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[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Shades of Yamamoto’s Dodger debut in 9-1 loss to Brewers

Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Yamamoto left the first inning after giving up five runs on four hits and two walks on 41 pitches.

As if getting outscored by 23 runs over the weekend wasn’t bad enough for the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had the shortest start of his career as the Dodgers were nearly shut out against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, losing 9-1.

Shohei Ohtani entered Monday’s contest hitting just .100 over his last 34 plate appearances. He swung hard at an 0-1 offering from Freddy Peralta, but the ball dribbled down the third base line at 54 1⁄2 miles per hour, rolling fair past the bag for an infield single. Peralta left him stranded at first after inducing an inning-ending double play of Freddie Freeman.

Sal Frelick ambushed Yamamoto early for a leadoff double before William Contreras walked to put two men on base with nobody out. Yamamoto managed to retire the next two hitters he faced, and needed just one strike to complete a scoreless first inning. Andrew Vaughn, who was making his Brewers debut, caught up to a high slider above the strike zone, and clobbered it into the left field seats for his first Brewer home run, giving Milwaukee a three run lead.

Yamamoto found himself in an identical situation after allowing a single and a walk to Isaac Collins and Brice Turang. Yamamoto got Caleb Durbin to hit a soft ground ball to Mookie Betts which looked to end the inning, but his throw to first base was low and couldn’t be dug out by Freeman, allowing a run to score on the error. Andruw Monasterio blooped in a single down the right field line to cash in Milwaukee’s fifth run of the inning, chasing Yamamoto out of the game.

Similarly to Yamamoto’s Dodger debut in Seoul last season, Yamamoto gave up five runs in the first inning. This time around, he couldn’t complete a single inning of work as his pitch count ran up to 41 before being pulled. It was the first time in Yamamoto’s big league career that he failed to record a single strikeout.

Jack Dreyer immediately extinguished the flames to put an end to a nightmare bottom of the first inning. He retired all seven men he faced in order, adding a pair of strikeouts to his day. Lou Trivino kept the trend going by setting down the three hitters in order in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 10 straight Brewers set down.

Will Klein came on in the fifth inning after suffering the loss in Sunday’s series finale against the Houston Astros. Klein once again loaded the bases after recording two outs, this time giving up a pair of runs on a Brice Turang single to extend the Milwaukee lead to seven.

The Dodgers on offense had no responses against Peralta, as the Brewers’ lone All-Star dazzled on the mound for six shutout innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out seven and securing his MLB-leading 10th win of the season. They had just one base runner advance to third base against Peralta while leaving five men on base.

The Dodgers were four outs away from being shutout by Milwaukee until pinch-hitter Esteury Ruiz grounded a ball that ricocheted off of reliever Aaron Ashby into right field to bring home Ohtani— who had his first multi-hit game since June 27— for the Dodgers’ lone run of the game.

Julian Fernández made his Dodger debut on Monday, his first big league appearance since 2021 with the Colorado Rockies. Fernandez was able to record the final six outs on the mound for the Dodgers, but gave up an opposite field two-run home run to Christian Yelich in the seventh inning to bring Milwaukee’s lead to nine.

The Dodgers now tie their longest losing streak of the season as they dropped their fourth in a row, with a run differential of -31 over those four losses.

Game particulars​

• Home runs— Andrew Vaughn (6), Christian Yelich (18)
• WP— Freddy Peralta (10-4): 6 IP, 5 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
• LP— Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7): 2⁄3 IP, 4 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 0 strikeouts

Up next​

The Dodgers will look to snap their four-game losing streak and even the series against the Brewers on Tuesday (4:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for the 10th time this season against rookie flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/7/24463420/dodgers-brewers-game-recap

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers position player depth getting tested during skid

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Several Dodgers haven’t hit well for over a month, and some of them are hurt. They need both internal improvement and help from the trade deadline

Every team, no matter how good they are, at some point during the season will go through a stretch where they look totally flummoxed, as if baseball was foreign to them. The Dodgers are experiencing that now, having lost four straight games, with the bulk of them uncompetitive.

In the moment, everything feels so extreme, but that’s mostly because human memories are unreliable. For instance, the Dodgers ran through a similar stretch last year during the same time of the season, right before the All-Star break. First came a four-game losing streak, outscored 28-7 (this year’s four-game losing streak is more lopsided at 38-7, mostly due to Friday’s outlier vs. Houston).

If the Dodgers follow that path this week, they will literally run out of pitching this weekend, which last year included a nightmare trip to Detroit for everyday Yohan Ramírez. But it also gained a Brent Honeywell along the way.

Pitching problems have been obvious for the Dodgers since April, with a staff running at a shortage for over two months at this point, cycling through arms at a rapid rate, only some of them good. Tyler Glasnow’s return on Wednesday provides a semblance of hope in this regard.

But perhaps more pressing, at least this week, is the Dodgers sudden shortage on the position-player side. Max Muncy suffered a knee injury that looked so bad that his diagnosis of around six weeks out felt like a victory. In the last few days both Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman have been unavailable, and Kiké Hernández landed on the injured list Monday.

Injuries are to be expected from a position-player group that is all in their 30s except for Hyeseong Kim, Dalton Rushing, and the just-called up James Outman. The only other position player on the 40-man roster who isn’t active or on the injured list is catcher Hunter Feduccia. We’ve talked about the Dodgers’ lack of position-player depth since the offseason, and again in spring training. Now it’s providing a test.

On the season, the Dodgers offense has been strong, second in the sport averaging 5.45 runs per game and second with a 120 wRC+. Having the big three of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman helps sweep a lot of problems under the rug.

But since June 1, the Dodgers have been merely ordinary on offense, ninth in runs per game (4.74) and 13th in wRC+ (105). The big three has instead been the pretty good one, and a good chunk of regulars have been actively bad.

Since June 1, ranked by most plate appearances:

• Shohei Ohtani: 152 PA, .250/.358/.508, 137 wRC+
• Andy Pages: 135 PA, .310/.333/.548, 141 wRC+
• Mookie Betts: 134 PA, .242/.291/.371, 81 wRC+
• Freddie Freeman: 133 PA, 213/.278/.287, 59 wRC+
• Teoscar Hernández: 117 PA, .193/.239/.330, 57 wRC+
• Tommy Edman: 109 PA, .229/.312/.344, 87 wRC+
• Max Muncy (now out): 104 PA, .313/.442/.614, 193 wRC+
• Will Smith: 101 PA, .314/.396/.628, 180 wRC+
• Michael Conforto: 93 PA, .188/.258/.365, 74 wRC+
• Kiké Herneandez (now out): 59 PA, .109/.169/.200, 2 wRC+
• Hyeseong Kim: 57 PA, .264/.316/.358, 91 wRC+
• Dalton Rushing: 46 PA, .200/.304/.250, 64 wRC+
• Miguel Rojas: 41 PA, .270/.341/.568, 152 wRC+

The Dodgers problems on offense are threefold. They need their great players to be great, and not have Betts and Freeman hit like Cavan Biggio and Nick Ahmed. They also need Edman and Teoscar Hernández to be healthy and productive. But they also need more depth than currently available.

More help could come in the form of Alex Freeland, a switch-hitting shortstop and a top-100 prospect who has been playing third base in Triple-A since Muncy was hurt, and also alternated at the position earlier in the year when Kim would play shortstop.

But it’s also clear the Dodgers need to add to the position-player group at the trade deadline, which brings us to today’s question. What position players would you like to see the Dodgers acquire by this year’s trade deadline?

It’s reasonable to assume the Dodgers good and great players will play better than they are now. But it would be nice if they had a little help, too. But for the immediate future, this week is mostly about getting to the All-Star break, and hope that the doldrums don’t last for the rest of this week.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/8/24463851/dodgers-position-player-depth-losing-streak

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

July 8: Brewers 3, Dodgers 1

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

15 strikeouts tied a season high for the Dodgers offense

Shohei Ohtani homered to start the game, but that was the Dodgers’ only run. Jacob Misiorowski struck out 12 in six innings, spoiling a good start by Clayton Kershaw in the Brewers’ win on Tuesday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The Dodgers have lost five straight.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/8/24463330/dodgers-brewers-july-8

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers on Deck: Friday at Giants

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Dodgers final series before the All-Star break comes against the division-rival Giants, beginning Friday night in San Francisco.

Dustin May starts the series opener, getting some extra rest after pitching into the eighth inning last Thursday against the White Sox, the only Dodgers starting pitcher this season to do so.

This is the second of four meetings this season between the National League West rivals. The Dodgers won two out of three at Dodger Stadium from June 13-15.

Friday game info​

• Teams: Dodgers at Giants
• Ballpark: Oracle Park, San Francisco
• Start time: 7:15 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/9/24463913/dodgers-giants-game-july-11

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers blow lead in 9th, lose in 10th, get swept again

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Dodgers drop their sixth straight (their longest losing streak since 2019), this time in walk-off fashion to end a Milwaukee sweep.

The Dodgers came very close to winning Wednesday on patience alone, leading 2-1 heading into the ninth inning via a boatload of walks and very few hits, but Tanner Scott couldn’t shut the door on the Brewers. Milwaukee tied things up in the ninth and then overpowered Los Angeles in the tenth to walk things off 3-2, thus handing the Dodgers their sixth straight loss and second consecutive sweep.

After four innings of getting nothing done against the veteran José Quintana, the Dodgers opened the game’s scoring in the fifth on the back of three walks. What in a different period would have been the source of a crooked number turned out to be just enough for a single run. The story was basically the same in the seventh, once again with the Dodgers securing a one-run lead without stringing hits together. The bottom of the order and Shohei Ohtani passed the baton, and Mookie Betts came up big with the bases-loaded sac fly.

In the two innings they scored, Los Angeles got eight people on base, and only two runs came across. For eight and a half frames, this felt like enough, but that was only the case due to near-perfect pitching. The vulnerability remained there, and when the Brewers strung together three singles in four at-bats against Scott, Los Angeles paid the price of all those runs it left on the basepaths.

As far as the pitching is concerned, no one comes back 100 percent because it takes a minute to settle into everything, but the Dodgers couldn’t have asked for anything better from Tyler Glasnow in his first start back. He worked on a very diligent rehab assignment to come back as close as he could to being fully built up, and it paid off. The right-hander dealt with a bit of traffic in the second inning, when the Brewers loaded the bases and worked up his pitch count, but a pop-up and a strikeout kept them off the board.

Having gone 78 pitches in his final rehab outing, Glasnow managed to complete five innings against the Brewers on 85 pitches, with the only blemish on his record being an unearned run in the fifth. Jake Bauers walked to lead off the fifth and worked all the way to score a run without a single hit from Milwaukee. Bauers moved to second on a balk and then scored after a throwing error by catcher Will Smith on a steal of third.

Even Scott’s issues were more unfortunate than anything else; after all, only one of the three singles he allowed came on a hard-hit ball. Had he received anything resembling a little margin for error, the outcome of this game might’ve been different.

It’s easy to point to momentum as to why the Dodgers' bats went down quietly with three strikeouts in the tenth, allowing Milwaukee to need just a single to win it in the bottom of the frame. However, the better explanation is that they were outmatched by Trevor Megill’s arsenal of 100+ MPH fastballs.

Los Angeles still retained some hope Kirby Yates could prolong this game, but Jackson Chourio made sure that would not happen with a walk-off one-out RBI single in the tenth.

On top of all the standard concerns of this loss and current stretch, what’s bothersome is that for a close duel with quite a few momentum-shifting plays, they all seemed to go the Dodgers' way. And it still wasn’t enough. James Outman’s fifth-inning walk came on a 50-50 check-swing, and Shohei Ohtani after him got a few questionable ball calls to work his base-on-balls. Trying to tie things up in the bottom of the seventh, just like they did in the fifth, Milwaukee went for a stolen base, but this time, Smith gunned down Caleb Durbin. All of it was for naught.

But in the end, this game ended just like the five previous contests. The Dodgers have lost six straight for the first time since April 8-13, 2019.

Wednesday particulars​

Home runs: none

WP —Trevor Megill (2-2): 1 IP, 3 strikeouts

LP — Kirby Yates (4-3): ⅓ IP, 1 hit, 1 unearned run

Up next​

The Dodgers hit the road and return to California for a date with the Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The opener on Friday (7:15 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network) features a battle of sinker-ballers, Dustin May and Logan Webb.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/9/24464702/dodgers-losing-streak-brewers-sweep

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Who should the Dodgers take in the 2025 MLB Draft?

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

The 2025 MLB Draft starts on Sunday and runs through Monday, with 20 rounds spread over two days. The first three rounds are on Sunday night and the Dodgers have four selections, including 40th and 41st overall.

The MLB Draft by nature is never about current need, since there are hardly ever any players who immediately start their professional careers in the majors. The draft is more of an investment in the future.

Drafts can also vary by available talent or organizational philosophy. The Dodgers in 2021 for instance drafted 17 pitchers with their 19 picks, including current key contributors Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, and Emmet Sheehan. One of the two position players the Dodgers drafted that year they did not sign — high school outfielder Mike Sirota, who instead went to college, got drafted by the Reds in 2024, and is now with the Dodgers thanks to the Gavin Lux trade this January, which also brought the Dodgers the 41st pick.

In 2022 the Dodgers went the other way, drafting 15 hitters and only four pitchers. Top pick Dalton Rushing is currently in the majors and second-rounder Alex Freeland likely will be soon.

The point is, drafts take time before making an impact on the major league team. So keep that in mind with today’s question.

What player(s) or position(s) would you like to see the Dodgers take in the 2025 draft?

Another caveat here is that there will always be a need for pitching, especially given how the Dodgers and several teams churn through arms every single season. But try to be specific when letting us know which players you’d like to see picked.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/10/24465211/dodgers-mlb-draft-2025

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

When the Dodgers pick in the 2025 MLB Draft

Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Dodgers have 21 selections in the 20-round MLB Draft this year, four of which will come on Sunday night, which contains every pick through the first three rounds. The remaining picks will come on Monday.

By virtue of winning the World Series last year (remember that?), the Dodgers were slated to pick 30th among 30 teams in the first round. But they, along with the Mets and Yankees, saw their first pick drop 10 slots for having such a high payroll, specifically for surpassing the third competitive balance tax threshold, which in 2024 was at $277 million.

That dropped the Dodgers’ first selection to 40th, a pick at which the team has selected four previous times. Dalton Rushing was their first pick in the 2022 draft and has been in the majors the last two months as the team’s backup catcher. The club also drafted Luke Hochevar 40th in 2005 but did not sign him; coincidentally, Hochevar getting picked first overall by the Royals the following year helped the Dodgers be able to pick a high school left-hander from Texas at No. 7.

The Dodgers also picked 40th in 1967 (shortstop Thomas Harris) and 1987 (outfielder Don Carroll), but neither made the majors.

The Dodgers got the 41st pick in this draft by trading Gavin Lux to the Reds on January 6. It’s a Competitive Balance Round A selection, in between the first and second rounds. Competitive Balance Round B is between the second and third rounds. Those draft picks are the only ones allowed to be traded, and this year five of those 15 picks have been dealt.

Twice previously, the Dodgers had the 41st pick in the draft. In 1972 they picked first baseman Cleo Smith, and in 1989 they took outfielder Billy Lott with a compensation pick for ageless reliever Jesse Orosco signing as a free agent with Cleveland. Neither Smith nor Lott reached the majors.

The Dodgers having two picks this relatively high gives them a bonus pool of $9.03 million, their second-largest in the 14 years of the current draft slotting system.

In the second round, the Dodgers’ pick is 65th overall, a slot the team has selected four times before. Most recently was in 2016 for Mitch White, who pitched in parts of three seasons for the Dodgers before getting traded to Toronto. The 65th overall pick in 1972 was Bob Detherage, who was traded to the Cardinals along with Joe Ferguson and Freddie Tisdale in June 1976 for Reggie Smith.

Concluding Sunday for the Dodgers is their third-round pick at 104th overall. They’ve picked at this spot three times previously, with pitcher Ricky Stone, a 1994 draftee, the only one to reach the majors, eventually pitching for the Astros, Padres, and Reds.

On Monday, teams will conclude the draft by picking from the fourth round through the 20th. The Dodgers pick 135th overall in the fourth round, 165th in the fifth round, and 30 picks later in every subsequent round, closing out the draft with the 615th pick to end the 20th round.

Thus far none of the Dodgers picks at these Monday slots have played in the majors, though there aren’t too many to choose from. This year mirrors the bulk of the Dodgers’ draft picks from 2022, many of whom are in Double-A Tulsa currently, perhaps most notably pitcher Chris Campos (seventh round, No. 225 overall) and third baseman Kyle Nevin (11th round, 345th).

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-mlb-draft/2025/7/12/24463450/dodgers-mlb-draft-picks-2025

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Elijah Hainline has great first game with Great Lakes

CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Elijah Hainline debuts in High-A with two extra-base hits

All eyes were on the Futures Game on Saturday, and the Dodgers affiliates had a slow day, with Double-A Tulsa the only team notching a win.

Player of the day​

With not much in the way of Dodgers prospect heroics in the regular games, we’ll take the easy way and give it to Josue De Paula for his three-run homer that won him the Futures Game MVP.

Here’s something to look forward to DrillVille! https://t.co/XDpHNoA5dP

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) July 12, 2025​

Triple-A Oklahoma City​

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) defeated the Comets 7-5. Matt Sauer started for the Comets and pitched five innings, giving up five runs on eight hits, including two home runs. Blake Treinen relieved Sauer and gave up an unearned run due to a two-base throwing error, but completed one inning without giving up a hit. Ryan Ward and Hunter Feduccia both had two RBIs for the Comets. Jon Singleton, who had a home run, double, and five RBIs for the Space Cowboys the prior game, hit two more homers and added another five RBIs in this game.

Ryan Ward’s Minor League leading RBI No. ! pic.twitter.com/A0CG7cIsbu

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) July 13, 2025​

Double-A Tulsa​

Five Tulsa pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts as the Drillers defeated the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) 4-2. After tying the score 2-2 with a run in the seventh inning, the Drillers scored two runs in the eighth for the winning margin. The key hit was a run-scoring double by Ezequiel Pagan that broke the tie.

High-A Great Lakes​

With Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope playing in the Futures Game, the Great Lakes Loons lost their game against the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics) 9-2. The Lugnuts scored three runs in the first inning off Loons starter Brooks Auger. By the time the Loons got around to any scoring, they were already down 9-0. Elijah Hainline hit a double and a triple in his first game in High-A. Hainline was hitting .300 with a .430 on-base percentage for Rancho Cucamonga prior to his promotion.

First hit as a Loon for Elijah Hainline is a double! pic.twitter.com/lHOmRm3w7F

— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) July 12, 2025​

ELIJAH HAINLINE TRIPLE pic.twitter.com/Rs6mrMUncs

— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) July 13, 2025​

---

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga​

The Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) hung on to beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7-6. Sterling Patick started for the Quakes and gave up six runs on six hits in four and one-third innings. Niko Perez and Jose Meza had home runs for the Quakes in a losing effort.

Saturday scores​

• Sugar Land 7, Oklahoma City 5
• Tulsa 4, Arkansas 2
• Lansing 9, Great Lakes 2
• Inland Empire 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Sunday schedule​

• Lansing (Corey Avant) at Great Lakes (Christian Romero), 10:05 AM PST
• Sugar Land (AJ Blubaugh) at Oklahoma City (Bobby Miller), 11:05 AM PST
• Tulsa (Peter Heubeck) at Arkansas (Michael Morales), 11:35 AM PST
• Inland Empire (Francis Texido) at Rancho Cucamonga (Nicolas Cruz), 2:00 PM PST

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/13/24466737/dodgers-josue-de-paula-elijah-hainline-ryan-ward

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Report: Dodgers one of eight teams to check on Luis Robert Jr.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The trade deadline is just 17 days away, and the hot stove is beginning to heat up as the summer season rolls along.

The Dodgers are in a situation foreign to them, where their expectations are set on maintaining the roster that they build over the offseason rather than buying high at the trade deadline. As a last resort, the Dodgers would have to make a move in desperation to their hitting core, especially given how the team uncharacteristically ranks 20th for team OPS in the month of July.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Dodgers are one of eight teams that have checked in on Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Robert is slashing a career-low .190/.275/.325 with nine home runs and a 65 wRC+ in 79 games with Chicago, and has a $20 million team option for the 2026 season. He is only two seasons removed from a monster 38-home run campaign where he finished 12th in AL MVP voting.

Links​

Roki Sasaki’s 2025 season was thought to have received the final nail in the coffin once his throwing program was shut down in mid-June, with Dave Roberts saying that the team would have to potentially prepare to play out the rest of the year without him.

That, fortunately, isn’t the case, as Sasaki threw a bullpen session earlier this week, with a second session scheduled for Monday. The Dodgers are anticipating Sasaki to make his return around late August, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“He threw one (bullpen session) two days ago, and touched 90, which was great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So it’s coming. The bullpens, the lives (live batting practice), then to get out on assignment. So, obviously, sticking to kind of a late August date is where we’re at.”

Third base coach Dino Ebel’s son, Brady, became the third player selected in the first round out of Corona High School on Sunday as he was taken 32nd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers, joining former teammates Seth Hernandez (sixth to Pittsburgh) and Billy Carlson (10th to White Sox).

Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times recounts Brady’s journey from shagging at Dodger Stadium as a kid to now being a first-round pick.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/14/24467306/dodgers-luis-robert-jr-white-sox-roki-sasaki-dino-ebel

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers 2025 MLB Draft tracker

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Every draft pick by the Dodgers, all in one place

The Dodgers had 21 picks in the 2025 MLB Draft, which began on Sunday, July 13 in Atlanta and ran through Monday, July 14.

With their first selection, the Dodgers drafted Arkansas pitcher Zach Root with the 40th overall pick, the first time the Dodgers took a pitcher with their first draft pick since Maddux Bruns in 2021.

One pick later, the Dodgers drafted another Arkansas player, outfielder Charles Davalan 41st overall, with a pick they acquired from the Reds in the Gavin Lux trade in January.

In all, the Dodgers drafted 14 pitchers and seven position players. Two of the three high-school players they selected were position players, with shortstop Aidan West the first off the board in the fourth round.

That trade gave the Dodgers 21 picks in the 20-round draft, and also raised their draft bonus pool to just over $9.03 million, their second-largest bonus pool since the slotting system began in 2012.

The bonus pool is derived from the total of the recommended slot value of every pick through the first 10 rounds. For any picks from the 11th through the 20th round, as well as for any undrafted free agents, any signing bonus amount over $150,000 will count toward the bonus pool.

The deadline for MLB teams to sign drafted players is Monday, July 28 at 2 p.m. PT.

In the table below, you can click on any player’s name for more detailed information about that pick.

Note: On a mobile device, this table will show up best in landscape mode.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-mlb-draft/2025/7/13/24466902/2025-mlb-draft-tracker-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Ryan Ward wins PCL player of the week

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dodgers minor league 1B/OF is thriving in his third year with Triple-A Oklahoma City, leading the PCL in several offensive categories.

On the second day of the 2025 MLB Draft, a former Dodgers’ second-day draft pick won an award. Ryan Ward, the corner outfielder and first baseman, was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week for his strong week of July 7-13 against Sugar Land.

Ward had at least one hit in all six games during the home series for the Comets. That included six extra-base hits through the first four games of the series, including four doubles, a home run, and a triple. Over the final two games of the series Ward walked five times in his nine plate appearances but still managed two singles and two more RBI.

For the week, Ward had nine hits in 21 at-bats, hitting .429/.556/.857 with six walks, six RBI, and four runs scored.

Starting off the game with a bang!

Ryan Ward doing Ryan Ward things once again! ‍ pic.twitter.com/4eLY1uxMyV

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) July 12, 2025​

Ward is the fourth weekly award winner for Oklahoma City this season, joining infielder Michael Chavis (April 7-13), outfielder James Outman (April 21-27), and pitcher Emmet Sheehan (June 23-29).

On the season, Ward is hitting .309/.399/.597 with a 146 wRC+ in his third season in Triple-A, leading the Pacific Coast League in hits (108), home runs (24), RBI (82), extra-base hits (49), and total bases (209), and is second in the league in slugging percentage and runs scored (71).

Ward was an eighth-round draft pick of the Dodgers out of Bryant in 2019. The 27-year-old hasn’t yet gotten the call to the majors in part because he’s a corner outfielder and first baseman, and doesn’t have the defensive versatility and/or speed possessed by other Dodgers call-ups Hyeseong Kim, Outman, and Esteury Ruiz.

Last December Ward was eligible to be picked in the Rule 5 Draft but was not selected. Given his play this year, one would think by next season, Ward will be someplace where he can at least get a chance in the majors.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/1...fic-coast-league-player-of-week-oklahoma-city

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Ohtani singles & scores, Kershaw gets a K in All-Star Game

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Ohtani scored the game’s first run. Kershaw and Freddie Freeman were removed mid-inning and got ovations in Atlanta.

All-Star games are notorious for their propensity for low scores, and this 6-6 tie after nine innings was anything but that. The 2025 midsummer classic was decided by the first-ever swing-off, with the National League prevailing four home runs to three.

With a little luck involved, Shohei Ohtani and company roughed up Tarik Skubal’s line right off the bat, scoring a pair of runs against baseball’s best pitcher. Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. got on base with softly-hit balls, and both came around to score on a Ketel Marte two-run double.

Ketel Marte drives in a pair, the NL is off and running! #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/QKdf3v6Ohf

— MLB (@MLB) July 16, 2025​

And if Skubal proved vulnerable in the evening, nobody else was safe. Ohtani tried to be at the forefront of scoring once again in the second, turning on a hanging slider from Carlos Rodón, but the ball hooked foul down the right-field line, and on the following pitch, he grounded out.

Not only was the presence of Dodgers players heavy in this game, but they also were the protagonists of some of the most heartwarming moments. Dave Roberts made a point out of subbing off both Clayton Kershaw and Freddie Freeman mid-inning in order for them to get a proper ovation from the crowd.

Added to the squad as an exceptional Legend pick, Clayton Kershaw had a tough act to follow, coming on in the second after Paul Skenes sat down the American League All-Stars in order. Cal Raleigh was Kershaw’s first adversary, and he smacked a middle-middle heater down the left-field line only to see Kyle Tucker make a fine defensive play for the first out of the second. Vladdy Guerrero Jr. was next up and got caught looking on a strike-three slider. That was enough for Roberts to go out there and have Jason Adam wrap that inning up.

Kershaw was mic’d up for this short appearance, and the highlight of that was him getting angry at John Smoltz for suggesting he threw a cutter.

MUST LISTEN: Clayton Kershaw was MIC'D UP during the #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/RaEJrtJGWy

— MLB (@MLB) July 16, 2025​

While not necessarily every All-Star Game should have a legend pick, you can’t argue with the decision in 2025, as Kershaw’s performance was one of the highlights of this midsummer classic.

The starting first baseman for the NL in a particularly significant All-Star appearance for him, with the game in Atlanta, Freeman was replaced in the top of the third with a standing ovation from the crowd.

Freddie Freeman gets a standing ovation from the Atlanta crowd pic.twitter.com/uiVKRyTonK

— MLB (@MLB) July 16, 2025​

We already covered four of the five Dodger All-Stars. Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t take the field, or mound in his case, after pitching on Sunday.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/1...htani-clayton-kershaw-freddie-freeman-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Wednesday edition

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, July 15, 2025
Monday, July 14, 2025
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Saturday, July 12, 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/2025/7/16/24468749/sb-nation-dodgers-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

ASG notes: Kershaw, Freeman, Smith

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The 95th All-Star game provided plenty of memorable moments, featuring an elaborate tribute to the late Hank Aaron, a late game comeback from the American League ending in the first ever swing-off.

In the early moments of the game, Clayton Kershaw relieved starter Paul Skenes in the top of the second, tossing only six pitches while recording a strikeout of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and wearing a microphone for the entire outing, exiting to a standing ovation once relieved by Jason Adam.

After the game, he reflected on the opportunity to pitch in this year’s Midsummer Classic, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, and acknowledged the possibility of his brief appearance on Tuesday being the final one of his career.

“I remember the first one, how special that was, and I don’t think a lot’s changed for me over the years to get to come to these things. So I don’t take that for granted. I think it’s really awesome. It very well — I mean, I shouldn’t be here anyway — so it’s very possible this could be my last one. I can’t say it another way. It was a very awesome night. Special.”

Tuesday’s contest meant another emotional return to Atlanta for the former longtime Brave Freddie Freeman, who fought back tears while speaking with Ken Rosenthal of FOX about how much he continues to cherish the city and the fanbase.

@FreddieFreeman5 joins @Ken_Rosenthal and shares his emotions of returning to Atlanta to play in the All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/KJVn2EwR8m

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 16, 2025​

---

Will Smith finds himself at the top of both the Dodgers and the National League leaderboard for batting average and ranks second behind teammate Shohei Ohtani for OPS entering the second half of the season.

As good as his first half was, the real test will be whether or not he can carry that momentum into the most grueling part of the season, where his numbers over the past two seasons have taken a nosedive, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

“The last couple years, I had some, not major things, but some tough injuries,” Smith said. “But that’s my decision to play through them... I just feel like I have a really good understanding of my swing right now,” Smith said. “It’s a long season, it comes and goes. But for whatever reason this year, I’ve been able to keep it more than I haven’t.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/1...me-clayton-kershaw-freddie-freeman-will-smith

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Can you guess this Dodgers draft pick 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​

Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Monday, July 14, 2025
Sunday, July 13, 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/2025/7/17/24469289/sb-nation-dodgers-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers Notes: Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts

Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Will Smith doesn’t get the attention he deserves—and he’s totally ok with that.

Will Smith has a lot going for him: the clear lead in the National League batting race, a .965 OPS (second only to Shohei Ohtani), and the fifth-best walk rate in the league.

But according to manager Dave Roberts: “He’s up there as far as being overlooked.”

It doesn’t bother Smith that he’s usually only swarmed by reporters if he’s being asked about the pitchers he’s catching. As far as he’s concerned, he’s just here to play the game.

“I show up, play baseball every day, try to help the team win, try to be a good teammate, try to lead the pitchers, and ultimately try to win a World Series every year,” Smith said. “That’s what’s important to me.”

With that attitude, it makes sense as to why Smith flies under the radar. He’s not flashy or quippy, and he doesn’t have a wacky nickname like fellow All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh. But he could still win the batting title, and maybe even the MVP.

“What he’s doing is Buster Posey-ish, Joe Mauer-ish,” Freddie Freeman said. “When you’re leading the league in hitting and you’re catching, it’s really hard to do.

Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times has more on Smith and his stellar performance this season.

Dodgers Notes​

The Dodgers’ ups and downs are one of the top storylines of the first half, according to ESPN’s Dave Shoenfield. The team has gone from seemingly unbeatable to undeniably human in a short span—good thing there’s a whole second half to play.

Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic had some storylines of his own to follow, from whether Mookie Betts can get back into gear to what the rotation is going to look like in the months to come.

With the All-Star Game happening in Atlanta, how did Freddie Freeman feel about returning to Truist Park? “It does feel like a lifetime ago,” he said of his 12 years playing for the Braves. Dylan Hernández at the Los Angeles Times spoke with Freeman about the experience.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/17/24469272/dodgers-notes-will-smith-freddie-freeman-mookie-betts

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Can you guess this Dodgers shortstop 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​

Thursday, July 17, 2025
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Monday, July 14, 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/2025/7/18/24469900/sb-nation-dodgers-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dominant Milwaukee pitching shuts out Dodgers in fourth straight loss to Brewers.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Dodgers dropped their fourth straight game to the Brewers despite an impressive Tyler Glasnow start in a 2-0 shut out Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers (58-40) still have yet to record a run in the second half after they were shut out 2-0 by the Brewers (57-40) Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

There were zero offensive highlights for the Dodgers in the series opener. They had three hits against the dominant Milwaukee pitching including Quinn Priester who struck out 10 Dodgers through the first six innings.

Tyler Glasnow, in his second start for the Dodgers since returning from more than two months on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, was throwing heat and impressed. It was really the only positive takeaway from this one.

Milwaukee right-hander Priester made his first career start against the Dodgers, and he came in hot. Priester struck out the first four batters he faced to start the game to set the tone for his gem of a performance against one of the toughest lineups in the league.

The game zipped by as both starting pitchers showed their dominance against the opposing offense. Glasnow used some high heat along with his sinker and curveball, and Priester showed off his sinker and slider.

Tyler Glasnow, 99mph ️ pic.twitter.com/CqMWPAlFhJ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 19, 2025​

The Dodgers were the first to get a man in scoring position thanks to a Freddie Freeman double. The scoring opportunity quickly evaporated when Will Smith scorched a liner to third baseman Caleb Durbin. Durbin doubled up Freeman at second to end the inning.

Glasnow was visibly upset with himself after he allowed a leadoff walk to Isaac Collins in the top of the fifth. The free pass did indeed prove costly. Pesky Durbin doubled down the left field line to bring in the first run of the game for the Brewers.

Shohei Ohtani got himself into scoring position with two outs in the sixth, but Betts continued to show strain at the plate with another strikeout against Priester.

Kirby Yates took over for Glasnow in the seventh for his first outing since last Wednesday. The home run ball struck the Dodgers bullpen again, and Durbin struck again with his second extra-base hit of the night. Durbin’s solo home run doubled the Brewers’ score.

Betts hasn’t had a hit in a week. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Friday night to exasperate his troubles. In Mookie’s defense, none of the Dodgers were able to muster much off Milwaukee pitching in the series opener.

Dave Roberts brought in Anthony Banda to hold the Brewers to a two-run lead in the ninth. Smith not only made a stop behind the plate on a semi wild Banda pitch to save a run, but in the next sequence, he tagged out Durbin at home. Smith was also kicked in the face on the play. Like the tough catcher that he is, the Dodgers backstop stayed in to record the final out.

The offense never woke up for the Dodgers, and they went down in order against Trevor Megill’s knuckle curve in the bottom of the ninth for their fourth straight loss to the Brewers.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Caleb Durbin (5)

WP — Quinn Priester (8-2): 6 IP, 3 hits, no runs, no walks, 10 strikeouts (77 pitches)

LP — Tyler Glasnow (1-1): 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts (88 pitches)

S — Trevor Megill (22): 1 IP

Up next

Emmet Sheehan (1-0, 2.03 ERA, 13 1⁄3 IP) makes his third start of the season for the Dodgers on Saturday. Freddy Peralta (11-4, 2.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) pitched six shutout innings against the Dodgers July 7 and will try to do so again in the second game of the series (6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA).

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/1...-dodgers-offense-shut-out-by-brewers-pitching

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Can Freeman unlock Dodgers offense against Peralta?

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Evidently, playing the Brewers is a tougher task than anyone could’ve imagined. Nothing quite so dramatic is in play here, but having lost all four of their meetings with Milwaukee, including a shutout defeat at home on Friday, the Dodgers might be playing with a little extra point to prove against the Brewers and their ace Freddy Peralta.

The lack of runs would be less alarming if it didn’t present itself as simply yet another game in a recent trend of underwhelming offensive performances, to say the least. Across their last 10 games, the Dodgers have scored two or fewer runs seven different times, plus another extra-inning game in which they scored only two runs in the first nine innings.

In the four games against Milwaukee, Los Angeles is averaging one run per game and thus promptly wasting some terrific pitching performances.

Singling out a hitter who shows some promise heading into this game, you could look at Freddie Freeman, who has gotten an extra-base hit in three straight affairs. Before this successful stretch, Freeman had gone seven consecutive games without an extra-base hit. Furthermore, albeit with a fairly small sample, Freeman has had success against Peralta in his career, with eight total bases (.615 SLG) in 13 at-bats against the Brewers’ ace.

On the pitching side of things, after delivering an outstanding performance following Shohei Ohtani on the mound, Emmett Sheehan will make only his third start of the year. The young right-hander has allowed just three runs in 13⅓ innings of work against three playoff contenders (Padres, Astros, and Giants) since returning from the injured list.

The expectation is that the rotation will get more crowded as the year progresses, with different names coming back and reestablishing themselves, but if Sheehan keeps pitching like he has, the case for a significant role will only increase. In comparison with what he did in 2023, Sheehan has found success relying more on the slider and tossing fewer heaters, a pitch that got rocked in his first taste in the big leagues.

Saturday game info​

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Brewers
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 6:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/19/24470374/dodgers-brewers-freddie-freeman-freddy-peralta

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Mookie Betts sits during worst hitting season of career

Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Dodgers shortstop, with career lows across the board offensively on the season, sat Saturday amid 0-for-12 and 3-for-28 slumps.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts did not play in Saturday’s game against the Brewers, getting a day off amid his worst-ever season at the plate.

Betts is hitting .241/.311/.377 with a 93 wRC+, a batting average 23 points lower than his career worst. Betts’ worst career wRC+ is 107 in 2017, and hasn’t been below 120 in any other season, before this year.

That included only three hits in his last 28 at-bats, and none in his last 12 at-bats dating back to last weekend in San Francisco. Since the start of June, Betts is hitting just .223/.273/.338 with a 67 wRC+, the latter ranking 160th among 181 qualified major league hitters during that time.

From June 1 through Friday, that Freddie Freeman (60 wRC+), Tommy Edman (55 wRC+), and Teoscar Hernández (55 wRC+) also ranked 166th and tied for 172nd respectively has explains a lot why the Dodgers have been only a so-so team for seven weeks or so.

Betts on Friday talked about his slump and the frustrations of this season at the plate with Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic, an article which included this excerpt on recent work:

Part of Betts’ issues this season have been consistent, said Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. Few know Betts’ swing better. This season, the shortstop has struggled to pin down a moving target with how his hands load into his swing. As a result, all of the minuscule parts that allow his swing to function have been a little off, as well. In one clip of his work in Nashville this week, Betts swung a bat with what appeared to be a medicine ball resting between his elbows. The goal was to keep the ball pinned between his elbows as he loaded and finished the swing.

On Saturday, manager Dave Roberts said the break was a mental one for Betts, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times:

“He was more than willing and wanted to be out there. But for me, I wanted to take it out of his hands [so he could] have a day. I’ve talked about this before, just having players watch a baseball game. And I understand we just had four days off at the break. But still showing up at the ballpark, and not participating, watching, that’s a different mindset, psyche than being at home. So for him to come here, show up, not play, know he’s not going to play, I feel good about the work he’s going to put in today. Also, I think, for the mind it will be beneficial.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/20/24470765/mookie-betts-bench-slump-dodgers