With the emergence of Yasiel Puig — and, to a far less extent, Scott Van Slyke — the rumors surrounding Andre Ethier being dealt have understandably cropped up once again.

A couple of teams have called the Dodgers, and apparently he is available, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

Teams are internally starting to discuss Ethier’s availability, while a couple have already called the Dodgers. The answer would appear to be yes, he is available. There’s no doubt the Red Sox have mulled it, but with Daniel Nava hitting well, Shane Victorino about to return, and Jonny Gomes starting to heat up, there doesn’t appear to be a need. Ethier is a good friend of Dustin Pedroia, and there’s a good chance Pedroia could motivate him and get him out of his malaise. But it’s not a chance the Red Sox want to take at this juncture.

The fact that he’s available shouldn’t be shocking, as they tried to deal him in the off-season.

Specifically, though, who wants him? Cafardo talked the Red Sox out of it, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports talks the Mets into it.

The Mets would make sense as a destination for Andre Ethier of the Dodgers, Rosenthal says. With Johan Santana, Jason Bay and Frank Francisco coming off the books, the Mets could have the financial flexibility to deal for Ethier and a chunk of the four years and $71.5MM that will be left on his contract by the time this offseason rolls around.

The Mets seem to be at the forefront of the speculation, but there doesn’t actually seem to be an effort from the Mets brass themselves.

In order to trade Ethier, the Dodgers would likely have to eat a ton of money, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

Is the contract even movable?

“Significant dollars would have to come back,” one rival general manager said.

“It would have to be a bad contract for a bad contract,” another GM said.

Just how much? And how bad?

“No one’s untradeable if the team eats enough of the money,” a third rival GM said. “I bet they’d have to eat half.”

Considering they were willing to eat significant dollars to trade him in the off-season, I can’t see why that wouldn’t be the case now.

Ethier has been a great player for the Dodgers since he was acquired, but he’s on the wrong side of 30, and with everybody healthy, the Dodgers have Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, Puig, and Ethier who need full-time status. Then there’s Scott Van Slyke and Alex Castellanos, who are worthy of a platoon shot, so the urgency to deal him is understandable.

That said, I do think people are getting ahead of themselves, particularly because four out of those six outfielders mentioned have been on the DL this year, and all six have missed games with injuries.

—–

The Dodgers do not want to lose Clayton Kershaw (no kidding?), and they will not let it happen, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.

“I don’t think they can lose this guy,” said one AL executive, speaking for, well, the rest of the human race.

The scuttlebutt out there is that Kershaw is looking for the first 10-year contract landed by any pitcher since the legendary Wayne Garland got 10 years, $2.3 million (total) from the Indians, back in 1977. Just at, um, slightly higher rates.

“He’s not leaving L.A.,” said one exec. “That’s not going to happen. There’s literally a one-half of one-percent chance he walks away. I could see him getting seven years, $200-210 million, something like that. And the only reason I could ever see him taking less is, he’s a pitcher. I’m sure he’s already got $200 million on the table. I don’t know how he can go out to the mound and throw a ball with $200 million on the table. If I were his agent, I’d say, ‘Let’s wrap this up in the next two weeks,’ just because anytime a pitcher throws a pitch, you never know what might happen.”

I think fans would just rather have this done sooner than later.

—–

The Dodgers are showing interest in right-handed pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, according to Dylan Hernandez.

The Dodgers are among the clubs interested in 26-year-old right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

At least one major league scout believes Gonzalez can pitch in the major leagues this year. He is said to be 6-foot-3 with a fastball in the 90s, a changeup, forkball and curveball.

Whereas Puig rarely played outside of Cuba before signing with the Dodgers, Gonzalez has pitched in several high-profile international tournaments, meaning teams have fairly detailed scouting reports on him. Gonzalez pitched in the World Cup of Baseball in 2009 and 2011.

Because Gonzalez is 23 years or older and played in Cuba’s top league for three or more seasons, whatever a team spends to sign him won’t count against its limit for international signings.

Of course, the Dodgers aren’t the only team interested, as there will be six other competitors.

Seven teams — including the Cubs, Dodgers, Rangers and Red Sox — have expressed serious interest in Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and have been watching him throw bullpen sessions in Mexico since April, according to an industry source.

Gonzalez, 26, fled Cuba earlier this year, landed in El Salvador and worked out for a month in Mexico City before making his way to Tijuana, where he currently resides. He has been throwing full bullpen sessions in front of scouts twice each week for the past two months and expects to face hitters this week.

Representatives for the 6-foot-3 Gonzalez submitted paperwork to the United States Department of Treasury for the purposes of unblocking the player in February and began petitioning MLB for free agency a month later. Gonzalez filed a copy of his residency card from Mexico — the final step to becoming a free agent — to the Commissioner’s Office last week, but does not expect to hear back until after the conclusion of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

Gonzalez still has to be cleared by the U.S. government before he can enter into an agreement with a Major League club. The unblocking process could be resolved immediately, or last several months.

A full-fledged showcase is expected once he becomes eligible to sign with a Major League club.

A pitcher with the ability to join the starting rotation in 2013 that doesn’t count against the international bonus cap or cost a draft pick? If the Dodgers like him, it’s hard to imagine that they don’t come out on top.

—–

In news related to prospects who are beholden to the international signing cap, the Dodgers are interested in Lucas Tirado, a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic.

The 16-year-old, who trains with Jaime Ramos, is 6-foot-2, 175 pounds and has a simple lefty swing, although the rest of his tool set is modest. Some scouts who liked his swing also had concerns about his bat speed, while his below-average foot speed will likely lead him to another position.

Don Mattingly has named Kenley Jansen closer following Brandon League being Brandon League and imploding in a save situation yet again.

When asked how he would get the ball to Jansen, Donnie Baseball said something you’d prefer your manager to not say publicly:

With Jansen closing, how will Dodgers get the ball to the 9th inning? Mattingly: “That’s a great question.”

Jansen is obviously the better pitcher, but what’s most important is not simply removing League from “save situations”, as a game could need saving in the 6th, 7th, or 8th inning.

What Don needs to do is not put League in high leverage situations, at least in the interim, wherever and whenever they present themselves.

—–

Scott Van Slyke hit the 15-day DL with shoulder bursitis. Alex Castellanos was recalled to take his place.

Van Slyke originally injured himself on May 25th trying to make a diving grab. He’s the 15th different Dodger to land on the disabled list in 2013, and many of those fifteen have made multiple trips.

—–

Ted Lilly hit the DL yet again, and Matt Magill was recalled yet again to take his place in the rotation.

The Dodgers on Sunday made official what was reported on Saturday, that Ted Lilly was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a neck sprain and Matt Magill was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start the series finale against the Braves at Dodger Stadium.

Magill was then sent back to AAA as Justin Sellers was called up.

Sellers was then sent down, with Chris Withrow being recalled from AAA.

Hopefully Withrow finds success quickly in the bigs, as it would give Mattingly a late-inning option other than League and not named Jansen or Paco Rodriguez.

—–

Two minor-league promotions, as Duke Von Schamann heads from High-A to AA Chattanooga, and Rob Rasmussen gets the call to AAA.

Duke might have the greatest name ever.

—–

Two minor-leaguers were released, with Alfredo Amezaga being the only noteworthy one of the pair.

Released: RHP Travis Jones, SS Alfredo Amezaga

For better or worse, he was never a real threat to make the club at any point.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke and find him contributing at Yahoo! Sports.

Matt Kemp suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. The extent of the setback and how long it will keep Kemp out is not yet known.

Sunday is not good day for hamstrings at Dodger Stadium. Matt Kemp, in his first day back in Los Angeles after rehabbing for a week at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, suffered a setback while running and will not be ready to be activated from the disabled list on Friday, as originally planned.

“We’ve hit a little bit of a snag because he felt just a little something today still. We haven’t quite made a decision on where he’s going next. The running today was to see where he’s at,” manager Don Mattingly said on Sunday. “That tells us today he’s not quite there. Does that mean two days, three days, seven days? I don’t know that answer, but I do know he’s not 100%. Until we get that, then we’ll start thinking about him going out and playing.”

Yet more bad luck in what has been a lost season thus far for The Bison.

Kemp ran and was doing stretching drills with strength and conditioning coach Brandon McDaniel before Sunday’s game with the Braves, all with trainer Sue Falsone, director of medical services Stan Conte, and team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Kemp did work in the outfield and on the bases, and appeared to be in a good mood in the clubhouse, hugging teammates upon his return.

“It’s always good to have Matt around. It would be really nice if he’s out in the field. It’s good to see him back,” Mattingly said. “He looks good, he’s running pretty good. He’s not quite there yet, talking to medical. We’re still not where we need to be.”

Kemp could have potentially returned this Friday from his 15-day DL stint, but they’re now saying he’s looking at a timetable of next week, but that’s contingent on him passing similar tests and going on a rehab assignment.

—–

Carl Crawford had an MRI on his hamstring injury, and swelling was discovered. He’ll miss more than the minimum on his disabled list stay.

As for Crawford, the Dodgers expect him to miss more than the minimum 15 days on the disabled list after an MRI exam on his strained left hamstring revealed swelling.

“That tells us it was fairly significant,” Mattingly said. “It doesn’t sound like two weeks.”

Crawford was placed on the disabled list on Monday, retroactive to June 2. But the Dodgers aren’t sure he will be back this month.

So yeah, that roster crunch everybody is worried about probably isn’t coming soon.

—–

Hanley Ramirez re-injured his hamstring injury late last week and has been out of the lineup since, though he has been pinch-hitting the last handful of games.

The Dodgers are without Hanley Ramirez for a second straight game against the Braves at Dodger Stadium, only Friday night isn’t a scheduled day of rest. Ramirez has tightness in his left hamstring, the same one that landed him on the disabled list for a month with a strain, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

Ken Gurnick reports HanRam also felt stiffness behind his knee, and Don Mattingly fears a DL stint could be necessary, though trainers disagree.

Hanley underwent an MRI Sunday, and the results were probably about as good as can be expected.

“He’s having continued problems enough that they want to get another look at this thing,” said manager Don Mattingly. “We’ll find out if it’s going to be more serious than we’ve been talking about.”

His current status, well before the MRI results are known, is that he hit but can’t run. Mattingly used pitcher Clayton Kershaw to pinch run for Ramirez after he singled in the eighth inning Saturday.

“Guys want to play, but when they can’t run it’s hard to play,” Mattingly said. “Especially with playing short.”

Dodgers will go a man short for the next week, then he’ll aggravate it somehow after pinch hitting and he’ll be put on the DL. Probably.

—–

Josh Beckett has been shut down for four weeks as he attempts to return from nerve irritation and numbness in his right hand and arm.

Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett will be shut down from throwing for four weeks because of nerve irritation in his right arm and hand, the team announced on Tuesday. Beckett, who saw a nerve specialist in Dallas who confirmed the initial diagnosis, is expected to return to the team on Tuesday.

Manager Don Mattingly said earlier Tuesday that Beckett’s condition wouldn’t require surgery, that rehab would be the route taken by the right-hander. Beckett will continue that rehab on Tuesday.

But with four weeks without throwing, it could be at least two months before he could realistically return to actually pitch for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers and Beckett have chosen rehab over surgery.

—–

Scott Elbert will undergo Tommy John surgery and is done for this year and much of next.

Dodgers relief pitcher Scott Elbert’s 2013 season is over before it ever began. The left-hander needs Tommy John surgery and is out for the season, and with an expected recovery of 12-16 months his 2014 campaign is in question as well.

Elbert was diagnosed with a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament after meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache and having an MRI exam on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, he just couldn’t stay healthy. Strong non-tender candidate after the season.

—–

Ted Lilly was scratched from his last start due to a “chronic neck disc issue” and hit the DL Sunday.

Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly will be scratched from Sunday’s start against the Braves because of a chronic neck disc issue. He most likely will be replaced by Triple-A Albuquerque’s Matt Magill, although the club has not made any announcement.

Chronic and neck are never two words you want to hear in tandem.

—–

Scott Van Slyke has been playing with neck and shoulder discomfort … because of course.

Van Slyke has been playing through worsening discomfort that originated from an attempted diving catch of Yadier Molina’s double on May 25. At the time, Van Slyke described the injury as similar to whiplash.

He pinch-ran yesterday, though.

—–

A number of minor-leaguers were placed on and activated from the 7-day DL, with the most notable name being top prospect Corey Seager.

Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Angel Castro, RHP Luis Vasquez, 1B Paul Hoenecke, OF Ryan Mount
Reinstated from DL: RHP Kyle Cofield, RHP Matt Shelton, RHP Sean White, LHP Onelki Garcia, 2B Pedro Guerrero, SS Corey Seager, OF Joey Winker

Seager came back and hit a homer, so everything seems good on that front. The injury won’t be a concern to his long-term prospects.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke and find him contributing at Yahoo! Sports.

Hanley Ramirez continues to work his way back from his hamstring injury and has begun to increase his running.

Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez took another step in his recovery from a strained left hamstring on Friday, but the club is playing it safe, not trying to rush his return to action. Ramirez took batting practice before the Dodgers played the Cardinals on Friday night, something he also did on the previous road trip. But what Ramirez added was running in curves, something he hasn’t done since injuring his hamstring on May 3.

Ramirez said on Friday that he has been running only in straight lines at about 80-85% effort, and that he was anxious to return.

“I’ve been trying to come back,” Ramirez said with a wide grin. “They won’t let me.”

“Hanley is doing better. He’s still not there yet. We’re a ways away. He’s doing a lot of baseball stuff. I don’t think he’s quite as close as it seems,” Mattingly said. “It’s a little bit like Mark Ellis, where you feel like it might be ready to go, but it will be seven days before that thing is 100%.”

HamRam has also been seeking advice from Matt Kemp on the recovery from such an injury.

Ramirez agreed, and sought the advice of Matt Kemp, who missed 51 out of 53 games in 2012 with a pair of left hamstring strains, including missing six weeks after coming back early from the first injury.

“It’s why we’ve got to be careful. It’s only been three weeks. You have to be 100%. It can go at any time,” Ramirez said. “I don’t want to come back early and be back on the DL for two months.”

Probably looking at mid-June, at least.

His return can’t come soon enough, though. Seriously.

—–

The Dodgers have cleared Kemp to up his workout regimen in the weight room, which sort of answers the questions about why his strength is down and why he came into camp lighter.

At the core of his problems are his mechanics, and they are the larger issue here.

—–

A.J. Ellis had a rough week filled with bumps and bruises, but fortunately he seems okay. A regular rest would be good for him, but it’s hard when the other option is Ramon Hernandez.

—–

Scott Van Slyke injured his neck Saturday trying to make a diving catch, but it doesn’t appear to be serious. However, it has affected the return date of Jerry Hairston Jr.

—–

The aforementioned Hairston went on a rehab assignment to work his way back from a groin ailment.

Jerry Hairston will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Friday night for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, and will play at least two games with the Quakes. The utility man was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 7 with a left groin strain, then during rehab also hurt his left knee.

“Jerry is playing six tonight, six tomorrow,” manager Don Mattingly said. “Then we’ll see where he’s at after that.”

He recently completed that rehab assignment and is in Los Angeles, but like I said, the team is waiting on activating him.

—–

Scott Elbert continues to rehab and is close to returning.

Dodgers pitcher Scott Elbert has been on a minor league rehabilitation assignment for two weeks while recovering from a pair of offseason shoulder surgeries, but the left-handed pitcher is closer to rejoining the Dodgers. Elbert will pitch on Saturday and Sunday for Double-A Chattanooga, his first back-to-back outings of the rehab assignment.

“We’re just talking about probably one hitter (each game), just enough to get him up and get loose, get him into a game, and see if he can bounce back from that,” said manager Don Mattingly.

Getting another reliever back would indeed be a relief.

—–

Minor-league injury news is fortunately rather brief this week.

Placed on 7-day DL: C Eric Smith
Reinstated from DL: 1B Paul Hoenecke, 2B Malcolm Holland

Nobody of particular note, as far as relevant prospects go.

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

Hanley Ramirez‘s rehab is going well, but the team isn’t keen on rushing him, so he’s still two weeks away.

Hanley Ramirez tested his hamstring running in the outfield, and Mattingly said the shortstop continues to make progress, although he is still probably two weeks away from playing.

As was the case the first time he came back from injury, given what the Dodgers have been running out on the left side of the infield, his return could have the biggest impact on the team to date.

—–

Scott Elbert continued his rehab assignment at High-A Rancho Cucamonga…

Dodgers reliever Scott Elbert pitched a scoreless sixth inning with the Quakes, allowing one hit and walking one. The left-hander has tossed three scoreless innings since beginning his rehab assignment on Friday. He’s working his way back from a pair of elbow operations during the winter.

…then made an appearance at Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday.

Elbert started and threw 13 pitches after already making three relief appearances with Class A Rancho Cucamonga. He allowed a single and RBI double to the first two batters he faced, then retired the next three hitters.

Elbert could be back to help the bullpen later this week, as his velocity his risen in recent appearances.

At the start of the season, he seemed like a luxury due to J.P. Howell and Paco Rodriguez, but now the bullpen could desperately use another quality arm.

—–

Zack Greinke was activated from the DL ahead of schedule and made a very good return to action.

In a corresponding move, Josh Beckett hit the 15-day DL following speculation that he was hurt and would need time to heal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to have a hard time getting the story straight after Monday’s 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. Josh Beckett, who is 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA, left the game after just three innings in part, manager Don Mattingly said, because he slightly strained a groin muscle covering first base on an Adam LaRoche groundout.

Beckett is also battling an assortment of minor injuries, Mattingly said. But what?

“He’s had some little stuff going on in different areas, and I think it was bothering him tonight,” Mattingly said.

Little stuff, such as?

“We had known some little stuff was going on,” Mattingly said.

I don’t know how they treat things here,” he [Beckett] said.

He also said, “I’m healthy enough to pitch,” which might be a regrettable phrase if the Dodgers, indeed, put Beckett on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. The timing would be opportune as it appears Zack Greinke will come off the DL to pitch against Washington Wednesday night. Mattingly wouldn’t confirm that Greinke will pitch Wednesday, but said they’ve settled on a starter.

Either that’s a phantom DL or there’s a scary disconnect between the player and the training staff here.

—–

Ted Lilly claims he’s healthy and ready to get back to major-league action.

Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly declared himself healthy after going five innings during a Minor League rehab start with Class A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night.

Lilly allowed four runs on five hits, striking out three against three walks as the Quakes lost to the San Jose Giants, 4-3.

The veteran said he felt no discomfort from a strained right rib cage that forced him to the disabled list May 3. He was in the Dodgers’ clubhouse after their 3-1 win over the Nationals and will travel with the club to Atlanta for a three-game series that begins Friday.

Lilly said he does not expect to make another start in the Minors, though he said he hasn’t spoken to management about the next step in his rehab.

Just because he might be healthy doesn’t mean he’ll be productive, but he was activated from the DL on Monday anyway, and he will start for the team on Saturday.

—–

Scott Van Slyke had x-rays on his left leg after fouling back-to-back pitches off said leg.

X-rays were negative on the lower left leg of Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke, who exited Sunday’s 5-2 loss against the Braves after he fouled consecutive pitches off his leg in a seventh-inning at-bat.

Van Slyke said there was no fracture, although it was “pretty sore” having fouled the pitches “an inch apart on the same ligament.”

He said he’ll be able to return to action immediately, as long as he can tolerate the discomfort.

“I should be good,” he said.

Last thing the team needed was the only bench bat with pop going down.

—–

Luis Cruz is apparently dealing with bone spurs in his throwing elbow now, which Chad brought up as potentially foreshadowing a phantom DL case.

—–

Mark Ellis was activated from the DL, saying his rehab was over and he’s ready to go.

—–

Corey Seager has been placed on the minor-league 7-day DL with a hamstring injury.

The 18th pick in last year’s draft, Corey Seager will take a break from his full-season debut as he rehabs a hamstring injury. He hit .267/.333/.410 with three homers in 29 games for low Class A Great Lakes, giving him a .743 OPS that is comfortably above the Midwest League average.

While Seager hasn’t been tearing it up like he did last year, he’s been better than league average and is still extremely young for pro ball.

—–

Minor-league injury news includes one important return.

Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Jonathan Martinez, RHP Sean White, LHP Jake Hermsen, C John Cannon, 1B Paul Hoenecke
Reinstated from DL: RHP Jon Michael Redding, C Webster Rivas, 2B Elevys Gonzalez, OF Alex Castellanos, OF Jeremy Moore, OF Devin Shines

Alex Castellanos is now back in the mix.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke and find him contributing at Yahoo! Sports.

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

Mark Ellis finally hit the 15-day DL, being placed on it Monday retroactive to April 27. The Dodgers activated Chris Capuano from the 15-day DL in a corresponding move.

It took the Dodgers about a week longer than it should have, but as expected Mark Ellis was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with a strained right quad. The move clears a spot for Chris Capuano to be activated from the DL to start the series opener Monday night against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

Capuano returns from a strained left calf that sidelined him for 20 days. He made one rehab start, last Wednesday against Memphis with Triple-A Albuquerque, and allowed two runs in 5⅓ innings.

What a season. Also, why would you wait so long, Don and Ned? Does playing a position player short for an entire week with a team already lacking in offensive talent on the bench really sound like a good idea?

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Jerry Hairston Jr. also joined the injury club, as he was placed on the disabled list due to a strained groin. Elian Herrera was recalled from AAA.

The Dodgers made it official on Tuesday, placing Jerry Hairston on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin. Elian Herrera was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque before the second game of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

I would call the Herrera promotion a surprise, as he is the weakest hitter of the four options from Triple-A Albuquerque, but he is also the only one of the four both healthy and on the 40-man roster.

“He’s and outfielder, pretty much. We feel like those are his best positions, the corners,” manager Don Mattingly said of Herrera. “He’s played the corners. He’s a right-handed bat.”

Herrera was the choice because he was on the 40-man and others weren’t, which led to the following move.

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Herrera was soon thereafter sent back to AAA, as Scott Van Slyke was recalled after being added to the 40-man roster.

Van Slyke, who was designated for assignment in December and outrighted off the 40-man roster, came into camp with something to prove this season, and showed it during the season’s first month. He hit .397/.503/.733 with nine home runs, 10 doubles, 32 runs scored, and 30 RBI in 34 games for Albuquerque.

Insurance with A-Gon battling his neck injury. It only makes sense, which begs the question of why they waited so long and had to deal with Juan Uribe and friends at first for multiple games.

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To allow SVS’s addition to the 40-man, Chad Billingsley was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day disabled list.

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Tim Federowicz was recalled from Albuquerque, as Justin Sellers was sent down.

The Dodgers on Wednesday bolstered their bench by recalling red-hot catcher Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Albuquerque, and optioned infielder Justin Sellers to Triple-A before their series finale against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

“We had plenty of infielders,” said manager Don Mattingly. “We look at it from the standpoint of having a better hitting bench.”

Hey look, three catchers again. Ramon Hernandez‘s days could very well be numbered.

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Our own Dustin Nosler brings us the news that righty Ross Stripling was promoted from High-A to Double-A.

The Dodgers on Tuesday promoted right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling to Double-A Chattanooga from High-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 2012 fifth-round draft pick has been on a nearly meteoric rise since the Dodgers popped him last season.

Stripling, 23, posted some impressive numbers in the California League early this season. He struck out 34 batters in 33 2/3 innings, walked 11 batters and allowed just one home run. Those are numbers for anyone to hang his hat on, let alone a guy in his first full season in a hitter’s haven.

Due to his age and performance, he’s understandably being fast-tracked. If he performs at AA, and with the way injuries are going, who knows where he ends up in September.

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

Zack Greinke is throwing from 90 feet in his recovery effort from a broken collarbone.

The Dodgers have been encouraged by Zack Greinke’s recovery from a broken left collarbone, and the right-hander is already throwing less than three weeks removed from surgery.

Greinke threw from 90 feet before Monday’s game against the Rockies. He had surgery on April 13 and had a metal plate inserted into his clavicle to stabilize the fracture. But that’s not prevented him from beginning a throwing program.

“It’s still a little achy here and there, but nothing worse than what you would expect, I think,” Greinke said. “You try not to have setbacks but at the same time do what you can.”

Greinke is likely to be sidelined until mid-June, but the Dodgers are still pleased with his progress.

“I was pretty excited when he walked through the weight room today,” manager Don Mattingly said before Monday’s game. “He’s feeling better. We’re getting closer. We’ll see if he’s sore tomorrow or feels good again.”

He doesn’t appear to be ahead of or behind the schedule.

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Ted Lilly is hurt … again. This time it’s back stiffness that has felled the southpaw.

In what is becoming an almost daily occurrence, another Dodgers pitcher is hurt. Ted Lilly, who lasted just three innings in Monday’s 12-2 loss to the Rockies, has stiffness in his back and will have an MRI exam on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.

Both Lilly and manager Don Mattingly downplayed the injury after the game.

“I think he’s okay. From what I heard afterwards, he got kind of tight somewhere in his back there,” Mattingly said. “It’s something that he’s had before. We didn’t hear anything about it before the game.”

Lilly said he first felt back tightness on Thursday, the day after his start in New York, when he gave up one run in five innings to the Mets. But he didn’t think it would last, as he had a similar issue that went away quickly at the beginning of the 2012 season.

Lilly received a cortisone injection in his rib cage and has been shut down for two days.

The Dodgers said Lilly will be reevaluated again on Thursday to determine the next course of action. If he is unable to start on Saturday against the Giants in San Francisco, it is likely that start will go to Matt Magill, who made his major league debut on Saturday against the Brewers.

“I think I have a few things to be concerned about. The back being one of them, and just ineffectiveness,” Lilly said on Monday night. “There are a lot of guys in this clubhouse not feeling as good as they’d like to, but you still expect to get the results you’re looking for.”

Matt Magill over Ted Lilly, healthy or otherwise.

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Carl Crawford was scratched from Tuesday’s game due to tightness in his right hamstring.

Carl Crawford was scratched from the lineup tonight for precautionary reasons due to tightness in his right hamstring.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 30, 2013

Because … of course. Whether it’s serious or not is not yet known, but hamstring issues can linger, regardless.

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Hanley Ramirez and his thumb are back in action in The Show.

“I just want to play. I don’t want to wait any longer. I think I can play,” Ramirez said before Monday’s game with the Rockies. “If it’s tomorrow, it’s fine. If it’s tonight, it’s fine. It’s not my decision.”

The Dodgers activated Ramirez from the disabled list before Monday’s game, and placed Clayton Kershaw on the bereavement list.

Ramirez was 3-for-6 (.500) with a double and three runs batted in and a run scored in two minor league rehab games on Saturday and Sunday with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. He didn’t make any throws on Sunday, but manager Don Mattingly was impressed with what he saw of Ramirez on tape.

Don’t dive head-first for a while, Hanley. :o

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Chad Billingsley does not regret the path he chose after learning his elbow was seriously injured late last season.

Chad Billingsley said he doesn’t regret choosing platelet-rich plasma injections over Tommy John surgery last year.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) April 30, 2013

He also said he thinks he’ll be ready for 2014 Opening Day. If that seems optimistic, it’s because it is. Realistically, hopefully he’s back and healthy by the 2014 All-Star Game break.

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Minor-league moves:

Placed on 7-day DL: C Webster Rivas, SS Ozzie Martinez
Reinstated from DL: C Pratt Maynard, SS Casio Grider, OF Brian Cavazos-Galvez

Also off the 7-day DL is Yasiel Puig.

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Alex Castellanos was also placed on the minor-league 7-day DL.

Those assumptions, however, proved incorrect as Castellanos was placed on the 7-day disabled list due to right forearm inflammation prior to Tuesday’s game.

“He’s got a little soreness in his forearm so we’re going to let it calm down a little bit,” manager Lorenzo Bundy said prior to the official DL announcement. “He could play, but we’re going to err on the safe side.”

So if something happens to Crawford, first call would probably go to Scott Van Slyke, even over Puig.

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

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.

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.

Baseball fans love to talk about clutch plays and clutch players, and Dodgers fans are no exception, but like with a pitcher’s best and worst pitches, there tends to be a lack of evidence presented. As such, I decided to find some basis for clutch plays and clutch players, courtesy of the WPA and Clutch statistics.

WPA

Most sabermetric statistics are context neutral — they do not consider the situation of a particular event or how some plays are more crucial to a win than others. While wOBA rates all home runs as equal, we know intuitively that a home run in the third inning of a blowout is less important to that win than a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of a close game. Win Probability Added (WPA) captures this difference by measuring how individual players affect their team’s win expectancy on a per-play basis.

Clutch

In the words of David Appelman, this calculation measures, “…how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment.” It also compares a player against himself, so a player who hits .300 in high leverage situations when he’s an overall .300 hitter is not considered clutch.

So that’s the foundation for this post, and since that’s now been established, let’s get on with it, shall we?

As always, visuals have been provided because, let’s be honest, everything is better with visuals.

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I feel like it’s necessary to point out that none of this is predictive of the future or telling of the past. It’s a post about stuff that happened in 2012. That’s all.

In other words, please don’t link back to this while saying, “LOOK! THIS DUDE IS SO CLUTCH, BRO!” No.

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Top Five Clutchiest McClutchington Hits Of 2012

1. Adrian Gonzalez – +69.9%

Whenever you increase your team’s chances of winning by 69.9% with one swing of the bat, something must have gone right.

Well, it did.

It was the bottom of the ninth with one out and runners on first and second. The Dodgers trailed the Diamondbacks by a score of 4-3.

Down to his last strike, A-Gon comes up gigantic with a walk-off double down the right field line off J.J. Putz.

2. Ivan De Jesus – 67.3%

THANK YOU J.J. PUTZ XOXOXO HUGS AND KISSES

Trailing 7-6 with runners on first and second and down to their last out, feeble hitting Ivan De Jesus came up and whacked a double over Chris Young‘s head in center to take the lead.

Much love to J.J. Putz.

3. Scott Van Slyke – 61.1%

Early in 2012, the season was full of “yeah, this team is winning the World Series if this kinda shit happens” moments, and this was certainly one of them.

Scott Van Slyke hit a three-run bomb with runners on first and second to give the Dodgers a 6-5 lead after they trailed 5-3 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Even though it was only the seventh, it felt like a gigantic moment, right? WPA agrees.

4. Elian Herrera – 51.6%

So it’s the top of the eighth with two outs, the Dodgers trail 1-0 and Cliff Lee is just absolutely taking a dump down their throats, and, I mean, there’s runners on first and second but Elian Herrera or whoever is up, so it’s inning ove … HOLY SHIT! YES!!!

Shoutout to Juan Pierre.

5. Luis Cruz – 50.7%

Bottom of the sixth, two outs, runners on first and second (this is a theme), Dodgers trail the Cardinals 4-3, but 2012 phenom Luis Cruz is up and he absolutely bombs one into the bullpen to put the Dodgers up by two.

Bonus points for pimping it.

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Overall, the fact that there are five different players contributing here, and that four of the five are still basically unknowns to casual fans, speaks to how remarkable it was that the 2012 Dodgers even stayed in the playoff hunt throughout all the injuries and what not.

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Top Five Clutchiest Dodgers Of 2012 – Field Player Division

1. Dee Gordon – 1.05
2. Elian Herrera – 0.93
3. Luis Cruz – 0.84
4. Juan Uribe – 0.77
5. Adrian Gonzalez – 0.72

The 2013 projection for the Dodgers from Dan Szymborski‘s ZiPS system was released last week, and given that it’s probably my favorite forecasting tool, it’s worth a look to see how the team fared.

Forecasting is not a complete science, obviously, and I’ll address some of the potential pitfalls as we go along, but it’s better to use objective tools like these than the hopes/dreams of fans or the bitterness/wishes of haters.

To start us off, how does the team fare, generally speaking? A solid playoff contender, for sure, but a super team? Doesn’t seem likely.

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The Field Players

Despite all the hype over the recent acquisitions, the key cogs in this machine are still Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. It’s a promising sign then, that Kemp projects at a 144 OPS+ and the system has confidence in him continuing to put up offensive numbers in the ~.900 OPS range. His defense in center still lags below average, but his bat more than makes up for it. His playing time projection has dropped due to his injury woes last season, and quite frankly, it’s hard to fault it for that. Regardless, he still figures to be the most valuable field player on the team.

Adrian Gonzalez is slated to be another bright spot, as ZiPS pegs him to bounceback a bit, though not as much as some want, clocking in at an ~.830 OPS/128 OPS+. That would still be his lowest OPS+ since 2008 (besides 2012, of course), but it’s a marked improvement considering his age and negatively trending skills. A-Gon compensates for that lagging bat a bit by putting up plus defense almost worth a win by itself. Hanley Ramirez factors in as yet another bounceback candidate, projecting at a 115 OPS+, which is an upgrade over last year’s 106 and is closer to his pre-2011 production. Defensively, even his horribad -8 run defensive rating is optimistic to me, as he was truly terrible with the glove last year. Given that I already wanted to barf seeing him trying to turn a double play in 2012, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him put up horrid defensive numbers after basically not playing the position all of spring.

Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of the offensive optimism ends. Luis Cruz checks in at 84 OPS+ (106 last year), which will anger many fans, but is completely reasonable given the track record. He remains valuable through plus defense, though given the sample size, there’s reason to be skeptical there as well. A.J. Ellis at 96 OPS+ (118) is another depressing but completely logical projection, as evidenced by everybody’s surprise in 2012 at his potent bat. Andre Ethier at 112 OPS+ (123) is hard to figure for me, because he has been consistently putting up ~120 OPS+ seasons even if it has come down from the ~130 OPS+ range two years ago. I suppose the projection system thinks he’ll get old in a hurry … or maybe it just thinks he’ll face an inordinately high amount of lefties. Mark Ellis at 81 OPS+ (93) shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering he’s 36 and put up an 80 OPS+ at Coors Field in 2011.

The last guy of the starters is Carl Crawford, who is the enigma of the 2013 season. He checks in at 104, which is notable because it’s basically his career OPS+ and it’s about what he did in limited time in 2012 over in Boston. That’s of particular note for me, because what he did in Boston in 2012 can be attributed to a mechanical fix that I pointed out in an article for Baseball Prospectus. Understandably, his playing time checks in low, but if he can produce like he did in 2012 but over a whole season, the Dodgers will be much better for it.

Overall, after fixing the playing time of A.J., adjusting Ethier’s offense up a bit, and adjusting Hanley’s defense down a bit, the starting lineup totaled about 22 WAR.

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The Bench & The Prospects

Assuming a bench of Tim Federowicz, Scott Van Slyke or Alex Castellanos, Jerry Hairston Jr., Nick Punto, and Skip Schumaker, we’re looking at around 3 WAR here after playing time is adjusted back to realistic bench levels. I’m guessing Alfredo Amezaga or Tony Gwynn Jr. work their way in somehow, but a five-man bench seems likely initially if the Dodgers can’t deal multiple pitchers before the season starts. Neither player would affect the WAR projection much though.

Honestly? I have to hope the Dodgers do something to improve the bench, because the current configuration looks rather mediocre, and the other options are keeping Juan Uribe and/or Elian Herrera. Yuck.

The good news is that Joc Pederson, T-Fed, SVS, and Castle are projected to be solid at the MLB level, though it sees Dee Gordon basically languishing behind.

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The Rotation

Clayton Kershaw is simply a beast, and he figures to check in with a 75 FIP-. This might seem high considering his 2011 and 2012 ERA- figures of 63 and 67, respectively, but when you consider that Felix Hernandez clocks in at 78 FIP- for 2013, you get the picture.

What might surprise is how close new acquisition Zack Greinke comes in behind him, as he figures to put up an FIP- of 81. Granted, he has always projected favorably, as his career FIP- is 80, while his career ERA- is 88, but even adjusting slightly for that, there’s a definite case there for the best 1-2 punch in the majors.

Unfortunately, this is where it gets murky, as Chad Billingsley has the stuff to be the #3, but if I were a betting man, I would bet his elbow implodes before July. He projects at 92 FIP-, which would put him around last year’s performance, which was his arguably his best season since 2008. However, given the nature of his injury and its history in the league, you can basically never rely on him to stay healthy again until he has Tommy John surgery.

Next in the pecking order are Josh Beckett, who comes in below-average at 103, and foreign import Hyun Jin Ryu, who comes in well below-average at 116. As mentioned before, the scouting reports for Beckett match this projection, as he’s no longer a front-line starter due to his decrease in velocity. However, if he can manage to learn to pitch a bit more, he still has the curve to perhaps slot in as a #3 more than a #4. Ryu is a case where I would take any projection with a mound of salt, because there’s hardly anything to base objective projections on. Personally, I don’t think Ryu has the stuff to be a #2, nor do I think he’ll be a #3 on a team with a $250 million payroll, but he should slot in comfortably in the back-end of the rotation for years. I would project something slightly below-average for 2013 and then hope for better.

The rotation is a strong point because it has both arguably the best 1-2 punch in the majors and depth, with Chris Capuano (108 FIP-) and Aaron Harang (114 FIP) presumably traded for upgrades (or maybe kept somehow?), and it checks in at about 17 WAR.

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The Bullpen & The Prospects

As of right now, I’m assuming a bullpen of Brandon League, Kenley Jansen, Ronald Belisario, Javy Guerra, Matt Guerrier, J.P. Howell, and Ted Lilly.

Jansen is the best of the bunch (63 FIP-) and League projects a distant second (92 FIP-), but Belisario has the most upside in these projections (101 FIP-). After that, Guerra, Guerrier, and Howell are all around replacement level. Lilly projects as a league-average pitcher, assuming he’s healthy, which would be a boon to a team that has a ticking time bomb in the rotation.

As far as prospects go, ZiPS thinks Chris Reed could be a replacement-level fill-in right now, but Zach Lee, Matt Magill, and Garrett Gould need more seasoning. And for all of you who have Stephen Fife wet dreams (yes, you’re out there), he projects at a 4.91 FIP, so keep it in your pants.

Speaking of replacement level, that especially applies to the Dodgers bullpen because of Shawn Tolleson, Scott Elbert, Steven Ames, and Paco Rodriguez, so the 4 WAR projection for this pen figures to be solid.

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Team Projection

A replacement-level team figures to win 43 games, and the team with the lowest amount of wins to get into the playoffs last year was the Cardinals at 88 wins, so 42 WAR puts you in the contender range and 45 WAR makes you viable, while 50 WAR will generally make a team a safe bet to be in the postseason. The Dodgers total 46 WAR, which puts them well within the playoff hunt: good but not great.

The Dodgers basically project neck-and-neck with the rival Giants, while the D-Backs lag behind a bit by maybe a half dozen wins or so, but they’re well within striking distance as well.

So make no mistake, the Dodgers recent spending habits did not make them an elite team, as the money simply duct-taped over both a flawed team and farm system depleted by Frank McCourt‘s ownership and Ned Colletti‘s questionable decisions. But that’s not to denigrate the job the new owners have done, as they turned the franchise into a legitimate playoff contender seemingly overnight, which is still saying a lot about what money can do.

Granted, “we gave you a team that has the chance to make the playoffs” is not what fans want to hear, but it’s an acceptable scenario as they lay the foundation to rebuild the franchise the correct way in their own minds. The 2013 projections might not reflect world-beaters like most seem to expect, but it’s a projection based on historical trends rather than hopes and dreams.

The 2013 Dodgers are indeed a team with a lot of upside, and if everything breaks correctly, they could very well end up being one of the best teams in the league, but they also carry a ton of inherent age and injury risk, which is why the projections come in understandably conservative. Either way, if nothing else, this team figures to be never boring.

The Dodgers have invited 12 players to their Winter Development Camp, which, after operating for its first five years of existence at Dodger Stadium, will move to Camelback Ranch due to construction at Chavez Ravine.

Zach Lee, Joc Pederson, Chris Reed, Onelki Garcia, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Withrow, Steven Ames, Matt Magill, Tim Federowicz, Matt Wallach, and newcomers Jeremy Moore and Rob Rasmussen makeup the 12 players selected by the organization.

Though Yasiel Puig was originally scheduled to participate in the camp, the Dodgers have opted to leave him with his Puerto Rican Winter League team, which is in the midst of a playoff run.

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The Dodgers signed former Rays lefty J.P. Howell to a one-year, $2.75 million deal with incentives. Chad has details and analysis here.

I’m just glad the deal is for one year, especially given Ned Colletti‘s proclivity to give veteran bullpen guys long-term deals.

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Jeremy Moore is one of five players to recently sign a minor-league deal with the club. Fabio Castro, Wilmin Rodriguez, Omar Luna, and Rusty Ryal round out the signings. Also, Scott Van Slyke was re-signed after being outrighted.

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Alfredo Amezaga has signed his second minor-league deal with the Dodgers and has been invited to Spring Training. He was an NRI to Spring Training in 2010 as well.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Dylan Hernandez reports the Dodgers have acquired Skip Schumaker from the Cardinals, sending minor-league shortstop Jake Lemmerman the other way. Chad has more on the deal here.

My reaction: meh.

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The Dodgers have designated Scott Van Slyke for assignment in order to make room on the 40-man roster for Schumaker. Van Slyke was the Dodgers’ 2011 Minor League Player Of The Year.

Van Slyke is unlikely to clear waivers, so there’s a good chance he gets traded in a minor deal.

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Tony Gwynn Jr. has received an invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, as he’s still under contract for 2013 but is not on the 40-man roster.

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The Red Sox will send $11.7 million dollars westward to the Dodgers as part of the mega-deal centered around Adrian Gonzalez. The payments will come in three equal installments of $3.9 million, to be made in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and they will conclude the deal.

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Zack Greinke‘s contract with the Dodgers is $147 million guaranteed, but it could increase to $158 million with incentives.

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

The Arizona Fall League wrapped up this week with the Mesa Solar Sox — the team with eight Dodger prospects — finishing in last place with a 10-20 record. Now, it wasn’t all the Dodger prospects fault, but there were some, shall we say, not-so-great performances from some of the fellas.

I’m going to keep my eye on the Puerto Rican Winter League now, as Yasiel Puig made his debut there on Saturday night. It’ll be nice to see him get some playing time after being forced to miss the AFL with a staph infection.

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Arizona Fall League

Gorman Erickson – C
14 G, .268/.400/.341/.741, 3 2B, 9 BB

Erickson played better in two weeks worth of games in the AFL than he did at Chattanooga this season. But despite playing better, his power was still absent. While the big switch-hitting catcher looks like a power hitter, he’s anything but. His on-base percentage trumped his slugging percentage, which better suits a leadoff hitter. Still, a .400 OBP is nice.

Joc Pederson – OF
15 G, .096/.161/.154/.315, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB

Atrocious. There is no better word to describe Pederson’s AFL experience. While 15 games is hardly anything to be concerned about, an .096 average will get negative attention. Despite the poor performance, Pederson is still a top five prospect in the organization.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B/SS
27 G, .330/.374/.515/.889, 10 XBH, 7 SB

Ynoa was the Dodgers’ offensive standout in Mesa this season. He led the club in batting average, RBI (20), hits (32) and triples (four). He was second in stolen bases and slugging percentage (to George Springer, .600). Ynoa is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and after a strong AFL campaign, a team could take a chance on him. Then again, he is 25 and has utility player upside (at best). With the 40-man roster pretty full, I’d expect him to be unprotected.

Eric Eadington – LHP
12.1 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 10.9 K/9

Eadington finished his AFL season on a strong note. Despite a high ERA and WHIP, his K/9 was impressive. His 15 strikeouts were tied for third-best on the club, and as a lefty who can touch 95 MPH on the gun, he potentially has a future in a big league pen.

Onelki Garcia – LHP
4 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.5 K/9

Garcia finally made his AFL debut. He threw just four innings and has a total of four professional appearances under his belt. Still, I like his potential as a starter. He needs to establish a third pitch to remain a starter going forward though.

Red Patterson – RHP
11.2 IP. 5.40 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 3.1 K/9

Patterson, who had a 9.1 K/9 with the Lookouts this season, managed just a 3.1 strikeout rate in the AFL. That might have been the most disappointing part of his season. The 25-year-old is a favorite of mine, but he doesn’t profile as much more than a middle reliever.

Chris Reed – LHP
10 IP, 7.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

Reed pitched exclusively as a reliever in the AFL and he didn’t pitch that well. He was a late addition to replace Paco Rodriguez, so that has to be taken into consideration. I’ve never been as high on him as most, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by his performance.

Andres Santiago – RHP
19.2 IP, 6.86 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 8.2 K/9

Santiago relieved Garcia in his final two outings, but made four starts for Mesa. He was up and down, but I like his potential. A full season at Double-A in 2013 will show whether he has a future as a starter or reliever.

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Dominican Winter League

Brian Cavazos-Galvez is 3-for-17 (.176). Looks like his Southern League numbers.

Tim Federowicz is 6-for-36 (.189) with a 1/17 BB/K rate. Ouch, again.

Dee Gordon is 28-for-88 (.318) with six triples in his 23 DWL games. He’s improved his walk rate since the last update (seven in 88 ABs).

Luis Vazquez has walked seven batters in 7.2 innings. He’s also struck out seven.

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Venezuelan Winter League

Alex Castellanos is 26-for-82 (.317) with four home runs and 18 RBI.

Luis Nunez is 26-for-111 (.234) with a home run, six doubles, and 12 runs scored.

Scott Van Slyke is 21-for-91 (.231) with seven home runs and 14 RBI.

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Mexican Winter League

J.T. Wise has not played since the last update.

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Puerto Rican Winter League

Freddie Cabrera has struck out three, walked two and given up seven hits and two runs in six innings.

Jarret Martin has appeared in two games so far. In 1 2/3 innings, he’s given up three runs and three walks. He’s also struck out three.

Yasiel Puig made his winter debut on Saturday night by going 2-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base, and two strikeouts. He went 0-for-3 in his second game.

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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.

Chris Jackson of the Albuquerque Examiner tweeted to me and said that Dodgers left-hander Onelki Garcia hasn’t appeared yet in the Arizona Fall League because of an oblique injury, but he was unable to confirm it. If true, I wouldn’t expect to see Garcia play at all in the AFL, though he could still pitch in another winter league.

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Arizona Fall League

Gorman Erickson – C
11 G, .276/.432/.345/.777, 2 2B, 8 BB

Erickson is having a decent AFL campaign in his second year in the league. The power he displayed in his 2011 campaign (.204 ISO) is all but gone, as hi ISO at Chattanooga was .095 and it’s just .069 in the AFL.

Joc Pederson – OF
9 G, .094/.171/.094/.265, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Pederson had been out of action since Oct. 23, but he returned to the Solar Sox‘s lineup yesterday and promptly went 0-for-3. His AFL season has been atrocious, but he still got an invite to the Rising Stars game, which was held on Saturday.

Someone mentioned that Pederson could be fatigued and I buy it. He played 110 games this season, then played in the World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament with Israel before heading to Arizona. I don’t think the jump in competition had this much negative impact on Pederson.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B
18 G, .338/.365/.529/.893, 7 XBH, 7 SB

Ynoa has been a stud for Mesa so far. He leads the club in hitting and is tied with Cubs prospect Matt Szczur in stolen bases. He’s also popped two home runs in the league — two more than he did in 421 Southern League at-bats. Ah, the rarefied air of Arizona.

Eric Eadington – LHP
8.2 IP, 7.27 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 11.4 K/9

Eadington was doing fairly well a couple weeks ago, but he ran into some trouble, as his high ERA and WHIP show. The positive: he’s striking guys out at an elite rate.

Red Patterson – RHP
8.0 IP. 7.88 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 3.4 K/9

Patterson started off the AFL great but has been awful in his last five innings. The positive: not much. But it’s just fall ball, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned about him at this point.

Chris Reed – LHP
6.1 IP, 9.95 ERA, 2.68 WHIP, 8.5 K/9

Reed’s ERA is finally in the triple-digits, so that’s progress, I suppose. He’s also improved his strikeout rate. Not too hard to improve on zero, though.

Andres Santiago – RHP
15.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

Finally, a good pitcher! Santiago has held his own in the AFL and, despite the higher-than-desired WHIP, he hasn’t allowed a home run in his 15 innings. I’m eager to see what he does in 2013.

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Dominican Winter League

Brian Cavazos-Galvez is 3-for-17 (.176). Looks like his Southern League numbers.

Tim Federowicz is 2-for-20 (.100) with 11 strikeouts. Ouch.

Dee Gordon is 14-for-43 (.326) with three triples in his first 10 DWL games. He’s only drawn two walks in 43 at-bats, though.

Luis Vazquez has walked four batters in three innings.

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Venezuelan Winter League

Alex Castellanos is 9-for-31 (.290) with two home runs and eight RBI.

Luis Nunez is 18-for-72 (.250) with four doubles and nine runs scored.

C.J. Retherford is 22-for-73 (.301) with three home runs and five doubles.

Scott Van Slyke is 16-for-62 (.258) with seven home runs and 13 RBI.

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Mexican Winter League

J.T. Wise is 4-for-17 (.235) with a home run.

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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.

Now that rosters have expanded, let the speculation on who gets the September call begin!

Pump the brakes a bit though, because unfortunately for the people who wish to see young players show their stuff: 1) the 40-man roster is full 2) guys on the 60-day DL are due to return 3) um … the team just traded away all of the top prospects that were close to contributing.

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One of the primary issues is that Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands are still on the Dodgers 40-man roster, so it creates a bit of a mess in terms of roster spots. This is especially true because Ted Lilly (maybe) and Dee Gordon are set to return, which means guys will have to get designated just to fit them in. Perhaps Chad Billingsley, Kenley Jansen, or Scott Elbert could be placed on the 60-day DL, but that creates more holes, not less.

Either way, guys like Adam Kennedy, Juan Uribe, Matt Angle, Elian Herrera, and Stephen Fife might not want to get too comfortable on the 40-man, depending on what direction the team decides on. However, due to the roster crunch, those hoping for players not on the 40-man roster to get called — like John Ely, Tony Gwynn Jr., and Bobby Abreu — might be left disappointed.

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Among those who I feel could help the team immediately are Tim Federowicz, Javy Guerra, Josh Wall, and Alex Castellanos. I already went over the reasons Guerra could contribute, as I believed sending him down to begin with was foolish. Wall, despite just an average year at AAA, has the raw stuff catch fire and help stabilize a suddenly shaky bullpen. Federowicz is not as good a hitter as his .296/.371/.465/.836 line in AAA would indicate, but he’s a good defender and is an upgrade over Matt Treanor right now. Castellanos could provide right-handed thump off the bench, as his .338/.431/.610/1.041 line in AAA would somewhat indicate. I’d rather see him get a chance than continue to run Juan Rivera out there, that’s for sure.

Other possibilities on the 40-man are Scott Van Slyke and Fife. Van Slyke could do much the same as Castellanos, but I have less confidence in his bat. Still, he can hardly be a worse pinch hitting option than Uribe or Kennedy or Nick Punto. I’m not sure Fife would fit in the bullpen, but if he’s not going to get designated then he could be called up to use as a long man.

Ely, Gwynn, and Abreu could all help, but I have to think they’re long shots due to the roster crunch reasons I mentioned earlier. Personally, I would have no problem designating about a half dozen players, but the team has somehow managed to resist doing that all year, so I don’t see why they would start now. With that said, if a starter goes down with injury, Ely deserves a chance after putting up a 3.20 ERA in 168.2 innings with solid peripherals in that league. Gwynn has put up a .304/.400/.393/.793 line at AAA and I really feel like he has to be added to the 40-man and called up somehow, if for no other reason than to pinch run. If Abreu’s healthy, he could probably do what Shane Victorino is producing in left right now sans the defense, so he could be a useful bench guy.

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Assuming Billingsley, Jansen, and Elbert return from injury, and that Gordon will be back but not Lilly, I would call on Federowicz, Guerra, Wall, Castellanos, Van Slyke, Gwynn, and Abreu while designating Uribe, Angle, and Herrera.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Dodgers got … positive news on a potentially serious injury? That truly is a shocker.

The Dodgers got some much-needed good news on Thursday, when an MRI on Andre Ethier’s strained left oblique showed no swelling.

The right fielder is listed as day to day and likely will avoid a trip to the disabled list.

“Yesterday I assumed we were going to be in a DL situation,” an optimistic manager Don Mattingly said. “But really the docs looked at it and didn’t see any swelling, so it really couldn’t be any better.”

Ethier, who was hopeful he could be back in a couple days Wednesday night, didn’t hit on Thursday. Test results showed no reason for a platelet-rich plasma injection, and Mattingly said he’s not sure what the approach is going to be in the next few days. However, he remained upbeat and said the news was as good as it could be.

They’ll probably play it safe for a while, but obviously that’s excellent news.

Well, except for Ivan De Jesus, who was optioned for Scott Van Slyke.

In need of an extra outfielder with Andre Ethier day to day with a strained left oblique, the Dodgers recalled Scott Van Slyke and optioned infielder Ivan De Jesus to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Jerry Sands must truly be in the shitter.

Juan Rivera was activated off the disabled list and Scott Van Slyke was optioned. In a vacuum, it’s a positive move, because Rivera is likely a better player than Van Slyke, but I’d much rather see his playing time go to a combination of Bobby Abreu/Tony Gywnn Jr./Alex Castellanos instead.

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In what can only be described as surprising, the Dodgers called up Shawn Tolleson, who I had been pining for since the beginning of the year, really. Funny enough though, it was for Javy Guerra, who heads to the disabled list, so this is probably a neutral move unless Tolleson sets the world on fire since Guerra was having a good year himself.

Why excited? In 120 professional innings, Tolleson has a 1.35 ERA, 178 strikeouts, 28 walks, and scouting reports that check out.

Tolleson was ranked #12 in my March Prospect Rankings.

The Dodgers lost their best player on Monday night as Matt Kemp was placed on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. The news was pretty much expected since before the game, when manager Don Mattingly, Kemp, and the training staff had a lengthy meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache about Kemp’s MRI results, which confirmed a left hamstring strain.

“It’s a mild strain, but the doctor said if you do it again, it can go from a grade one to a grade two, and then you’re talking four weeks,” Mattingly said. “Now he has a chance to get healthy, and make sure he doesn’t have any long-term effects from this thing.”

While this is a blow, I think most can agree it’s better for him to get healthy now than to risk wrecking himself, as he admitted that it was affecting his play.

He admitted he’s been playing at half-speed since injuring the leg last Saturday in Chicago. He reinjured it trying to leg out a ground ball Sunday and was removed from the game.

“I’ve been a little scared to do certain things,” he said. “I felt it in there a little bit. I just wanted to help my team any way possible, but I was babying it a little. I came to that realization.”

Perhaps the best part about all of this is that Andre Ethier may see time in center field.

Gwynn will be the primary center fielder with Kemp on the shelf, which Mattingly doesn’t think will be more than 15 days. But Mattingly also wants to make sure Gwynn doesn’t get overused, and said he would use Andre Ethier in center field for “two or three games” with Kemp out.

Yikes.

As an alternative though, why can’t Jerry Sands and Scott Van Slyke play first base? The defense is a downgrade, but James Loney still isn’t hitting.

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In other injury news, Juan Uribe is out.

The sudden wave of Dodgers injuries continued Monday when they had to put third baseman Juan Uribe on the 15-day disabled list with recurring left wrist soreness.

The Dodgers replaced him by purchasing the contract of Triple-A Albuquerque utility man Elian Herrera and designating outfielder Trent Oeltjen for assignment.

I’m not sure why Elian Herrera has vaulted over Trent Oeltjen all of a sudden, but it’s probably inconsequential.

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.

Manager Don Mattingly described the injury as “fairly major,” “significant” and “not just a strain.”

He said newly signed Bobby Abreu would get most of Rivera’s playing time in left field, but Mattingly is “not looking at him as an everyday guy” because that would “run the risk of beating him up.”

Rivera, who missed six starts last month with a left hamstring injury, was removed from Tuesday night’s game when he felt “pins and needles” in the same area behind the back of his left knee while sliding into third base.

An MRI on Wednesday revealed the extent of the injury.

“I felt something pop, but it didn’t hurt,” said Rivera. “They said this is better than pulling a hamstring. It might take two or three weeks and they want me to be 100 percent.”

So Rivera’s injury looks to be a lot more serious than initially thought, and based on the way he’s been playing so far in 2012, the injury is probably a blessing in disguise because his replacements would be hard-pressed to play worse.

With that said, Bobby Abreu getting a majority of the time in left field frightens me for defensive reasons, so hopefully Van Slyke hits well right off the bat and gets a shot at regular playing time.

From 2011 on, at AA and AAA, Van Slyke has posted a .351/.428/.626/1.054 line against lefties and an equally impressive .343/.422/.591/1.013 line against righties, so he’s not really a platoon player. He’ll make 26 in two months and seems to have little left to prove in the minors, so this seems to be as good a time as any to give him a shot.

The Loons are on fire, going 5-1 this week and taking top honors. They also have the week’s top pitcher in Jarret Martin. Surprisingly, the hitters stepped up this week, especially Scott Van Slyke, who helped the Isotopes put up 43 runs in seven games. The Loons allowed 21 runs, while Albuquerque checked in with 22 runs allowed.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2)

Runs Scored: 43
Runs Allowed: 22

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – OF/1B

Van Slyke tends to hit in waves, and this week was no exception. He went 7-for-23 (.304) with four home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored, and five walks. His best game came on Thursday, when he went 3-for-5 with two home runs against Oklahoma City. He’s up to .330/.406/.626 on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Elymania! Well, not really. But Ely did have a good week, making two strong starts: 1-0, 12 2/3 IP, 16 H, 2 R (earned), 3 BB, 14 K. Ely has struggled ever since getting off to a fast start in the 2010 season, spending the majority of his time with the Isotopes. Ely has a 4.64 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and .316 BAA so far this season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Runs Scored: 27
Runs Allowed: 26

Player Of The Week

Jake Lemmerman – SS/2B

Late Night, my boy, had himself quite a week, going 7-for-13 (.538) with two home runs, four RBI, two doubles, six runs scored, three walks, and two stolen bases. Despite starting the season off slowly, Lemmerman is up to .316/.391/.500 this season while splitting time at shortstop and second base.

Pitcher Of The Week

Red Patterson – RHP

Despite being a little old for the league (25 on Friday), Patterson has been awfully effective out of the Lookouts’ bullpen. This week, he pitched in four games and posted this line: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 7 K.

Patterson started with the Loons and Quakes last season and was effective, but with the logjam of starters in Chattanooga, Patterson has been relegated to bullpen duty – and has done well: 2.11 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9, and a 10.1 K/9.

He’s nothing more than Triple-A roster fodder, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him throw a pitch in the majors before the end of next season.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-5)

Runs Scored: 37
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Austin Gallagher – 1B

Gallagher is finally tapping into the power potential that a 6’5″, 210-pound frame should have. He went 6-for-20 (.300) with three home runs, seven RBI, five runs scored, and a double. He’s hitting just .265 and has a .336 on-base percentage, but he does have a .504 slugging percentage to supplement his line. If there’s any hope left for him, he’ll start completely mashing – but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Gallagher just edged out catcher Michael Pericht, who hit four home runs this week, including a walk-off shot on Thursday.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Sanchez – RHP & Logan Bawcom – RHP

Sanchez had been struggling a little bit, but he put together two fine performances this week: 1-0, 14 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 R (earned), 5 BB, 10 K. His season line isn’t pretty (4.83 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.4 H/9, 4.68 FIP), but he’s shown signs of improving.

Bawcom had an impressive week out of the bullpen despite only making two appearances. He threw 2 2/3 innings, allowed two hits, no runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts. He struck out all six of the batters he faced on Friday night. Bawcom doesn’t get a lot of love in prospect rankings, but he’s quietly posting some great numbers as the Quakes closer: 23 strikeouts, six walks, and zero runs allowed in 13 innings.

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Great Lakes Loons (5-1)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 21

Player Of The Week

Joseph Winker – 1B

Like the Loons, Winker had himself a week: 9-for-23 (.391) with a home run, seven RBI, five doubles, six runs scored, and three walks. The 22-year-old is hitting .273/.331/.473 after today with three home runs, 19 RBI, and a league-leading 13 doubles. He’s not much of a prospect right now, but he’s having moderate success so far in the Midwest League.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jarret Martin – LHP

In perhaps the biggest no-brainer for Pitcher Of The Week, Martin continued to have success in the Midwest League. This week’s line: 1-0, 14 IP, 5 H, 1 R (earned), 4 BB, 10 K. He had a bad start on April 26th (5 IP, 11 H, 7 R), but he still boasts a 2.63 ERA, .205 batting average against, and a 2.17 GB/FB ratio.

He definitely needs a promotion to Rancho Cucamonga, and it’s kind of weird that the Dodgers promoted Brandon Martinez instead of Martin, unless the fits the rotation schedule better. If not, Martin should get promoted as soon as possible, especially with Chris Reed suffering from shoulder fatigue.