office’s mentality is.
Bluto
You don’t think they will use the strategys, that they used, when they worked,
at a small market team?
They are using these same strategys, but they are just betting on more pitchers like this, because they have more money, instead of filling the starting rotation, with reliable starting pitchers, like mostly, Epstein has done.
Epstein bet this year on Anderson but, that was more a bet on depth, because Epstein has another leftie pitcher, who will probably be the number five.
Bluto
And I am only talking about the starting, pitching rotation.
They do that with the pen to an extent too, but that is ok, because relief pitchers, tend not be productive, from, year to year, as much as starters are.
No MJ,
I don’t think small market clubs would spend money on oft-injured players. I think it’s what big market clubs can and should do because they can afford to carry the players/salary if the injury run continues.
For smaller market teams, they will target injured players but only if they can pay them VERY little.
The Dodgers paid below market, it could be argued, but still spent (in aggregate) large amounts of money.
ALSO, would small market teams trade 3 cost-controlled rookie pitchers for a much older, much more expensive pitcher about to go into free agency?
Just wondering.
Badger
For the first time ever Plaschke has said, that he thinks this Dodger team, will go to the World Series, if the team can stay healthy.
It wasn’t a negative spin, at all.
Bluto
Yes some small market teams would bet on pitchers that have injury histories, if they have a high up side.
Because they don’t have the money, to pay for top free agent pitchers.
The A’s signed Hill last year, didn’t they?
And Hill has a longer injury history, then Kazmir does.
Epstein didn’t sign starting pitchers with long injury histories, to fill his rotation.
And the Nats, the Giants, the Cardinals, didn’t do that either.
And I said I was only talking about, the starting pitching rotation.
But if they would have signed more reliable starting pitchers, for the rotation.
They wouldn’t have had to trade those three pitchers, so there, is another problem!
Bluto
Also the A’s were the last team that signed Kazmir, so both Hill and Kazmir, were signed by the A’s
A small market team, that signed two pitchers, with long injury histories.
Even a GM on a big market team, shouldn’t give pitchers with long injury histories, multi year contracts, unless the upside is high.
And I wouldn’t do that, to fill my starting rotation.
I would only do that, for cheap depth.
They are using the same strategy
Bluto
The point is that big market teams don’t fill there starting rotation, with pitchers, with long injury histories!
These guys are using the same strategy but they are just betting with more money.
Because like I said, big market teams, don’t fill there starting rotations, with pitchers, with long injury histories.
That is more a A’s or Rays move, because they can afford better.
MJ,
The A’s signed one such pitcher, ONE, that’s a manageable allocation of their budget.
Your point seems to be that the Dodgers are not a big market club, because they don’t do things other big markets do.
Well, let us invert that:
Find me another small market club that did what the Dodgers did
Specifically:
1. Signed 3 injured pitchers for multiple year contracts
2. Would trade 3 prospects for a pitcher 2 months from Free Agency
My point the Dodgers are acting to maximize their large market in new ways:
By using their revenue advantage in spending Int’l allocation slots to clubs who have budgets to adhere to
By spending liberally internationally
By building depth through players with injury histories, who have below market value.
By spending money in salaries to build out robust player personnel and pitching coaching staffs.
Bluto
What did I say in my first post?
I said I was only talking, about the starting pitching rotation.
And that has been my only problem, with the front office.
For a little more money, they could have signed more reliable pitchers, then Kazmir and McCarthy.
And they are not only paying there money, they have to pay for everyone who fills in, to pitch for them, too.
They spent almost 100 million dollars, between Kazmir, and McCarthy.
You noticed I haven’t said anything about Hill, because I think Hill is a good signing, because he has a much higher upside, then these, other two pitchers.
I’ll repeat myself with slight augmentation
Your point seems to be that the Dodgers are not a big market club, because they don’t do things other big markets do.
Well, let us invert that:
Find me another small market club that did what the Dodgers did
Specifically:
1. Signed 3 injured STARTING pitchers for multiple year contracts
2. Would trade 3 prospects for a STARTING pitcher 2 months from Free Agency
You YOURSELF lament the team spending more than 100mm on injured starting pitchers.
That’s small marketing thinking/acting??!?!?!?!?
Well of course I am not suprised about Kazmir, because what I read about his condition, is that it was a chronic condition.
And just because he had no symtoms in the off season, was no test to me.
Because he wasn’t doing what caused his condition to flare up, in the first place, which was when he was pitching.
Kazmir has not pitched well, since the first half of the season in 2015, and he was a risky pitcher to give a multi year contract to.
Bluto
I am talking about the high risk pitchers, that they signed for the starting pitching rotation.
I never said anything, beyond the starting pitching rotation.
And they would have not had to trade those three young pitchers, if they would have invested a little more money, and signed reliable starting pitchers.
I never said that they acted like a small market front office, beyond that.
But I could say that they didn’t act like the a big market front office, either.
Because the Cubs, the Giants, the Nats, didn’t sign starting pitchers, with long injury histories, to fill there rotation.
Kershaw against the Giants and it is not on TV????? sacrilege!
I would have liked the headline better if it had said, Kazmir pulled from roster,,,
Michael
I know you will be glad to hear that Taylor is in center today.
And hitting .400 this spring…..Jose Dominguez got the save for the Giants…..yeah…that Jose Dominguez.
Michael
One hundred miles an hour, Dominguez?
I wouldn’t call it small market thinking MJ. I believe Friedman and Zaidi do what they know how to do. That’s why they were brought here. They aren’t trying to not spend money, as some have insisted. They spent bamillions on the IM and continue to pay a luxury tax. Until payroll is all theirs they are looking for bargains. They can afford to because they were left a full house to play with.
Plaschke is a good writer. You don’t accomplish what he has if you’re a hack. I know he’s controversial. Good writers often are.
Is he a good writer?
Are there specific columns you read and thought “that was a good piece of writing.”
I have never had that with him. I have with others, Andy McCullouch writes very well. Bob Ryan. Kornheiser when he wrote. Zach Lowe is a phenomenal writer.
I never read a Plaschke column and had such thoughts.
Different perspectives. Maybe you didn’t like Simers either? Well, we can agree on Jim Murray.
Badger
All I am talking about is the starting, pitching rotation.
I said they used the same strategy that they did, where they worked before.
Isn’t that doing what they know?
I was not saying like some, that they won’t use there money.
This was just about the signings, of Anderson, McCarthy, and Kazmir.
And I know they wanted a cheaper pitchers, to have for a bridge, to our young pitchers.
But I think they could have paid a little more money, to get some more reliable pitchers.
And that might have been cheaper in the long run.
I was just talking about, betting on high risk pitchers.
Once again, our FO is not the sharpest tool in the shed. That ‘not wanting to block young pitchers by signing good pitchers’ just doesn’t hold water. Instead of buying 3 crappy pitchers for $16MM each, they could have signed a couple for $20MM or even $25MM each. When (or if) the young pitchers develop, you got two choice trade items that could help fill some other holes, like second base or catcher or several pretty good prospects. Having too much of a good thing is never a bad thing, there’s always a market. Always buy quality, it’s cheaper in the long run…
I miss Bud Furillo.
Jonah
That is a good point that I didn’t even think, about.
If they signed a little better quality pitchers, they could trade them, if the young pitchers are ready, and get what they may need, in exchange.
The baseball genius, FAX, didn’t think of it either.
Don’t tell FAZ I misspelled his nom de guerre…
Really good pitchers don’t sign 3-4 year contracts. And that’s true for guys already over 30. Cueto and Price are both signed to 2022, age 36. Price makes over $30 million per, Cueto $21.8. There will be Andersons and Kazmirs and McCarthys every year. Probably a lot of them. There will also be Cuetos and Prices. Probably not as many. Take your pick. We know where FAZ has stood. Will that change? Not until it does.
Badger
You know there were other pitchers, that would have just been a little more.
It wasn’t only Price or Cueto type of pitchers.
Liriano was one of those pitchers, and he has been a more reliable and better pitcher, then these other pitchers.
Big news tonight, looks like collaboration did happen.
Yep. Dots slowly connecting.
Liriano is 33 and never pitched 200 innings in his life. 4.69 ERA last year. 163 innings. He’s ok, but a step down from the 5-7 year contract starters.
Yes but probably better then McCarthy and Kazmir.
Yeah. Probably. Id rather have a stronger horse. 30+ starts. 200+ innings. 3.5 or less ERA.
Aye, there’s the rub
Kazmir sucks. He sucked before they signed him and he continues to suck… An incredibly bad signing right up there with Ned signing Schmidt.
Honestly I think the signing of McCarthy was worse. But can’t disagree with you here.