Tagged: Chris Hatcher
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.
Hatcher joins disabled list, Culberson recalled
Charlie Culberson takes a swing in April for the Dodgers. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Howie Kendrick, LF
Chris Taylor, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Yasiel Puig, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Bud Norris, P
By Jon Weisman
It’s incredible to imagine an entire 25-man roster of players going on the disabled list, but the Dodgers are almost there.
Chris Hatcher has become the 22nd different Dodger to go on the DL this season, with infielder Charlie Culberson called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his roster spot.
Culberson will be at shortstop tonight in place of Corey Seager, who is missing his second straight start after coming down with a stomach virus.
According to Stats LLC, the Dodgers have tied the 2015 Mets for the National League record for most different players on the disabled list and sit five behind the 2012 Red Sox for the MLB record.
How the revitalized bullpen keyed Dodgers’ surge
By Jon Weisman
In the Dodgers’ final inning before the All-Star Break, the best closer in the National League, Kenley Jansen, entered the game to protect a one-run lead against the fourth-place team in the National League West.
At that moment, the Dodger bullpen was several weeks into an extended resurgence that was forcing fans and media alike to unlearn everything it thought it knew about the team’s relievers. It progressed in stages, as if reversing the five stages of grief.
- Hooray — they actually held a lead for once.
- All right, I’ve stopped throwing things every time a reliever comes in.
- I know this won’t last, but thank you for at least being adequate.
- Hmm. Some of these guys are actually pretty good.
- I don’t want to jinx this. But … wow.
Dodger bullpen failures have been branded into the collective memory of recent years, the scar tissue making it nearly impossible for most to feel the moments when the relievers were doing well — which, of course, was more often than the distraught and cynical could concede.
But by the time Jansen took the mound Sunday, the bullpen’s growing success was no longer possible to ignore.
Dodger relievers lead the Major Leagues with a 2.83 ERA. They lead the Major Leagues with a 1.02 WHIP.
In fact, as Dodger broadcaster Joe Davis pointed out, the Dodger bullpen’s opponents batting average of .192 is currently the lowest in modern baseball history. The team’s WHIP is the lowest in NL history.
That’s extraordinary. And that’s not wishcasting. That’s something that has been happening. The Dodger bullpen has become the opposite of an albatross. It’s a primary reason that, despite the “I Love Lucy” chocolate conveyor belt of injuries, that Los Angeles (51-40) is on a 91-win pace and once again a team to be reckoned with.
In terms of inherited runners stranded, the Dodgers were seventh among MLB teams at 72 percent — in the upper echelon but with room for improvement. The good news — the great news — is that the improvement is already underway.
Turner, Dodgers have got that bounce
By Jon Weisman
Justin Turner’s weekend of heroics continued.
Turner’s third home run in two nights brought the Dodgers’ roaring back from a 5-2 deficit in the third inning, putting them on their way to a 10-6 victory over Milwaukee.
The biggest of the 14 Dodger hits that also included homers by Howie Kendrick and Joc Pederson, Turner’s blast — his sixth homer in his past 12 starts — marked the halfway point in the Dodgers’ six-run inning, their biggest of 2016. And it salvaged a night in which starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger couldn’t make it out of the third inning.
In fact, Bolsinger and Milwaukee’s Chase Anderson, childhood friends who were best men at each other’s weddings, each threw exactly 29 balls and 44 strikes in 2 1/3 innings tonight. Anderson took the loss, while Chris Hatcher, who threw 2 1/3 shutout innings, was the Dodgers’ winning pitcher.
Hatcher, who made his MLB debut as a catcher in 2010 but went 0 for 6, also picked up his first career hit, an RBI single in the third.
Dodgers tied trailing trumped in the ninth
By Jon Weisman
It’s Milwaukee 6, Los Angeles 6 entering the ninth inning. The Dodgers came back from down 3-0 and 6-3 to tie the game. Triumph or tragedy awaits. Who’s to say which?
This game has already had plenty of both. It’s been such a weird night, I’m kind of live-blogging the rest of the way as I recap what’s already come.
Frankie Montas begins rehab assignment
Frankie Montas at Spring Training in February, post-surgery. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Corey Seager, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Trayce Thompson, CF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yasmani Grandal, 1B
A.J. Ellis, C
Scott Kazmir, P
By Jon Weisman
Frankie Montas, the fireballing right-hander acquired with Trayce Thompson and Micah Johnson from the White Sox, has been a mostly forgotten man since he had rib resection surgery February 12.
But Montas threw two innings Thursday in an extended Spring Training game Thursday at Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers said, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Double-A Tulsa.
A potential starter or reliever, the 23-year-old struck out 108 in 112 innings with a 2.97 ERA for Double-A Birmingham, before striking out 20 in a 15-inning trial with the White Sox. In his last appearance of 2015, he struck out seven in four innings of one-run ball October 4.
A loss in Anaheim, but gains for Howie Kendrick
![Image-1[23]](https://mlblogsdodgers.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/image-123.jpg)
By Cary Osborne
With all the focus on the young trio of Corey Seager, Trayce Thompson and Joc Pederson this month, Howie Kendrick’s turnaround from a rough April has been somewhat lost.
Kendrick continued to distance himself from the worst offensive month of his career with another strong offensive performance on Thursday in the place that he has produced most of his masterworks. Kendrick tripled to right field at Angel Stadium in the third inning, breaking a 1-1 tie and giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.
Kendrick and Chase Utley reached base in each of their first three plate appearances — all by the fifth inning, when the Dodgers led 4-2. But Ross Stripling couldn’t hold the lead, first loading the bases in the fifth and then hitting C.J. Cron with a pitch. That led to a rough outing from Chris Hatcher, who gave up the tying and go-ahead runs in a 7-4 loss.
But Kendrick was a bright spot and has been in May.
Dodgers take another series with another mad, mad Coors Field game
By Cary Osborne
Oh Coors Field. You did it again.
You giveth and you keep on giving.
The Dodgers and Rockies have had 10 games at Coors Field where both teams have scored double figures. So Sunday’s 12-10 Dodger win wasn’t completely out of the ordinary. And at this point you sort of figure something crazy’s going to happen when the Dodgers play in Denver.
Swinging on the bullpendulum
Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Sometimes on Twitter, I will post complimentary information about the Dodger bullpen, like this …
Or maybe it will be about an individual reliever, such as this tidbit about Chris Hatcher …
This is not me saying that the Dodger bullpen is perfect, that it will never allow another run for the rest of our lives and that we should look for a picture of a smiling Hatcher on a box of Bullpen O’s in the cereal section of our local supermarket.
It’s simply that during the period shown, the bullpen is doing a great job, and that’s worth pointing out — given the feeding frenzy that takes place when one or more relievers doesn’t succeed.
Chris Hatcher returns, Dodgers option Austin Barnes
Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers
Kershaw CCXLV: Kershawter Call Saul
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Trayce Thompson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P
By Jon Weisman
Chris Hatcher’s paternity leave lasted all of 24 hours, as he is back today with the Dodgers, who have optioned Austin Barnes to Oklahoma City.
The move gives the Dodgers an eight-man bullpen, and more specifically allows them to keep Adam Liberatore as a second left-hander for the time being.
Barnes is 2 for 15 with two walks and six strikeouts in the young season, starting three games at catcher as well as Thursday’s at second base.
Los Angeles will go with a four-man bench, which tonight features switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal and left-handed hitters Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Chase Utley.
Howie Kendrick is the only player in tonight’s lineup who did not start against Madison Bumgarner when he and Clayton Kershaw faced off six days ago.
Dodger Insider 
You must be logged in to post a comment.