Tagged: Austin Barnes
Dodgers trade Carlos Ruiz for reliever Vidal Nuño
Elsa/Getty Images
By Jon Weisman
Vidal Nuño, a 29-year-old left-handed reliever, has been acquired from Seattle by the Dodgers in exchange for catcher Carlos Ruiz.
Wood, Hernández join Dodgers’ NLCS roster
By Jon Weisman
Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood and infielder-outfielder Kiké Hernández have been added to the Dodgers’ official roster for the National League Championship Series, replacing Austin Barnes and Charlie Culberson.
Wood gives the Dodgers an extra pitcher for the best-of-seven series, which could include games on three consecutive days Tuesday-Thursday in Los Angeles. In addition, there is a chance of rain this weekend in Chicago, though it looks most likely to come in between Games 1 and 2.
The departure of Barnes removes the luxury of a third catcher for the Dodgers, though in two of the five National League Division Series games, Dave Roberts already showed he was willing to go down to use his last backstop off the bench with multiple innings to go.
Hernández replaces Charlie Culberson, who went 0 for 7 in the NLDS. Hernández has a single, triple and homer in 12 career at-bats against Game 1 starter Jon Lester, with the homer being the only run the Dodgers scored against the Cub left-hander in 15 innings this year, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. pointed out.
Here’s the lefty-righty breakdown of the Dodger roster:
Andrew Friedman, Dave Roberts explain Dodgers’ NLDS roster choices
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers faced several hard choices in coming up with their 25-man roster for the National League Division Series — and to some extent, the specific matchup with the Washington Nationals served as a tiebreaker.
Dodgers’ NLDS roster essentially set
At dusk, the Dodgers were in a workout ahead of their Wednesday flight to Washington D.C. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Though the Dodgers haven’t officially revealed their 25-man roster for the National League Division Series, Dave Roberts answered the remaining questions about the final spots today before the team’s final pre-NLDS workout in Los Angeles.
Here’s how it shakes out, pending any last-minute changes:
Dodger farm system became a production company in 2016
Cody Bellinger (Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
By Cary Osborne
What good are baseball prospects if they don’t move?
The Dodgers came into 2016 with the top farm system in baseball across the board, according to MLB.com, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. They had five prospects in MLB.com’s preseason Top 100 Prospects list. And all five moved.
No. 1 overall prospect Corey Seager will, in all likelihood, be the National League Rookie of the Year. MLB.com No. 4 prospect Julio Uriás graduated from the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers as a teenager and showed rapid progress in the Majors with Los Angeles. No. 24 prospect Jose De León knocked on the door so hard that the Dodgers answered in September, calling him up and watching him contribute to wins right away. In addition, the Dodgers moved No. 62 Grant Holmes and No. 95 Frankie Montas to Oakland in the deal for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.
In all, seven Dodger minor-leaguers made their Major League debut this year. Many others raised their game, climbed the ladder and gave the Dodger farm good reason to be highly regarded next year as well.
Puig, Dodgers grieve over José Fernández
Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
A number of Dodgers had personal connections with José Fernández, such as Austin Barnes, Chris Hatcher and Kiké Hernández, who all played in the Marlins organization with the All-Star right-hander.
But perhaps no one in Los Angeles was closer to the Miami All-Star, who died overnight in a boating accident, than Yasiel Puig.
The loud knocking of Jose De León gets answered
Cary Osborne/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Cary Osborne
Jose De León had been at Dodger Stadium mere minutes and he already accomplished a first in Dodger history. He became the first Dodger to wear No. 87 in the big leagues.
De León officially became a Dodger today with the callup from Triple-A Oklahoma City becoming official. One of the top right-handed prospects in the game and the Dodgers’ No. 2 overall prospect, according to MLB.com, will start on Sunday against the San Diego Padres in his Major League debut.
“I have everything mixed,” the 24-year-old said on his emotions one day before the start. “I just have to use that to an advantage. If somebody tells you don’t feel pressure they’ve never played the game. There’s always going to be pressure. It’s different when you take the pressure and use it to your advantage.”
Dodgers recall Puig, Barnes and Fields, activate Coleman and Ravin
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Yasiel Puig will be back in the Majors for the Dodgers’ September stretch run, joined by catcher-infielder Austin Barnes and pitchers Louis Coleman, Josh Fields and Josh Ravin.
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Julio Urías, P
Since he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on August 2, Puig played in 24 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a .422 on-base percentage, .605 slugging percentage, five homers and nine walks against 11 strikeouts.
“For us, Yasiel’s done everything that was asked of him,” Dave Roberts said today in an interview with MLB Network about Puig, who will start tonight. “As we talked through things, we felt ultimately that he makes us better, with him keeping his end of the deal. It’s all about Yasiel becoming a better person, a better teammate, but also helping the Dodgers with baseball games.”
Said Puig to reporters this afternoon: “I earned the demotion to Triple-A. I feel that I’m now a better person, and I’m here to show it.”
Puig has a .320 on-base percentage, .386 slugging percentage and .706 OPS this season for the Dodgers. Between his return from the disabled list and his trip to the minors, he had a .390 OBP while slugging .440.
He joins a Dodger outfield that has Howie Kendrick, Joc Pederson, Josh Reddick, Andrew Toles, Kiké Hernandez and (though mainly an infielder) Rob Segedin.
Andre Ethier, who has played three nights in a row in rehab games with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga (including seven innings in right field Thursday), might not be far behind.
The 26-year-old Barnes wraps up his second season in Oklahoma City with a .380 on-base percentage, .443 slugging percentage and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts, along with 43 walks against 53 strikeouts. In brief action with the Dodger this year, Barnes is 3 for 23 with three walks and a double.
Coleman pitched four shutout innings in rehab outings from August 22-30, allowing five hits while walking none and striking out six. With the Dodgers, he has a 3.70 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. He had made six straight scoreless appearances before going on the disabled list August 3 with right shoulder fatigue.
Fields has pitched two innings for Oklahoma City since he was optioned August 23. He had allowed five earned runs and 18 baserunners in 9 2/3 innings as a Dodger since his August 1 acquisition from Houston.
Placed on the disabled list August 15 with right triceps inflammation, Ravin pitched in one rehab inning August 30 for Rancho Cucamonga, allowing a hit and a run with a strikeout. He has two shutout innings with the Dodgers this year.
Luis Avilan, a winning pitcher Wednesday thanks to Toles’ grand-slam heroics, was only temporarily on the team as the 26th man for the second game of the doubleheader, and officially returned to Triple-A today. Because he was optioned August 25, he isn’t eligible for a permanent recall until Sunday.
So as they start September, the Dodgers have 15 pitchers and 15 position players on their active roster — with more to come.
Farm Fresh: De Leon’s 13K carry OKC to playoffs
By Jon Weisman
While Brock Stewart was having his career-best Major League game in Los Angeles, Jose De Leon was firing up some heroics of his own.
De Leon struck out 13 with no walks in 7 2/3 shutout innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, which clinched the Pacific Coast League American Northern Division title in a 6-1 victory over Colorado Springs.
In 41 2/3 innings over his past six starts, De Leon has a 1.30 ERA with 46 strikeouts.
How much will Dodgers fatten roster in September?
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Rob Segedin, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Charlie Culberson, 2B
Brock Stewart, P
By Jon Weisman
September 1, the date that active rosters can expand to as many as 40 players, has been in the Dodgers’ sightlines for some time — the seemingly perfect quirk in the schedule to serve a team that has depth in its pitching staff but not length.
Today, Dave Roberts told reporters that the Dodgers plan to activate Louis Coleman from the disabled list before Friday’s game (Thursday is actually an off day for Los Angeles, except for the Dodgers All-Access event) and also bring back reliever Casey Fien from the minors.
That would give the Dodgers a minimum of 14 pitchers, pending more possible additions as the month progresses. A recall of Luis Avilan and Josh Fields, who pitched recently for the Dodgers, would give them 16 arms. Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Josh Ravin are on the 15-day disabled list, and so with the flick of paperwork, the pitching staff could number as many as 20.
Hopes remain for the return from the 60-day disabled list of Clayton Kershaw to the starting rotation and Alex Wood to the bullpen, and then you possibly have 22 pitchers. (That seems like a lot.) In those cases, however, someone currently on the 40-man roster would have to be displaced.
That’s why, despite his strong finish at Triple-A Oklahoma City and highly regarded prospect status, Jose De Leon — who is not on the 40-man roster yet — might not see action for Los Angeles this year. It hasn’t been ruled out, but it’s predicated on the status of the aforementioned score of pitchers.
Dodger Insider 
You must be logged in to post a comment.