30 minutes ago the Dodgers announced they are placing outfielder Trayce Thompson on the 15-day disabled list (lower back irritation). This is a bad break for Thompson – and the Dodgers – as Thompson had a hot start, which featured leaping catches in center field and home run power at the plate.
However, Thompson’s bat had cooled considerably in the weeks before the All-Star break. He had only 5 hits in his last 35 at bats. Before that cool down, Thompson was making a case for remaining with the club when Andre Ethier returned. Unfortunately, Ethier just had bone scans which showed his leg will require more healing time, so the Dodgers will be without the services of both for the near future.
Zach Walters is an IF/OF who played previously for the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Indians. Walters came over to the Dodgers from the Indians, along with James Ramsey, for cash considerations.
Walters has been with the OKC Dodgers, and since June 1, he’s put up a line of .349/.374/.610. He’s appeared at four infield and two outfield positions.
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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Tough break for Trayce, but he has been struggling. Walters has earned a shot with his play at OKC; good luck to him.
Sucks for Trayce, but I guess we will find out about Walters now. Going to see the Quakes tonight…should be fun…
Did Venable leave the organization?
Artie,
No, he cleared waivers and was optioned back to Oklahoma City
Tonight will go a long way in determining whether the Dodgers might make a trade. If McCarthy can go 5 or 6 and pitch well, they might stand pat. If he gets bombed… they will be kicking the tires.
Zach Walters is a guy who can play 5 positions – everything but 1B, CF and C. He has parts of 7 seasons in the minors, but way back in 2013 he hit 29 HR at AAA Syracuse. Like Culberson, he is “organizational depth.”
On pregame DodgerTalk now, they’re mentioning how we had some guys watching Chris Archer’s start last night for Tampa. He’s 4-13 this year with like a 4.6 era. Somebody will try to buy low and fix him a bit. The talent is there but he’s not been great yet
So far in the first 2 innings, regardless of stats or results, I”m blown away by McCarthy’s stuff. the ball is really moving! He looks so much better than he did anytime last year
Maybe this was the guy who threw for the Yanks in the end of 2014? Or maybe that surgery made him even better?? Either way, I like it
Wow – 6 ip so far – and only 77 pitches! Someone actually pitching into the 7th?
Nope. He got pulled after 77 pitches. They are still worried about his injury I would imagine. Why else would be be pulled? He pitched a fantastic game. Now we have to hold on and win. Gnats are losing. WE could pick up another game on them’
Blanton for the the 8th and Kenley to close it out. I’d like to see newbie Walters PH this inning.
McCarthy could have went another inning, but they want him to be there at the end of the season, so Roberts erred on the side of caution. I like it!
Chris Archer? I think not! This is the Brandon McCarthy I thought they were getting when they signed him after 2014. He is starting to pitch like a #2. That could be huge!
Don’t look now, but Howie Kendrick is on his way to .270 and beyond… He’s back to his normal self. He hasn’t suddenly “lost it” like some thought.
BTW: The Dodgers have moved up to 25th in hitting and 19th in runs scored!
I never had any doubt about Howie. Lifetime .290 hitter who got a late start when the season started due to an injury I think.
Tole seems to play with a calmness.
that strike 3 to him looked borderline to me; wish they showed that strike cam screen for that last pitch
SportsNetLA or Vin doesn’t like to use that box. I wish they would leave it up all the time, like either FOX or ESPN does.
I agree with you Bum about the strike zone box.
Sometimes it is frustrating when he hitter gets a bad call on a pitch, and Vinny or the broadcast, doesn’t show that strike zone thing.
Orel doesn’t mind using it at all.
He used it in the after show once, to show how many pitches that Urias made, that were called balls, instead of strikes.
I think that was a really important inning; Blanton put a couple guys on but didn’t let them score. Huge for his (and my) confidence
Liberatore looked filthy out there. Mccarthy looked dominant out there. Now Kenley to do his job (and get Goldschmidt) and we can take this one
Man, you could just see that Kenley did not have his good stuff today
Bobby
His velosity was way down, until he faced his last hitter
That is why you don’t give closers $15 million 5 years deals.
I have to say that Kenley has blown some really important games this year.
Real story so far is RISP 1-13. I so wanted to see 17 zeroes in the box score at the end of nine innings.
Really? Every time he comes in to save a victory for us is an important game to me. Not just some games, all games.
i agree with u. the blown saves always seem like important games though.
the big one was that SF game. But oh well. let’s get this
Game’s not all Kenley’s fault.
1 – Shouldn’t have pulled McCarthy so early
2 – Team apparently still can’t hit – yesterday an aberration
In Kenley’s defense he closes 88% of his save opportunities. Mariano Rivera was at 89% and maybe it’s just me, but Kenley’s seem to really come at bad times.
That said, let’s win anyway!
Kenley has blown all of 4 games this year. 4. If anyone wants to look for blame, it should be with the lousy offense for leaving 800 million runners on base
For whatever reason, this was a pitcher’s battle. It’s just that Kenley’s timing was lousey.
The silver lining is that Giants lost too.
That was the Dodgers 14th blown save.
The Giants have 16….
That one really hurt!
Well at least sf lost as well. their closer blew a 1 run lead in the bottom of the 10th, and wound up stumbling off the mound on the last pitch, causing a balk to be called, and the winning run scored from 3b
still 5.5 out
Why did Puig swing at ball four?
He had another pitch.
Because he’s a freaking knucklehead!
Why did Kendrick swing at 2 pitches way way out of the strike zone with bases loaded?
Because Puig’s a knucklehead.
Bum
Howie did that three times, earlier in the game, but that pitcher wasn’t having trouble getting the ball over the plate, with the previous batters.
This bothers me, because this has happened in the past, with previous Dodger hitters.
Bum
I give you this, Puig hasn’t looked the same, since they came back from the Allstar break.
He has looked really serious at times, and I haven’t seen him smile much at all.
The 6, 7, 8 and 9 hitters stranded 20 runners last night.
Puig was responsible for 8 by himself! Gonzo stranded 4.
If I were Roberts I would be going Crazy!
The Good News is, we may have found our #2! Brandon McCarthy. Brandon Freaking McCarthy? yes, it is possible. I do need to see some more…
I’ve about had it with Puig’s lousy hitting
He’s done okay since returning from the DL and looked like he was concentrating and focused on every pitch. I was more concerned with Kendrick’s mindset when he swung at really bad pitches and struck out with the bases loaded. A walk would have won the game. I wonder what he was thinking.
Bum
What you just said about MCCarthy, about being focused on his pitches, and having good concentration, is what I think is Kazmir’s biggest problem.
It looks to me, that Kazmir has lapses in his concentration at times, and loses his focus when he is pitching, and that is when he lets his pitches get to high, and hitters hit those high pitches out.
Yes all three of those pitches to Howie, we’re practically at his heels, and the last pitch practically was in the dirt.
Mark
The Dodgers need to pitch inside to the Dbacks today, to stop them from doing that to Turner.
A lot of the Dodgers pitchers, don’t pitch to much inside, like the Dbacks, the Cardinals, and the Pirates do.
That is one thing I like about Frias, he has no problem pitching inside, at all.
Fun game to watch but I swear all of Kenley’s blown saves come on two out/two strikes – talk about heartache.
Kenley’s velocity looked down when he faced the first few hitters, and I really didn’t see his balls cutting.
He had better velocity against Tomas, the last hitter that he faced, who he struck out, to get the last out.
He looked very confident when he was facing Tomas.
And Jason it was especially tough, because he had just got Goldy to pop up, for the second out, right before facing Lamb.
MJ, didn’t he groove that pitch to Goldy and just got lucky with that popup?
Yes Bum Orel said, that that pitch to Goldy, was a bad pitch, and Kenley was lucky that Goldy missed it.
Those two mistakes on the bases killed us too.
Cory said that he thought Amed, was positioned in a different area, but the ball was hit to the right of Cory, in front of him, so I am not sure about his remark.
But he took responsibility for making the out.
Maybe Joc getting to hit in AAA, will help Joc come back, with more confidence.
Bum
Did you see Puig in leftfield close to Howie, in that extra inning?
People got on me about saying this about Puig, when he was next to Toles on the wall, in Toles first or second game, but he was in leftfield, pretty close to Howie, on that ball hit by Lamb, when Lamb tied the game.
What is he doing in leftfield?
It is the same story, the Dodgers go up to bat, with the bases loaded, or runners are in scoring position, and they act like the pressure is on themselves, or try to do to much.
When really, the pressure, is on the pitcher.