Spring Training 2019

Dodgers' Enrique Hernandez: Finds power stroke Saturday

Rotowire Mar 10, 2019

Hernandez went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Saturday's spring win over the Mariners.

Hernandez produced the lone offense of the day out of the leadoff spot for the Dodgers. The 27-year-old is hitting the ball well thus far in spring training, as he is 10-for-23 (.435) with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI.

Dodgers' Kenta Maeda: Three strong innings Saturday

Rotowire Mar 10, 2019

Maeda recorded four strikeouts across three perfect innings during Saturday's spring start against the Mariners.

Maeda has looked good to start spring training as he has allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out nine over six innings (three starts). The 30-year-old is slated to once again begin the season in the Dodgers' starting rotation.

Dodgers' Russell Martin: Likely to play Sunday

Rotowire 6H ago

Martin (back) is expected to make his Cactus League debut for the Dodgers on Sunday against the Rockies, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Martin stepped in for four at-bats in a minor-league game Saturday in what likely marks the final hurdle he'll need to clear before rejoining the big club. It's possible the Dodgers will use Martin as a designated hitter Sunday rather than as a catcher or infielder, but that would be merely for precautionary purposes.

Standing too long? Baseball players...

I know it's only the spring but I've always thought he could be good there at 2B. The team doesn't need an All- Star at every position and in looking at the Majors in general 2B doesn't stick out offensively. I'm glad he's getting the opportunity like Friedman said he would.

www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=hernaen02&t=p&year=2018

Thanks for the reminder & good to see you post. 

"Kershaw has been playing catch almost every day of late and all of the updates have been positive. Getting on the mound to throw a bullpen is a huge step in the right direction if Kershaw wants to be ready for Opening Day, or at least avoid a disabled list stint to begin the season."

dodgerblue.com/dodgers-news-clayton-kershaw-bullpen-session-first-shoulder-injury-walked-buehler-live-batting-practice-both-expected-available-opening-day/2019/03/10/

Dodgers' Corey Seager: Could play defense soon

Rotowire Mar 11, 2019

Seager (illness) could start playing defense in minor-league games by the end of the week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Seager has had a bit of a rocky spring. He entered camp still recovering from Tommy John surgery and hip surgery and had been restricted to the designated hitter spot in minor-league games early in March. That process has been delayed for a week while the shortstop battles an illness. If he's able to take the field by Thursday, he'd still have a full two weeks to get ready for Opening Day, though the illness has robbed him of any room for setbacks.

Dodgers' Max Muncy: Doubles home two

Rotowire 13H ago

Muncy went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Sunday's spring game against the Rockies.

Muncy's second double of spring training came in the sixth inning to center field and would plate a pair of runs. The 28-year-old has yet to hit his first homer of camp and is 5-for-23 with four RBI to this point.

Kershaw, Dodgers encouraged by 'pen session

Ace feels no pain after throwing 20 pitches around 80 percent effort

By Ken Gurnick @kengurnick

12:50 PM PDT

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If you didn’t know Clayton Kershaw had shoulder issues, you wouldn't know it by his encouraging 20-pitch bullpen session on Monday.

"Felt great," he said. "It was another good day and I'll take that right now. Just keep moving forward and start building up."

Throwing seriously off a mound for the first time in nearly three weeks, Kershaw looked pretty normal.

"Excellent. It was great seeing him on the mound again," said pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, who estimated the effort at 80 percent. "A Kershaw with no pain is going to be a great Kershaw. It showed today, a nice, smooth delivery. Not overdoing it, right where he needed to be. This was a great first step."

Honeycutt wouldn’t speculate on a timetable for game action or future comeback markers, other than suggesting another bullpen session in two or three days if Kershaw comes out of this one healthy.

"We want a good progression, but we're not going to rush this," he said. "We've waited an amount of time for the medicine to work and he seems to be in a good place. He's at a point where he understands he had to do it the right way and when I get there, I'll be healthy and ready to go."

Throwing to Russell Martin, who caught Kershaw's first Spring Training game 11 years ago, Kershaw threw only fastballs to keep things simple and pitched out of the windup and stretch.

"The other pitches will be there when it's time," said Honeycutt. "Today was step one. We have to stay in a nice comfort zone and build. We had the shutdown, so we need to not push it too early."

Kershaw, who signed a three-year, $93 million contract in November, spent the winter recalibrating his body to better sync with his mechanics after experiencing a drop in fastball velocity.

"When he's in the right position and gets the proper arm speed, his pitches will work the way he wants them to work," said Honeycutt. "Any pitcher with small discomfort, especially in the shoulder, you end up finding a spot that you can throw and that's what he did last year a lot, he pitched with what he had and competed well, but at the same time maybe he was not in his best [arm] spot to make pitches do consistently what he wants them to do."

Kershaw's first two bullpen sessions in Arizona went without a hitch, but after a live batting practice session and a bullpen session two days later, he complained of shoulder discomfort.

He received anti-inflammatory medication and treatment and was shut down for several days, followed by 10 days of throwing ahead of Monday.
Manager Dave Roberts, who named Kershaw to a ninth consecutive Opening Day start before the shoulder acted up, has left the door open for Kershaw to be ready for the start of the season, even though he’s four Spring Training starts behind the rest of the rotation.

Kershaw hedged on the importance of him being ready for another Opening Day.

"Yes and no," he said. "Yes, because I have a little streak going and just the history behind it is pretty cool. No, the fact that, it's one game. ...You've got to weigh that back and forth."