Spring Training 2019

Buehler-Urias duo a rarity in Dodgers history

By Ken Gurnick @kengurnick
37 minutes ago

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It’s become standard operating procedure for the Dodgers to “slow-play” their talented young pitchers, so chances are slim that this season will begin with both Walker Buehler and Julio Urias in the starting rotation, even with the possible absence of Clayton Kershaw.

But if their health holds, at some point this year the 24-year-old Buehler and the 22-year-old Urias will be rotation mates, and they will give the Dodgers a pair of young studs not often seen in an organization that historically relies on experienced arms.

It’s been a decade since the Dodgers opened a season with a pair of starters in the rotation under the age of 25 (Kershaw and Chad Billingsley). It’s been more than two decades since they’ve had a pair of under-25 starters win at least 10 games each (Chan Ho Park and Ismael Valdez in 1997).

Orel Hershiser was already 25 when he was a rookie. Here’s how he sizes up Buehler and Urias.

“They both have a chance to be dominant pitchers for a long time,” said Hershiser, a 19-game winner in his second season. “Julio came with a precocious ability to locate the baseball, with pretty refined, repeatable mechanics. Looked like what you would teach. Walker came with exceptional velocity and exceptional ability to spin the baseball, but not with as much precision as he thought was necessary as far as location.

“Now Julio has developed an aggressiveness to let the ball loose more and be more arrogant with his pitches and upgrade the effort, and Walker has actually backed off a little bit and gotten a little more precise and it’s more about location and 94 [mph] well-located, compared to 98 and maybe it’s a strike. Both are coming to a big league pitcher place from different directions. Both arriving at a very young age.”

And that’s not common in Dodgers history, but it's not unheard of. In 1983, a 22-year-old Fernando Valenzuela and a 24-year-old Alejandro Pena combined for 27 wins.

In 1981, Valenzuela was 20 and Bob Welch 24 when the Dodgers won the World Series. That was the first time the Dodgers counted on two under-25 starters since 1970, when 23-year-olds Alan Foster and Sandy Vance were in the rotation.

In 1968, future Hall of Famer Don Sutton was 23 and Bill Singer was 24 when they combined for 24 wins. A year earlier and a year younger, with Sandy Koufax having just retired, that same pair won 23 games.

One of the best young duos in Los Angeles history was Don Drysdale and Stan Williams. In 1961, the 24-year-olds combined for 28 wins. In 1960, they won 29. And in 1958, the Dodgers had three starters younger than 25 -- Drysdale, Koufax and Williams -- and Johnny Podres was 25. But that club went 71-83.

March 7, 2019 3:53 pm 

Dodgers' Josh Fields: Cast off 40-man

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Fields has been designated for assignment.

The Dodgers claimed soft-tossing southpaw Donnie Hart and Fields will be the roster casualty. He logged a 2.20 ERA in 41 innings last year, but his 4.61 xFIP suggests he was very fortunate.

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January 11, 2019 6:26 pm

Dodgers' Josh Fields: Evades arbitration

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Fields agreed to a one-year deal with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Fields served as one of his team's most reliable arms out of the bullpen during the 2018 season, recording a 2.20 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with a 33:11 K:BB over 41 frames. He should return to a setup role heading into the 2019 campaign after avoiding an arbitration hearing.

Josh Fields rhp

1 year/$2.85M (2019)

1 year/$2.85M (2019)

re-signed by LA Dodgers 1/11/19 (avoided arbitration)

Is he hurt?

Dodgers' Julio Urias: Not next man up

Rotowire Mar 7, 2019

Urias will not be the next man up if Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) is not ready for Opening Day, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ross Stripling would step in if Kershaw opens the year on the injured list, which seems likely at this point. That's no slight on Urias -- Stripling just happens to be an extremely overqualified sixth starter. Of course, other injuries will surely pop up at some point, which should open the door for Urias. He will likely open the year in the Triple-A rotation unless other injuries strike during spring training.

Dodgers' Ross Stripling: Likely to get start early

Rotowire 3M ago

Stripling will be the Dodgers' fifth starter if Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) is not ready to go for the start of the season, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

While this was a pretty safe bet, Julio Urias is also a deserving candidate, so it is good to get some clarity from manager Dave Roberts. The skipper also noted that it will be "tough" for Kershaw to be ready for Opening Day, so it seems like Stripling is a good bet to make at least one start in the first week of the season.

Dodgers' Corey Seager: Not at camp

Rotowire 19M ago

Manager Dave Roberts said Seager (illness) would remain away from camp Thursday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Seager's illness isn't viewed as anything serious, but he'll be quarantined for the day so as not to infect his teammates. If Seager is feeling better Friday, he should be cleared to resume workouts, but the illness is still a less-than-ideal development for a player who entered camp behind the rest of the Dodgers' position players while working back from hip and elbow surgeries.
The Dodgers remain optimistic that Seager will be ready to handle an everyday role by the time Opening Day arrives.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: No timetable for mound work

Rotowire 23M ago

Kershaw (shoulder) will play catch Thursday from beyond 120 feet and remains without a timetable to throw off the mound, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Thursday's session marks slight progress, as Kershaw only threw from 120 feet Wednesday. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that manager Dave Roberts said again that getting Kershaw ready for Opening Day would be "tough".

Stripling sees value in his versatility

Right-hander's role heading into 2019 undefined; LHP Hart claimed off waivers


By Alyson Footer @alysonfooter
March 7, 2019

TEMPE, Ariz. -- In most organizations, Ross Stripling wouldn't be a pitcher fighting for a rotation job during Spring Training. He would automatically be in it.

But the right-hander, who allowed two runs over three innings in the Dodgers' 6-2 win over Angels Thursday -- and threw another 12 pitches in the bullpen following his exit -- happens to play for one of the most pitching-rich organizations in baseball. It doesn't always have room for everyone who has proven himself on the Major League level.

There's a place for Stripling on this pitching staff. Exactly where he lands is TBD.

And this is nothing new.

"It's not frustrating," Stripling said. "Because now after four years of doing it, I've understood that's where my value is."

His value is that he provides depth. For several years, the Dodgers' pitching staff has been talented and deep, but also injury-prone. That's already proving to be the case this year, even with Opening Day still three weeks away.

It's very possible lefty ace Clayton Kershaw will miss a small chunk of time when the season begins, which will force the Dodgers to dip deeper into their depth chart. It's likely Stripling will be the first on-the-bubble starter called upon to fill the spot.

He hasn't been told anything definitively, and he's not the only pitcher the Dodgers are considering for a rotation spot. But it's fair to assume that if the season started tomorrow, and Kershaw wasn't ready, that the starting five would be Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda, Stripling and Walker Buehler (though probably not in that order).

Stripling, who started 21 games and pitched out of the 'pen in his other 12 appearances last year, is taking nothing for granted. But having been through similar scenarios in the past, he'll be prepared.

"They tell you you're going to get built up and obviously if someone gets hurt ... just be ready," Stripling said. "They didn't say, 'Hey, you're the first man up,' or anything like that.

"Last year, multiple guys got hurt and I found my way into the rotation. That could very well be the way it goes this year again."

It's not often that someone who made the All-Star team the prior season goes into the following Spring Training with an undefined role. Stripling landed a spot for the first time on the National League roster last year after a breakout first half, and at the end of the full season, he was third-best among Dodgers starters with an average of 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

That would be plenty to justify a more defined role going into the following season. Except if you play for the Dodgers, and maybe one or two other teams.

"He's a valuable piece to what we're doing," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We do see him as a Major League starter. But those valuable innings that he gives us, the ability to get lefties out, righties out, it's so valuable for our ballclub."

Stripling's view? He simply fits in to the Dodgers' formula -- specifically, that of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman -- of having multiple players who can do more than one thing well.

Stripling pointed to position players Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor -- both big components of the Dodgers' pennant-winning run in 2018 -- as examples.

"I'm kind of that version of what [Friedman] needs in the pitching staff," Stripling said. "Maybe three years ago, two years ago, it might have bothered me a little bit -- the ambiguity of not knowing what my role was going to be. Now, I've accepted it, and I know I expect to get chances this year."

Never know. I just didn't understand bringing him back on a pay raise.



“With Josh, just with what we have in the bullpen and the flexibility and versatility as far as where we’re going to start the season, having guys in the pen that can go multiple innings, we saw Josh as a one inning guy,” said manager Dave Roberts.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Could be back for Opening Day

Rotowire Mar 9, 2019
Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he hasn't ruled out Kershaw (shoulder) for the Dodgers' Opening Day assignment March 28 versus the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Kershaw has yet to resume mound work since first experiencing shoulder discomfort in late February, but he's at least made some progress in his recovery. He most recently played catch off flat ground from 60 feet Friday and will extend his distance to 150 feet Saturday before potentially getting the green light for a bullpen session in the days to follow, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News. Given how many benchmarks Kershaw still needs to clear and with Opening Day less than three weeks away, it remains more likely than not that Roberts will be forced to turn to a different starter to kick off the season.

Shocking I know...

Buehler, Kershaw now possible for

Dodgers' top starters had strong workouts on Saturday

By Ken Gurnick @kengurnick

2:43 PM PST

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers claim they aren’t obsessed with Opening Day, but since everybody else seems to be, on Saturday it looked like both Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler could be available.

Kershaw has been dealing with left shoulder inflammation and Buehler has been limited in camp after a spike in innings last year. But on Saturday, Buehler looked on point pitching live batting practice for the first time, and Kershaw fired fastballs on flat ground as if he’s no longer injured -- just behind schedule.

And with that, manager Dave Roberts reversed course from previous comments about time running out to hint that Kershaw still could make a ninth consecutive Opening Day start, even if he won’t have the normal ramp up of a healthy spring.

“But that doesn’t close the door on Opening Day,” said Roberts. “It doesn’t close the door. Nothing is official. Right now, he’s feeling pretty good. The mood meter is trending up.”

Roberts insisted Kershaw will pitch only if he’s ready, although it’s unclear how built up Kershaw can get considering he hasn’t thrown a true bullpen session in more than two weeks and Opening Day, against the D-backs at Dodger Stadium on March 28, is 19 days away.

“It’s great, and a tribute to his career and longevity, but speaking for Clayton, the most important thing is he pitches when he’s ready,” Roberts said. “It’s just another cherry on top to add another Opening Day start.”

Buehler is behind other starters not because of an injury, but to prevent one. He came into camp so ready to roll that management dialed him back, but Buehler all along has been confident, insisting that he doesn’t need as long to build up his arm as others.

Buehler was pretty convincing in his session against non-roster hitters Brad Miller and Omar Estevez. Except for a Miller line drive that just missed Buehler’s head, there wasn’t a lot of batting done in this practice.

“That’s high octane,” Miller said of Buehler. “I was just battling for my life. I want to play behind that guy. He’s nasty. My first two pitches I took, I was being a wimp. Then I locked it in and hit the one up the middle and he locked it in and it became a battle and we all got something out of it. That made the game easy (1-for-2) compared to Walker, nothing against those guys. That’s no joke. Walker was awesome.”

“He’ll probably do another live session, then we’ll get him into a game,” said Roberts. “He’s chomping at the bit, but understands there’s a process in place. He understands the long view and there’s a progression that needs to take place. He’s on board.”

Buehler said his next session will probably double the one-inning, 20-pitch Saturday workout. He said he expects to be in excess of 75 pitches when the season starts.