Here’s the latest from the National League West:
- Padres center fielder Trent Grisham left Thursday’s game with a hamstring issue, leading to an evaluation Friday. Manager Jayce Tingler issued a positive update, saying (via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that it’s Grade 1 hamstring sprain that should only keep Grisham out of action for a week. Grisham helped key the Padres’ resurgence in 2020, when he batted .251/.352/.456 with 10 home runs and stolen bases apiece in 252 plate appearances. He may have been even better in center, where he notched seven Defensive Runs Saved and a 7.5 Ultimate Zone Rating.
- Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is in the last year of his contract, but he suggested this week he won’t approach the front office about an extension, per Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that,” he stated. “I’ve said before that I want to honor my contract.” CEO Derrick Hall said he and general manager Mike Hazen “will have conversations about” Lovullo’s status during the season, adding that Lovullo “has done a great job” as the team’s skipper. Hired prior to the 2017 campaign, Lovullo led the D-backs to three straight above-.500 seasons and a playoff berth before the team backslid a year ago. Overall, Arizona is 285-261 on Lovullo’s watch.
- Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles has been battling mental health issues that have kept him from playing professionally since 2018, but the club still renewed his contract for this season, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Toles is on the restricted list, meaning he won’t collect his salary, but the team’s decision could enable him to maintain healthcare access, Plunkett notes.
- Giants outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe will miss six to eight weeks because of a left wrist sprain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle relays. This continues a rough few weeks for the 24-year-old Basabe, whom the Giants designated for assignment Feb. 4. He cleared waivers after that and remained with the organization.
nice gesture the Dodgers are doing with Toles.
I mean the gesture doesn’t cost them any money if he doesn’t play but it is nice of them.. They’re probably not too invested in his well being if it’s been 3 years and haven’t reported how they’ve tried to even help!
Toles’ career is over, this is literally about giving him covered healthcare at the Dodgers’ expense.
This is how they’ve tried to help. By keeping him under contract, which means he has access to healthcare through his contract.
Says the guy who knows Toles personally
It is pretty simple even for you, hockey fan.
I know him personally
How do you know they didn’t try to help, but did things privately since this is a sensitive subject for Toles and his family?
I don’t know Fred. But we are in a politically correct community centric era where organizations contribute every way they try to help others. It’s not that it’s the Dodgers, it’s that technically don’t get all beefed on dark sides topic starter comment.. Baseball organizations could do more for this guy or at least tell the media how the league has tried to help him and they really are doing 1% of effort by signing a piece of paper saying “keep him on his minor league restricted list duty if he ever wanted arbitration cash”
I dispise the dodgers, but you’re point is a bad look for any human. THey had no obligation to help this grown adult, but still are making his insurance available strictly out of kindness. stop being so cynical and just applaud a little humanity. Itll make you feel better about the world.
Bkbk you’re not reading what I said then you’re assuming
Hosmer. That’s all speculation, and it would be great if people stopped bringing their political feelings into baseball. Thanks!
…or maybe the Dodgers could keep things on the down-low, bring as little publicity as possible to the situation, so that the guy can receive much-needed mental health treatment in privacy. It’s not up to the Dodgers to tell people how Toles is doing; that’s up to Toles’ himself or his friends & family.
As for the Dodgers doing only 1% of what they can do to help him, you don’t know what you’re talking about. The Dodgers as an org. have been involved in trying to help him since 2018. When he was diagnosed w/ mental health people in the Dodgers as an org. worked w/ the family to try to get him treatment, whether it was visiting him in the hospital, getting him a hotel room, speaking to family members every night…
The Dodgers may be a multi-billion dollar org., but there are limits as to what they can do. They couldn’t force him to get treatment, even if they paid for everything. They couldn’t force him to live w/ his family, even if they bought him a house. So despite the Dodgers’ & his family’s best efforts, Toles ended up running from his family & his treatment, & ended up getting arrested last year.
But in every statement that the family has released since 2018, they have consistently said that the Dodgers have been involved, been supportive, & gone above-&-beyond what they expected…
So yeah, the Dodgers have done more than just sign a piece of paper. Maybe you don’t know what they’ve done for Toles b/c they’ve tried to keep things private, as things like mental health treatment & legal guardianship proceeding should be. The only reason this is back in the news is b/c MLB transactions are public… But just b/c they’re not out there telling you all the things they done to try to help Toles & his family doesn’t mean they haven’t done anything.
@ adamsessler: You have made the right points here, especially the part about MLB player contracts being public (I’ve always wondered why they are, but that’s another matter). Either way this is how we know what we know about Toles remaining under contract with the Dodgers and nothing more. What benefit he receives from this is unknown and in reporting this Plunkett speculates that it might make Toles eligible for medical coverage as a result. May, as opposed to is. We don’t actually know and more importantly have no right to know. The Dodgers have conspicuously declined to comment and everything else we’ve heard about Toles’ tragic situation came from other sources. Making it even more tragic is those who would exploit it to push their own agendas. Even if you are convinced that it’s a benevolent agenda please remember this is a real person we’re talking about here who is struggling and this should be private and not be a matter for public debate. For those who can’t seem do that, I suggest you get a grip on yourself.
Brilliantly said
So if they aren’t publicly reporting on his mental health issues then you won’t believe they’ve done anything to help? And here I thought that kind of thing was totally private, and was wondering why we know even this much. You can learn something new here every day.
Blue skies, I’m asking bloggers to consider the year we’re in. Almost every organization outside of sports is championing the good things they do in fear that they’re A) caught for the bad things they’ve done B) gain support for the good things they’ve done. Look this report on the Dodgers giving Toles another year doesn’t phase me because I think of them as snobby business people (same goes for most other baseball teams until they prove me wrong) and it’s actually a shake my head situation where they’re being highly praised for doing the literal minimum. Has anyone offered to get him into a therapy/asylum community the way Mark Cuban has for Delonte West? That was highly documented and Cuban wasn’t even trying. So the Dodgers signing a piece of paper where they either get a player back or pay him nothing doesnt bode well for me. Shame on y’all for trashing me on this too. Think deeper about what these billion dollar organizations can do for people and the community. This is literally NOTHING and I hope Toles gets well even though the Dodgers have distanced themselves far from him.
Here’s a more simplified reach for everyone:
I think the second most profitable team in baseball should do more for a mentally ill homeless ex-player than say “here’s $2-5000 in medical insurance all the best… now let’s go get another $100M contract done”
Again. You’re assuming they’ve done nothing else for him
You have no idea. Just stop talking. Stop critiquing a team when you have no idea what they’re doing behind the scenes. Makes you look as stupid as your name
Shame on ME? For what, informing you that a person’s mental health is in fact none of your damn business? Is this some sort of revelation to you? Seriously? Maybe you should read the source article, it might help. I don’t hold out a lot of hope, but you should do it anyway. And please don’t say you already have read it because that would make what you are saying about it even worse.
Blue skies, shame on attacking someone who’s asking for more from society. Lurking, nah dude you don’t know the game then! Don’t comment if you don’t read sports news or daily news or any news and can’t understand that’s how society works. If they were doing more for him, it’d be mentioned. Simple as that. You think they are doing more? Well they’re not. The news didn’t report anymore, the teams media department didn’t tell anyone they did anymore, their social media account didn’t mention it.. Most likely they’re going about their DTD and ready to play baseball, committed to their other charitable organizations, etc.. but for one reason or another they are not. Helping. Him. Want me to say it again? They aren’t. Sports organizations aren’t as charitable as you guys apparently think they are. The fact you both don’t consider it means you only believe what you see right now and that’s not worth anymore of my time. Mark Cuban did a nice deed: a former player needed help and after years of West being on the street choosing that life and supposedly having mental problems related to it, Cuban showed up himself to help and it made strides to help West forward. Andrew Toles is not being helped by anyone in the league, the news hasn’t reported it, ie what’s left unsaid says it all.
HIPPA laws prevent any sort of “disclosure” that you may be looking for. This is a private matter and I am not his doctor. End of story, social media be damned.
HIIPA makes this a private issue, as it should be.
HIPAA
Right. Thanks, retire21. I was tying too early in the morning…and apparently so was Gwynning.
However it’s spelled, we should all just butt out.
Oh, & as for the comparison btn Cuban/West vs. the Dodgers/Toles, the main difference btn the 2 situations is that when people reached out to try to help West, he was receptive to their help, while Toles was not.
When West’s situation became public, Cuban reached out to him, & paid for his treatment. Good on him, but this was only successful b/c West accepted Cuban’s help..
In Toles’ case, he left the Dodgers to be w/ his family, & then just disappeared. He was found in Arizona, & his family reached out to the Dodgers for help. Someone from the org. flew out to AZ, met him at the hospital, & then the Dodgers did everything they could to get him help. BUT, unless someone is severely mentally ill, you can’t force someone to receive treatment. Toles didn’t want treatment & left, despite his family & the Dodgers’ effort.
any argument that ends with “what’s left unsaid says it all.” should be ignored and blocked. Until you’re willing to discuss in goodfaith, you should stop dude. Applaud effort period, dont complain about the additional stuff that hasnt been done.
Yes, thanks retire. I’m not always my sharpest at 3am but I’m still disappointed that I misspelled that. Cheers!
That stuff isn’t reported without the patients consent. Hipaa laws exist to protect privacy.
Padres fans are bitter but helping Toles isn’t about baseball, it’s about doing what’s right.
Stay classy San Diego.
Dodger franchise does something to help another person.
Padre fan: do you bite your thumb at me?
the man was lost on the streets. he wasn’t easy to find. but go on and try and hate on this gesture madre fan.
I haven’t heard much about the Toles situation. Sounds sad. Can anyone enlighten me as to why he has missed 3 straight seasons due “mental health issues?” I remember when Grienke missed a season with the Royals due to depression but that was only one season. Why is Toles about to miss his 4th straight season?
If you really must know, read the linked article.
Let your loved ones know that you love them. It doesn’t hurt anything.
Prayers up for Andrew Toles’ recovery.
Yet another reason why the Dodgers organization is supreme to any other, Go Blue!
Lol Dodger fan saying this but I do tip my hat for what they did. Just don’t declare the Dodger organization is the best by far, could be the best but many other teams run a good organization.
Padres star center fielder*
108 OPS+ in 110 games is hardly a star
You’ll seeeee. 2020s decade Padres gonna look like one of those Yankees decades teams This comments more a boast then a “look at his stats dude, it’s the truth” kinda comment.
Padres fans lol
Hey now, not everyone in every fanbase is the same, but there are a few Padre-themed wackos around this site. They could be LA fans in disguise; I have seen this on another site and the trails have the same crumbs left behind. Fare well, my friends. Go Pads!
Doesn’t sound like denying reality at all
“My fanbase is perfect while the other must be trash!” Even though they live less than 100 miles away from each other. No way could Padre fans be the same
Gas lamp is more dangerous to walk at night than sunset post dodger game. Just ask Tommy Pham
Pham didn’t get stabbed anywhere near the Gaslamp Quarter you twit. He got stabbed in the parking lot of a club on Midway Drive in Loma Portal, aka Strip Club Alley.
A good deed on behalf of the Dodgers’ organization.
As someone who has two loved ones battling mental illness in various forms, I continue to wish Andrew Toles all the best.
Agreed. Not a Dodger fan in any way. Whatever their motivation, they didn’t have to do this, but did anyway. That’s a class move from a human perspective.
Brewers should have kept Grisham (no need for JBJ) and Davies. The Urias/Lauer trade
is no good.
Right.
That trade has not aged well for the Brewers.
No need for Garcia, as he was signed to essentially replace Grisham last year. That money along with the goofy signings last offseason could have been spent on needs (Smoak, Holt, Sogard etc).
Well said. I call last year with all the older, overpaid vets, the Sogard gang.
Add in Garcia and JBJ $$, and you wonder what the boy wonder is doing.
And still a weak farm.
Gigorilla I took heat for trashing what the Brewers did last offseason too. It ended all talk over Stearns being one of the best GMs in baseball. What he did last offseason was fireable. There could still be a negative ripple effect with his decision-making moving forward. We will see.
The Dodgers did something nice for a former player who needs help. Leave it at that.
Come on man, the dodgers are helping someone who obviously needs it. The Dodger family is there for him. I bet players reach out to him, administration keeps in touch. He probably has a chance to be a future scout/ instructor with the organization. I bet someone is sliding him some cash if he needs it, letting him stay at their place if he needs it.
That’s what friends do.
Stop hating so much.
Well said, I don’t understand how you don’t applaud the Dodgers org. for this classy maneuver and put a notch on the belt for uplifting humanity.
The Dodgers did a good thing for a person in need. Could they have done more? Sure, everyone could. But they did more for him than they had to. Helping a person in need is always a good thing. Congratulations to the Dodgers!
The Dodgers have done plenty… If you read the linked articles about this, members of the org. have been in consistent contact w/ Toles’ family trying to get him help. They’ve offered to pay for housing & treatment, one exec offered to drive him home from the hospital… The Dodgers haven’t publicized their efforts, & they shouldn’t b/c Toles’ mental health issues are a private, deeply personal, affair. But his family has always thanked the Dodgers & are on record as saying their efforts are above & beyond what they expected from the org. The issue is that Toles has refused treatment, & unless someone severely mentally ill, people like Toles’ family or even a multi-billion dollar org. like the Dodgers, can’t force someone to receive treatment. Also, even if he is receiving treatment, privacy laws prevent them from disclosing how he’s doing.
Bottom line is that just b/c we don’t hear about how Toles is doing, & the Dodgers are pretty mum about their efforts (b/c they’re being respectful to Toles’ privacy), doesn’t mean that the Dodgers aren’t doing what they can to help him & his family…b/c from what we do know, it certainly looks like they are…
Well said. Classy move by an organization that can offer to do so. As for the comments saying the Dodgers are trying to pat themselves on the back by doing this, are not looking at the bigger picture. Mental Heath is real and not understood by most.
I appreciate the Dodgers trying to help Toles. Most privately run businesses would have done nothing. I hope Toles can get well. His road will be a tough one.