Cody Snavely
Happy Monday! The Los Angeles Dodgers are fresh off of back-to-back road series wins, 5-1 on the current nine-game road trip, and gearing up for a huge series vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks.
However, there is a lot of news and updates surrounding the team that will be discussed in the latest Dodgers Notes series.
Week recap (4/22/24-4/28/24)
Nationals Recap: The Dodgers kicked off their nine-game road trip in our national capital with a three-game set against the Washington Nationals, the same Nationals that took two of three last week in LA. However, this time was different as the Dodgers would sweep the Nationals, and the offense and the pitching would all contribute to the wins. A few bright spots were Shohei Ohtani who smacked a 450 ft homerun that had an exit velocity of 119 mph. Landon Knack would get the win in game two, the first of his career, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto would dazzle in the third game, pitching the best start of his career with six scoreless innings.
- Game One: 4-1 W
- Game Two: 11-2 W
- Game Three: 2-1 W
Blue Jays Recap: The Dodgers would travel to Toronto, Canada, their first time visiting the Blue Jays in eight years, dating back to 2016. The offense would continue their hot streak from Sunday’s game against the Mets and the sweep of the Nationals and win game one handsomely. Tyler Glasnow would pitch into the seventh inning, allowing only one run on his line, solidifying him as the Dodgers ace for 2024 yet again. However, the Dodgers could not complete the sweep during their planned bullpen game, dropping the finale 3-1.
- Game One: 12-2 W
- Game Two: 4-2 W
- Game Three: 3-1 L
Updates on Miller, Buehler, Graterol & more
The Dodgers’ pitching staff has already battled the human body this season, putting multiple starters and relief pitchers on the IL, and it is not even the end of April yet. However, a few big names all got updates this past week.
Let’s start off with the guy who is closer to returning than the others on this list, and that is Walker Buehler, who started another rehab game this past Wednesday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts asserted that the team wants to see Buehler get through at least five innings and have better command.
Buehler pitched four innings, allowing seven hits, two walks, two earned runs, and five strikeouts on 86 pitches. Roberts reiterated that it was too early to tell if he would need another start or re-join the team. I personally believe that the Dodgers will allow Buehler to get one or two more rehab starts and let Landon Knack stay in the rotation for the time being.
From one starter to another, Dave Roberts provided an update on young right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller, who was placed on the 15-day IL after his start in Minnesota due to shoulder inflammation.
Roberts stated that Miller stayed in Los Angeles during the nine-game road trip and has begun throwing again. However, the longer that he stays out the more likely Miller will need a rehab stint to build up his arm again.
Dodgers right-handed relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol is also out indefinitely with no timetable for his return after he has been shut down from all baseball activities as he tries to come back from a shoulder injury that has plagued him since Spring Training.
Another Dodgers arm that is gearing up for a return is dependable set-up man Blake Treinen, who has made a few rehab starts up until this point, each with mixed results. Entering a game where there were already eleven runs scored, he gave up three runs in 1/3 of an inning.
Pages here to stay?
The bottom of the Dodgers order has been an issue since the start of the 2024 season, as the collective effort of Gavin Lux, James Outman, and Chris Taylor has all been liabilities so far this season. However, one name could change that for the foreseeable future, and that is Andy Pages.
Andy Pages, the Dodgers’ third-ranked prospect (No.93 MLB), was called up by the Dodgers during their homestand against the Washington Nationals after getting off to a scorching hot start in Triple-A, where the young 23-year-old tallied 73 plate appearances and recording a .371/.452/.694 slash with five homers, three doubles, a triple, two steals, an 11% walk rate, and a 17.8% strikeout rate.
In 43 at-bats, Pages has a slash line of .302/.326/.535, an OPS of .861, and an OPS+ of 137, along with five RBI and two home runs. Pages has also showcased elite speed and defense, ranking in the 88th percentile in Sprint Speed and the 79th percentile in Arm Value.
With Jason Heyward still on the IL and Chris Taylor, James Outman, and Kiké Hernández getting more starts in the infield compared to the outfield, Andy Pages has been given the keys to kickstart his MLB career and stay on the Dodgers’ 26-man roster.
If Pages continues to play at this level, the Dodgers will have no option but to keep him up and have to decide what to do with one of their struggling position players. For Chris Taylor and Gavin Lux, the time is ticking to get in gear. Dave Roberts stated it is still too early to make any haste decisions, but he did say around 150 at bats for Lux was a good sample size, so the same could be said for Taylor.
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