2013 Los Angeles Dodgers season review: Relief pitchers

The Dodgers’ bullpen was solid, despite some hiccups this season. It was led, finally, by its elite young closer, a rookie lefty, a crafty veteran lefty and another rookie who could be in line for a larger role in 2014.

Dodger bullpen by the numbers

30-24 W-L

3.49 ERA

1.29 WHIP

8.0 H/9

0.8 HR/9

3.5 BB/9

8.6 K/9

2.42 K/BB

46 saves

Individual performers

Kenley Jansen

4-3, 1.88 ERA, 76 2/3 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 5.6 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 2.1 BB/9, 13.0 K/9, 6.17 K/BB, 190 ERA+, 28 saves

- Jansen was, once again, dominant out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. He also, once again, had to take the closer job from an inferior pitcher for the second year in a row. Jansen mixed in his slider a bit more this season, but he lived off his plus-plus cutter and is one of the best relievers in the game.

Grade: A

Ronald Belisario

5-7, 3.97 ERA, 68 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 9.5 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 3.7 BB/9, 6.5 K/9, 1.75 K/BB, 90 ERA+, 1 save

- Belisario might have the second-nastiest pitch in the Dodger bullpen. His mid-90s sinker is devastating -- when he can control it. There were stretches in 2013 when he controlled it well, but he also got hit around a bit. He was better in the middle of the season than he was at the beginning or end (either from overuse or general ineffectiveness). He was overtaken by a young pitcher who’s two spots down on this list.

Grade: C-

J.P. Howell

4-1, 2.03 ERA, 62 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 6.1 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 3.3 BB/9, 7.8 K/9, 2.35 K/BB, 176 ERA+

- Howell was an under-the-radar signing, and it paid off greatly for the Dodgers. Howell was hell on lefties and pretty good against right-handed hitters, too. That versatility should help him land a 3-year deal on the free agent market -- hopefully from the Dodgers.

Grade: B+

Paco Rodriguez

3-4, 2.32 ERA, 54 1/3 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 5.0 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.1 BB/9, 10.4 K/9, 3.32 K/BB, 154 ERA+, 2 saves

- Rodriguez was one of the Dodgers’ best relievers for a majority of the season, but overuse led to a poor September and October. Still, Rodriguez is a big part of the bullpen going forward and Don Mattingly’s willingness to trust a young guy was refreshing to see.

Grade: B+

Brandon League

6-4, 5.30 ERA, 54 1/3 IP, 1.55 WHIP, 11.4 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 4.6 K/9, 1.87 K/BB, 68 ERA+, 14 saves

- League began the 2013 campaign as the Dodgers’ closer. He got off to a good start before imploding on an epic level. Initially, I like the deal to bring him back. Of course, I thought we were getting the good League, not the horrifically bad one. He’s still owed $15 million over the next two years. Barring a bold DFA, he’ll be back. Hopefully he’s no more than a mop-up guy.

Grade: F

Chris Withrow

3-0, 2.60 ERA, 34 2/3 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 5.2 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 3.4 BB/9, 11.2 K/9, 3.31 K/BB, 138

ERA+, 1 save

- Withrow’s recall was somewhat surprising, but he took full advantage of his first big-league action. A failed starter in the minors, Withrow thrived out of the bullpen and laid claim to late-inning, high-leverage work for the Dodgers. The only issue I see is his home run rate. He gave up five homers in 34 2/3 innings. That needs to come down. Despite that, he could be Jansen’s setup man for many years to come with a mid-90s fastball and two breaking pitches that are -- at times -- plus-offerings.

Grade: A-

Matt Guerrier

2-3, 4.80 ERA, 30 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 9.6 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9, 6.3 K/9, 1.75 K/BB, 75

ERA+

- Guerrier was, mercifully, in the last year of an inexplicable 3-year contract, and he performed about as expected -- poorly. He was so bad that he was actually traded to the Cubs for the next guy on this list and international spending money -- a net win for the Dodgers. At no time this season was he a reliable option and eventually needed surgery.

Grade: F

Carlos Marmol

0-0, 2.53 ERA, 21 1/3 IP, 1.55 WHIP, 5.9 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 8.0 BB/9, 11.4 K/9, 1.42 K/BB, 143

ERA+

- Marmol gonna Marmol. He struck out his fair share of batters, but he also walked his fair share. Not much was expected when he was acquired, but at least he wasn’t God-awful for the Dodgers. Rightfully, the team didn’t trust him in high-leverage situations.

Grade: C

Brian Wilson

2-1, 0.66 ERA, 13 2/3 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 5.3 H/9, 0.0 HR/9, 2.6 BB/9, 8.6 K/9, 3.25 K/BB, 556

ERA+

- Wilson’s signing was a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the Dodgers (and himself) -- and it appeared to pay off for both. Wilson was great in limited time, continued that to the playoffs and it should result in a multiyear deal to close. If not, I’d love for the Dodgers to bring him back to set up Jansen.

Grade: A

The rest

Jose Dominguez, Grade: B

Onelki Garcia, Grade: INC

Javy Guerra, Grade: D

Peter Moylan, Grade: D-

Skip Schumaker, Grade: C (Because he touched 91 MPH on the gun)

Shawn Tolleson, Grade: INC

Josh Wall, Grade: D- (Because he was the fall guy for a couple games)

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Solid group of Dodgers' free agents led by Howell, Uribe and Wilson

When the Dodgers' season ended, the thought was the team wouldn't need a bunch of changes or other acquisitions. While the managerial situation is still officially unresolved, Don Mattingly is said to be back as the Dodgers' manager for 2014 (and hopefully beyond).

But the Dodgers have 12 free agents and some decisions to make on those guys, other free agents, international players and potential trade acquisitions.

Dodger free agents
Chris Capuano (option declined)
Mark Ellis (option declined)
Jerry Hairston
J.P. Howell
Carlos Marmol
Ricky Nolasco
Nick Punto
Skip Schumaker
Juan Uribe
Edinson Volquez
Brian Wilson
Michael Young

Both Capuano and Ellis had their options declined, and they were subsequently bought out ($1 million each). There's no reason to bring back guys like Hairston, Marmol, Schumaker and Volquez. I'd throw Young in there, but we all know how the Dodgers like their veteran players. Personally, I don't want him back.

So, that leaves Howell, Nolasco, Punto, Uribe and Wilson.

Howell
The left-hander had an excellent season out of the Dodger bullpen. He posted career-bests in ERA (2.18), fielding independent pitching (2.89), ground ball percentage (57.2) and home runs per nine innings pitched (0.3). Better yet, he was dominant against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .164 batting average against and a .452 OPS, fifth-best lefty vs. lefty mark in baseball. Howell is also durable (62 IP, 67 appearances) and can get right-handers out (.222/.312/.296). With Scott Elbert out until midseason, the Dodgers will need Howell to take pressure off Paco Rodriguez, who was bad for the last six weeks of the season. In my eyes, he's a must-re-sign player (at a reasonable cost, of course).
Verdict: Re-sign -- 2 years, $7 million

Nolasco
I was originally against a Nolasco acquisition, but the Dodgers paid pennies to get him, and it was pretty good, until the last few starts of the season. Nolasco posted a solid 3.52 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) as a Dodger. But he faltered late and didn't fare well in Game 4 of the NLCS -- his only postseason appearance. The Twins are reportedly interested in his services and will probably get a healthy deal on the open market. The Dodgers can do better on the open market.
Verdict: Don't re-sign

Punto
At one time this season, Punto was third among Dodger position players in WAR. That isn't a typo. As the season wore on, his effectiveness wore down. He finished the season as nearly a 2-win player. I wouldn't expect that kind of production in 2014 (or beyond), but his ability to play a decent shortstop (as well as second- and third base) make him valuable, even if he gets picked off second base in huge postseason situations.
Verdict: Re-sign -- 1 year, $1.5 million

Uribe
If there was ever an example of a redemption story, it's Uribe, or "Uribear," as he was known for most of the 2013 season. While he was one of the worst Dodgers in his first two seasons in Blue, he was a 5-win player in 2013. His 5.1 WAR was seventh-best of any third baseman in baseball (right behind Adrian Beltre's 5.2 and well ahead of future Dodger Chase Headley's 3.6). He hit .278.331/.438 with 12 home runs, but his defense was Gold Glove-caliber (even if he was beaten out by Nolan Arenado) and among the league's best (and the best, in other categories). With the third base market (free agent and trade) wafer-thin, bringing back Uribe is a must. A 2-year deal wouldn't be bad, as long as he has a platoonmate.
Verdict: Re-sign -- 2 years, $10 million

Wilson
Some questioned whether the Dodgers did the right thing by signing Wilson at the end of July. Well, Wilson made everyone believers again with a great -- albeit abbreviate -- 2013 campaign and a solid postseason showing. He became the Dodgers' setup man and thrived. It's a no-brainer to want to bring him back, but it's another question as to whether he wants to stay. If he wants to be part of a great team, doesn't care about closing and wants to form one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, sure. If he wants to be "the guy" elsewhere, you couldn't blame him. No 3-year deals here, but I'd give him a couple years at a decent price.
Verdict: Re-sign -- 2 years, $11 million (if he wants to stay)

Photo credits

Howell: Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons

Nolasco: Not that Bob James, Flickr

Uribe: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Cardinals struggle against LHP, so Dodgers naturally remove two for NLCS

There's a reason managers do the things they do, but I'm really struggling to figure out what Don Mattingly is thinking with his National League Championship roster.

The offense remains the same and all but two pitchers remain the same. The Dodgers removed Chris Capuano and Paco Rodriguez in favor of Carlos Marmol and Edinson Volquez.

You read that correctly. The Dodgers willing chose to put two right-handed pitchers on the roster, while they removed two lefties.

The Cardinals struggled against left-handed pitching this season to the tune of .238/.301/.371 this season. That's the entire time. Even their right-handed hitters have struggled against lefties.

Capuano likely wouldn't have started a game, but he was still a legitimate option to throw out of the bullpen. He owns 7.90 career ERA at (new) Busch Stadium, but most of that came as a starter and against the Albert Pujols-led Cardinals. Unless there's an undisclosed injury, this move doesn't make any sense.

Removing Rodriguez makes some sense. He was awful in September and wasn't great in the National League Division Series. Still, if he were to find his breaking ball, he'd be hell on the Cardinals' lefties. Instead, the only left-handed reliever guys like Matt Adams, Matt Carpenter, Jon Jay and even Carlos Beltran have to worry about is J.P. Howell. Here's hoping he's up to the task. He held lefties to a .164 batting average and a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season, which is great.

I'm not even terribly upset at the pitchers the Dodgers added. Both are volatile, but Volquez in for Capuano is a must because a long-reliever is necessary. Marmol, surprisingly, has solid career numbers against the Cardinals (3.08 ERA in Busch, 2.95 overall).

I hope Mattingly's news conference later today sheds light on his decision. If it's a physical issue for one or both lefties, then it makes sense. If it's almost anything else, well, let's just hope it's a physical thing (which sounds weird to say).

Maybe Mattingly thinks the offense will out-slug the Cardinal offense. I'd be inclined to agree if there were more lefties on the roster. I just hope Mattingly isn't overthinking things.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Andre Ethier's impending return could be big boost for Dodgers in NLCS

The Dodgers showed some surprisingly good offensive output against the National League’s best pitching staff in the first round of the playoffs. The team could get even stronger with the return of Andre Ethier.

Ethier, who’s suffering from an ankle sprain, made three pinch-hit appearances in the National League Division Series. He went 0-for-3 with a walk (that came against Craig Kimbrel in Game 2).

Skip Schumaker filled in well enough defensively, but didn’t hit much in the NLDS -- as expected.

With Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez and Juan Uribe effectively carrying the offense, Ethier’s addition to that quintet almost seems unfair -- but the Dodgers are going to need him against a tough St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation.

All accounts say Ethier is progressing from the injury and could be in the starting lineup on Friday. The biggest concern is making sure he’s as close to 100 percent as possible, because Ethier hits well against the Cardinals for his career.

Ethier career vs. Cardinals

Home: 29 G, .351/.415/.559, 3 HR, 12 2B, 10 BB

Away: 27 G, .231/.320/.380, 1 HR, 9 2B, 14 BB
Total: 56 G, .292/.367/.470, 4 HR, 21 2B, 24 BB

Against current Cardinal pitchers, he’s hitting .250/.333/.563 with seven home runs.

To add his bat to the already hot offense the Dodgers boast could be the difference in the series. Ethier’s return to the starting lineup puts Schumaker on the bench and likely means the end of Dee Gordon’s playoff utility. The Dodgers will almost certainly add another pitcher for the National League Championship Series, and Gordon will be the roster casualty. It’s not clear who gets the nod, but my money is on Edinson Volquez.

With Hyun-Jin Ryu having a shaky outing in Game 3 of the NLDS and Ricky Nolasco having not thrown in a professional game since Sept. 29, the Dodgers might need another pitcher capable of throwing multiple innings. If not Volquez, it could be Carlos Marmol or Stephen Fife (both extremely unlikely).

But Ethier coming back is only a good thing for the Dodgers. The Cardinals have an all-righty rotation, so Ethier -- in close games -- will get at least two at-bats against per game against them. The Cards have old friend Randy Choate and Kevin Siegrist to come out of the bullpen who have lots of career success against Ethier (combined: 1-for-12, 3 K).

At worst, I’d say Ethier is back in center field for Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. If so, then that will be a huge boost against Adam Wainwright, whom Ethier hits well (36 PA, .303/.361/.667, 3 HR, 3 2B, 3 BB). I'd either bat him second or fifth in the lineup, with Yasiel Puig occupying the other spot.

Everything is setting up quite well for the Dodgers. If Ethier comes back and is effective, it’s hard to see the Dodgers losing this series.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin’ Kinda Blue

Dodgers facing some tough, significant postseason roster decisions

With Sept. 1 quickly approaching, the Dodgers will have some difficult roster decisions to make, most of which pertain to the bullpen.

For players to be eligible for the postseason roster, they have to be on the active roster before 9 p.m. on Aug. 31. This also includes players on the disabled list.

Update (Aug. 17, 4 p.m.): I'm dumb sometimes. Thanks to Eric Stephen of True Blue LA for pointing it out. Anyone in the organization by Aug. 31 (let's say, Butera) can replace an injured player come postseason time. So, Butera wouldn't need to be recalled before the end of the month. However, the initial playoff roster has to come from those on the 25-man roster (and disabled list) before the Aug. 31 deadline. Sorry for the confusion.

Brian Wilson is likely going to be promoted to the Major League roster on Friday, meaning the Dodgers have a little roster shuffling in their future.

Chris Withrow is the pitcher likely to be impacted most. He has options remaining and could be sent back to Triple-A despite a 2.21 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, a surprising 3.1 BB/9 and a stellar 10.6 K/9. The 24-year-old flamethrower has been a pleasant surprise this season and should be a viable relief option come October. Perhaps a phantom DL stint for he or Carlos Marmol is in the Dodgers’ future plans.

Speaking of Marmol, he’s probably the “best” option to go in place of Wilson, but his effectiveness in recent outings has the Dodgers seeing the Marmol of old with tons of swing-and-miss potential.

Dee Gordon is currently eligible, but if Withrow or Marmol aren’t jettisoned for Wilson, Gordon could be, especially with Hanley Ramirez back in the fold.

Here are some Dodgers on the disabled list right now.

15-day DL

Josh Beckett

Jose Dominguez

Matt Kemp

Shawn Tolleson

60-day DL

Chad Billingsley

Beckett and Billingsley aren’t going to pitch again this season.

Dominguez, Kemp and Tolleson will remain on the DL -- regardless of their health -- until after Sept. 1, because it allows the Dodgers to use the injury loophole to make the most guys eligible for the postseason. This also allows Dominguez and Tolleson, who are in the same boat as Withrow in terms of options, to be postseason-eligible.

A guy not yet eligible is Stephen Fife, who has been fantastic this season. Unfortunately for him, the Dodgers don’t need a fifth (or in this case, sixth) starter in the playoffs. It’s unknown how he’d perform out of the bullpen, but he got roughed up in his most recent outing in Triple-A. Chris Capuano was roughed up last night and could use a late-season vacation, I’d say.

One would think the Dodgers should have a third catcher to be playoff-eligible, meaning Drew Butera would need to be promoted from Albuquerque. This could come in the form of a disabled list stint for either A.J. Ellis or Tim Federowicz.

Whatever happens, the Dodgers need to make sure Scott Van Slyke is eligible. His right-handed pop off the bench could be a valuable asset if the Braves throw Luis Avilan or Alex Wood; or the Pirates throw Tony Watson or Justin Wilson; or the Cardinals throw Randy Choate, Kevin Siegrist or Sam Freeman at the Dodgers in a late-inning situation.

There’s also Onelki Garcia, who I suspect has a good chance to be more than just a September call-up. So, General Manager Ned Colletti has a lot of work to do in the next couple of weeks. This doesn’t include any potential waiver-wire deals the Dodgers could make (but I’m not expecting any).

The position players are pretty much set, outside of Kemp and Van Slyke. Perhaps Jerry Hairston could use a couple weeks off starting rather soon. And this whole “four full-time outfielders” issue is going to be moot come the World Series when Andre Ethier is DH’ing for the Dodgers.

Here’s my prediction for all postseason-eligible players

Pitchers (16)

Ronald Belisario

Chris Capuano

Jose Dominguez

Stephen Fife

Zack Greinke

J.P. Howell

Kenley Jansen

Clayton Kershaw

Brandon League

Carlos Marmol

Ricky Nolasco

Paco Rodriguez

Hyun-jin Ryu

Shawn Tolleson

Brian Wilson

Chris Withrow

Catchers (3)

Drew Butera

A.J. Ellis

Tim Federowicz

Infielders (7)

Mark Ellis

Adrian Gonzalez

Jerry Hairston

Nick Punto

Hanley Ramirez

Skip Schumaker

Juan Uribe

Outfielders (5)

Carl Crawford

Andre Ethier

Matt Kemp

Yasiel Puig

Scott Van Slyke

For all these guys to be eligible, the following players who aren’t currently on the 25-man roster would have to be before the deadline: Butera, Fife, Van Slyke and Wilson. Here’s how it happens: 

• Ellis or Federowicz to the DL for Butera
• Capuano to the DL for Fife
• Hairston to the DL for Van Slyke
• Gordon to Triple-A for Wilson

The roster will be trimmed to 25 for the first round, but the additional players can at least be called upon to take the place of injured and/or ineffective players after each round.

Of all the players unsure to be postseason-eligible, Withrow is the one I want most. His control and command have been much better than expected and his mid-to-upper-90s fastball would be quite the weapon in the playoffs.

We’ll see what happens in the next couple weeks. Here’s hoping the Dodgers make some smart decisions.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers sign Brian Wilson to deal, which could be a boon for Los Angeles

The Dodgers signed Brian Wilson to a contract on Tuesday, a day ahead of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

It isn't a popular move among most of the fanbase because of Wilson's ties to the Giants, but it could be a nice low-risk/high-reward move for the surging Los Angeles Dodgers.

I asked last week whether folks would rather sign Wilson or trade a prospect for a reliever. The vast majority went with Wilson, which surprised me.

The great Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports broke the news less than an hour ago.

Brian Wilson has chosen to sign with Dodgers, according to source. Had three offers. Will start in minors.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 30, 2013

He goes on to say Wilson will go to the Dodgers' facility in Arizona before going on a minor-league assignment in Rancho Cucamonga. He'd then join the Dodgers -- a timetable of roughly two weeks.

This is the same path Carlos Marmol took with the Dodgers. Here's hoping for better results.

I laid out my thoughts on the Wilson signing with a Yahoo! Sports article earlier today.

"It's unsure how Wilson would fit into the Dodgers' plans, but I'm guessing he'd be more of a sixth- and seventh-inning guy until he shows he's back to the Wilson of old. If he were to get there, the Dodgers could have an amazing bullpen.

At this point, it can be debated the Dodgers don't need a bullpen upgrade. That would mean putting faith in League and the youngsters -- a risky proposition. But, if the Dodgers sign Wilson to a team-friendly deal, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it."

Wilson could be a nice piece to a recently dominant bullpen, especially if he can be anything close to his 2010 self when he was a 2 1/2-win player as a closer. That might be unrealistic, but if he can be better than Brandon League -- which shouldn't be too hard at this point, despite a recent resurgent -- then it should be a net gain for the Dodgers.

One would think the Wilson signing would make acquiring a reliever a lesser priority. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Dodgers land yet another reliever, but I'd bet on them focusing on a starter or maybe a surprise position player such as Howie Kendrick. More on that last part in a later post.

Photo credit: HarmonyRae, Flickr

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 49 - Logan White interview, Kemp, Quakes

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about the juggernaut known as your Los Angeles Dodgers. They've gone 22-5 in their last 27 games and in literally a month's time, have gone from last place to first place. Bravo.

Stop me if you've heard this before: Matt Kemp is hurt again. He sprained his ankle "sliding" into home on Sunday. Predictably, the Dodgers at first said it was a "minor" injury. Now, he's almost assuredly going on the disabled list. In his last 11 games -- a time that spans from June 25 until now -- he's hitting .324/.390/.622 with three home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored. That's the Matt Kemp we all know and love. If only he could stay healthy...

Carlos Marmol debuted on Tuesday. It was predictably horrible.

Matt Garza and Francisco Rodriguez were traded this week. Both players were linked to the Dodgers. I'm glad the team got neither of them, especially considering the price.

I talk about some of the good and bad I saw from the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The names Noel Cuevas, Scott Schebler and Blake Smith are mentioned -- among others.

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Dodgers' Vice President of Amateur Scouting Logan White on Friday night. It was awesome. Have a listen to the audio (apologies for the background noise).

The Dodgers haven't yet signed Alexander Guerrero, but it looks like more of a foregone conclusion at this point. The team did sign Moises Perez, which we talk about.

As usual, we close with listener questions.

Libsyn link
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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 46 - Dodgers, Marmol, Ramirez, Pederson

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about the Dodgers and their new winning ways. It's much more fun to talk and write about this team when things are going well.

The Dodgers swung a trade with the Cubs for Carlos Marmol (using Matt Guerrier), which doesn't sound great on the surface. However, the Dodgers got international spending money in the deal, which does sound great.

Jose Dominguez, despite a rough outing on Wednesday, made an impressive MLB debut on Sunday.

Hanley Ramirez is on fire and is carrying the team as much as Yasiel Puig is. Maybe it's time to start a campaign for him to go to New York for the All-Star Game.

Luis Cruz is now an ex-Dodger and, somehow, landed a 25-man roster spot with the Yankees.

Joc Pederson will represent the Dodgers at the Futures Game. He'll also go to the Southern League All-Star Game along with Yimi Garcia, Zach Lee, Hector Nelo, Ross Stripling, Luis Vazquez and Rafael Ynoa. Rob Rasmussen also got the nod, but he won't play in the game because he's in Triple-A.

Blake Smith is now a pitcher. I'm trying to get an interview with him to give us his reaction. He's struggled at the plate this season.

Plus, there's a draft and international signing update.

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin