Cody Snavely
Happy April Fools! Kicking off the first Dodgers Notes series of the 2024 regular season, the Dodgers have just wrapped up their home opening series hosting the St. Louis Cardinals.
Week recap (3/25/24-3/31/24)
The Dodgers finished the 2024 Spring Training action in a short three-game series against the Anaheim Angels. The Dodgers came out on top in game one but lost the next two.
However, despite the series loss, the Dodgers got to showcase plenty of young talent, with players such as Kendall George and Jared Karros making appearances.
The Dodgers then shifted their attention back to the regular season after a week’s break due to the Korea Series, which the Dodgers split 1-1 with the San Diego Padres.
Up next were the rivals from the Midwest, the St. Louis Cardinals, with a four-game series that began on Thursday.
Game One: The Dodgers got our early against Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, who could only go 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs. The Dodgers trio atop the order of Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman went a combined 5/8 with two HR and four RBI. Tyler Glasnow and Ryan Yarbrough were all the Dodgers needed to hold the Cardinals to one run, which was a lone HR from former Diamondback and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt, who had all three hits for the Cardinals in this one. Dodgers win 7-1.
Game Two: The Dodgers offense continued to shine, and Mookie Betts continued his hot start, blasting yet another HR. It was Betts’s 49th career leadoff HR, the fifth most in MLB history, and he also passed Davey Lopes as the Dodgers’ all-time leader with leadoff homeruns. The homerun party continued with Teoscar Hernández blasting two of his own along with Miguel Rojas. Bobby Miller was sharp, tossing six innings, allowing 0 runs, and setting a new career high in strikeouts with eleven while walking one on 93 pitches.
Game Three: The Dodgers got an excellent rebound start from prized free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto after a disastrous first start in Korea, where the right-hander gave up five runs in one inning. Despite the rain and a rare 40-minute delay, Yamamoto ended his line with 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, and 5 Ks on 68 pitches in his Dodgers Stadium debut, lowering his ERA to 7.50. The Dodgers bullpen imploded as “wild thing” Joe Kelly was indeed wild. The Dodgers’ offense was also streaky, wasting two bases-loaded opportunities.
Game Four: The Dodgers hosted Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN looking for a series win over the Cardinals, and it wasn’t looking like that would be the case as left-handed pitcher Steven Matz had the Dodgers locked down until the sixth inning. Gavin Stone pitched well, going five innings, allowing three runs, and setting a career-high in strikeouts with six. The offense rallied for five unanswered runs, and thanks to a go-ahead two-run bomb from Max Muncy, the Dodgers won 5-4, their fourth win of the 2024 season.
Betts scorching hot start to 2024
While all the attention went to Shohei Ohtani this winter, the Dodgers true “MVP” has been and will likely still be Mookie Betts.
2023 was arguably the second best year of Betts’s career. He finished runner-up in MVP voting, hitting .307/.408/.579 with a 163 OPS+, and set a career-high with 39 home runs and 107 RBIs from the leadoff spot.
However, after a horrible postseason, Betts looks determined to rewrite the script and play his best baseball to get the Dodgers where they need to be.
That message was read loud and clear thanks to Betts’s hot start to the 2024 season. Through the first six games, Betts has a slash line of .500/.621/1.136, an OPS of 1.757, and 4 HR.
On the defensive side of the ball, Betts is playing a decent SS. He is currently tied for first in DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and seems to get more comfortable every day.
Ohtani & Ippei Mizuhara update
Last week, Shohei Ohtani met with the media so he could release a statement on the ongoing investigation by the federal government and Major League Baseball.
In the statement, Ohtani reiterated that his account was used without his knowledge by former interrupter Ippei Mizuhara to pay off his gambling debts. Ohtani, in his statement, also assured that he has never bet on any sports, let alone baseball.
I never bet on baseball or any other sports and have never asked someone to do so on my behalf and have never bet through a bookmaker.
via Shohei Ohtani to media on 3/25/2024
This will continue to be a storyline in baseball, and as the investigation continues, more information will be sure to leak out to the public. However, Ohtani said he is fully focusing on the 2024 season and will have his representatives handle it from then on.
Dodgers extend Smith to 10-year $140 million deal
Just before the Dodgers’ home opener, a momentous decision was made. The Dodgers and catcher Will Smith reached an agreement on a long-term deal, a move that will see Smith proudly donning the Dodgers Blue for the foreseeable future.
The deal, shrouded in secrecy, came as a bolt from the blue. Despite earlier reports from numerous beat writers suggesting no extension talks, the Dodgers and Smith managed to keep their negotiations under wraps.
Smith, 29, was set to become a free agent after the 2025 MLB season. With the Dodgers having plenty of catching depth in the minor leagues, many, including myself, believed the Dodgers were planning to let him walk.
However, the Dodgers must’ve realized that generational hitting catchers do not grow on trees, as Smith has averaged 23 homers and 80 RBIs per season since 2021. Since his callup in 2019, Smith has become one of the best catchers in the league, posting a career slash line of .263/.358/.484, an OPS of .842, 91 HR, and 308 RBI.
Smith is one of the top three catchers in the sport in the contestation with Braves backstop Sean Murphy and Brewers William Contreras. However, what is most shocking about the deal is the salary.
The 10-year $140 million deal also has deferrals, bringing it to a modern-day value at 10-years $122 million.
The breakdown of Smith’s 10-year deal:
2024: $13.55M
2025: $13M
2026: $13M
2027: $13M
2028: $9.5M
2029: $9.5M
2030: $9.5M
2031: $9.5M
2032: $9.5M
2033: $9.95M
The deferrals — $5M per season — will be paid out annually between 2034-43.
Buehler/Treinen/Graterol/Sheehan update
As expected, the Dodgers have delayed Walker Buehler as he continues his recovery from his second career Tommy John Surgery. The Dodgers are being overly cautious with Walker, who is set to be a free agent after this 2024 season.
However, Dave Roberts stated that Walker Buehler‘s next step is TBD, whether that’s more buildup in Arizona or a rehab assignment. He added that Buehler is coming quicker than expected.
Well, the Dodgers went with a rehab assignment where Buehler was scheduled to throw 40-50 pictures for OKC, the AAA team of the Dodgers. In his first rehab, Buehler went 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 R (3 ER), 1 HR, 2 Ks, (54 pitches/31 strikes). He hit 95.7 mph with his four-seamer and threw the whole mix. Two walks in the third led to the two runs.
As for the bullpen, the Dodgers are notably missing two arms from their Opening Day 2.0 roster: right-handed relief pitchers Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol.
Dave Roberts also gave an update on the two arms before game one on Thursday, stating they are “a ways away” from returning from the IL and have yet to throw any bullpens.
Graterol has right shoulder inflammation and has not pitched in a game since his spring training debut on March 2. Treinen was hit by a line drive in the ribs, leading to a bruised lung but no fractures.
The Dodgers also announced to make room for Nabil Crismatt on the 40-man roster, and they placed right-handed starter Emmet Sheehan on the 60-day IL. Sheehan has been sidelined all of Spring Training after general soreness, which was later confirmed as forearm tightness. It is still unclear when we should expect Sheehan back.
Kershaw rehab update
Some encouraging news out of Opening Week was that Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw is ahead of schedule, according to himself and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. The left-handed veteran was seen throwing prior to Opening Day festivities.
Kershaw, who re-signed for his 17th season with the Dodgers on Feb. 9, is starting the season on the injured list as he recovers from shoulder surgery. In his latest update, Kershaw said he was feeling good about his recovery, and is throwing on flat ground from up to 120 feet.
Kershaw’s next step will be to throw bullpens, but there is no set date for when that will happen. Kershaw is expected to return in late July or August.
Kershaw currently has 2,944 strikeouts and should be able to join the 3,000-strikeout club either this year or next year. However, the idea of a rehabbed Kershaw with no mileage on his arm could be a difference-maker come October.
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