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[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers snap three-game losing streak

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Dodgers used a four-run eighth inning to even the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates by a final score of 8-4.

The Dodgers put an end to their losing ways this week with an 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, snapping a three game losing streak.

Roki Sasaki looked to improve off a career best start against the Texas Rangers in his last outing, while Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller looked to rebound after allowing seven runs in his last start at Dodger Stadium.

Oneil Cruz wasted no time for the Pirates off of Sasaki, blasting a home run on a ball well outside the strike zone over the center field wall to give the Pirates the lead on the first pitch of the game. Sasaki regathered himself quickly, needing just nine pitches to finish his first inning of work.

The Dodgers cracked through right-hander Mitch Keller with a pair of doubles from Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández, with a fielding error from second baseman Adam Frazier giving the Dodgers their first two runs and their first lead of the series.

Two-spot in the first! pic.twitter.com/9nrDS85siT

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025​

Sasaki put the first two men on base in the second inning, before Frazier grounded into a fielder’s choice to put the potential tying run at third base. Tommy Pham lofted a shallow fly ball to right field, prompting the lead runner Joey Bart to tag up. Teoscar Hernández laced a soft throw that beat the runner by multiple steps, maintaining the lead and helping Sasaki escape trouble. The Dodgers followed up with two men on in the bottom half of the second inning, but both Ohtani and Mookie Betts failed to cash in.

Got 'em. pic.twitter.com/B5cWZJnE86

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025​

The score remained through the third and fourth innings, until Cruz struck again with a go-ahead two-run single to give Pittsburgh back the lead. The Dodgers answered right back after Ohtani led off the fifth inning with his first triple of the season, scoring on a single from Freddie Freeman to tie the score at 3.

Tie game! pic.twitter.com/7ngPz0gs8B

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025​

Roki Sasaki continued to show signs of growth against Pittsburgh, tossing a career high 93 pitches while pitching into the sixth inning in his second straight outing. Although he allowed a pair of walks over the first three innings, he managed to find the zone more consistently and struck out four over 5 2⁄3 innings. Sasaki finished with another no-decision, and the hunt for his first career victory will have to wait another week.

Rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer took over for Sasaki in the sixth inning, needing five pitches to record a strikeout. In the seventh inning, the troubles he faced in Chicago came alive, as he loaded the bases with nobody out. A fielder’s choice helped the Dodgers get their first out, but allowed the go-ahead run to score.

The theme of these games this week has been a back-and-forth contest (outside of Friday’s shutout loss), and the Dodgers erased their short deficit with Ohtani’s third extra-base hit of the game to tie the game. Ohtani’s struggles with runners in scoring position persisted on Saturday, but he managed to drive in a runner from first base for the first time this season.

Shohei ties it! pic.twitter.com/w7SXU2PYdl

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025​

After a scoreless eighth inning from Kirby Yates, Teoscar Hernández took a mighty swing at a 1-0 pitch from Colin Holderman, depositing it into the left field pavilion, extending his RBI count to a team-leading 24 on his seventh home run. Kiké Hernández came in as a pinch-hitter for Michael Conforto, and joined in on the fun with a three-run home run to give the Dodgers as many runs scored as they had all series in just the eighth inning.

GO AHEAD, TEOSCAR! pic.twitter.com/kXQgXBiUY3

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025​

No. 8 makes it 8! pic.twitter.com/t7G4uSaJZX

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025​

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Andy Pages added to his already scorching hot week offensively with his second straight three hit-game. Pages is batting .600 over his last four games, raising his season batting average from .159 to .244 and his OPS from .544 to .779.

The Dodgers are now tied with the San Diego Padres for second in the NL West, with both teams just a half game back of the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers are now a perfect 1-0 on City Connect Saturdays in 2025.

Game particulars​

• Home runs: Oneil Cruz (8); Teoscar Hernández (7), Kiké Hernández (5)
• WP— Kirby Yates (2-1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
• LP— Colin Holderman (0-1): 0 IP, 2 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts

Up next​

The Dodgers will wrap up their three game series against the Pirates on Sunday, looking to secure a series win (1:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Tyler Glasnow starts the series finale for the Dodgers against his former team, while left-hander Bailey Falter starts for Pittsburgh.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/26/24418367/dodgers-pirates-game-recap

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Glasnow leaves start in 2nd inning with shoulder discomfort

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

Glasnow allowed two runs in first inning, then exited after warmup pitches in the second inning, his second consecutive start interrupted by injury

For the second Sunday in a row, Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow exited his start early with an injury. This time, Glasnow exited with shoulder discomfort after warming up for the second inning.

The SportsNet LA broadcast showed Glasnow stretching his arm ahead of his last few warmup pitches, then after the final pitch appeared to bend over and yell something in frustration. That prompted a visit from trainer Thomas Albert and manager Dave Roberts, and Glasnow was removed from the game.

Glasnow threw 17 pitches in the first inning and allowed a pair of two-out home runs, the latter matching his total from his first four starts.

The concern going into this start stemmed from last Sunday in Texas, when Glasnow exited at the start of the fifth inning with lower leg cramps. After that game, Glasnow said he felt much better by the end of the game, and all signs pointed to him being ready for this start against the Pirates.

“He did an IV yesterday, just kind of getting his body hydrated,” Roberts said before Sunday’s game at Dodger Stadium, as shown on SportsNet LA. “All the work leading up to today is good, so for me and the training staff there’s no concern going into this start.”.

The Dodgers rotation is very much in flux at the moment. An MRI on Blake Snell’s shoulder came back clean but there’s no timetable for his return. There’s still three weeks before Clayton Kershaw can be activated from the 60-day injured list.

Heading into the series against the Marlins, Tuesday was already TBD and Tony Gonsolin will be activated off the injured list to start Wednesday. Now they might have to fill Glasnow’s rotation spot as well.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/27/24418934/tyler-glasnow-injury-dodgers-shoulder-discomfort

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers on Deck: Monday vs. Marlins

The Dodgers homestand continues on Monday night with the Marlins coming to Los Angeles for the first of three games at Dodger Stadium.

First-year Marlins manager Clayton McCullough will receive his 2024 championship ring during this series, having spent the previous 10 seasons with the Dodgers, including 2021-24 as first base coach.

Dustin May makes his fourth start of the season, looking to rebound for allowing seven runs last Tuesday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. That’s two more runs (and five more earned runs) than May allowed in his first three starts combined.

Miami is on a west coast road trip, heading to Los Angeles after a weekend series in Seattle. Right-hander Edward Cabrera starts Monday night for the Marlins, with a 6.14 ERA in his three starts, with 18 strikeouts and eight walks in 14⅔ innings.

Monday game info​

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Marlins
• Stadium: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/27/24418387/dodgers-marlins-game-april-28

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Should Ben Casparius start for the Dodgers?

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

Looking at the available starting rotation options for the Dodgers over the next two-plus weeks, the best one might already be on the active roster.

Tyler Glasnow left his Sunday start after only one inning with shoulder soreness, and while the extent of the injury isn’t yet known, it’s quite likely he’s going to be placed on the injured list.

The Dodgers rotation is very much in flux at the moment, with Dustin May starting Monday night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled for Friday in Atlanta, and Roki Sasaki on Saturday. Tony Gonsolin is set to return from the IL to start on Wednesday, making his first major league start in 20 months.

Tuesday’s starter against the Marlins hasn’t yet been announced, but among the starting options on the 40-man roster, Nick Frasso started Friday, Landon Knack started Saturday, and Justin Wrobleski on Sunday for Oklahoma City, and none would be rested enough to start on Tuesday.

Bobby Miller last pitched in Triple-A last Tuesday, and would be well rested enough to start against the Marlins. But he was optioned on April 17, and to be recalled to the majors inside of 15 days would require someone else to go on the injured list, like Glasnow.

If the Dodgers don’t want to pull the trigger just yet on Glasnow to the IL, Matt Sauer is another option, having pitched three innings last Wednesday for Oklahoma City, and having pitched 3⅔ innings and five innings in his previous two outings before that, both starts.

But Tuesday is really the sixth starter spot, the sometimes-intermittent role to be filled by spot starters to preserve roster flexibility. No matter what option the Dodgers choose for Wednesday, they still need a fifth starting pitcher as well. They will likely also need a sixth starter at least twice during the stretch of 19 games in 20 days that begins this Thursday.

Blake Snell doesn’t really have a timetable just yet, so it’s unreasonable to expect his return in the next two-ish weeks. Clayton Kershaw is still plugging away on his rehab assignment, with planned starts this week for Oklahoma City on both Tuesday and, in a shorter capacity, on Sunday on four days rest. Kershaw is on the 60-day IL and ineligible to return before May 17.

There’s still a rotation spot to be filled, even if temporarily.

Ben Casparius was primarily a starting pitcher throughout the minors, but pressed into relief duty by necessity last September and October. With more relief injuries this spring, Casparius earned a path to the opening day bullpen, and has thrived ever since.

He was the first pitcher in a planned bullpen game on Wednesday at Wrigley Field and got the first eight outs without allowing a run. Pressed into emergency duty on Sunday, Casparius this time went 3⅔ innings, again scoreless.

Manager Dave Roberts was asked by reporters at Dodger Stadium on Sunday if Casparius might be considered to make a start or two given the current state of the rotation.

“It’s a thought,” Roberts said, as shown on SportsNet LA. “He gave us four innings today. He’s unflappalbe, he flooded the strike zone. and he saved our tails today, and our bullpen’s in a great spot going into this next series.”

Roberts was then asked what it would take for Casparius to be stretched out into a starter’s role.

“Right now we’ll go through the rotation for the next week to see how it looks. Obviously Ben is going to be down for the Miami series,” Roberts said. “Knowing that we’ve got him up to 50 pitches, something like that, seeing the need at that point and time. Things can change quite a bit, and right now I don’t think anyone can say where he’s going to be slotted in.”

Casparius is already fourth on the team in innings (21⅔), posting a 2.91 ERA and 2.42 xERA, with 23 strikeouts, tied for second on the staff, against only three walks so far this season, with a 27.1-percent strikeout rate.

The Dodgers don’t necessarily have to make a decision this week. Thursday’s off day means May could start Sunday on five days rest, if Glasnow is indeed unavailable. The open spot in the rotation would come next Monday in Miami.

Casparius is a meticulous planner, and told me in March about the differences in his between-outings work to get ready for dual roles.

“Being a reliever you need to be able to go with the flow a lot more,” Casparius said. “Being a starter, I knew exactly what I was doing in the training room, the weight room, and everything on the mound. As a reliever I feel like you have to get really used to being uncomfortable.”

Casparius’s work thus far has made a precarious pitch depth situation much more comfortable for the Dodgers. Now it’s just a matter of what his role will be over the next few weeks.

Today’s question is should Ben Casparius start for the Dodgers the next time through the rotation?

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/28/24419308/tyler-glasnow-injury-ben-casparius-dodgers-rotation

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

April 28: Dodgers 7, Marlins 6 (10 innings)

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

3rd walk-off win for LA in 2025

The Dodgers blew a 5-0 lead and the Marlins took the lead in the 10th inning, but Tommy Edman rescued them with a two-run walk-off single on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/28/24419387/dodgers-marlins-april-28

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Sauer called up to provide more length in bullpen game

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

Sauer has pitched 3, 3⅔, and 5 innings in his last three outings in Triple-A, and more likely to provide length for Tuesday night’s bullpen game against the Marlins

With a bullpen game in the plans for Tuesday, the Dodgers called up their reliever most likely to give them length. Matt Sauer was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Noah Davis was optioned.

Davis was just called up on Monday, but in hindsight it seems clear that was more for coverage in case Dustin May wasn’t able to pitch deep into the game, after Ben Casparius and Yoendrys Gómez combined for 20 outs the day before. Instead, May pitched into the sixth inning, and Davis did not pitch.

Sauer last pitched last Wednesday, pitching the final three innings to save Oklahoma City’s win. That followed 68 pitches in 3⅔ innings in an April 18 start against Tacoma. Sauer pitched five innings in a start before that. In four games for the Comets, Sauer has a 1.84 ERA with 14 strikeouts and one walk in 14⅔ innings.

This is Sauer’s third stint on the active roster this season, including for the second game of the Tokyo Series and from April 6-7. He pitched once in the previous three games he was available, allowing a run on three hits in 1⅔ innings against the Nationals on April 7.

With Casparius and Gómez likely unavailable to pitch, the Dodgers at most have seven relievers available to pitch on Tuesday night. And if Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, or Kirby Yates pitch, it would make three games in four days, something none of that trio has done yet this season. Scott hasn’t yet pitched on consecutive days this season.

In other words, the Dodgers needed a little more length for this game. Davis has pitched more than one inning just twice this season between Triple-A and the majors, topping out at two innings. Hence the call to Sauer.

Left-hander Jack Dreyer will be the first pitcher on the mound for the Dodgers in their bullpen game Tuesday night.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/29/24415063/dodgers-roster-matt-sauer-noah-davis

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Can you guess this Dodgers infielder in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out what Dodgers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

We’re back for another day of the True Blue LA in-5 daily trivia game. If you missed any of this week’s games, you will find a link below. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

Today’s True Blue LA In-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous Games​

Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Monday, April 28, 2025
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

True Blue LA in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Dodgers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game will appear in the No. 3 slot of the True Blue LA layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/30/24420888/sb-nation-dodgers-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

What was your favorite part of the Dodgers’ April?

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

Picking from the best players, games, highlights, and moments from the last month of Dodgers baseball

The Dodgers ended April with five straight wins and lead the National League West. Since today’s an off day before the May schedule begins, let’s look back at the last month.

Since we already asked about favorite moments from the home opener back in March, let’s limit this to just the last calendar month. What was your favorite Dodgers moment of April?

April began and ended with a Dodgers starting pitcher returning after missing over a year and a half due to major elbow surgery. Dustin May started on April 1 and was in the rotation for the whole month. Tony Gonsolin made his return on April 30, and was sharp in doing so.

There’s was the duel in Texas. The Dodgers in April had two walk-off wins as well.

You can pick a game, a specific player, a particular play, or even just one moment that stood out to you. Let us know your favorites from April in the comments below.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/1/24421453/dodgers-april-favorite-moments

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers injured list tracker

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Keeping track of every Dodgers player on the injured list, paternity leave, bereavement, and family emergency lists all season

Every Dodgers player who ends up on the injured list during the 2025 season, we will track here. That includes the concussion IL, which is a minimum of seven days, or the standard IL, which is 10 days at minimum for position players and 15 days for pitchers, as well as the 60-day injured list.

We’ll also track players on paternity leave, the bereavement list, or the family medical emergency list. Basically any time a Dodgers player misses time that requires a roster move, we’ll note it here.

During the 2024 season, 28 different Dodgers missed time. In 2023, there were 34 such players.

Every injured list placement this season will also be chronicled on our 40-man roster page, which like this post will be updated throughout the 2025 season.

Gavin Stone was the first Dodger to land on the injured list in 2025, placed on the 60-day IL on February 11 to make roster room for the signing of Kiké Hernández. Stone is expected to miss the entire season after shoulder surgery in October.

Two days later, River Ryan was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for Clayton Kershaw. Ryan had Tommy John surgery in August 2024 and is expected to be out for all of 2025 as well.

In finalizing their opening day roster on March 18, the Dodgers placed nine more pitchers on the injured list, including seven on the 15-day IL plus Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove on the 60-day IL.

Note: if you are on a mobile device, these tables will show up best in landscape mode.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/2/23/24371271/los-angeles-dodgers-injured-list-tracker-2025

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers start 10-game road trip against surging Atlanta

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Dodgers are starting a 10-game road trip in Atlanta. The Dodgers swept them in L.A., but the Braves have been playing much better as of late. The pitching, as always, will be something to keep an eye on.

The Los Angeles Dodgers begin a 10-game road trip on Friday, which will take them through the cities of Atlanta, Miami, and Phoenix. Hopefully they come out of the road trip feeling hot hot hot!

Bad 90’s song puns aside, the biggest test of this road trip will be the pitching — mainly, navigating the lack of starting pitching. When asked about the plans for the pitching staff over the next 10 games, Manager Dave Roberts said, “There might be a bullpen game in there” before pausing to add, “I’m not sure about that”.

The Dodgers have been working with a standard weekend trio, to accommodate keeping Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki on a once-a-week schedule. The third of that usual trio, Tyler Glasnow, left his last start in the beginning of the second inning. He is now on the 15-day IL with right shoulder soreness. Dustin May will start this Sunday, on five days rest.

The offense for the Dodgers seems to be rolling, scoring 51 runs in the last five games. Max Muncy finally got his first home run of the season on Wednesday, which will hopefully take the albatross from around his neck and get him back on the right track offensively.

The road trip begins with a three-game set in Atlanta, with a Braves team that has pulled themselves out of the cellar of the NL East. Although they are not yet a .500 team, they have won nine of their last 12 games, and moved into third place in the division, six games out of first.

The Dodgers swept Atlanta when the Braves were in L.A., but Braves manager Brian Snitker thinks the team is playing more like the team they actually are right now.

Old friend Alex Verdugo, who was last seen by the Dodgers striking out to give the Dodgers their 2024 World Championship, now leads off for the Braves. He is filling in at the top of the order for Ronald Acuna Jr, who is still recovering from a torn ACL. Offensively the team is still lead by Marcell Ozuna, who leads the team in many categories.

Friday night, the Dodgers will face Grant Holmes, who is 2-1 on the year with a 4.50 ERA. Yamamoto, who did not face the Braves in the first series, goes for the Dodgers in Friday’s opener.

Friday game info​

• Teams: Dodgers at Braves
• Stadium: Truist Park, Atlanta
• Start time: 4:15 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/2/24422282/dodgers-road-trip-braves

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Yamamoto dominates again, and Betts goes yard in Atlanta

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Mookie Betts hit his first home run since April 14. The Dodgers picked up their sixth straight win.

The Dodgers (22-10) extended their winning streak to six games after they defeated the Braves (14-17) Friday night 2-1 in stormy Atlanta.

The Dodgers didn’t have much offense on the night aside from a Mookie Betts solo home run and a Will Smith sac fly, but they were able to edge out the Braves in the pitchers duel.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his fifth straight Friday start and once again dominated. He was in complete control and didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning.

Old friend and former Dodgers first-round draft pick Grant Holmes got another shot at the Dodgers after losing to them at Dodger Stadium earlier in the season. The curly-maned pitcher came out strong and struck out the side in the top of the first using only 11 pitches to retire Shohei Ohtani, Betts, and Freddie Freeman all on swinging strikes.

Both starters cruised through the first three innings without surrendering a hit. Holmes struck out five through the first three frames, and Yamamoto fanned four.

Yamamoto not only flexed his pitching prowess over the Braves, but he also showed off his cat-like reflexes to snare a Sean Murphy scorcher.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto snatches the 106 MPH comebacker pic.twitter.com/ncTyTdQus1

— MLB (@MLB) May 2, 2025​

The first base hit of the game came from a Betts comebacker that literally hit Holmes in the backside with one out in the top of the fourth. The Dodgers managed another infield hit, a Freeman grounder off the glove of fellow first baseman Matt Olson. Teoscar Hernández walked to load the bases with one out.

The Dodgers grabbed the first lead with a patented Smith sacrifice fly. Other than the comebacker off his rear end and a misplay by Olson at first, Holmes attacked the strike zone and collected a career-high nine strikeouts.

The Dodgers began to chip away at Holmes in the sixth. Betts hit his first home run since April 14 with one out and two strikes to double the Dodgers lead.

Mookie Betts belts his 5th homer of the season pic.twitter.com/WDF1GDrAtk

— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025​

Yamamoto’s no-hit bid was broken up by Austin Riley with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

Matt Olson’s solo lead off home run against Kirby Yates in the home half of the seventh cut the Dodgers lead in half.

The rain came rolling in during the eighth inning. Tanner Scott did his best to quickly retire the side before the storm worsened. Unfortunately the rain arrived in a hurry, and the game was put into delay before the top of the ninth.

After an hour and 13-minute delay, the ninth inning resumed in soggy Georgia. Rafael Montero pitched a scoreless inning out of the Braves bullpen.

Evan Phillips used his sweeper to strike out Riley and Marcell Ozuna, but he walked Olson to bring up the tying run with Murphy at the plate. Phillips fielded the final out himself, a grounder toward the mound, to finish off the Braves and pick up his first save of the season.

Friday particulars​

Home runs: Mookie Betts (5), Matt Olson (5)

WP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4-2): 6 IP, 1 hit, no runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts (91 pitches)

LP — Grant Holmes (2-2): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts (94 pitches)

Sv — Evan Phillips (1): 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Up next​

Should the weather permit, Roki Sasaki (0-1, 3.55 ERA, 1.421 WHIP) will once again try for his first major league win. The Braves counter with their young ace Spencer Schwellenbach (1-2, 2.87 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) with first pitch at (4:15 p.m.; FOX).

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/2...s-again-and-mookie-betts-goes-yard-in-atlanta

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Rain delays start of Dodgers-Braves by over 3 hours

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Inclement weather pushed the start time from 4:15 p.m. PT to 7:21 p.m. PT

A rainy weekend in Atlanta has interrupted some baseball between the Dodgers and Braves, including the start Saturday’s game delayed by 186 minutes due to inclement weather.

At about 6:30 p.m. PT, the Braves announced the approximate first pitch will now be at 7:15 p.m. PT, or 10:15 p.m. in Atlanta. The actual first pitch was 10:21 p.m. ET, after a delay of three hours, six minutes.

Barring any further changes in the weather, tonight’s game is slated to begin at 10:15pm ET.#RestorationOfPlay pic.twitter.com/livUZNwFzA

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 4, 2025​

But that 7:15 p.m. PT start time seems optimistic:

It's still raining and conditions aren't ideal to play this game. Tarp still on the infield and nobody is warming in either bullpen. #Dodgers #Braves

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) May 4, 2025​

Though the start was delayed, the rain didn’t come until just over a half-hour past the scheduled 4:15 p.m. PT start time.

Rain pic.twitter.com/HCcyizgqKM

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 3, 2025​

At over two hours into the delay, still no update on the Saturday plans.

Update: 2 hours + delay and Still raining at Truist Park with lightning ️

This should have already been postponed and Doubleheader tomorrow.

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) May 4, 2025​

Friday night was also interrupted by rain, with a 73-minute delay after the eighth inning before the Dodgers completed their one-run victory.

It rained on Saturday in Atlanta, and thunderstorms are expected for when the game was scheduled, including high chances of rain throughout the the evening. The forecast for Sunday looks much clearer, or at least more conducive to baseball playing.

But the two teams are trying to avoid playing two games on Sunday.

Brian Snitker said because Sunday is a night game, he’s hoping the teams wait around to play the game tonight — even if it’s late. Asked if it’s a realistic possibility to start this game at, say, 10 p.m., he said he thought so — though he said lots of folks involved in the calls

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) May 3, 2025​

Dave Roberts said a decision has been made to “hunker down” and start the game tonight when the rain clears out which appears to be between 9:30p-10:00p ET. #Dodgers #Braves https://t.co/5hfkmg0zpe

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) May 3, 2025​

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/3/24423122/dodgers-braves-rain-delay-truist-park-atlanta

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Hyeseong Kim gets a major league opportunity

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sunday news and notes on Muncy and three rookies

The Dodgers recalled Hyeseong Kim on Saturday with Tommy Edman going on the injured list. He played second base in the ninth inning to make his major league debut.

Kim talked with reporters in Atlanta before the game about the overhaul of his swing and his time thus far in the minors.

From Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic:

The swing changes included a tamped-down leg kick and new timing mechanisms to help enhance Kim’s bat-to-ball skills. “Everything” about the swing is different, Kim explained, adding, “I would say that there’s still a lot of space where I have to get better. But compared to Day 1 that I came here, it’s been better. I still have to go work on it.”

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Similar to Kiké Hernández last July, Max Muncy was recently diagnosed with an astigmatism and has worn prescription goggles during games since Wednesday.

Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times talked to Muncy, who said, “If there’s anything that can help out a little bit, I’ll try it.”

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Thomas Nestico at his TJ Stats newsletter this week called Ben Casparius’s cutter one of the five nastiest pitches in baseball, which is even more impressive because he didn’t throw it as much last season. From Nestico:

Sitting in the low 90s with 6” of both ride (iVB) and sweep (HB) sits it squarely between his fastball and slider in terms of both velocity and movement. This action allows the pitch to act as a bridge offering. This means that out of hand his cutter looks similar to both his fastball and slider. Since its movement mimics both of those offerings, batters have a difficult time predicting which pitch is on its way to the plate before it is too late to react.

Ben Casparius started throwing his cutter more often this season and it may be the key to him being a strong starter.. His cutter (purple) acts as a bridge pitch between his fastball (red) and slider (green) to make it difficult for batters to react, as illustrated by this overlay

— Thomas Nestico (@tjstats.ca) 2025-05-01T19:00:55.592Z

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Speaking of Kiké Hernández, the utility man and occasional pitcher — in his 12th major league season — will guest star on ‘The Rookie’ on ABC on Tuesday.

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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/4...kim-max-muncy-ben-casparius-enrique-hernandez

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

May 4: Braves 4, Dodgers 3

Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Down 4-0 early the Dodgers rallied but couldn’t quite complete the comeback against the Braves on Sunday night at Truist Park in Atlanta. Austin Riley hit two two-run home runs off Dustin May, and those held up.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/4/24422716/dodgers-braves-may-4

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers are running wild against Marlins

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

LA has 12 steals without getting caught in four games against Miami this season, and 14 steals in 31 games against everyone else.

The Dodgers, at least before Hyeseong Kim was called up, are more of an opportunistic stealing club.

They’ll take chances when they see them, and last week in Los Angeles they picked Marlins pitching and catching apart with 10 steals in 10 tries during the three-game series. The Dodgers haven’t had more than three steals in any other series this season, and stole 14 total bases in their 31 games not against Miami.

Four of the 10 steals last week came against Sandy Alcantara on April 29, and they got him for two more stolen bases on Monday in Miami.

Shohei Ohtani was first, getting his team-leading 10th steal of the season in the third inning.

His penchant for running will almost certainly abate once he ramps up his pitching rehab, but as of now he got to 10 steals eight games faster than last season, when Ohtani stole his 10th base in the Dodgers’ 43rd game, and finished the season with 59 steals.

Kim is the more likely of the two to be the volume stealer, and he’s already stolen a base in each of his first two major league games in which he had a chance to do so. Kim on Monday followed his first major league hit with a steal of second base.

“I was the leadoff man [that inning],” Kim told Kirsten Watson on SportsNet LA after the game, “so my mindset was to get on base.”

Like Ohtani before him, Kim scored on a home run after the stolen base.

Kim now has two steals in three games in the majors after stealing 13 bases in 28 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He has yet to be caught. He joins an eclectic group of only five Dodgers in the modern era with two stolen bases within their first three career games:

• Sheldon Lejeune (1911)
• Casey Stengel (1912)
• Scott Schebler (2015)
• José Peraza (2015)
• Hyeseong Kim (2025)

The Dodgers now have 12 steals in four games against the Marlins this season, with multiple steals in all four games. They stole multiple bases in three out of their 31 other games. Two more games against Miami remain.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/5/24424533/shohei-ohtani-hyeseong-kim-dodgers-stolen-bases-marlins

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Hernández placed on IL, Outman up from Triple-A

Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Hernández left Monday’s game in Miami after three innings. Outman is back for his second major league stint of the season.

The Dodgers on Tuesday placed outfielder Teoscar Hernández on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain, one day after leaving Monday’s game against the Marlins before the fourth inning. Outfielder James Outman was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday night in Miami that Hernández felt something tighten up while running to catch a line drive by Javier Sanoja in the gap in the third inning.

“There’s a hamstring, adductor,” Roberts said, as shown on SportsNet LA. “He’s a guy who just doesn’t come out of games by way of injury, so that’s a little concerning.”

Hernández entered Tuesday leading the majors with 34 runs batted in, hitting .315/.333/.600 with nine home runs, 10 doubles, and a 157 wRC+. He leads the Dodgers with 33 games and 33 starts.

It’s the first time on the injured list for Hernández since missing 23 games with an oblique strain in 2022 with the Blue Jays.

Outman is hitting .254/.322/.508 with eight home runs, a 109 wRC+, and a 36.3-percent strikeout rate for Triple-A Oklahoma City. After a 8-for-54 start (.148) to the season, Outman hit .329/.376/.684 with a 164 wRC+ over his last 20 games for the Comets.

He followed up winning Pacific Coast League player of the week for April 21-27 with a two-homer game last Friday against El Paso, but then went 0-for-7 with six strikeouts on Saturday and Sunday.

This is Outman’s second stint on the Dodgers active roster this season. He was around for the two games of the Tokyo Series, but did not play against the Cubs.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/6/24424653/dodgers-teoscar-hernandez-injured-james-outman

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Knack up, Feyereisen optioned, LA might not be done

The Dodgers called up Landon Knack to start Wednesday’s series finale against the Marlins in Miami, at an inflection point for pitching staff usage on the sixth day of a 10-game road trip.

J.P. Feyereisen, who was called up as the fresh arm on Tuesday and took the loss in the 10th inning, was optioned to Oklahoma City.

It might not be the only move, as Matt Sauer was originally listed to start for Oklahoma City on Wednesday but did not. He’s in Miami, reported Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Sauer was optioned to Triple-A on April 30, one day after pitching five innings in bulk relief for his first major league win. The only way be can be called back up to the majors within 15 is to replace an injured player, or someone going on the bereavement list, or paternity list.

More on this if and when another move is made. But here’s why such a move is probably necessary today.

The Dodgers have gotten mostly good, or at least good-adjacent performances from the depleted rotation over the last week and a half. In the eight games since Tyler Glasnow left early with a shoulder injury, the Dodgers have gotten at least five innings out of someone in seven of their last eight games. Only Ben Casparius, who is stretching out from a bulk relief role, fell short during this stretch, with four innings on Sunday.

The last eight “starters” have averaged 5.25 innings in those games, with a 3.64 ERA.

The strain on the bullpen remains, as Dodgers relievers are still the most prolific in the sport. Even if we reassign Sauer’s five innings from April 29 and the Monday Casparius outing as starts, and shift Jack Dreyer’s opening roles in those games as relief, the Dodgers bullpen is up to 151⅓ innings this season, an average of 4.2 innings per game.

If you’re looking for some silver lining, the Dodgers’ opponent on Wednesday, the Marlins, are averaging 4.25 innings from their relievers, but have played one fewer game than the Dodgers so have fewer total innings.

Still, Wednesday specifically represents a tough task for the pitching staff, with an almost urgent need for Knack to pitch deep against the Marlins, no matter the results.

Even with those mostly fine and nearly deep starts or bulk outings over the last eight games, the bullpen is in a rough spot heading into Wednesday.

Anthony Banda, Luis García, and Alex Vesia have all pitched on three of the previous four days, and are likely unavailable on Wednesday. No Dodgers pitcher has pitched four times in a five-day stretch this season.

Tanner Scott pitched the last two nights. He’s probably out too, as no Dodger has pitched on three consecutive days this season.

That leaves Evan Phillips, who is by far the most rested reliever with only one appearance in the last four days, Kirby Yates, who pitched three times in four days before resting Tuesday, and Dreyer, who pitched Sunday and Monday but did not pitch Tuesday.

The Yoendrys Gómez outing on Monday was probably the domino that led to this paucity of available arms. He entered the game with a six-run lead and was pretty clearly going to get the final six outs of that game. Instead, he gave up a three-run home run and was pulled after only one out. Scott and Phillips had to be used on Monday, which led to Scott being likely unavailable on Wednesday, plus Phillips could have likely been the choice in the 10th inning on Tuesday instead of Feyereisen had he not been used on Monday.

But things like this are bound to happen when you ask a bullpen to do so much, and it only gets exacerbated with long stretches with minimal days off. The Dodgers still have two weeks remaining in their trek of 19 games in 20 days.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/7/24425305/dodgers-roster-landon-knack-jp-feyereisen

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Picking a favorite stadium in the NL West

Photo by Kelsey Grant/Arizona Diamondbacks/Getty Images

This weekend the Dodgers will play just their second series against a National League West foe all season, playing the Diamondbacks for four games at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The other divisional series for the Dodgers this year was at home, a three-game sweep of the Rockies from April 14-16 in Los Angeles.

So as the Dodgers are starting their first divisional road series on Thursday night, today’s question is what is your favorite road stadium in the National League West?

I went to college at UCSD and lived in San Diego for 14 years, so most of my road experience within the division has been at Padres games, first at Qualcomm Stadium and then Petco Park, which I think is fantastic, both within and surrounding the stadium.

I’ve been to a handful of games in San Francisco, Colorado, and Arizona, and each have their own charms, maybe Arizona less so than the others. But as much as I’m not a fan of a domed stadium, being able to sit in air conditioning with triple-digit temperatures outside is a plus.

For reference, if you need, Michael Elizondo has written detailed stadium guides of each NL West road stop for the Dodgers:

• Chase Field, Phoenix
• Coors Field, Denver
• Oracle Park, San Francisco
• Petco Park, San Diego

The Dodgers next play in San Diego from June 9-11, next play in Denver from June 24-26, and next play in San Francisco from July 11-13. Let us know your favorite of these stadiums in the comments below.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/8/24425982/national-league-west-stadiums-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers have improved vs. lefties, now face Rodríguez

Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Rodríguez is first southpaw starter faced by LA since April 27

The Dodgers will face Eduardo Rodríguez on Friday night in the second of four games this weekend against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Rodríguez represents a rarity of late, a left-handed starter facing Los Angeles.

Rodríguez is the first southpaw starter against the Dodgers since Bailey Falter of the Pirates on April 27. which was 11 games ago.

This a departure from the early part of the season, when the Dodgers faced eight left-handed starters in their first 15 games. They’ve only faced three in their last 23 games, before Friday night.

The Dodgers as a team didn’t do well against left-handers in the early going. Through April 20, they were hitting just .196/.271/.369 with a 80 wRC+ against southpaws. But then the Dodgers scored 16 runs in two games at Wrigley Field started by lefties Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, and the offense on the whole has been in good form ever since, averaging over seven runs per game.

Now against left-handed pitching, the Dodgers on the season are hitting .248/316/.481 with a 122 wRC+, the latter fifth-best in the majors.

They also did well against Falter, scoring seven off of him in an April 27 win over the Pirates. But mostly the Dodgers have gotten right against lefties by feasting on relievers. Against southpaws out of the bullpen in their last five series, against the Pirates, Marlins (twice), Braves, and now D-backs, the Dodgers are 14-for-40 against lefty relievers with four home runs, three doubles, and a triple, hitting .350/.435/.775.

That includes two strikeouts by Arizona lefty Jalen Beeks in the seventh inning on Thursday night, his only two batters faced. The Dodgers will have to deal with Beeks and the D-backs’ other left-handed reliever, José Castillo, all weekend. This is where being without Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, two of the Dodgers’ most potent weapons against southpaws, will hurt.

But first comes Rodríguez on the mound Friday night, plus what’s left of the game after he’s done.

Friday game info​

• Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
• Stadium: Chase Field, Phoenix
• Start time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/5/9...dbacks-left-handed-pitching-eduardo-rodriguez