Ken Gurnick reports that Matt Kemp is ahead of schedule in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, and that Kemp expects to be ready for Opening Day. Kemp has reported still feeling soreness in the shoulder he injured after crashing into the outfield wall in Colorado on consecutive days: “That’s my goal,” said Kemp. “I’m hitting off the tee, no ... Read More »
Ronald Belisario & A.J. Ellis have agreed to terms with the Dodgers, thus avoiding arbitration, report Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Belisario’s contract is for one year and $1.45 million, while Ellis signed on a one-year, $2 million contract. Assuming he can stay clear of trouble, Belisario figures to be a key component in the ... Read More »
Matt Kemp has begun upper-body workouts for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. Kemp’s agent, Dave Stewart, relays that The Bison is pain-free three months after his surgery. —– Chad Billingsley continues to progress from his elbow injury and has reported no setbacks thus far, according to Ken Gurnick. “Physically, Chad’s doing great, and he’s excited about the year,” ... Read More »
The Zack Greinke saga is the story of the Winter Meetings, not only because he’s the top free agent out there, but also because he’s holding up the deals of other free agents, as they’re all waiting on him. Whatever he decides, it figures to be at least borderline historical, as Jon Heyman notes. Strong belief by people close to ... Read More »
The Dodgers will offer Zack Greinke the most money to sign, according to Jon Heyman, because they have no concept of a budget. The Dodgers have an interesting strategy that’s been employed only rarely: Sign the best, no matter the cost. “They are like theSteinrenner Yankees of the ’70s,” one competing GM said. Rival executives are beginning to wonder of ... Read More »
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen underwent heart surgery on Tuesday to correct an irregular heartbeat, a procedure we were all aware would occur during the offseason. Jansen’s heart problems have sidelined him for stretches during the 2011 regular season, Spring Training of 2012, and the 2012 regular season. Ken Gurnick reports that Jansen will now be out for at least three ... Read More »
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that Juan Rivera has been placed on the disabled list and Scott Van Slyke will take his place on the Dodgers. The Dodgers on Wednesday placed outfielder Juan Rivera on the 15-day disabled list with a significant hamstring strain or tear behind the left knee and were recalling outfielder Scott Van Slyke from Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Read More »
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com says so. The Dodgers have reached an agreement to be sold to Magic Johnson’s bidding group, according to a baseball source. See http://dodgers.com. Dennis Berman of the Wall Street Journal says it’s for $2 billion. Breaking from WSJ: Magic Johnson-led group buys LA Dodgers for $2 billion, shattering all previous prices paid for sports franchises. The ... Read More »
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com wrote what was essentially a rebuttal to Mike Petriello‘s article about batting A.J. Ellis second in the order. Catcher A.J. Ellis is aware of the Internet chatter suggesting he might make the best No. 2 hitter in the Dodgers’ batting order, but he thinks he’s a better fit at No. 8, which is where he’s expected ... Read More »
Dee Gordon is straddling the line between confidence and arrogance, which is fine, but that’s not the part about this article that concerns me. “I don’t care what they say,” Gordon said. They say he’s impatient at the plate, that he needs to walk more, work counts deeper. He believes he knows better. “Would you mess around with me and ... Read More »
Eric Stephen of True Blue LA finds out that A.J. Ellis probably doesn’t think he’ll be hitting second. I asked catcher A.J. Ellis whether or not he could hit second in the lineup, and he joked, “I could be at the top, I could steal some bags.” But Ellis then noted he isn’t really concerned with where he hits in ... Read More »
Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that Clayton Kershaw will throw a bullpen session on Friday after getting his original bullpen session postponed due a sore back on Wednesday. Additionally, Mike MacDougal postponed a bullpen session due to a back injury. Ah, Spring Training! —– Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers have claimed Matt ... Read More »
Clayton Kershaw is injured! Everybody panic! Dodgers Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw missed his first bullpen session of Spring Training on Wednesday as a precautionary measure due to mild back tightness. Oh, it’s just back tightness. Speaking of injuries, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that Rubby De La Rosa is progressing quickly. Rubby De La Rosa is a pitcher, not ... Read More »
Spring Training is here, which means all other sports matter less, and wow, there’s way too much news out of the Los Angeles Dodgers camp already. ===== Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that Clayton Kershaw will start on Opening Day, which is basically the biggest Captain Obvious moment of the season. Then Matt Kemp told the media that he doesn’t ... Read More »
After the surprise signing of Todd Coffey, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a decision to make in regards to the 40-man roster, and Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers decided to designate Russ Mitchell for assignment. —– In other news, Blake DeWitt was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs, and while he hardly set the world on fire (or ... Read More »
Chad Moriyama Dodgers, Sabermetrics, Scouting