Well, we are at the quarter pole in this year’s pennant race. I know some fans are already wishing for some changes to the Dodgers roster, many wish they would give some of their own kids a shot at contributing to winning the division, and hopefully, the pennant. I thought the Dodgers had one of their better off seasons, but with injury’s piling up and starting pitchers dropping like flies, I may have been somewhat premature in that judgement.
So far, they have gotten all of 9 innings of work out of their 182-million-dollar man, Blake Snell. Sasaki has been ok, but unimpressive so far. He did not cost much, so there is plenty of time. Lux for Sirota seems to be something that may pay dividends down the road. Scott and Yates have been good, Conforto has been bad for a few weeks, Treinen is down. Teo may be out a few more weeks, and the same with Edman. Glasnow is proving to be very brittle. Max has lost his mojo. Finally, Outman is not hitting at all, and he is striking out at a horrendous rate.
Plenty of room for improvement. With the starters dropping like flies, my wish list already has a wish for a front-line starting pitcher, and I mean someone good. Not some team’s castoff. A guy who can eat some innings would be really nice. You know the contenders are not going to be giving up any of their guys, but there should be someone out there who LA could get for a reasonable return. I would love to see what LA’s brain trust could do with a guy like Alcantara. Still has some really nasty stuff. But that is just me.
I am pretty sure that Gomes and Andrew are right on top of the situation. One question was answered when the Dodgers DFAd Austin Barnes and called up Dalton Rushing. He will be making his MLB debut tonight against the A’s. Could Chris Taylor be the next veteran casualty? Conforto has been making solid contact and getting some hits the last few games, and Muncy crushed a ball in last night’s win.
Roberts has continued to play both even though neither is hitting close to what they normally hit. With the addition of Rushing, the bench is a little stronger. So, guys, who is on your wish list? The rumor I heard about Edman is that he is ok batting, it is the quick starts when running that bother him the most. I think that puts him at second rather than in center field for a while. I would like to see LA get at least one power bat for the bench, and as I said before, a starting pitcher who can eat some innings.
When will the front office make these kinds of decisions? Well, that is anyone’s guess. Since he took over, Freidman has made just a couple of trades prior to the deadline, and only one, Manny Machado, was a star player. He brought Kike back a couple of years ago in a trade about 6 days before the deadline. I would think he might make an early strike if the deal makes sense and is a reasonable return for the prospects he might be willing to trade. I do not think any of the players on the roster are in danger of being moved. Even the ones in their walk year.
So, let’s see what your ideas are. I am very interested in the opinions of our readers.
MiLB GAME SUMMARIES
OKC Comets 7 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 3
20 year old RHP Sean Linan started for OKC, and while he was not his usual pin point self, he did not embarrass himself one bit. His changeup looks like it could be a special pitch. He had 9 whiffs in his 3.2 innings. He had 6 strikeouts, but an uncharacteristic 4 walks. He may not be ready for AAA, but he really is not that far away. I could see Sean finishing the season in AA as a 20 year old.
Sean Paul Linan just finished his 1st outing in AAA!
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 18, 2025
3.2IP 4H 2R 6Ks 4BB
Crazy he had 4 walks, because that is super out of character, so I'd imagine that has to do with nerves. Round Rock is packed tonight, and it's a big-time atmosphere, nothing like he's likely ever been in… pic.twitter.com/f3tZK92j4n
In the 4th inning, Alex Freeland hit a one out single, stole 2nd, and scored on a Ryan Ward single for the game’s 1st run.
The Express scored a pair off Linan in the 4th before Logan Boyer got the final out.
OKC broke it open in the 5th. Hunter Feduccia led off the inning with a BB and moved to 2nd after a Nick Senzel single. Kody Hoese doubled to score both runners and moved to 3rd on the throw. Hoese scored on a sac fly. Justin Dean started it up again with a BB and stole 2nd. He scored on a Esteury Ruiz single, who also stole 2nd. Alex Freeland singled to score Ruiz and scored on a Ryan Ward double.
Jack Little pitched the final 2.1 scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit, walked 1, and struck out 5.
- Alex Freeland – 2-4, 2 runs
- Ryan Ward – 2-4, 1 RBI, double (8)
- Kody Hoese – 1-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (5)
Tulsa Drillers 4 – Northwest Arkansas Naturals (KC) 1
Jackson Ferris was the Tulsa starter and pitched a masterful 6.0 innings. He allowed a run on a 3rd inning HR on the 7th pitch to Justin Johnson. The problem was that all 7 pitches were basically in the same location. But that was the only mistake he made through the first 5.0 IP. He did give up a pair of singles in the 6th, but he was able to complete 6.0 innings for the first time in 2025. He threw an efficient 88 pitches in 6.0 innings.
Top 100 prospect Jackson Ferris deals in his latest Double-A start⭐️
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 18, 2025
The @Dodgers' No. 5 prospect fans five over six innings of one-run ball for the @TulsaDrillers. pic.twitter.com/RHSnGuByig
Griffin Lockwood-Powell slugged a HR in 1st inning, giving Tulsa a 1-0 lead. Tulsa took the lead for good in the bottom of the 3rd with a Yeiner Fernandez 2-run HR, good for a 3-1 lead.
Tulsa finished the scoring in the 6th on a GLP 2nd HR of the night.
Griffin Lockwood Powell hit his 1st professional walk-off last night, then hit 2 home runs tonight. Powell is having a GREAT year hitting .313, OPS of .905 & he's 5 for his last 9. He's hitting .344 this month, so he's getting things going. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/wZvVwnZSKA
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 18, 2025
Two Tulsa relievers tossed 3.0 hitless, scoreless innings to preserve the win.
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 3-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 HR (3)
- Sean McLain – 2-3
- Yeiner Fernandez – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (2)
Great Lakes Loons 7 – Lake County Captains (Cleveland) 6
The Great Lakes Loons offense homered three times, and pitchers struck out 14 Lake County Captains in a 7-6 win. The Loons debuted their Dodger Blue uniforms.
The Loons offense scored the first five runs, driving them all in on longballs. Joe Vetrano had the first, a solo shot in the second inning, his second home run of the week. The 22-year-old belted it 385 feet and 101 mph exit velocity. Vetrano has eight hits this week.
Two Dylan DeLucia walks put on two for Jordan Thompson in the third. Thompson throttled his third of the season and third against the Captains. He sent a three-run homer to centerfield, punched 420 feet and 105 off the bat.
Mike Sirota, who went 3-for-3 with a walk in his Loons debut on Tuesday, went first pitch swinging to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Sirota smacked it 426 feet and 101 off the bat for his first Great Lakes homer. Sirota has eight homers over 26 games across Low-A and High-A.
#Dodgers No. 19 prospect Mike Sirota hits his first home run as a Loon! pic.twitter.com/nUTU5Lxg7J
— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) May 17, 2025
Luke Fox, the Loons starter, earned a professional career best eight strikeouts. The left-hander worked 5.1 scoreless innings.
Luke Fox was dealin' tonight for the Loons!
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 18, 2025
In fact, he's been dealin' for a while now.
Tonight
5.1IP 4H 0R 8 Ks 3BB
Fox has allowed just 2 earned runs in his last 3 starts (14.1 IP) & has allowed just 4 earned runs in his last 21.1 innings. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/YkBhedfMg5
The Captains put up six runs in the seventh inning. Three walks set up Ralphy Velazquez who roped a two-run single. A hit by pitch brought another and was followed by Wuilfredo Antunez’s two-run single. A wild pitch brought home the go-ahead run.
Great Lakes reclaimed the lead in the eighth. Joe Vetrano, Jake Gelof, and Jordan Thompson each singled, Thompson tied the game. Jackson Nicklaus notched a sac fly to left field for the go-ahead run.
Carson Hobbs earned the final six outs, striking out two. The right-hander now has a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings with the Loons.
Zyhir Hope singled in the fourth to extend his on-base streak to 11 games, dating back to May 6th.
- Joe Vetrano – 2-3, 1 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, HR (4)
- Jordan Thompson – 3-4, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR (3)
- Mike Sirota – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (1)
Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 7 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3
The Inland Empire 66ers snapped Rancho’s six-game winning streak, thanks to a 7-3 win over the Quakes on Saturday night.
Despite the presence of Teoscar Hernández, the first Dodger to rehab with the Quakes this year, the 66ers held the Quakes to a series-low three runs and just six hits.
Hernández, who walked twice and struck out once over three plate appearances, walked and came home on a wild pitch in the first, as the Quakes took a 1-0 lead.
Inland tied the game in the third against Rancho starter Logan Tabeling, then took the lead with two in the fifth against Felix Cabrera making it 3-1.
The Quakes battled back, but saw Inland stretch the lead to 6-2 in the sixth, as the 66ers took advantage of a Rancho error.
Inland reliever Robert Stephenson was credited with the win, as he worked a scoreless fourth, earning a pair of strikeouts, including one of Hernandez to end the inning.
The Quakes remain ten games ahead of second-place Visalia despite the loss. Rancho will send Christian Zazueta (3-1) to the mound in Sunday’s series-finale, as he’ll take on Inland Empire’s Andre Sanchez (0-3) at 2pm.
- Samuel Munoz – 2-5, 1 run, triple (1)
- Eduardo Qunitero – 1-4, 1 BB, double (7)
Dodgers ACL 8 – Texas ACL 2
- Brad Tunink – 3-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Noah Miller – 2-2, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (1)
- Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-4, 4 RBI, double (6)
- Javier Herrera – 2-4, 1 run
Born June 14th, 1948, in Los Angeles California. AKA The Bear
It pains me to even think it let alone to write it: Is Clayton Kershaw done as a MLB pitcher ?
The stuff is just no longer there. The slider and the curve do not have the bite they once had and the fastball is just way below major league average.
Angels knocked him around pretty bad and if not for some great defense (Pages, Muncy) it could have been even worse.
Pitching overall is weak at the moment. Dodgers need to get back Snell, Glasnow, Kopech, Graterol, Phillipps or they could drop quickly in the standings.
If you score 9 runs on the ANgels at home you should win the game.
Both starting and relief pitching is just not getting it done.
On the bright side: Pages keeps raking, should have had another hit if not for FF bad base running on that blooper.
Rushing looking good hitting and behing the plate.
Scott is everything the Dodgers were looking for. Filthy stuff.
Sirota keeps mashing at GL.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Wish list: starting pitching.
There will be games like this. How many remains to be seen.
Kershaw won’t let this continue. I expect a couple more starts to see if he can turn it around and if he doesn’t he will step down.
But last night’s debacle only began with Kershaw. The bullpen lost this game. Statistically anyway. 6 earned in 5. Yates with the loss, 3 earned in a third of an inning. His ERA is now 4.34. 6 pitchers and only Scott had a clean inning. And this isn’t the Yankees or the Cubs. The Angels are not a good offensive club
Offensively? 9 earned with Ohtani going 0 for 5. Doubt that happens again.
Oh well, SD lost again. Nobody in the West is over .500 in their last 10. One at a time. Sure would like to know what management is thinking.
*I was watching a high school tournament yesterday and ran into Jason Repko. I coached against his high school team many years ago and helped run a tryout camp for MLB when he was a senior. I was timing when he peeled off a 6.5, 60 yard dash, back when they ran that distance. Jason’s son is a very nice junior hitter. It was great catching up with him. Good guy.
*What a pitiful pitching performance last night. Scoring 9 and it not being enough against a last place team is awful. The highlights was Freddie again, Pages, who has made himself into a much better outfielder this season and watching Rushing. If he continues to swing it with the confidence he has shown the Dodgers will need to find a spot for him in the lineup somehow. He also showed improvement presenting his target for CK, since his first start.
*I will say it again, if Kershaw has a future helping this team, I believe it’s out of the bullpen. He just doesn’t have the stuff to be a starter anymore, I’m sorry to say. But he can get through an inning or two, assuming he chooses to accept that role.
*Teo and Edmon should help and we’ll see who goes when they come off the IL. My wish is for Outman and CT3, to go away.
What happened to Yates? Another one bites the dust??
Anybody know what Lindsey’s injury is?
I wish Roberts had pinch hit Kim or Smith for Conforto last night.
I wish Conforto would go away. And take Taylor with him.
The much talked about and unrivaled Dodger depth is going to be tested with another IL stint upcoming for Yates. Snell, Glasnow, Phillips, Treinen, Sasaki, Kopech all on the IL with maybe Kopech coming back soon.
Give the kids a chance….I’ve seen enough of the likes of Feyereisen, Loutos, Noah Davis, Yoendry Gomez, Zach Logue, Connor Brogdan, and the RP that needed a hug from Doc last year.
I love CK and expect the Dodgers to give him as much time as he needs, but will CK improve or will he remain sub-optimal and admit it’s time to hang it up?
Today’s transaction is easy…..Outman sent down when Edman is activated off the IL, but tomorrow will be telling when Teo is activated. CT3 DFA’d, Kim sent down, phantom injury to Miggy Ro or CT#? inquiring minds want to know.
Kershaw has to be near perfect to get outs with his current stuff. There have been times in the last few years when he could do that (esp 2 years ago in the regular season before getting hurt). What I did not see much of yesterday (shape-wise) was his go-to pitch against righties: the slider that starts middle-in and breaks down toward the back foot of the hitter. He MUST have that pitch to be successful, otherwise it looks like BP. I hope he finds it quick — otherwise every at-bat (against righties) feels like an agonizing struggle.
Interesting article on ABS;
https://wapo.st/4j5ISnV
Phillies lose their closer, Jose Alvarado due to a 80-game suspension for the use of a banned substance. Alvarado is also not eligible for the postseason. Already shaky Phillies pen takes a huge hit.
Taylor has been DFA’d
Just posted on MLBTR, Taylor has been DFAd. I saw that one coming.
Lou Trivino is Yates’s replacement he is headed to LA
1) Thank you to both CT3 and Austin Barnes for the 2 titles they helped us get, but yes, it was time to bring on the next generation
2) I”m watching the Great Lakes game right now, and my god, Kendall George is the fastest player I’ve ever seen. I’d LOVE to see him and Kim in a race!!
Note to Bums:
Max Muncy is now the longest tenured position player on the Dodgers.
Please refrain from making any snide comments. Thank you.
i doubt it for the same reasons as Barnes, but maybe Taylor can be a coach or manager.
Dodgers changed Taylor’s status, he has been released. No DFA limbo for Chris. Doubtful any team picks him up off of waivers, so this is better for him.
Unfortunately for the 34-year-old, his time was up. He’s largely been unplayable since 2022 after falling off a cliff following his All-Star 2021 campaign. And it’s all come to a head the previous two years.
In 2024, Taylor registered a -0.1 WAR in 87. In 2025, across just 35 plate appearances, he was worth -0.5 WAR. Since the start of 2022, totaling 350 games, Taylor’s only been good for 1.6 WAR. Well, $60M down the drain. One of the worst contracts in Dodger lore.
Taylor’s release simplifies things. When Teo returns, Outman gets optioned, Kim stays. Great!
Bobby Miller threw a nice game for OKC. Still to many walks. Hopefully he can straighten out. What a lift that would be for LA. Not sure it’s in his cards but we can all be hopeful.
I really like Great Lakes Outfielders. All four seem to be really good players. Maybe they will advance like in the old days when they would keep a group together throughout the minor leagues and they keep playing together. Doubt that happens but it would be fun to watch.
As of right now, LA is in dire need of an innings eating starting pitcher.
My wish list starts with this:
Let’s see The Full Ohtani.
Looks like we’ll have to wait til after the all-star break, but I want “the unicorn” to be unleashed. I want to see a dominant pitching performance with a game-winning HR in the same game. And I want to see him do it in the World Series too.
I also wish the best of luck to Barnes and Taylor in their future endeavors.
And I wish that Rushing and Kim will richly justify the decision to release the two veterans.
And I wish to see Smith and Rushing in the same lineup.
Smith is quietly having a great season. His BA is .333–5th in the majors–and his OBP is .445, second only to the other-worldly Aaron Judge.
Who knew? We’ve got The Big Three, and we’ve seen strong starts from Edman and Teo, and now Kim and Rushing are making waves… while Smith quietly marches along. (Or walks. His plate discipline is impressive: 25 walks against 28 Ks.)
Rushing has made a strong first impression. When he isn’t playing catcher, he could get occasional starts in LF instead of Conforto, and also give Freddie some occasional rest.
In answer to Badger’s earlier question;
When they do, players and their representatives at the MLBPA say they will have concerns, most of them centering on the dimensions and fairness of an ABS strike zone vs. the one they are used to; the potential to try to manipulate that system with unsavory tactics; the need for an adequate adjustment period; and the removal of the human element from a sport with which it is so intertwined.
Perspective:
After 47 games in 2024 the Dodgers were 30-17. Right now the Dodgers are 29-18.
AF has made a statement to the team that they are not going to be complacent and will make changes as needed. SP is not nearly good enough, don’t go deep enough into games, way too many 3 ball counts.
Mookie’s offense is too up and down. Some good games but too many other games where he goes ofer and doesn’t get the big hit when needed most.
It’s a long season and a lot will happen between now and the season’s end. Disappointing to see the big money SP (Snell and Glasnow) injured. Get back soon.
AF did release Heyward and his $ 9 million one-year contract last year. Will he do the same with Conforto and his $ 17 million one-year contract? Unlikely, but he looks to be a huge bust.