The Dodgers are aiming to put much of their lineup back together in time for a big three-game series with the Padres beginning on Monday. As of now, the hope is that Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger could both come off the injured list in time for at least part of that series, L.A. manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya (all Twitter links) and other reporters. Muncy (oblique strain) and Bellinger (hamstring tightness) both haven’t played since June 11 and are eligible to be activated off the 10-day IL on June 22. The duo each took part in a simulated game at the Dodgers’ Spring Training facility today, Roberts said. Corey Seager (fractured hand) might not be too far behind them, as he is tentatively to begin a rehab assignment next week after being sidelined since May 15 due to a fractured hand.
The news isn’t as positive for Dodgers pitching prospect Josiah Gray, as Roberts said Gray is “a ways down the road” in being ready to return from a shoulder impingement. A consensus top-100 prospect in baseball, Gray made his Triple-A debut this season but pitched in only one game before getting injured. The 23-year-old right-hander had been projected to make his Major League debut later this year assuming things went well at Triple-A, but Gray might not have too long to get healthy and then make a good impression on the mound if he is going to factor into the Dodgers’ September call-up plans.
More from the NL West…
- Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) that Alex Dickerson and Darin Ruf are beginning minor league rehab assignments today. Ruf was placed on the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain on May 27, while an upper back strain sent Dickerson to the IL on June 9. With so many members of the first-place Giants playing well, Slusser thinks the impending returns of Dickerson and Ruf could create a bit of a roster crunch. Someone like Mike Tauchman, for instance, couldn’t be easily moved off the roster since he is out of minor league options, so the Giants would have to first expose him to waivers if they wanted to send him to Triple-A.
- The Rockies parted ways with assistant GM Jon Weil earlier this week, with The Athletic’s Nick Groke adding some more details about the front office situation. Weil was told that the team wouldn’t be renewing his contract, which ended Weil’s 16-year run in the organization. Between Weil leaving and VP of scouting Bill Schmidt being promoted to the interim GM job, both Weil’s and Schmidt’s former roles haven’t been filled, as the team has instead moved their responsibilities around to other current employees. In addition, the baseball operations department is being overseen by Rockies president of business operations Greg Feasel. This doesn’t seem like an ideal situation for a Rockies club that looks to be approaching a critical trade deadline and potential rebuilding period, — as Groke puts it, “a potential trade of [Trevor] Story and [Jon] Gray will be left to a business-minded president with no baseball experience, an interim GM with only two remaining lieutenants, and no true research department.”
Watch Cashman fleece the Rox before the deadline.
What’s that got to do with the NL West?
The Rockies are in the NL West
Oops, my bad. For some reason I saw Rsox, instead of Rox. Apologies to Dave frost.
Cashman hasnt fleeced anyone in 12 years other than the Yankee ownership. Please he isn’t a good GM
Actually Cashman’s trade record isn’t bad at all. Hicks, Tauchman, Torres, Voit, Urshela, Britton, Lynn, Cessa, Green, German, Happ, Kahnle, McCutchen even Stanton. For all that they gave up Gallegos, Clippard and Chapman as far any any impact or even regular players. Gray and Paxton didn’t work out too well but Kaprelian is just starting to pitch at all and Sheffield is still struggling. Even Miller had just one good season after the trade for Frazier, Sheffield and Feyeresian.
It’ll be good for the Giants to get Ruf and Dickerson back. But that could be bad news for Tauchman. He’s not much of a hitter, but I like how he plays. He grinds ABs and plays excellent defense. But I can’t see them sending Wade down, and keeping Tauchman. If I’m not mistaken, Vosler has options, but as long as Longo and LaStella are out, he’s needed in SF.
Agreed.
The Tauchman trade has already been a success so there’s no guilt in exposing him to waivers. He made 2 game saving catches and 1 game winning grand slam.
But his time has come. Wade Jr. is better and part of the Giants future. Sending Dickerson and Ruf on rehab assignments, something the Giants hardly ever do with veterans, is buying more time for the Tauchman.
Hopefully, the Giants brass can spin Tauchman, Davis and some other fluff guys on the 40 man roster into a good piece for the stretch run like a shutdown bullpen arm.
Tauchman proved he could hit in the Bronx–granted that was a while ago.
It says on spotrac that Slater and Dickerson still have options. If the G’s want they might be able to send one of them out. I’d go with Slater. Since the Giants infield situation still isn’t set maybe they can talk him into getting everyday ABs and work as, say, a third baseman.
Anyway, for the 21 Giants–and every other team, somebody new gets hurt withiin a shorter period than DFA limbo. If I were sent out I wouldn’t even unpack for a while.
Tauchman hit better in NY because Yankee Stadium is much, much friendlier to LHHs than Oracle. I’m thinking the park just isn’t suited to Tauchman, and a trade might benefit both.
I could see Slater going to AAA, but only because he’s not having that good of a season, and it might give him time to fix some things.
I like Slater. Besides being a couple years younger, he has more upside than Tauchman. If it’s just about winning games, I’d keep Slater, and try to trade Tauchman or slip him through waivers..
Slater being right-handed is an important factor, too. Especially considering Yaz, Dickerson, Wade and Duggar are all lefties. Slater has certainly struggled, but the upside is there.
The Giants have stumbled their way into some very intriguing OF depth, and having to potentially cut someone like Mike Tauchman is a good problem to have.
The Athletic’s article about the Rockies really makes their ownership look bad. The analytics personnel were asked to work in place of clubhouse attendants who were furloughed. Yikes. Now might be a good time to make a trade with them. There isn’t anyone left to evaluate players. The operations side is in shambles.
They’ve been a complete train wreck for a while now; poor decision after poor decision. And still they pack the joint. It’s pretty sad.
Bring Dan O’Dowd back to clean up the mess as an advisor (he obviously knows the challenges), and find one of those young bucks to take the reins. DOD loves AGM Sig Migjal (sp) of the Orioles (he originally hired him years back) and Sig sounds pretty impressive, on TV at least.
But this is an organization that needs a complete overhaul, top to bottom. Buddy Black is great, but he’s gotta go too, simply because everybody’s gotta go. Sometimes you DO make a change just to make a change.
Send the Rockies some (2-3) hyped prospects and you’ll get a bite. Include some cash with a 23-26th man on your major league roster aNd you could end up getting your man.
Interesting
Rockies gonna Rockie – bad timing!
Trevor Story to the A’s
Jon Gray to Tampa
Are the Rockies going to pay for the remainder of Story’s salary for the year? He’ll be owed somewhere around 8-10M by the deadline, and I don’t see the Athletics paying that on top of also giving up valuable prospect depth (of which they don’t have a lot of) to land Story.
So who will be sent down if Muncy and Belli activated from the IL? Are Mitch White, Phil Bickford and Zach Mckinstry still have minor option? Andy Burns and Souza are doing okay so far (Better than DJ Peters and Luke Raley apparently)
White, Bickford and Mckinstry all are in their second option year, per Roster Resources. So they can both be sent down this year and next.
It’s “option years” now, so they can demote and promote those guys 100 times this year.
Thanks for the info mate
Souza will probably make his roster spot academic when he inevitably lands on the 60-day IL for some random injury. Amazing he’s gone the season between OKC and LA without being hurt.
Burns and White will be easy send downs. When Seager is back it may be a harder choice but by then someone else may be injured anyway :/
They should hire Ismael Cruz away from the Dodgers!!
If you have intelligent people in the right spots, they’ll get the information they need for making major decisions. Nick Groke’s comments appear personal and pretty biased to me, though I can understand why a follower of baseball could be frustrated by how the Rockies have been run, historically.
The title “interim” does not reflect skills or capabilities and having a baseball president be “business minded” is the appropriate and customary practice across MLB these days since the president of baseball operations is a position which deals with financial operations. The “interim” GM was the head of the Rockies scouting department with previous work in scouting for the Reds, Indians and Yankees. Committee management, in my personal experience, leads to slow, poor or non-existent decision making. I’m not sure what two additional “lieutenants” would add to the blockbuster trade scenarios expected here. Honestly, the team, if strapped for personnel resources would simply aim away from the potential smaller deals to focus on the big ones… like every single successful big company in the country.
Who knows what decisions the Rockies will make, but there are better ways to criticize the ownership in my opinion.
Absolutely amazing Bellinger, Seager and Betts have been in something like 4 starting lineups together all year