Tagged: Zach Lee
Two seasons, 80 Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Dodger Stadium is the land of opportunity. In a month shy of two seasons, the Dodgers have used the equivalent of two 40-man rosters.
On Friday, Carlos Ruiz became the 80th person to play for the Dodgers since Opening Day 2015.
Zach Lee traded to Seattle for infielder Chris Taylor
Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Chris Taylor, a 25-year-old shortstop who has been OPSing .845 for Seattle’s Triple-A team in Tacoma, has been acquired by the Dodgers in exchange for pitcher Zach Lee.
Taylor has a .387 on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage this season. In 256 career big-league plate appearances with the Mariners, he has twin .296 on-base and slugging percentages. The 2012 fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia has also played second and third.
Lee, the Dodgers No. 1 draft pick in 2010 and a two-time minor-league pitcher of the year for the organization, has a 1.49 WHIP and 4.89 ERA in 73 2/3 innings this season for Triple-A Oklahoma City, with 57 strikeouts.
The 24-year-old Lee made one start for Los Angeles, allowing seven runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets on July 25. He ended up pitching 725 innings in the organization, dating back to 2011.
Urías starts tonight, but for how much longer?
By Jon Weisman
Tonight’s starting pitcher, Julio Urías, has thrown 58 professional innings this season. Dave Roberts said Thursday that the plan was to give Urias two more starts, then evaluate.
Most interpreted this as Roberts saying that Urías would be shut down in the manner of Ross Stripling, who hasn’t pitched in a game since May. To be clear, though, that wasn’t stated explicitly by Roberts, who simply said, “we’ll go from there.”
Last year, Urías threw 80 1/3, and the year before, a career-high 87 2/3. Even in the unlikely event of two complete games, Urías would still be at 76 innings on the year. Two six-inning outings would put Urías at 70. Presumably, Urías can go incrementally above the 80-plus inning range that he has previously reached.
So the question would be whether it makes sense to use all those innings now, while the Dodgers wait for the return of Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood from the disabled list (and longer down the road, Brett Anderson). Or do they have Urías take the break, and the ramp him up again in the second half of the season, when the rotation might be more crowded — not that there couldn’t be other setbacks.
Yimi Garcia heads to DL, Zach Lee recalled
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Yimi Garcia has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with right biceps soreness by the Dodgers, who have recalled right-hander Zach Lee to take his roster spot.
Garcia, tied with Chris Hatcher for the team lead in games pitched with nine and innings with 8 1/3, has allowed 11 baserunners this season while striking out four. In his big-league career, Garcia has struck out 9.7 per nine innings with a 0.94 WHIP.
Lee has a 1.56 ERA in 17 1/3 innings (three starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing 22 hits but walking only one while striking out 14. He was scheduled to start tonight in Iowa, but is with the Dodgers now as a long reliever.
Scott Kazmir said he doesn’t expect to miss his next start despite “minor discomfort where the thumb meets the wrist,” according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Also, Louis Coleman returns from his bereavement leave Monday.
By the way, Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Mike Bolsinger, whose bid for the Dodger starting rotation was thwarted by a strained oblique muscle a month ago, has begun throwing off a mound.
Justin Turner has a bruised toe but is available to pinch hit, according to Gurnick.
Farm Fresh: That’s some powerful Garlick
Rancho Cucamonga’s Kyle Garlick. (Steve Saenz/Rancho Cucamonga Quakes)
By Cary Osborne
The biggest display of power in this young season by a player in the Dodger organization belongs to Dodgers 2015 28th-rounder and High-A Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Kyle Garlick. And it shouldn’t be viewed as a one-game sensation.
“The power for sure is real,” he said Tuesday. “I just have to make sure it stays consistent.”
With Garlick’s three home runs in Lancaster on Monday, including an inside-the-parker, the 24-year-old has hit nine home runs in his first 24 games with the Quakes, including five in 14 games last season. So going into Tuesday night’s game, Garlick hit a home run once every 11.8 plate appearances with the Quakes.
Who’s where? Starting points for 2016 minor leaguers
Julio Urias is knocking on the door, or at least pushing on the fence. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Cary Osborne
You could have made the argument at many points during the 2015 season that the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers were the 31st Major league team. And you can start the 2016 season saying the same thing.
The Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate begins the season with 17 players with Major League experience on its roster, including six relief pitchers. That’s just one interesting storyline with rosters set the day before Thursday’s Minor League Opening Day. So let’s go team by team.
Pedro Baez, Yimi Garcia clinch spots on 25-man roster
Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez in October 2015. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Kiké Hernandez, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Carl Crawford, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Corey Seager, SS
Kenta Maeda, P
By Jon Weisman
Ross Stripling has been named the Dodgers’ No. 5 starter and will take the mound April 8 at San Francisco, Dave Roberts announced, adding that Carlos Frias will be optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
We’ll have more on Stripling shortly in a separate post. In the meantime, here are some more news and notes …
In case you missed it: Ex-Dodger moves forward from tragedy
Carl Crawford, LF
Trayce Thompson, CF
Chase Utley, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
A.J. Ellis, C
Rob Segedin, 1B
Austin Barnes, 2B
Charlie Culberson, SS
Kenta Maeda, P
By Jon Weisman
I hope you don’t have to read a tougher story than this today: Former Dodger reliever Javy Guerra spoke to J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News about the twin horrors of losing his brother and sister in the past two years.
Here’s what’s happening around the Dodgers …
- Zach Lee held serve in his challenge with Carlos Frias to start in the first week of the 2016 season. In the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory Saturday over the White Sox, Lee (pitching 4 2/3 innings) got two more outs than Frias, but allowed two more runs. Oddly, Lee had no walks or strikeouts.
- Wrote Ken Gurnick of MLB.com: “Some will speculate that because Frias faced the Giants recently, Lee will get that first start, rather than have Frias face the same hitters again. San Francisco’s lineup Friday night included Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford.”
- Under the radar, Kiké Hernandez (hit by a pitch near his oblique Sunday), Alex Guerrero (knee) and Yimi Garcia (knee) have gone days without playing as they try to let various sore spots heal.
- However, Gurnick indicates that Corey Seager is nearing a return to Major League action after playing defense in a minor-league game Saturday.
- Scott Kazmir’s abdominal issues weren’t abominable – it turns out, they were cramps.
- Prospect watchers got a thrill when 20-year-old Cody Bellinger and 21-year-old Willie Calhoun hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning off MLB veteran Dan Jennings. Each player reached base twice in the game.
- Justin Turner walked, doubled and singled in his three plate appearances, and now has a Cactus League on-base percentage in the .700 club.
- Play-by-play announcer Joe Davis is not only spending his first season with the Dodgers in 2016, he and his wife Libby are having their first baby this summer. Congrats!
- It was Dodger Pride night Saturday at Staples Center with the Kings.
In case you missed it: About that fifth-starter spot …
Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
By Cary Osborne
Before the asphalt could cool on Mike Bolsinger’s seemingly paved path to the fifth starter spot in the Dodger rotation, the right-hander was scratched minutes before his scheduled start on Sunday against the San Diego Padres at Camelback Ranch.
While warming up in the bullpen, less than an hour after the Dodgers announced Zach Lee was optioned to minor league camp, Bolsinger felt a tweak in his left side after throwing a curveball. Instead, career-minor leaguer Jeremy Kehrt made the emergency start and the Dodgers trudged through a 12-5 loss at Camelback Ranch.
Dave Roberts told reporters after the game it was a mild oblique injury.
Kazmir and Bolsinger under watchful eyes
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 3B
Kiké Hernandez, SS
A.J. Ellis C
Joc Pederson, CF
Corey Brown, LF
Cody Bellinger, 1B
Mike Bolsinger, P
Carl Crawford, LF
Chase Utley, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Alex Guerrero, 3B
Trayce Thompson, CF
Rob Segedin, 1B
Charlie Culberson, SS
Rico Noel, RF
Scott Kazmir, P
By Cary Osborne
Today marks Scott Kazmir’s first Cactus League outing since March 9, when he allowed six hits, two walks and five earned runs against the Angels.
Kazmir faces the Milwaukee Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park.
He pitched in a B game against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch on March 14. A lot was made of Kazmir’s fastball velocity in the B game, reportedly in the mid- to high-80s, so Spring Training game or not, people will be eager to watch this one.
The same could be said about the matchup against the Padres at Camelback Ranch where Mike Bolsinger continues his campaign for the fifth-starter spot.
The right-hander threw four shutout innings against the Brewers on March 14, allowing two hits and walk, striking out two.
Here’s how the three fifth-starter candidates have done so far:
- Bolsinger: 9 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 SO, 2 ER
- Zach Lee: 8 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 SO, 4 ER
- Brandon Beachy: 7 IP, 8 H, 7 BB, 2 SO, 6 ER
However, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported on Saturday that Beachy was dealing with a sore arm and will rest for a few days while being evaluated. Beachy told Gurnick today that it’s mild tendinitis and he doesn’t believe it’s too serious.
Scott Van Slyke was originally in today’s lineup at first base against the Padres, but was scratched due to a sore right hip flexor. Gurnick reported on Twitter that Van Slyke will rest one or two days.
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