Redding having nice season for Dodgers' High-A team

When I saw Jon Michael Redding pitch against the Stockton Ports on June 17, he was less than impressive. His line: 4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Despite the poor outing, he still had a nice 3.38 ERA in the hitter-friendly California League. Since that game, though, he's pitched quite well.

Last 10 games: 59 IP, 49 H, 22 R, 17 ER, 4 HR, 22 BB, 62 K, 1.20 WHIP, .220 BAA

Redding, 23, doesn't overpower hitters with his stuff -- he tops out at 90-91 MPH with a solid curveball and slider. He's more of a junkballer than anything, which doesn't bode well for his future success. However, he's leading the Cal League in ERA (minimum 90 IP) at 2.98. He also had a career-high 14 strikeouts on July 16 against the Modesto Nuts.

He's a tad old for his competition and with guys like Allen Webster, Chris Withrow and until recently, Nathan Eovaldi, there hasn't been much room for him on the Chattanooga roster. Even retreads like Will Savage and Michael Antonini (acquired for Chin-lung Hu in the off-season) have pitched well for the Lookouts.

Redding will definitely start 2012 in Double-A, but I'm not expecting much from him. At best, he'd be a fifth starter/long reliever in the majors, but his prospects are not that bright. Still, he could find himself on a Major League pitching staff before his career is over.

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Jake Lemmerman was promoted to Double-A after the Dodgers recalled Justin Sellers to take over for the injured Dee Gordon. Lemmerman is 2-for-11 with a double in his first three games. Nice to see him get the promotion. I'm higher on him than most. I'd like to see him finish the season strong and start in Chattanooga next season.

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Matt Kemp is great. I don't know how many times I can write it. He's up to 28 home runs, 31 stolen bases on the season and making a strong push for National League MVP. In fact, his 28 HRs and 89 RBI tie his total from 162 games in 2010 -- and there's still 42 games left in the 2011 season. If the Dodgers weren't so miserable, he'd be the clear front-runner for the award.

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The Dodgers signed fourth-round draft pick Ryan O'Sullivan today before the signing deadline. He got a $100,000 bonus. The team has now signed its top nine picks. Ryan's brother, Sean O'Sullivan, pitches for the Royals.