Cody Snavely
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The countdown continues for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they play their final two games of the Cactus League today and tomorrow before heading off to Tokyo, Japan, for the start of their two-game series again the Chicago Cubs to kick off the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season.
However, one name that won’t be on the 31-man roster during the series or for the foreseeable future is right-handed pitcher Michael Grove, who is set to miss the next several months after season-ending shoulder surgery.
Grove, 28, was set to be considered for one of the final bullpen spots on the team, but his spring was delayed after shoulder soreness continued to plague him. The initial prognosis was that he would be delayed, but now his season is officially over.
The shoulder injury is not new to this season or the past winter, but according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, it has hampered Grove since last season and ultimately left him off the National League Championship and World Series roster last October.
The Dodgers specified that it was a right labrum repair, which has a nine-month recovery time. For Grove, this marks the second major surgery of his career after he underwent Tommy John Surgery during the 2017 season.
While Grove’s 5.48 ERA over 149.1 innings is not impressive, advanced metrics such as his 3.85 SIERA and 23.2% K% showed the untapped potential that, unfortunately, won’t be reached this season.
Staying on the pitching side, left-handed starter Blake Snell finished up his final outing of the Cactus League yesterday, surrendering four runs in 3.2 innings of work in the Dodgers’ 7-5 loss to the Athletics.
After the game, it was alluded that Snell would likely pitch the Dodgers’ domestic opener against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium but would not commit to that statement, only showcasing it lines up with what everybody is expecting.
It has already been confirmed by Roberts that second-year righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto would get the Opening Day nod in Japan, and by all accounts, it seems 23-year-old rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki will get Game Two.
As for the work for Snell and Tyler Glasnow, they’ll make an appearance during one of the two exhibition games that will take place before the short two-game set on March 18th and 19th. After that, the Dodgers will return to the States for a three-game exhibition series against the Los Angeles Angels before traditional Opening Day on March 27th.
With the Dodgers set for yet another roster crunch in the next few days, one name that is still undecided is Korean utility infielder Hyeseong Kim.
Kim, 26, who signed a 3-year, $12.5 million contract with Los Angeles back in January, was thought to be a lock to make the Dodgers roster, especially after the trade that shipped former full-time second baseman Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds.
However, after a month of spring games, it is clear that Kim’s swing is still a work in progress, forcing many within the Dodgers organization to consider a possible minor league demotion to start the season.
Overall, Kim is 5-for-26 this spring with one home run and three RBIs, and while he is an above-average fielder regardless of position, it is his bat that remains the most significant question to start the season.
While the left-handed hitter was praised by his manager yesterday for his at-bats against the Athletics and the past two weeks, Roberts still stated the team was undecided on his role, including possibly leaving Kim in Arizona to continue working on his swing changes.
If the Dodgers do go that route, they have plenty of internal options, such as Andy Pages, Tommy Edman, and perhaps David Bote, who is forcing himself into a role this season.
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