Cody Snavely
Happy Monday! The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up their six-game homestand, going .500 and winning three of those six games.
The Dodgers lost the opening series to their National League West rival, the Arizona Diamondbacks, but rebounded nicely, taking two of three against the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
On this Monday off day, the Dodgers are traveling out East to begin their six-game road trip before the first half offically concludes with the 2024 Major League Baseball all-star break.
However, before that, the Dodgers will be put to the test by facing off against the best team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies, in a massive National League showdown in the city of Brotherly Love.
But before that, let’s catch up on all the latest notes before the Dodgers get started this week in the latest Dodgers Notes series from DodgersBeat.
Week recap (7/1/2024-7/7/2024)
Diamondbacks Recap: The opening series of the six-game homestand started out well for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who took care of business with a six-to-five victory over the Diamondbacks.
However, games two and three were a different story as Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker decided to torment the Dodgers, hitting five home runs in this series alone.
The Dodgers’ offense and pitching were not at their best, highlighting the need for improvement. The series loss also means the Dodgers now have a losing record not only to the San Diego Padres but also to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Over the year, Christain Walker has had nine home runs in nine games against the Dodgers, so for their next series later this year, it might be wise to put up the walk sign.
- Game One: 6-5, W
- Game Two: 4-12, L
- Game Three: 3-9, L
Brewers Recap: After losing two of three to their National League West opponent, the Dodgers looked to right the ship as they hosted the National League Central-leading Brewers.
The Dodgers would do just that, taking two of three against the Brew Crew, and the pitching in games one and two were ample reasons for that.
In game one, Tyler Glasnow‘s pitching performance was a standout, providing the Dodgers with much-needed length. Despite allowing five runs, including a grand slam by Rhys Hoskins, Glasnow’s six innings on the mound were crucial for the team.
In game two, James Paxton rebounded perfectly after a disastrous start in the Bay, allowing nine runs on twelve hits to the San Fransisco Giants. However, in this one, the veteran lefty went five innings, allowing two runs.
It would be the first time Dodgers starters have pitched five innings or more in back-to-back starts in two weeks, which shows how bad things have been.
Will Smith‘s offensive prowess was on full display, clobbering four home runs in the series. Despite the series finale loss on Sunday, the Dodgers’ offensive potential is something to be excited about as they ended their six-game homestand with a split.
- Game One: 8-5, W
- Game Two: 5-3, W
- Game Three: 2-9, L
Dodgers send six players to all-star game
During Sunday’s game, Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2024 all-star game, and six Dodgers made the cut. This is the third time since 2017 that the team has sent six or more to represent the National League.
So far, the six players who will represent the Dodgers are Shohei Ohtani (pitcher), Mookie Betts (shortstop), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Will Smith (catcher), Teoscar Hernández (outfielder), and Tyler Glasnow (pitcher).
With injuries and inactivity on the rise, as we approach the mid-summer classic, there are more opportunities for additional players to be selected.
Two players who come to mind on the pitching side are Gavin Stone and Alex Vesia, who have been phenomenal anchors in the starting rotation and bullpen.
However, for now, only the six players mentioned above will go to Arlington, Texas, on July 16th.
Injury Notes
This week’s injury updates, some positive and some negative could significantly impact the team’s performance in the upcoming games.
Kicking off the updates is Clayton Kershaw, who had his second rehab start pushed back after the veteran left-handed pitcher complained of shoulder soreness.
The Dodgers have taken a cautious approach, understanding that there’s no need to rush their long-time ace back to the big league roster. They have wisely delayed his rehab, ensuring his full recovery.
However, entering this week, the lefty started throwing again and ramped up his sessions by taking on live hitters at Dodgers Stadium in a sim game as the minor league schedule did not align with a potential rehab start.
Kershaw emerged this week feeling healthy and ready to take the next step in his rehab. His positive progress indicates that he will likely go on another rehab start sometime in the next few weeks, bringing hope for his return.
The next update concerns Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who has been out since mid-May with an oblique injury.
Initially, the injury was only to be minor, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts asserted that Muncy would only miss 7-10 days. However, we are now almost two months removed, and Muncy has not progressed the way he and the Dodgers had liked.
Entering the series with the San Francisco Giants, Muncy had begun swinging the bat, but after a few days, the left-handed slugger complained of discomfort, which led the Dodgers to shut him down from baseball activities.
In his pregame statement, Dave Roberts stated that Muncy’s timeline for a potential return is far past the all-star break, which likely translates to August or later. With this latest development, there is now concern about whether we will even see Muncy at all.
Other injury notes are that right-handed relief pitcher Joe Kelly completed his first rehab start and has pitched two innings, allowing two hits with one strikeout and no runs allowed. Kelly also pitched to batters following Kershaw’s sim game.
Right-handed pitcher Kyle Hurt, who was activated off the 60-day IL a few weeks back, was removed from his latest inning of work with arm discomfort, and the Dodgers have not released any information.
However, prior to Sunday’s game, Dave Roberts stated that it was really disappointing because the team aimed to have him recalled soon.
After the Arizona series, the Dodgers also placed veteran outfielder Jason Heyward on the 10-day IL after Heyward injured his knee trying to steal a Joc Pederson home run.
Heyward was removed from the game due to left knee discomfort and will have an MRI to reveal the extent of the damage.
According to Dave Roberts, the Dodgers dodged a major bullet, as there was further damage to the knee, but Heyward will still miss some time.
In his place, the Dodgers have recalled outfielder James Outman from Triple-A OKC, and in his two games thus far, he had his first multi-hit game since May.
National League showdown & trade deadline tryout in Detroit
The Los Angeles Dodgers will continue their National League gauntlet as they go from one top National League team to the other with a three-game set with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies, currently dominating the National League with the best record in all of baseball, 58-32, and a commanding eight-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, are a force to be reckoned with.
The Phillies will also get a major boost on offense with left-handed hitters Kyle Schwarber and potentially Bryce Harper being activated on the 10-day IL.
The Dodgers have the best record in the National League against teams with a winning record of 25-17 and hope to continue that trend in Philly to kick off their six-game road trip.
However, the Dodgers’ next up on the road trip is the Detroit Tigers, who currently sit under .500 and could be sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
The Dodgers could see two potential arms on the market: left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal and right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty.
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