The Dodgers signed former Giants and Royals lefty Jonathan Sanchez to a minor-league deal, sending him to the Albuquerque Isotopes.

2:17pm: The Dodgers will sign Jonathan Sanchez to a minor league deal, according to Pedro Gomez of ESPN (on Twitter). The contract is pending a physical, and Sanchez is likely to report to Triple-A Albquerque. Sanchez is represented by the McNamara Baseball Group.

4:00pm: Sanchez has a July 1 opt-out date if he’s not on the Major League roster, according to Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio (on Twitter). Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles confirms the report (Twitter link).

Eric Stephen has more.

On the surface, this seems like a lottery ticket move by the Dodgers, looking to recapture some of the magic of the pitcher who threw a no-hitter and struck out over a batter per inning in six years with the Giants. Sanchez has been an absolute mess the past two seasons, as he is 0-12 in his last 18 starts with a 9.13 ERA, 58 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 71 innings. Sanchez was 0-3 with an 11.85 ERA in five appearances with the Pirates this season before his release on May 8.

Ned Colletti has always enjoyed picking pitchers up from the scrap heap, though it has almost always been relievers. Sanchez was a Giant though, so that hasn’t changed.

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Zack Greinke was activated from the DL on the May 15, with Josh Beckett being placed on the disabled list in a corresponding move.

The Dodgers activated Zack Greinke from the disabled list on Wednesday to start against the Nationals, but another starting pitcher took his place on the shelf. Josh Beckett was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain to make room for Greinke, and becomes the sixth Dodgers starting pitcher to hit the disabled list this season.

The team is finally getting healthy, so a more accurate picture of the squad can begin to be gleaned as we move forward.

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Ted Lilly came off of the DL on Monday as well, with Matt Magill heading to AAA to open up a spot on the 25-man roster.

The Dodgers on Monday before their game against the Brewers activated Ted Lilly from the disabled list and, as expected, optioned Matt Magill to Triple-A Albuquerque. The next question is whether or not the Dodgers use Thursday’s off day to skip that spot in the rotation for now.

Lilly’s long-term role has yet to be determined. He’s starting Saturday and will likely get at least a couple of turns in the rotation before Beckett returns.

A couple of good starts and perhaps the Dodgers can deal him. Or at least Ned would trade for him. Too bad he’s the GM of the Dodgers.

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Juan Noriega was loaned to Monclova of the Mexican League, and Eliezer Alfonzo was sent to Mexico City.

The team also released catcher Selme Angulo.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

Pitching was the story for the Dodgers‘ farm system this week, but one positional prospect stood out and was recognized for his great offensive performance.

It’s nice to see youngsters take advantage of their given opportunities.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (1-6)

Player Of The Week

Matt Angle – OF

.333/.448/.583/1.031, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB, 4 BB, 9 K

Angle, who somehow remained on the 40-man roster for the entire 2012 season, is having a decent 2013 so far. He’s getting consistent playing time with the injury to Alex Castellanos. He, along with others, are going to have to pickup the slack with Tim Federowicz and Scott Van Slyke playing in LA these days.

Pitcher Of The Week

Kelvin De La Cruz – LHP

4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

De La Cruz was an under-the-radar minor-league signing this winter, and so far, he’s pitching well. He’s getting a lot of strikeouts (13.1 K/9) and proving to be a valuable reliever out of the Isotopes’ bullpen.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-2)

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

.619/.692/.810/1.502, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 SB, 5 BB, 2 K

Pederson was somehow not named Southern League Player Of The Week, but he continues to do nothing but hit for Chattanooga. He’s making all kinds of noise and is quickly becoming a more realistic option to be recalled than Yasiel Puig.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ross Stripling – RHP

6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Not bad for a Double-A debut. The 23-year-old was promoted to Chattanooga and was thoroughly impressive. Stripling is proving to be a fast mover and could be some time in LA next year.

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High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Ryan Mount – 3B

.556/.571/1.074/1.645, 3 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Mount was named the California League Player Of The Week with an outstanding performance that included a 5-for-5 game. The nearly 27-year-old is this year’s version of C.J. Retherford. Honorable mention goes to Darnell Sweeney, who hit for the cycle in a game this week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

The Quakes’ starter had another good week and is adjusting to the Cal League rather nicely. With Stripling having been promoted to Double-A, Von Schamann is the most consistent starting pitcher the Quakes have remaining.

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-5)

Player Of The Week

Kevin Taylor – 2B

.348/.423/.391/.814, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K

Taylor got his first action of the season this week and performed well. Too bad he’s about the only Loon who hit even remotely well. Corey Seager is on the disabled list and the “veteran” hitters aren’t hitting right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Sanchez – RHP

13 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 16 K

It’s disappointing to see Sanchez repeating Low-A, especially at the age of 23, but it’s nice to see he’s pitching well thus far. It’ll be interesting to see if he can continue it, get a call-up to High-A, and try to do better this time around.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

There were some eye-popping performances in the Dodgers minor-league system the last couple weeks, and I got to see three of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes games in person, which was awesome.

There are some guys below folks should keep eyes on this season, as they could establish themselves as legitimate prospects with solid performances in 2013.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2 & 5-2)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.480/.536/.800/1.336, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 7 R, 1 SB, 3 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke is absolutely mashing the ball right now. Maybe he has a chip on his shoulder from being designated for assignment in the winter, maybe it’s his improved physique. Whatever it is, he’s doing everything right so far in Triple-A.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Tim Federowicz – C

.571/.583/1.238/1.821, 3 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Federowicz was the Pacific Coast League Player Of The Week and posted some ridiculous numbers. Those numbers, coupled with Ramon Hernandez’s struggles, helped Federowicz get recalled to the Dodgers on May 8.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Chris Withrow – RHP

2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV

Withrow, a failed starter, is having some success with the Isotopes. While he’s still walking too many hitters (6.4 BB/9), he’s getting strikeouts (12.1 K/9). He’s on the 40-man roster and could get the call if the Dodger bullpen continues to falter.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Steven Ames – RHP

4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SV

Ames has been decent but unspectacular this season. His strikeout rate is way down (10.2 last season, 5.2 this season) and he’s giving up a lot of hits (15 in 12 innings), but he did spend some time on the disabled list. He’s also on the 40-man roster, so a call-up could be in his future.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (2-3 & 1-5)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Blake Smith – OF

.300/.364/.450/.814, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K

Smith has struggled a bit this season in his second go-round in the Southern League. He’s played a lot of left field because of Yasiel Puig‘s presence and prototypical right-field profile.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Joc Pederson – OF

.300/.323/.533/.856, 2 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K

Pederson is enjoying a fantastic start to his 2013 in the Southern League. There’s some chatter he could be the outfielder the Dodgers recall ahead of Puig, should the situation present itself. I wouldn’t be opposed to that.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Rasmussen was acquired for John Ely this winter and has done a nice job at the back of the Lookouts’ rotation. He’s not going to overpower hitters, but he’ll get his fair share of outs.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

12 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Rasmussen was the pitching star for the Lookouts. He’s small in stature, but he’s off to a great start in the Southern League so far. He’s a player to keep an eye on going forward, especially with Chris Reed and Andres Santiago struggling a little.

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High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3 & 4-2)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Jonathan Garcia – RF

.400/.429/.700/1.129, 1 HR, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB, 0 BB, 4 K

Garcia is repeating the California League after a dreadful 2012. So far, he’s handling the league pretty well. He’s spent a lot of time as the team’s No. 3 hitter, but he was recently moved out of that spot. He has some decent raw power, but he swings and misses too much and he’ll need to improve that this season.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Darnell Sweeney – SS

.333/.379/.556/.935, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 3 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

Sweeney has been a nice surprise since being drafted in the 13th round last year. He’s now hitting third in the Quakes’ lineup after hitting leadoff most of the season. His fielding leaves a lot to be desired, though.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

7 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

The 2012 15th-rounder is throwing well so far this season. He’s an inning-eating starter a Class-A team desperately needs. And with Ross Stripling being promoted, Von Schamann is the ace of the staff.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Garrett Gould – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Gould was named California League Player Of The Week, although this honor could have gone to Jarret Martin (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K). I actually saw Martin’s start in person, but it’s hard to argue against Gould’s performance.

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-4 & 1-6)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Corey Seager – SS

.350/.350/.550/.900, 2 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Seager did most of his damage in a Loons’ doubleheader sweep on April 21, but he did collect seven hits this week. He’s off to a slow start (.236/.323/.364/.687), but he’s a few days shy of his 19th birthday. This is a tough, aggressive assignment for a teenager, and he’ll be just fine going forward.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Tyler Ogle – C/DH

.269/.345/.423/.768, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K

There wasn’t much offense in Great Lakes, but Ogle one of the most veteran hitters the Loons have, and he had a decent week. He’s been splitting time with Eric Smith at catcher and DH.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Caughel has been the most consistent Loons’ pitcher this season. He was recently promoted to Rancho Cucamonga, and it’d be a surprise if he were to pitch in Midland again this season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Carlos Frias – RHP

6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Frias led the Loons pitching staff and is making his first appearance with Great Lakes in his career. He’s pitched at Ogden and, surprisingly, Rancho Cucamonga. So far, he’s having success in the Midwest League.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

Pitching was the story for the Dodgers farm system this week, but one positional prospect stood out and was recognized for his great offensive performance.

It’s nice to see youngsters take advantage of their given opportunities.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – OF

.417/.417/.667/1.084, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB, 0 BB, 4 K

Castellanos and Scott Van Slyke have quite the nice 3-4 combination going in Albuquerque. The outfielder, who should be a part-time player in Los Angeles, is hitting well again in Triple-A. He’s been great down there since being acquired by the Dodgers.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Magill made the best start of his young Triple-A career by allowing just six baserunners in as many innings. He has the ability to succeed in the rarefied air, but does he have the ability to survive in LA? His most recent start (April 22) was limited because the Dodgers wanted to keep the option of recalling him after Chad Billingsley‘s season ended on April 23.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-3)

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

.387/.457/.774/1.231, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 5 SB, 4 BB, 5 K

Also the Southern League Player Of The Week, Pederson is off to a great start in AA. He’s atop or near the top of a lot of offensive categories in the league, and he’s doing it as the third-youngest player. Impressive, to say the least.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

12 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

This makes me extremely happy. Lee is still my No. 1 prospect, and he’s making me look good so far (and that’s a hard thing to do). He has a sparkling 1.17 ERA and a 2.85 FIP, so it’s not like he’s getting particularly lucky.

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High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

.462/.500/.885/1.385, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 3B, 8 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

The Quakes have some interesting, if unspectacular, offensive prospects, including Schebler. He’s definitely holding his own in left field so far and should probably move up in the lineup before too long. I’d still like to see him walk some more, though.

Pitcher Of The Week

Michael Thomas – LHP

4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV

The Quakes’ closer is having a pretty good season so far, even if he is a bit old for the California League. If he were a couple years younger, he’d be a legitimate prospect. At this point, he could make some noise by pitching well, and, since he’s left-handed, could have some sort of future in the majors.

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-3)

Player Of The Week

Corey Seager – SS

.350/.350/.550/.900, 2 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Seager did most of his damage in a Loons doubleheader sweep on April 21, but he did collect seven hits this week. He’s off to a slow start (.236/.323/.364/.697), but he’s a few days shy of his 19th birthday. This is a tough, aggressive assignment for a teenager, and he’ll be just fine going forward.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jharel Cotton – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

There were three candidates this week, including Ralston Cash and Lindsey Caughel. However, Cotton was the best of the trio. Cotton threw a seven-inning shutout in one of the Loons doubleheader games this week, and he rebounded well after a poor first start (with a relief appearance mixed in).

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

Kind of a quiet week on the farm for the Dodgers affiliates. The Loons went 4-1, but the other three affiliates didn’t play .500 ball.

The pitching seemed to lack this week more than the offense, but there have been some impressive early-season performances thus far.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-5)

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.435/.517/.957/1.474, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R, 5 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke is on fire to start the season. Not only is he hitting the cover off the ball, he’s walking, too. He’s slimmed down and it appears to be helping him. He’s a late-bloomer for sure, but this is ridiculous — in a good way.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Magill’s first start wasn’t great, but his second start was much better. He has the skill set to pitch in the Pacific Coast League, especially with his ability to get the strikeout. It’ll be interesting to see how Magill fares in the extreme hitter’s league this season.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

.304/.333/.609/.942, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 5 K

Puig wasn’t as good as last week, but he still was able to smack four extra-base hits while trying to help the mediocre-thus-far Lookouts’ offense. Joc Pederson was a close second.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB (Intentional), 7 K

Lee pitched like the Dodgers’ best pitching prospect this week, as he spun a gem against the Tennessee Smokies. He’s off to a fast start this season, and could re-establish his prospect status (even though he didn’t do a whole lot to hurt it in 2012) with a strong performance in Double-A.

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High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Scott Wingo – 2B

.400/.571/.467/1.038, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP

Wingo is an on-base machine, or at least he was this week. He gets pushed to the bottom of the lineup thanks to Darnell Sweeney and Noel Cuevas, but it’s nice to have that on-base ability to turn the lineup over.

Pitcher Of The Week

Pedro Baez – RHP

2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Kind of a rough week for Quakes’ pitching. Ross Stripling pitched relatively well, but still gave up three runs in five innings. Baez is not the Quakes’ closer right now, but he could be by mid-season, due to either promotions or performance.

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (4-1)

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – 3B

.476/.500/1.262/1.762, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Hoenecke has been the Loons’ best hitter by far. He’s providing the middle-of-the-order presence Great Lakes’ terrible offense needs. Corey Seager has struggled (statistically), and the team isn’t getting much offense from anyone else.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ralston Cash – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Despite giving up six runs in his first start, none of them were earned. That explains the 0.93 ERA and 4.09 FIP this season, but still, he’s striking batters out (15 in 9 2/3 innings). This is a big year for the former second-rounder.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

Zack Greinke has a broken left collarbone because Carlos Quentin is an imbecile.

The initial timetable is eight weeks following surgery, and Greinke has traveled back to LA to visit with team doctor Neal ElAttrache and go under the knife.

A CT scan of the left clavicle showed that Greinke needs a rod placed to stabilize and align the fracture. The surgery will be performed Saturday by team physicians Dr. ElAttrache and Dr. John Itamura, at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles.

This whole situation was just … unnecessary and terrible for the Dodgers. Quentin just has to walk 90 feet to first.

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Hanley Ramirez is progressing with his rehab following surgery on his torn thumb ligament suffered during the World Baseball Classic, as he had his cast removed.

“He’s actually been able to do quite a bit of baseball stuff. Hopefully that will shorten the timetable for when he comes back, to be sharper,” said manager Don Mattingly.

Ramirez isn’t what he used to be, but compared to what the Dodgers are currently trotting out on the left side of the infield, he would be a savior.

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The heart ailment that has felled Kenley Jansen numerous times over the last couple of seasons is now fully healed, and Jansen does not have to worry about a recurrence.

“It was a fairly successful operation to begin with, but it was very successful on him,” said Stan Conte, the Dodgers’ head of medical services. “His conditioning has improved, which, I think, is a direct reflection of the surgery. Now, he has a normal heart.”

“When I got an a-fib, my heart rate was like 200,” Jansen said. “It’s crazy. It’s beating quick and out of rhythm, and you get tired. That’s the scary part, that you’re tired. You feel like you’re running all the time.”

“It’s finally fixed,” Jansen, 25, said with a smile.

Excellent news for Kenley both on and off the field.

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Chad Billingsley‘s return to The Show from an injured finger on his pitching hand went pretty well, as he went six in his first start of the season. He fanned three and allowed eight baserunners.

Most importantly though, Chad’s elbow, finger, and groin did not give him trouble, and the bit of rust was to be expected considering he hadn’t pitched in a major-league game since late August of last year.

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Ted Lilly went six in a rehab start with the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes.

He seems to be close to “ready”.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Dodgers had a bunch of intriguing minor-leaguers posting solid numbers in the season’s first week.

Note: Since the minor-league season started on Thursday, the numbers you see here — especially for the hitters — will not be the norm all year long.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-0)

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

4 G, .600/.667/.933/1.600, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke, on the strength of a 4-for-5, five RBI game, had the best week of any Dodger minor-leaguer. Primarily a first baseman now, the slimmed-down Van Slyke could still have a career in the big leagues, especially if he’s improved upon his slider bat-speed.

Pitcher Of The Week

Shawn Tolleson – RHP

2 G, 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K

With starting pitchers on pitch limits and the Isotopes not having a lot of talent in the rotation, it’s possible for relief pitchers to make this list more often than not. Tolleson, who lost out on a bullpen spot in the majors because of options, is back to Albuquerque for a second stint. Hopefully he doesn’t stay there for too long, because there really isn’t much more he can do in the minors.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (1-3)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

3 G, .500/.583/.800/1.383, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K

The Spring Training sensation had a solid first week in the Southern League. He hit a home run and drew a couple walks, which is something he didn’t do in March. It appears he’s set to take the league by storm.

Pitcher Of The Week

Onelki Garcia – LHP

1 G, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K

There’s a decidedly Cuban feel to the Lookouts with Garcia making his “official” Double-A debut. It wasn’t as good as his appearance in the playoffs last year, but it’s definitely encouraging.

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High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-1)

Player Of The Week

Noel Cuevas – OF

4 G, .333/.412/.400/.812, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB, 2 BB, 3 K

Cuevas ended up with a game-winning hit one night and, aside from the guys who played just one or two games, had the best week overall. He should be a mainstay in the Quakes’ lineup this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ross Stripling – RHP

1 G, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

Stripling had a nice High-A debut that included four no-hit innings. The second-year pitcher out of Texas A&M could move quickly if he handles the California League well.

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-3)

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – 3B

4 G, .438/.438/.813/1.251, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 2B, 3 R, 4 K

One of the more “veteran” hitters on the team, Hoenecke held it down for the Loons this week. Four of his seven hits went for extra bases and he’s filling a big need for the team at third base.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

1 G, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 K

Caughel, like Hoenecke for the offense, is a veteran pitcher on the staff, meaning he’s a bit old for the league. But his debut was clearly the best of any Loons’ pitcher. He pitched reasonably well last year in Rookie-ball, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can carry it over to full-season ball.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

Never forget.

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Baseball Prospectus: Matt Kemp has struggled to start the year, but his poor Spring Training probably has little to do with it.

His career line in 561 plate appearances? .252/.291/.448/.739.

True Blue LA: The Opening Day payroll for the Dodgers is over $240 million.

Baseball America: Draft bonus pools for the 2013 MLB Draft will rise 8.2 percent from last year. The Dodgers have $5,211,700 to spend on their 10 picks within the bonus pool range.

True Blue LA: Here’s all the changes to Dodger Stadium that you’ve been hearing about.

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Albuquerque Isotopes: Albuquerque Isotopes Opening Day roster.

True Blue LA: Chattanooga Lookouts Opening Day roster.

True Blue LA: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Opening Day roster.

Great Lakes Loons: Great Lakes Loons Opening Day roster.

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Baseball America: Tomohiro Anraku, potentially the next big thing in Japan, threw 772 pitches in nine days at Koshien.

I guess it’s sad that I’m not even shocked by this. The practice has been going on forever now and there have probably been countless arms ruined far before they even get to Koshien.

Yahoo! Sports: Story on Tomohiro Anraku, Koshien, and the Japanese mentality towards pitch counts.

The Dodgers have signed former Braves righty reliever Peter Moylan and former Nationals backstop Jesus Flores to minor-league deals with invitations to Spring Training.

Flores has shown enough flashes that he could feasibly challenge for the backup job should Tim Federowicz falter, though he’s almost certainly going to spend the majority of the season in Albuquerque. Moylan figures to be minor-league depth who could fill in should an injury to one of the major-league guys occur. If you couldn’t tell, the team is all about stockpiling depth at this point.

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The Dodgers have signed three more Dominican 17-year-old projects following their inking of Ariel Sandoval. Joining Sandoval are Deivy Castillo (OF), Ravel Hernandez (SS), and Miguel Urena (RHP).

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Dodgers have dealt John Ely to the Astros in exchange for minor-league lefty Rob Rasmussen.

Rasmussen, a SoCal native and UCLA graduate, was selected by the Dodgers in the 27th round of the 2007 draft but declined to sign and instead became a Bruin. He was drafted by the Marlins in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft and acquired by Houston in 2012 as part of the Carlos Lee deal.

John Sickels of Minor League Ball gave his thoughts on the deal for both teams here. A detailed report on Rasmussen, soon to be 24, can be found here from True Blue LA.

Rob profiles as a relief pitcher and adds some lefty depth to the organization. He’s been emphatic in his joy following the deal:

Speechless/incredibly excited to be a Dodger, truly a dream come true!

— Rob Rasmussen (@RasmussenRob) December 19, 2012

For a kid who lived 10 minutes from the stadium, and saw the likes of Piazza and Nomo, I couldn’t be happier than I’ve been all day today

— Rob Rasmussen (@RasmussenRob) December 20, 2012

Ely, who was merely organizational depth with the Dodgers and profiles as such going forward, was a small price to pay for a flier on a small lefty with some upside.

—–

Scott Van Slyke has cleared waivers and been outrighted to AAA Albuquerque.

While Van Slyke is probably just a bench player or perhaps a one-year stopgap for a rebuilding team, I’m surprised nobody took a chance on him.

—–

The Dodgers have signed former Angels third baseman Dallas McPherson to a minor-league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

Over 10 seasons, McPherson owns a career minor-league line of .289/.370/.563/.933, but a career major-league slash line of just .241/.292/.446/.738 with a .316 wOBA while whiffing in an unseemly 32.1% of his plate appearances.

Over the past six years he’s amassed just 30 plate appearances and appeared in 22 games in the bigs. That doesn’t even tell the whole story though, as Dallas didn’t taste MLB ball in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012 due to a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness.

McPherson profiles as a classic AAAA player.

—–

Ryu Hyun-jin: It was assumed he would not participate in the WBC and that assumption was confirmed today with the replacements being named.

— Dan (@MyKBO) December 21, 2012

The Dodgers have announced their minor-league staff for 2013.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Dodgers are facing an interesting situation heading into the 2013 season — at least, the Albuquerque Isotopes and Chattanooga Lookouts are.

Following a Twitter exchange with Chris Jackson (@TopesWriter) and Evan Chavez (@newmexicofan), it occurred to me: The Isotopes and Lookouts are going to have some awfully crowded outfields — especially the ‘Topes.

The following outfielders are, at this point, slated to begin the 2013 season in Albuquerque:

Alex Castellanos: Could play second or third base.
Brian Cavazos-Galvez: Left fielder with some experience at first base.
Scott Van Slyke: Corner outfielder who the Dodgers don’t view as a 1B anymore (h/t to Jackson).
Kyle Russell: Corner outfielder who could fill in at center field in a pinch.
Blake Smith: Same as Russell, but better defensively.

Those guys are all but certain to be ‘Topes in 2013. Castellanos and Van Slyke have a chance to be on the Dodgers bench, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Nick Buss, who spent the entire 2012 season in Chattanooga, is another guy, and if things fall his way he could actually be the Isotopes starting center fielder. Of the guys listed above, Buss is the only true center fielder.

Then there are the players who aren’t even members of the Dodgers yet. Perennially, those are the likes of Trent Oeltjen and Matt Angle. Hell, Tony Gywnn Jr. is still under contract and could find himself back in New Mexico as well.

Bottom line is, the Isotopes are going to be jam-packed in the outfield.

—–

Including all of the guys above doesn’t even take into account players who could be promoted during the season based on performance — mainly, Bobby Coyle, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig.

Coyle was a late-season call-up to Chattanooga and I think he’d have the best chance of playing in Albuquerque in 2013. Pederson is only 20 and should be with the Lookouts for the entire season (save perhaps a playoff call-up, as he was this past season for Chattanooga).

The wild card though is Puig. There’s no telling where he’ll begin, but it won’t be any lower than High-A Rancho Cucamonga. If he makes it to Double-A and flourishes, I could see him don an Isotopes uniform before the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Any of the trio being promoted quickly would make for even more of a mess than it already appears to be.

—–

Heading into last season, the Dodgers minor-league depth came in the form of right-handed pitchers and outfielders. They’ve already traded away a lot of the RHP depth and now it looks like the OF surplus could be next.

Too much of one position isn’t usually a bad thing, but the concern is that it could stunt the development of a few players, so it’ll be interesting to monitor the situation and see how it plays out.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

The Dodgers officially announced the hiring of Mark McGwire as hitting coach, replacing Dave Hansen. McGwire spent the past three years with the Cardinals as their hitting coach.

Under his tutelage, the Cards offense was top-five in OBP in each of his seasons at the offensive helm, leading all of baseball last year.

McGwire has stated that his philosophy includes not forcing change upon established sluggers, so Matt Kemp will be allowed to be himself. Hopefully McGwire can rub off on some of the lesser bats in the lineup while aiding Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez in regaining some of their previous offensive clout. The willingness McGwire displayed as a player for drawing a walk could also be a great starting point for most of the team, as that aspect of the game can never be emphasized enough.

—–

As Chad noted yesterday, the Dodgers won the rights to Korean southpaw Hyun Jin Ryu, according to Mike Petriello. The Dodgers are spending money like they have a printing press hidden away in Ned Colletti‘s suite, and this seems like just another example.

—–

The club has outrighted Alfredo Silverio to AAA Albuquerque, opening up a spot on the 40-man roster. Silverio missed the entire 2012 season while dealing with multiple injuries suffered in a car crash.

—–

23 minor-leaguers, most notably Ramon Troncoso and Josh Fields, became free agents earlier this week.

If Troncoso were to return, it would just be as AAA roster filler, as the Dodgers possess a plethora of bullpen arms and Ramon has been mediocre at best recently. Fields is your typical AAAA player, and he could be a back of the bench player with some pop, though considering that he didn’t see The Show in 2012, he’s not all that likely to see it in 2013 with the Dodgers.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

Clayton Kershaw may need surgery on his right hip and he could miss not only the rest of this season but the start of next season as well, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

If Kershaw must undergo surgery to repair his ailing right hip, he isn’t expected to be pitching in the major leagues until the middle of May, according to people familiar with his condition who were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Kershaw’s decision on whether to have an operation will be made after Kershaw receives a second opinion from Dr. Bryan Kelly on Tuesday in New York. Kershaw was unable to make his scheduled start for the Dodgers on Sunday.

The team fears he may have a torn labrum that would require surgery.

My opinion on Clayton is the same as it is regarding Matt Kemp: the team should shut them both down. 2012 is not the last year baseball will be played, and this team will be better next year simply by having some of these new pieces on the roster to begin the season. Their future years of service are far more important than a single stretch run in a season that has seen the Dodgers somehow stay in the race despite the unluckiness of multiple serious injuries to vital cogs.

—–

Scott Elbert was speculated to be returning as soon as Tuesday, but he’ll be out for the season and is set to undergo elbow surgery due to persistent problems.

Left-hander Scott Elbert is scheduled to undergo a season-ending operation Wednesday to clean up his throwing elbow.

The surgery will be performed by team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Elbert is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

Elbert last pitched Aug. 26. The next day, he was put on the disabled list for the second time this season.

Elbert pitched a simulated game Friday.

“The next day, he went out to play catch and it was back, same thing,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “So we knew he was done.”

As unfair as it might be, Paco Rodriguez now becomes a key piece in the bullpen despite being in college to start the year.

—–

Kenley Jansen is likely to return on Tuesday. Jansen’s doctors have cleared him to stop taking blood-thinners.

If he’s back to normal then he’ll be an asset even if there’s initial rust, but something rubs me the wrong way about risking anything in regards to this problem. After all, we’re talking about a guy’s life here, screw baseball.

—–

Chad Billingsley‘s elbow is progressing well and he’s slated to start a throwing program in the coming weeks.

—–

Ted Lilly, rehabbing a shoulder injury, will have arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder. According to head trainer Sue Falsone, he will be ready for Spring Training in 2013, the final year of a three-year contract.

—–

Dee Gordon was reinstated after missing 50 games and spending a couple of months on the 60-day DL with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Dee recently completed a rehab stint in Albuquerque.

—–

Room was made for Dee on the 40-man when the team placed Adam Kennedy on the 60-day DL with a groin strain.

—–

Don Mattingly has declared Javy Guerra likely out for the year, as was suspected.

—–

In minor-league injury news, Blake Smith, Gustavo Gomez, Brandon Martinez, Luis Vasquez, Steve Cilladi, Chris O’Brien, Angelo Ponte, Jharel Cotton, Sawil Gonzalez, Francisco Villa, and Matt Laney all landed on either the 7-day or 60-day DL.

Chad delved into it further here, but the Dodgers have retained the services of Ned Colletti with a multi-year extension. They have also let it be known that Don Mattingly won’t be going anywhere.

Mattingly I can live with (but please, for the love of every God ever worshiped, stop bunting, especially with A.J. Ellis), though my preference has always been Tim Wallach. My feelings on Colletti are well-known by now.

#CollettiFail

—–

Dee Gordon was reinstated from the 60-day DL after a rehab stint with the Albuquerque Isotopes following a torn ligament in his thumb that felled him for over 50 games. He’ll take over Adam Kennedy‘s spot on the 40-man roster, as Kennedy was placed on the 60-day DL with a groin strain.

Gordon’s playing time will almost certainly be relegated to a pinch-running role barring injury to an infielder.

—–

Elian Herrera was recalled from the ‘Topes. He’ll take over Kennedy’s role of being, well, a bench piece we all dread to see play.

—–

Stephen Fife was also brought back up from AAA for his second stint with the big league club. He’ll add depth to the pen and could end up permanently replacing Clayton Kershaw in the rotation if Kershaw’s injury is serious.

The Isotopes, Lookouts, and Raptors all made the playoffs in 2012.

The Isotopes went up against a team with the best hitter in minor league baseball in Wil Myers. It was, as expected, a slugfest, but the Omaha Stormchasers got the best of the ‘Topes, 3-2.

The Lookouts went up against one of the more stacked teams in the minors in the Jackson Generals. They, like the ‘Topes, were dispatched, 3-1. A couple of bright spots include Onelki Garcia‘s performance and the fact that Joc Pederson got his first taste of Double-A (3-for-11 with a triple).

Fortunately for the minor league system, the Raptors were able to win its first-round series 2-1 and move on to the Pioneer League championship behind some strong pitching and some timely hitting.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (3-5)

Runs Scored: 38
Runs Allowed: 51

Player Of The Week

Elian Herrera – OF/IF

Herrera, who had his share of success in the majors this season, closed out the final week of the minor league regular season with one of his best weeks: 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, two triples, five RBI, and three runs scored. He finishes the season with a .341/.381/.520 line in 64 games. Herrera should be on the Dodgers’ bench soon.

Pitcher Of The Week

Stephen Fife – RHP

Fife earned his fourth award of the season by having a nice outing for the Isotopes on Friday: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He finishes the season at 11-7 with a 4.66 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 10.4 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 2.9 BB/9, and a 2.11 K/BB. He might get recalled if the Dodgers need a starter or a long man.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (5-2)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 17

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – 1B/OF

Once again, the Lookouts struggled to score runs this week. Nunez was the best hitter of the bunch, going 6-for-18 (.333) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, and four runs scored. This was Nunez’s fourth award of the season. He finishes the year at .257/.319/.420.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee didn’t fare too well in the Lookouts’ second playoff game, but he had a great week prior to the postseason: 12 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K. He finishes his 2012 campaign with some solid numbers: 6-6, 4.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.76 FIP, 3.63 SIERA, 2.1 BB/9, and a 7.7 K/9. Not bad for a 20-year-old who spent the majority of his time in Double-A (62 IP vs. 55 1/3 IP).

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-5)

Runs Scored: 33
Runs Allowed: 60

Player Of The Week

Pedro Baez – 3B

Baez, who was demoted after making the Double-A All-Star team earlier in the season, had his best week of the season. He went 13-for-24 (.542) with two doubles and two runs scored. His arm is great and it might be about time the team gave this light-hitting third baseman a shot on the mound. Baez finishes the season with a .221/.307/.375 triple slash with 11 home runs, 27 doubles, five triples, and 58 RBI.

Pitcher Of The Week

Onelki Garcia – LHP

Garcia made his professional debut and fared quite well: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. It’s a modest outing, but a nice one for a debut. How did he follow that up? With a great showing in the Double-A playoffs (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K). Not sure where he’s going to begin next season, but I’m hoping it’s Double-A. He could be the Dodgers’ second-best pitching prospect by this time next season.

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Great Lakes Loons (5-3)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 38

Player Of The Week

Jesus Alberto Arredondo – 2B

An early season favorite of mine, Arredondo hasn’t made an appearance on this list since I started this feature. Well, he was able to close out his 2012 campaign with a nice showing: 9-for-20 (.450), two doubles, a triple, three RBI, and three runs scored. Arredondo finishes the season with a .253/.305/.339 triple slash. After the way he began the season, I expected more from him.

Pitcher Of The Week

Joel Lima – RHP

Lima made two of his three starts for the Loons in the season’s final week, and he pitched quite well: 12 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. He threw 28 games for the Loons, but only three in the rotation. He finishes the season with a 4.52 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a .277 batting average against.

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Ogden Raptors (5-1)

Runs Scored: 53
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Justin Boudreaux – IF

Boudreaux, who struggled mightily in Great Lakes this season, had himself a week for the Raptors. He went 5-for-16 (.313) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored. For the season, he hit .195/.292/.305 between Ogden and Great Lakes. I rated him as a top 30 prospect prior to the season. Obviously, I missed badly on this one.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

The Dodgers’ 23rd-round pick, despite being nearly 22 in the Pioneer League, is showing he might have some ability down the road. He had a nice outing in the season’s last week: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. He followed that up with a great outing in the Pioneer League playoffs. Caughel had a nice debut season between Ogden and Arizona: 5-4, 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.33 FIP, 3.72 SIERA, 1.7 BB/9, and a 6.5 K/9.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (1-3)

Runs Scored: 14
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Stefan Jarrin – 2B

It was hard to find an offensive star for the AZL Dodgers this week, so I went with the guy who hit a home run. He went 2-for-7 (.286) with the aforementioned home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. He finishes his second professional season much like he did his first: .209/.305/.363.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ronny Lugo – RHP

Lugo had the best appearance of the week for the pitching staff: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. It was his first and only start of the season. He finishes with an ugly 6.27 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and a .333 BAA.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (0-0)

Season ended Aug. 25.

Paco Rodriguez, the lefty reliever out of University Of Florida and the Dodgers‘ second round pick in 2012, was recalled to replace the injured Chad Billingsley, who found himself on the 60-day DL with his elbow injury that may require offseason surgery.

Rodriguez becomes the first 2012 draftee to debut in The Show. He’ll help out with lefty reliever depth out of the pen with Scott Elbert and Ted Lilly on the mend.

—–

Bobby Abreu was recalled from AAA Albuquerque. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, Chris Withrow was momentarily recalled before being placed on the 60-day DL.

He should help with bench depth and could spell struggling Shane Victorino from time to time at this rate.

—–

Alex Castellanos was recalled from AAA.

He’ll likely be a right-handed bench addition, but there’s a case to be made that maybe the Dodgers are better off hoping he can find his stroke and make some quality starts in the outfield. Would be hard to be worse than Juan Rivera.

—–

Josh Wall also got a call-up from the Isotopes.

Will look to provide depth to a suddenly thin bullpen arrangement.

It was a decidedly mediocre week for the Dodgers minor-league system with some standout performances. The Isotopes, Lookouts, and Arizona League Dodgers are on the verge of making the playoffs, while the Quakes are trying to nail down the wild card spot in the California League.

The Raptors scored the most runs this week with 69, and the Lookouts pitching, despite losing many arms via trades by the big club, allowed just 24 runs this week.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 36
Runs Allowed: 47

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – OF/1B

Van Slyke earned his second consecutive award (fourth overall) by going 8-for-21 (.381) with a home run, four doubles, three RBI, three runs scored, and six walks. He’s hitting .325/.408/.575 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Pitcher Of The Week

Will Savage – RHP

Savage, who was once 6-0 on the season, had a really good outing this past week: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. He’s not faring well in the league on the season, but he throws an occasional good game.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Jake Lemmerman – SS

This one was close between Lemmerman and Bobby Coyle, but I gave the nod to Late Night. He went 10-for-22 (.456) with a home run, three doubles, a triple, seven RBI and three runs scored. It’s just his second honor of the season. His 2012 has been rather disappointing, especially since I was higher on him than a prospect than most.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee is definitely getting the hang of the Southern League now. He had a fantastic outing this past week: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. His overall ERA is lower now than it was when he was promoted from Rancho Cucamonga, as he has a 4.18 ERA with the Lookouts. This is his fourth honor of the season (third since being promoted) for the Dodgers best prospect.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 68

Player Of The Week

Austin Gallagher – LF

Gallagher, who started this season as a first baseman, has been playing a lot of left field and he had his best week of the season to date: 13-for-26 (.500) with two home runs, three doubles, 11 RBI, nine runs scored, and six walks. Gallagher missed some time with an injury this season but still owns a career-high slugging percentage (.474). It’d be more impressive if he wasn’t repeating the level.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jordan Roberts – LHP

It’s hard to find a good pitcher when a team gives up 68 runs in seven games, but Roberts did admirable work out of the Quakes bullpen this week: 10 2/3 IP, 13 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Roberts is, somehow, 8-0 on the season with a 3.57 ERA. His peripherals, however, aren’t as nice as his undefeated record (for whatever that’s worth) and his decent ERA.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

After destroying the Arizona League, Ogle was promoted to Great Lakes and then demoted to Ogden before being repromoted to Great Lakes. This week, he went 7-for-15 (.467) with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored.

Pitcher Of The Week

James Campbell – RHP

Campbell, the Dodgers 12th-round pick this year, made three appearances this week, including his first start: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. Those were his totals from the week, not his start, unfortunately. Still, Campbell does have some ability and, like many relievers, should move rather quickly through the system.

—–

Ogden Raptors (6-1)

Runs Scored: 69
Runs Allowed: 47

Player Of The Week

Jesus Valdez – 1B/RF

This one could have gone to Corey Seager, Malcolm Holland, or Bladimir Franco, but Valdez’s performance was the best. He went 13-for-31 (.419) with two home runs, five doubles, 14 RBI, and nine runs scored. Valdez is enjoying lots of success with Ogden, posting a .325/.399/.516 triple slash with nine home runs and 16 doubles.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ross Stripling – RHP

Stripling, the Dodgers fifth-round pick, profiles as a starting pitcher, but he hasn’t thrown many innings per start because the club wants to limit his innings. But he threw well this week: 6 IP, 5 H, 1R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. He owns a 0.85 ERA and a 35:4 K:BB ratio.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (3-2)

Runs Scored: 27
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Cory Embree – OF

Embree, the Dodgers 38th-round pick, has hit well for the Arizona League Dodgers this season as a 20-year-old. In limited action this week, he was the team’s best: 6-for-11 (.545) with a double, two triples, six RBI, and two runs scored. He’s hitting .320/.409/.493 on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zachary Bird – RHP

Bird, widely considered a sleeper from the Dodgers 2012 draft class, had a nice outing this week: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He averages more than a strikeout per inning and is someone to keep tabs on going forward.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (1-4)

Runs Scored: 13
Runs Allowed: 25

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – C/1B

The team only played five games and scored 13 runs this week, so this award had to go to someone. Cordero was the best of the bunch: he went 5-for-13 (.385) with two doubles and two RBI. He finished his third stint in the league with six home runs, 19 doubles, 47 RBI, and 50 runs scored.

This shouldn’t come as any surprise to followers of the Dominican Summer League Dodgers or readers of this feature. On the year, Cordero’s line is a scintillating .362/.419/.533/.952, easily making him the best hitter on the squad. Therefore, if one were into sports betting, then Cordero has been the one to wager on in 2012 when it comes to Player Of The Week nods due to his consistent production week-to-week and the lack of other relevant bats on the team.

Pitcher Of The Week

Luis Silverio – LHP

Silverio had the best outing of any DSL Dodger this week, as the team ended its season: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 K. He had a nice showing in the league. I wanted to give this to Bryan Munoz (the 16-year-old the Dodgers signed), but he only threw one inning this week.

The Chattanooga Lookouts are in contention for a playoff berth and helped their cause with a 5-1 week. They did it on the strength of their pitching, allowing just 19 runs in six games. The Dodgers minor league system had two players earn Player Of The Week honors in Luis Nunez and Joc Pederson.

The Arizona League Dodgers scored the most runs this week at 50, while the Dominican Summer League Dodgers allowed 40 runs this week.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 38

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – OF/1B

Van Slyke earned his third award of the season by going 9-for-25 (.360) with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBI, nine runs scored, and six walks. He obviously has no difficulty with Triple-A pitching so it’s too bad he didn’t seize his chance in the majors. He’ll be up in September.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

You’re shocked, I know: 14 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 13 K; ninth honor this season. Ho hum.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (5-1)

Runs Scored: 33
Runs Allowed: 19

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – 1B

This is Nunez’s third award this season and he earned it by going 10-for-20 (.500) with two home runs, three doubles, five RBI, and five runs scored. He also was named the Southern League Player Of The Week. The 25-year-old is having a decidedly mediocre season for the Lookouts.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

Magill continues his solid season by taking home his fifth award this season (the first in which he didn’t win the league Player Of The Week honor) by pitching well for Chattanooga: 12 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 18 K. His 154 strikeouts and 10.5 K/9 lead the Southern League.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-2)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 26

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

Pederson, who was named the California League Player Of The Week, continued his torrid August by going 11-for-25 (.440) with four home runs, four doubles, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. For the month, he’s hitting .397/.494/.863 with 19 extra base hits (11 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR).

Pitcher Of The Week

Ryan Acosta – RHP

Acosta takes home his first honor by having a nice start for the Quakes: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. The 23-year-old is in his second stint with the Quakes. He’s faring much better this season than last (10.66 ERA vs. 3.15 ERA).

—–

Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 23
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

O’Koyea Dickson – 1B

Dickson seems to be snapping out of his second-half slump. He earns his third honor in the last five weeks by going 9-for-19 (.474) with a home run, a double, two RBI, four runs scored, and, surprisingly, three stolen bases. He’s back up to .269/.370/.460 with 14 home runs on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Greg Wilborn – LHP

Wilborn earns his second award in three weeks by throwing a good game this past week: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. The 25-year-old isn’t a prospect at this point.

—–

Ogden Raptors (4-3)

Runs Scored: 36
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Corey Seager – SS

Seager winning this week’s award was almost by default (his third in a row). Despite scoring 36 runs in seven games, there wasn’t really an offensive standout for the Raptors this week. Seager went 6-for-20 (.300) with a home run, double, triple, six RBI, and five runs scored. Seager owns an .856 OPS in the Pioneer League as an 18-year-old. That’s pretty good for a debut season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

The Dodgers 23rd-round pick in 2012 had himself a week: 13 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K. The 22-year-old has some work to do before getting noticed on the prospect map.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (5-2)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

John Sgromolo – 1B

Sgromolo helped to lead the AZL Dodgers to a solid 5-2 week by going 6-for-16 (.375) with three doubles, a triple, seven RBI, and six runs scored. The 2012 37th-rounder has a .305/.383/.427 line in 22 games this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Miguel Sulbaran – LHP

Sulbaran had a decent week on the hill for the AZL Dodgers: 12 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 15 K. Sulbaran has good strikeout numbers in the AZL (54 in 52 2/3 IP) and is someone to keep an eye on going forward.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (4-3)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – C/1B

Cordero missed some time earlier this season, but he was back this week: 9-for-26 (.346) with two home runs, three doubles, seven RBI, and eight runs scored. Cordero has a nice triple slash (.367/.422/.540), but he needs to be promoted to see if he can put up decent numbers against advanced pitching.

Pitcher Of The Week

Luis De Paula – LHP

De Paula, a 20-year-old lefty, had a nice performance this week: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. He’s started half the games he’s pitched in this season and it looks like he’ll remain in the rotation.

The Arizona League Dodgers were the big winners this week by going 6-1. They also scored the most runs this week at 50. The Lookouts continued to struggle offensively. Their pitching has been good (24 runs allowed in seven games), but the hitting has nearly disappeared. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers actually allowed the fewest runs at 23.

Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig continue to impress, as does John Ely. Zach Lee might be coming into his own in Double-A as well.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 48

Player Of The Week

Tim Federowicz – C

Federowicz’s hot week was just enough to unseat Jerry Sands and to take his third honor of the season. He went 8-for-18 (.444) with a home run, three doubles, seven RBI, five runs scored, and five walks. He’s quietly posting a .297/.369/.482 line, but it is Albuquerque, so it must be taken with a grain of salt.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Ho hum: 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K. It’s his eighth honor of the season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 19
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Brahiam Maldonado – OF

Maldonado earns his second award of the season by going 10-for-20 (.500) with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI, and four runs scored. The Lookouts didn’t hit well this week (scoring just 19 runs), so it’s a little surprising to see a guy hit .500 for the week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee might finally be getting comfortable in the Southern League after a few up-and-down outings. He was pretty solid this week: 12 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 6 K. His K/9 is down from his California League performance, but it’s all about him making quality pitches against advanced competition right now.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Runs Scored: 34
Runs Allowed: 37

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

Pederson is having a great second half and a fantastic July and August. This week was no exception: 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI, eight runs scored, and five walks. Pederson is hitting .333/.500/.744 in August with eight of his 13 hits going for extra bases. His on-base percentage on the season is flirting with .400 (.393). He’s a flat-out stud.

Pitcher Of The Week

Yimi Garcia – RHP

This was a tough one. Sanchez had one of his best starts in awhile (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), but I went with Garcia here. Why? Well, his first week in the Cal League was pretty awesome: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Eight of the 11 outs he recorded were via the strikeout. That’s not a bad debut for a 21-year-old (soon-to-be 22).

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Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Nick Akins – OF

Akins hasn’t made much noise this season (not surprising because he’s not a prospect at this point in his career), but he had a solid week for the Loons: 7-for-22 (.318) with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI, six runs scored, and eight walks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Juan Rodriguez – RHP

Rodriguez, who was suspended for more than a month by the Quakes earlier this season before being demoted, amazingly got into four games for the Loons this week: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. The 23-year-old has an undeniably electric fastball, but his off-speed offerings aren’t great, just like his control. He had potential heading into the season, but his suspension and demotion raised some eyebrows.

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Ogden Raptors (2-4)

Runs Scored: 34
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Corey Seager – SS

Seager earns his second honor of the season by going 10-for-25 (.400) with a home run, a double, a triple, five RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases. Seager isn’t fairing well defensively (15 errors in 30 games), but he’s definitely coming into his own with the bat. It’d be nice to see him begin next season at Low-A, but the Dodgers don’t have a reason to rush him.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jharel Cotton – RHP

Cotton, the Dodgers 20th-round draft pick out of East Carolina, had a really nice outing this week in relief: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K. He’s off to a nice start in his first 10 professional innings (1.80 ERA, 1.00 FIP, 12.6 K/9).

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Arizona League Dodgers (6-1)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 29

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

Puig had another impressive week in the Arizona League: 7-for-14 (.500) with two home runs, a triple, six RBI, six runs scored, and six walks. His performance was good enough to earn him a promotion to Rancho Cucamonga. It’ll be nice to see him play against more advanced competition.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jhouse Bermudez – LHP

Bermudez made the jump from the Dominican Summer League to the Arizona League and fared quite well: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. The 19-year-old lefty has a little potential.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (4-2)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

It’s basically Santana vs. Josmar Cordero for this award. Santana had the better week of the two: 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, four runs scored, three walks, and two stolen bases. Santana boasts a nice .396 on-base percentage in the DSL.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP

Diaz earns his second award of the season by throwing the ball well on August 9: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. The 21-year-old is a sleeper in the organization.

Garrett Gould throws during the June 5th game against the Stockton Ports. Photo by Dustin Nosler.

Baseball America has released their Best Tools rankings for 2012 and it includes four Dodgers prospects and one Dodgers manager.

Tim Federowicz of the Albuquerque Isotopes was named Best Defensive Catcher in the Pacific Coast League. His manager, Lorenzo Bundy, was voted as the Best Managerial Prospect in the league. Garrett Gould of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes was voted as having the Best Breaking Pitch in the California League. His teammate, C.J. Retherford, was named as the Best Defensive 3B in the league. James Baldwin of the Great Lakes Loons was voted as the Best Baserunner in the Midwest League.

I’m quite certain that Federowicz could do a better job than Matt Treanor right now, but one gets the feeling that the team believes he can be a starter down the road, so they want him getting regular playing time. Gould is a prospect that both Dustin Nosler and I like, and his recognition is well deserved. Retherford is not a prospect at this point in his career and Baldwin might be a great baserunner, but he’s not a great hitter. As for Bundy, if he wants to manage in the MLB someday, he’ll probably have to take a job outside the organization, as I don’t think Don Mattingly is going anywhere for a while (nor should he).

—–

The Dodgers recently released the rest of the names of their international signing class of 2012. It had previously been revealed that the team had inked Cristian Gomez out of the Dominican Republic, William Soto out of Venezuela, and Lenix Osuna, Victor Gonzalez, and Julian Leon out of Mexico. The rest of the names, though, had not been revealed until now.

They are Martin Rosario out of Puerto Rico, Luis Subero and Angel Pena out of Venezuela, and Rafael Gomez King, Omarlin Franco, Luis Alcantara, Luis Jimenez, Ezequiel Guzman, Albert Romano, and Jorlin Javier Chales out of the Dominican Republic.

Man, I’m never going two weeks between these posts again. Anyway, most of the Dodger minor-league affiliates were mediocre the last two weeks. The Ogden Raptors scored the most runs this week with 83, thanks to Jeremy Rathjen, Corey Seager and Eric Smith. They also gave up the most runs this week at 94.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (7-8)

Runs Scored: 81
Runs Allowed: 69

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jerry Sands – OF/1B
July 30: Jerry Sands – OF/1B

Sands has been one of the hottest hitters in the minor leagues for the past couple weeks. For the week of July 23, he went 12-for-34 (.353) with three home runs, 11 RBI, a double, and five runs scored. He earned the Pacific Coast League Player Of The Week, as Sands hit two grand slams in the second game of the July 29 doubleheader. For the week of July 30, he went 11-for-25 (.440) with three home runs, 10 RBI, and three runs scored. His hot hitting earned him a call-up to Los Angeles.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: John Ely – RHP
July 30:  Josh Wall – RHP

Ely had a couple solid outings for the Isotopes: 13 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. He has a 3.42 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 9.2 K/9 on the season. Wall made three appearances last week and saved two games for the Isotopes: 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (7-6)

Runs Scored: 65
Runs Allowed: 54

Players Of The Week

July 23: Rafael Ynoa – 2B
July 30: J.T. Wise – 1B

Ynoa won his fourth award of the season, but his numbers were less than impressive: 5-for-20 (.250) with two doubles, two RBI, and seven walks. The Lookouts were one-hit twice and no-hit once in the week of July 23, so that accounts for the poor offensive week. Wise had a much better week: 10-for-23 (.435) with a home run, 10 RBI, three doubles, six runs scored, and seven walks.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Zach Lee – RHP
July 30: Matt Magill – RHP

Lee had a nice outing on July 27 to earn just his second award of the season: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K. He hasn’t fared well in Double-A thus far, but he is just 20 years old. Next season will be the true test of his prospect status. Magill had one of his best outings of the season despite giving up three runs: 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. This is Magill’s fourth honor of the year.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (6-6)

Runs Scored: 81
Runs Allowed: 75

Players Of The Week

July 23: Leon Landry – OF
July 30: Bobby Coyle – OF & Joc Pederson – OF

Landry had a fantastic week before being traded to Seattle with Logan Bawcom for Brandon League: 14-for-30 (.467) with two home runs, five (!) triples, a double, six RBI, and nine runs scored. That performance earned him California League Player Of The Week honors. He finishes his Quake career with a .328/.358/.559 triple slash with eight home runs, 51 RBI, 26 doubles, 15 triples, 63 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. The next week, Coyle and Pederson carried the Quakes offense. Coyle went 10-for-25 (.400), with a home run, double, triple, and four RBI. Pederson didn’t get many hits, but he walked a bunch: 5-for-20 (.250) with a home run, double, triple, five RBI, eight runs scored, nine walks, and three stolen bases.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Rubby De La Rosa – RHP
July 30: Andres Santiago – RHP

Well, well, well, Mr. De La Rosa, so nice to see you. De La Rosa made his season debut with the Quakes and showed no ill effects from his Tommy John surgery: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. He also had a fine performance in his second appearance, but it was cut short because of discomfort in his groin (thankfully it wasn’t his elbow). Santiago had a great outing for the Quakes — and it’d be his last at the level because he was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K. Santiago has taken the award four of the last five weeks and has won it five times overall this season.

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Great Lakes Loons (3-10)

Runs Scored: 58
Runs Allowed: 78

Players Of The Week

July 23: Pratt Maynard – C
July 30: O’Koyea Dickson – 1B/DH

Maynard, who started the season in a terrible slump, has picked it up of late. For the week of July 23, he went 6-for-20 (.300) with three doubles, two RBI, and three walks. Dickson has been mired in a slump for most of the second half, but he had a nice week: 8-for-26 (.308) with three home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Duke Von Schamann – RHP
July 30: Greg Wilborn – LHP

The Dodgers might have found themselves a gem in Von Schamann, who earns his third award of the season — all since being promoted to Great Lakes. He had his best outing of the season so far during the week of July 23: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. He doesn’t strike guys out, but he gets them out. He’ll have to miss more bats as he moves up the ladder, but it’s hard to argue with what he’s doing at the moment. Wilborn had a nice week for the Loons in the following period: 11 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 12 K. Wilborn has been all around the minors this season, and he’s not a prospect at this point.

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Ogden Raptors (7-6)

Runs Scored: 83
Runs Allowed: 94

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jeremy Rathjen – OF
July 30: Corey Seager – SS

Rathjen, who fell in the draft because of injury concerns, continues to mash for the Raptors. For the week of July 23, he went 10-for-21 (.476) with three RBI, seven runs scored, and eight walks. Seager hit his first professional home runs last week, as he went 8-for-24 (.333) with three home runs, nine RBI, five runs scored, and seven walks. Jesus Valdez (.346, four home runs) and Eric Smith (.455, 10 walks) were the runners-up.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Ross Stripling – RHP
July 30: Owen Jones – RHP

Stripling is having no problems with the Pioneer League, but the Dodgers are limiting his innings. He had a short but effective outing: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Jones, the Dodgers 19th-round draft pick in 2012, had a solid week coming out of the bullpen for the Raptors: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (3-6)

Runs Scored: 47
Runs Allowed: 54

Players Of The Week

July 23: Cory Embree – OF
July 30: Yasiel Puig – OF

Embree had a modest week for the AZL Dodgers: 5-for-12 (.417) with a double, four RBI, and three walks. Puig, making his professional debut, went 5-for-16 (.313) with two home runs, five RBI, two triples, and four runs scored.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Jonathan Martinez – RHP
July 30: Zachary Bird – RHP

Martinez had a fantastic outing on July 24: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. The 18-year-old is having a lot of success in the Arizona League and is someone to keep an eye on going forward. Bird, the Dodgers ninth-round pick this year, had the best outing of his young career: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-7)

Runs Scored: 48
Runs Allowed: 61

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jeffry Rojas – SS
July 30: Melvin Santana – 2B

Rojas only played three games, but he made them count by going 6-for-10 (.600) with a double and an RBI. Santana, making his fourth appearance on this list, went 6-for-17 (.353) with a home run, a double, four RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP
July 30: Wascar Teodo – RHP

Diaz, 21, earned his first award of the season by throwing six quality innings on July 27: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. Teodo did just a little better than Diaz this past week: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. The 18-year-old is throwing well for the DSL Dodgers.

The Albuquerque Isotopes and Chattanooga Lookouts had the best week in the Dodgers minor league system, both winning five games this week. The ‘Topes scored the most runs this week with 54, while the Great Lakes Loons gave up the fewest with 24.

The Arizona League Dodgers, a team that had been rolling, had one game in which it gave up 20 runs. The lowlight of the week for sure.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, some of these guys could be making their last appearances on this list.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2)

Runs Scored: 54
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

Fields has been one of the Pacific Coast League‘s hottest hitters, and that continued this week: 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs, four doubles, nine RBI, nine runs scored, and four walks. Fields is up to .345/.411/.525 on the season, and if the Dodgers don’t find an upgrade at third base he might actually get a shot at the hot corner. This was his third award in four weeks and his fourth overall.

Pitcher Of The Week

Stephen Fife – RHP

Fife had the best week of any Isotopes pitcher despite making his MLB debut this week (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K). He had an even better outing for Albuquerque after he was optioned: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K. It was his best outing of the season and there might be some hope for him as a swingman in the majors. This is Fife’s third award of the season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (5-1)

Runs Scored: 37
Runs Allowed: 28

Player Of The Week

Rafael Ynoa – 2B

Believe it or not, this is Ynoa’s third award of the season. He went 11-for-23 (.478) with a double, four RBI, two walks, and a stolen base. He’s raised his season triple slash to .305/.375/.366. He has decent on-base skills but zero power.

Pitcher Of The Week

Allen Webster – RHP

The man who could be traded for Ryan Dempster, Webster had himself quite an outing on Friday: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. He’s showing why he’s one of the Dodgers top prospects after a terribly slow start to the season. He’s getting better and stronger as the season goes on and he should only be traded for an impact player — definitely not a rental like Dempster.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-5)

Runs Scored: 17
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Scott Wingo – 2B

Wingo had himself quite a week for the Quakes: 10-for-24 (.417) with three doubles and four runs scored. He has a good eye, drawing 41 walks in 84 games, and plays a decent second base. This is his third honor this season. He needs to finish the season strong to get on the prospect radar.

Pitcher Of The Week

Andres Santiago – RHP

Santiago is on fire, capturing his third straight award and fourth on the season by having another good outing: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. His ERA is high (4.48), but his peripherals continue to improve (1.19 WHIP, 7.7 H/9, 10.3 K/9, 3.46 K/BB, 3.05 FIP). He’s the Quakes best pitcher right now.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (4-2)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

O’Koyea Dickson – 1B/DH

Dickson has been noticeably absent from this list for more than a month because of a horrifically bad slump to start the second half. However, it seems he might be back on track after going 8-for-25 (.320) with a home run, two doubles, seven RBI, and three runs scored. He still owns a respectable .842 OPS in the Midwest League. I’d still like to see him promoted to Rancho Cucamonga.

Pitcher Of The Week

Gustavo Gomez – RHP

Gomez makes his first appearance on this list, which is a little surprising. He had a solid outing on Saturday: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. The 21-year-old has struggled a lot with the Loons, posting a 5.92 ERA and a .291 BAA. It’d be nice to see him finish the season on a strong note.

—–

Ogden Raptors (2-4)

Runs Scored: 28
Runs Allowed: 37

Player Of The Week

Pat Stover – OF

The Dodgers 40th-round pick this year, Stover could end up being a steal. Oh, and he had a solid week for the Raptors: 6-for-17 (.353) with a home run, three RBI, two runs, and two walks. He owns a .375/.452/.438 triple slash in his first 21 professional games.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Laney – LHP

Laney, who began the season with Great Lakes, had the best week of any Raptor pitcher: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. He’s actually pitched worse since going to Ogden.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (1-4)

Runs Scored: 17
Runs Allowed: 39

Player Of The Week

Jesmuel Valentin – SS

The Dodgers 2012 second-round pick makes his first appearance on this list by going 4-for-13 (.308) with a home run, three RBI, four runs scored, and three walks. Valentin got off to a slow start but is up to a decent .253/.366/.400 triple slash in his debut season. He’s scored 19 runs and has 19 hits.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

The Dodgers 2012 23rd-round pick had the best week of the bunch, which isn’t saying much: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He had a decent game, but no one else had a week worth noting for the team.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-3)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 28

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

Santana has taken over as the team’s best player by earning his third consecutive POTW award. Santana went 6-for-16 (.375) with a double, four runs scored, and three stolen bases. He owns a .313/.387/.507 line with 38 runs scored.

Pitcher Of The Week

Wander Beras – LHP

Beras, like Santana, earns his third consecutive POTW award for the DSL Dodgers by having another fantastic outing: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. He’s struck out 73 hitters in 56 1/3 innings, but he’s 23 years old at the lowest level of the minors.

It was a down week for some of the Dodgers minor league affiliates. The Chattanooga Lookouts and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes both had 2-4 weeks. The Great Lakes Loons checked in with the best record at 5-1. The Albuquerque Isotopes had an abbreviated week due to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game.

The Loons and Ogden Raptors scored the most runs this week at 41. The ‘Topes allowed just seven, but did so in just three games.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (2-1)

Runs Scored: 16
Runs Allowed: 7

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – 2B & Brian Cavazos-Galvez – OF

It was a short week for the Isotopes, hence the split award. Castellanos went 4-for-9 (.444) with four walks and two runs scored. Cavazos-Galvez went 6-for-9 (.667) with a home run, double, four RBI, and two runs scored. They’re the two most consistent hitters for the ‘Topes right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Fernando Nieve – RHP

I don’t like giving this to a 30-year-old in Triple-A, but it was a short week. Nieve did have a solid outing: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. He hasn’t fared well on the season, though: 6.08 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, and a ridiculous 105 hits allowed in 74 innings.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Runs Scored: 18
Runs Allowed: 25

Player Of The Week

Gorman Erickson – C

After the season Erickson’s had, I doubted he’d ever make this list. But it was a slow week in Chattanooga and his performance takes the cake: 6-for-13 (.462) with three doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored. With the “big” week, he’s posting just a .232/.335/.316 triple slash on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

This is Magill’s third honor and also his third time being named Southern League Pitcher Of The Week. He had a great outing on Wednesday: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K. After a horrid June, it’s nice to see him getting back on track.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-4)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

Pederson finally makes his first appearance on the list, taking home this week’s award. He went 6-for-21 (.286) with a home run, a double, three RBI, four walks, and three stolen bases. It wasn’t the best week he’s had, but it was good enough this week for Rancho. His .815 OPS is impressive for a 20-year-old in A-ball, even if it’s in the California League.

Pitcher Of The Week

Andres Santiago – RHP

I wonder if it’s about time we start talking about Santiago as a legitimate prospect? Yes, he is repeating the league, but despite his unpolished ERA, he’s pitching better this time around than last. He had a good game on Saturday: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. On the season, he has a 10.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 (down from 3.5 last season), and a 3.23 FIP. This was his third award of the season.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (5-1)

Runs Scored: 41
Runs Allowed: 30

Player Of The Week

Darnell Sweeney – SS

Sweeney gets the nod instead of James Baldwin because he’s putting up fantastic numbers as a 2012 draftee (a college draftee, but still). The 13th-round pick went 9-for-22 (.409) with a double, triple, three RBI, six runs scored, six walks, and three stolen bases. He’s stepped right in to be the Loons’ leadoff man and sparkplug at the top of the lineup.

Pitcher Of The Week

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

Another 2012 draftee, Von Schamann made two starts this week and was effective in both: 11 2/3 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He’s obviously not a big strikeout pitcher (11 in 24 1/3 minor league innings), but he knows how to get outs, and his 1.82 GO/AO rate is impressive. This is his second honor of the season.

—–

Ogden Raptors (3-3)

Runs Scored: 41
Runs Allowed: 38

Player Of The Week

Jeremy Rathjen – OF

The 2012 11th-round pick had himself quite a week and seems to be settling in nicely with the Raptors: 13-for-27 (.481) with two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and three stolen bases. The lanky outfielder has drawn comparisons to Corey Hart, and if he keeps hitting like this, he should see Great Lakes before the season is out.

Pitcher Of The Week

Carlos Frias – RHP

Frias, who’s a bit old for the league at 22, had the best week of any Raptors pitcher: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. On the season, Frias owns a 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, and a 2.67 FIP. Nice numbers, but not great for a guy repeating the level.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (2-2)

Runs Scored: 21
Runs Allowed: 12

Player Of The Week

Bladimir Franco – 3B

Franco, a 21-year-old third baseman, led the charge in an abbreviated week for the AZL Dodgers by going 7-for-18 (.389) with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI, and three runs scored. This is his third stint in the AZL, and he’s struggled in his other two seasons. His six home runs lead the team and is one better than his home run total from the last two seasons … combined.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez claims his third award of the young AZL season by beating out Victor Araujo. Martinez had a nice outing on Friday: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. The young righty has a 1.90 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, a .250 BAA, and is striking out nearly a batter per inning. He, along with Miguel Sulbaran, are quite the 1-2 punch in Arizona.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (4-1)

Runs Scored: 21
Runs Allowed: 14

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

Santana is taking after Josmar Cordero, as he won his second consecutive POTW award by edging out Geison Nunez. He went 8-for-17 (.471) with a home runs, a double, two triples, five RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases. The small second baseman is at .306/.386/.521 on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Wander Beras – LHP

I really wanted to give this to Jose Agusto Diaz (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K), but it was hard to overlook Beras’ performance: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K. He’s thrown well in the Dominican Summer League, but he is 23 and isn’t really a prospect to get excited about.

Previously, I took a look at potential Chad Billingsley replacements at AAA in Stephen Fife and John Ely, wondering whether Ely would ever get another crack. Well, today the Dodgers put Billingsley on the 15-day DL and promoted Fife to start.

The Dodgers placed right-hander Chad Billingsley on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with an inflamed elbow flexor tendon, and they recalled Stephen Fife from Triple-A Albuquerque to start on Tuesday night in Billingsley’s place.

Manager Don Mattingly said on Monday night that he thought Billingsley would miss only one start, which Billingsley confirmed on Tuesday is still the plan.

Billingsley is going to throw a bullpen session on Friday after taking a couple of days off to rest his elbow, which he said feels the same as it has the past few days.

As I said before though, it’s not like the Dodgers had a shortage of guys to be designated for assignment. I’m still unsure why they didn’t go with clearly the best pitcher on the Isotopes.

With the Dodgers signing all of the players they drafted in the first 10 rounds, the minor league rosters have received ample reinforcements. The latest to sign: Paco Rodriguez. He was assigned to the Great Lakes Loons.

As for on-field performance, the Arizona League Dodgers are on fire. The team is 13-2 on the season and ahead of the second-place AZL Indians by 6 1/2 games. Aside from the Albuquerque Isotopes, the rest of the teams had mediocre weeks.

The ‘Topes led the system in scoring this week with 56 runs. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers gave up the fewest runs (12) in the fewest games played (five).

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Notes: Angelo Songco was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He’s one step closer to being where he needs to be after having offseason surgery. This year’s 13th-round pick Darnell Sweeney joined Rodriguez and Duke Von Schamann as the only 2012 draftees to play at a level higher than rookie ball so far. Matt Kemp finished his rehab stint with the Quakes and Isotopes.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2)

Runs Scored: 56
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

Fields had a great week, even by Pacific Coast League standards. He went 17-for-31 (.548) with three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. He had at least two hits in every game this week. He isn’t hitting for much power, despite a .515 slugging percentage, but at least he’s putting the bat on the ball. He’s fifth in the PCL in hits (112).

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Yeah, you’re not surprised. This is the sixth time Ely has won this award and he did so by having another fantastic week: 13 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. There’s not really much more to say about Ely’s performance this season, so I won’t.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Nick Buss – CF

The 2008 eighth-rounder out of USC had a great week for the Lookouts: 14-for-30 (.467) with two doubles, a triple, six RBI, and four runs scored. Buss, 25, isn’t much of a prospect, but it’s nice to see him have a solid week. He’s struggling against Southern League pitching (.740 OPS) compared to the California League pitching he faced last season (.880 OPS).

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

Magill just edged out Ethan Martin to his second award of the season. He had a great outing this week: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Magill struggled mightily in June (7.46 ERA, .377 batting average against), but has started July off on the right track. Hopefully he’s a little more consistent for the rest of the season.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Bobby Coyle – OF/DH

Coyle, despite getting limited playing, is making it count. This week was no different: 8-for-19 with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI, and four runs scored. The 2010 10th-round pick has a .413/.455/.641 triple slash in 29 games with the Quakes. Joc Pederson (12-for-32) earns another honorable mention.

Pitcher Of The Week

Andres Santiago – RHP

Santiago, 22, has been inconsistent this season, but he’s also had two of the better performances by a Dodger minor league pitcher this season. He had a couple good outings this week: 14 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 19 K. That 19:2 K:BB ratio looks awfully nice. On the season, Santiago has a 5.01 ERA (bad), but his peripherals are pretty solid otherwise: 3.39 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 8.5 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 10.2 K/9, and a 3.35 K/BB.

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Great Lakes Loons (2-5)

Runs Scored: 23
Runs Allowed: 44

Player Of The Week

Jesse Bosnik – 3B/1B

It was a down week for the Loons on both sides of the ball. Bosnik just edged out Pedro Guerrero for this week’s award. He went 8-for-20 (.400) with a home runs, double, four RBI, and four runs scored. He’s hitting just .256/.294/.390 on the season. Bosnik, 24 in two weeks, isn’t a prospect at this point.

Pitcher Of The Week

Raydel Sanchez – RHP

On the strength of seven no-hit innings on July 2nd, Sanchez wins this week’s award. Last year’s biggest Dodger international signing, Sanchez had the following line: 13 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. The 22-year-old is having some success in Midland and is finally in the starting rotation after beginning the season in the bullpen.

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Ogden Raptors (3-4)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 50

Player Of The Week

Justin Boudreaux – IF

Boudreaux is having a much easier time with Ogden than he did with Great Lakes. This week, he went 9-for-21 (.429) with two doubles, two RBI, and four runs scored. The 2011 14th-rounder was somewhat of a sleeper in my eyes coming into the season, but he’s fallen and is a fringe prospect at best right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jake Hermsen – LHP

Hermsen earns his second straight award by having a couple solid outings: 11 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. The lefty is having a relatively easy go of it for the Raptors thus far, posting a 2.50 ERA, .236 BAA, and a great 2.36 groundout rate.

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Arizona League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

Ogle picks up the award for the second straight week by, once again, mashing: 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs, 10 RBI, three doubles, and three walks. The soon-to-be 22-year-old has no issues handling Arizona League pitching and should be promoted sooner rather than later.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez had another stellar week to earn his second award in three weeks: 10 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. The 18-year-old is having an impressive showing in the AZL and could be a guy to watch in the coming years.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-2)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 12

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

It was an abbreviated week for the DSL Dodgers, but Santana managed to have the best week of the bunch. He went 6-for-17 (.352) with two triples, two RBI, four runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 20-year-old played in the Dominican Summer League last year and hit .249/.344/.344 with 10 stolen bases. He’s already matched his triple total from last season (four) and has seven doubles (had 11 last year). He’s made some improvements and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

Pitcher Of The Week

Wander Beras – LHP

Beras had one of the best outings — if not the best — of any Dodger minor leaguer this week: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K. He’s been a little inconsistent in the DSL so far, but the 23-year-old is on his fourth stint in the league and isn’t much to get excited about. He did not play in 2011.