Scott Alexander won’t be returning this season, per Jorge Castillo of the LA Times (via Twitter). Alexander has been out since July 20 because of shoulder inflammation. The southpaw has been a reliable presence out of the Dodgers pen for the past four seasons, tossing 111 innings with a 3.49 ERA/4.24 FIP over that span.
Tommy Kahnle is also done for the year, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Kahnle has been recovering from Tommy John surgery, and there was some thought that he might be well enough to return this season, but that’s no longer the case. Of course, the Dodgers signed him to a two-year deal with this possibility fully in mind. The plan remains to get him healthy and ready for the start of 2022.
Cody Bellinger’s season soldiers on, though it’s hardly gone as planned. Beyond the almost comically disastrous .159/.237/.291 triple slash line, Bellinger has struggled to stay healthy going all the way back to last year’s World Series. He’s now dealing with a non-displaced rib fracture, suffered in an outfield collision with converted infielder Gavin Lux, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. He missed 53 days earlier this season with a fractured fibula and a little more than a week with a hamstring strain.
Bellinger appears likely to play through this injury and avoid another stint on the injured list, though given that he’s hitting just .073/.174/.122 in September, a bit of rest might be preferable for the Dodgers. Chris Taylor is certainly capable of handling centerfield in the short term, though Taylor himself has been banged up of late.
Besides, the fact that Lux was playing left field at all speaks to where the Dodgers are at right now in terms in their available outfielders. And for all his struggles at the plate, Bellinger is a viable defensive centerfielder, putting up 3.0 OAA, -2 DRS, and 1.2 UZR.
Remember when Bellinger was good? Yeah….good times
Remember his 870 OPS for the last 2 months, 48 of 60 games in 2020? 260/358/514 starting August 2. Remember his defense in the playoffs?
Or do you think Bellinger’s entire 2020 was subpar because his first 36 plate appearances, 8 games, he hit like crap?
So, which is it? 36 at bats, 48 games… which means more?
Superstar players don’t have seasons like this one. They just don’t. You might as well get past it (and so should the Dodgers). They may try to trade him this off-season. Possibly just nontender him.
seam they do when they suffer multiple serious injuries. Instead of taking the year off, he tried, but ultimately failed, to play through it. In retrospect he should have taken the year off.
I don’t think you realize how serious a shoulder injury can be. The Dodgers aren’t going to sell low on or non tender a guy who won an MVP 2 years ago
“Superstar players don’t have seasons like this one. They just don’t. You might as well get past it (and so should the Dodgers).”
Really? Guess Christian Yelich isn’t a star either, huh seamanlolic?
Sure they do. It’s when they play hurt. What a stupid assertion
Yelich WAR +1.0
Bellinger WAR -1.7
“if you ignore when he’s been bad, he’s good!”
60% of the time he is bad every time 🙂
What’s the dude been batting this past 20 games? .073? Now that’s BIG cause for concern. I never really cared for Bellinger, but I’m a Giants fan, I sure as hell never thought he would tank like this. Maybe a change of scenery and a new hitting coach may help.
“ Maybe a change of scenery and a new hitting coach may help.”
Or regaining strength in the shoulder instead of rehabbing 3 injuries all season. who woulda thought changing your swing mid season while still hurt would lead to bad results?
Could be that too BeforeMcCourt…if that’s the case, wouldn’t you think medical staff would be saying so? A lot has gone on this season for Belli, on top there’s a lot more scouting on him too. Pitchers adjust….plus why blame it on “changing your swing mid season? That’s his Bad. All I know whatever is the case, it’s not working for him right now, which is why I said MAYBE a change of scenery and new hitting coach might help.
Even if he’s a total zero with the bat, he’s the best defensive center fielder they have on the roster or even on the IL. Teams plenty of times have had guys who had no bat but great defense hang in CF. If a team has a lineup long enough to have one dead spot, it’s LA
you have to look no further than Corey Seager than to see exactly what I’m saying play out for a dodger player. When he first came back from hip and TJ, he was not 100%. He did not have the strength(or trust) in his hip or elbow to stop his momentum, so once he started swinging, he was swinging.
i admit thats a bit different because it was his bat at 75% capacity as to why they played him, Cody’s defense, but the “still injured but good enough to play better than reserves” conclusion applies nonetheless
One last thing. Look at la’s coaching. Why on earth would you think that staff cannot fix a 25 year old former ROY& MVP? He’s 25! Some guys haven’t even started their MLB career yet. They have mended Lux on the fly in just the last couple weeks. If they had a better CF, Cody may be in a mystery IL stint. But they don’t have anyone nearly as good, without hurting them elsewhere
I don’t know that Kahnle coming back before next year was even much of a serious a thought. It would have required a perfect recovery. His TJ was just a year ago.
So which team is deeper? Giants or Dodgers? I didn’t say better, just deeper.
How many league-wide MVP-caliber players have missed a month+ in SF? Zero. I know the answer
Seager, Bellinger, Mookie, Kershaw. Not to mention Bauer and May. 2 games separate
Bellinger is the worst player in baseball in 2021. He’s not MVP caliber anymore.
He’s not MVP caliber this year (or in 2020), but at 25 with what he’s done, you don’t non-tender and you don’t sell low.
Alexander in all likelihood will never throw another pitch for the Dodgers…I see a cut next year or him being sent out in a trade.
One of Andrews first little deep dive computer trades that just never really hit paydirt (No biggy really) His pen finds have gotten better each year since and I’m really excited on that for the future
Vesia Bruihl VGon all better options as LH Rp’s
Alexander may be brought back. Made 1,000,000 this year and is first year arb eligible. I would give it one more year.
Scott will be in his last year of arb next year (3) and make about 3 times as much as a player under team control like Bickford or Vesia
I dont see a spot in all honesty, this pen is stacking some good under the radar arms that present a higher upside and probably floor as well Imo
I think you get thru Spring Training and see where he is, then decide. You saw the bullpen scramble and in season tryouts this year plus the injury to Knebel. Alexander will still be relatively inexpensive, plus year two of Bickford, Bruihl, and Vesia may be different. Stock up the arms.
It’s clear in the comments that some are simply rooting for Bellinger to fail.
He can’t hit without knowing what pitch is coming.
Bellinger’s been sucking all year so it’s only natural he’s gonna get the big hit in the world series.
What Bellinger is going through (all weed stuff aside) reminds me of Greg Bird. At least offensively.
Bird suffered a major shoulder injury as his initial setback. When he came back, he incurred a series of lower body injuries. The two conspired to rob him of some bat speed & his base.
Remember.
He was the one most thought would be the best hitter of the then “Baby Bombers”. Indeed, he was deemed to be a superior hitting prospect than were Judge, Phat Sancho, etc.
I don’t think he’s even in the league anymore.
Bellinger does have a higher floor due to his glovework & versatility. But a .500 OPS is absolutely unplayable.
Solid comp…
Bird always had a problem getting his hands loaded…Belli is kinda facing the same problem today but its more do to not having a set swing right now – I’m not familiar enough with Birds path to comment there but Id bet he went thru some swing changes as well that probably hurt more than helped…Its hard for those lengthy guys to stay compact and when it goes bad it goes really bad for them
He’s changed it 3 times this year already, you just can’t do that at the highest level and expect any results. The winter will treat him kind and Id bet we see a whole new (hopefully refined) stance/swing next year
Cap, no one messes with their swing more than Bellinger. Even before this year. Even in his mvp year, he was standing different in the box in April to October
Whether smart or not, it goes right in the face of the people who insist he doesn’t care and isn’t trying. He didn’t just form a new swing before the first pitch of that at bat “let’s try this!”But that’s what the armchair analyst who only look at bref to judge a player seem to think..
Bellinger obviously has a higher floor.
But. In terms of offensive potential & then that specific series of health problems, I think it is too, @Cap.
Bird started tinkering when all the leg stuff began. However, when he came up in ’15 he had a swing to dream on, serious. Especially as a Yankee fan & in that particular park.
Stanton comes to mind as a guy who drastically remade his swing in-season & had fantastic results (2017, when he dramatically closed it – as it is today).
But, yeah. 3X seems excessive & counterproductive.
there was hardly a consensus that Bird was better than Judge or anyone else you mentioned. He was a 3 outcome first baseman. If his bat failed a little, he failed. Everyone outside of NY knew this
Bellinger is an elite center fielder with a first baseman’s Bat from 21-25. What a completely different skill set. Why do you insist on analyzing a team you clearly never watch play?
I wouldn’t worry too much about what other people say on here
Saying all that its going to be one heullva offseason for LAD
Not outta the realm they dish Bellinger if ducking the Cbt (if it even exists) is a thing . He still has surplus value, and No team should have a better read on Belli than Lad themselves if they decide to move him
I don’t doubt he is giving 100% right now, and has the whole season, and even playing in pain….. but the Dodgers have entered a whole new stratosphere of GOOD….so 18 AAV needs to be assessed up and down the ladder, inside out, thru and thru before just handing out spots based on Goodwill if we want to keep the dynasty going
Man.
I specifically stated “offensively” & the injury combination as the basis for it. Also, noted Bellinger is a CF, too @McCourt.
& yes. There was.
We’re just bs-ing about baseball, bro. No reason to get so uptight & insulting all the time.
Ya know?
I enjoyed the Bird comp Fent
Enjoyed your Bellinger Fiat post last week as well
Dodger threads have gotten a bit stuffy lately and I know/understand why, always nice to get some fresh outside takes in
It’s just like when you come over to Yankee threads, @Cap. You’re not there to troll or argue or whatever.
You just wanna talk some baseball.
Bellinger has been an excellent young player.
I sincerely hope he avoids what befell Bird. (Hell, I hope Bird can have a good comeback some day!).
Can’t believe the Yanks & Dodgers might both be in the play-in game. Weird season. But…guess they all are.
We (the fan base) are not handling this race as well as our club is on the field
Hell ,if we won 11 of our last 13 (totally doable) we would tie the All Time Record of 106 wins by ANY Dodger team EVER
Sometimes you just have to tip your hat towards the other guy….even if they look like Halloween all summer and steal your small candies (McGee Wood Watson) outta your bag when your not looking.
I haven’t seen enough of that from my fellow Dodger fans in all honesty , lotta hostility and I suppose other emotions ranging on the suitor that day
Its the fact that for the first time in years there is actually a team in the division that is not only challenging them, but besting them at the moment. Worse it is the “hated” Giants and even worse it is a Giants team run by Farhan Zaidi. The Dodgers see their strangle hold on the division slipping and its amplified by Bellinger’s terrible season, a down season from Mookie Betts, and another injury filled season for Seager. Anything can happen in october and at least right now the Dodgers should feel confident in a short series giving Scherzer/Buehler/Urias the ball.
Dude, If you can’t make a single post about Bellinger without mentioning the bs about weed, you’re not just here to talk baseball
I didn’t mention weed here, i said Bellinger is having a terrible season. Statistically he is…
Anyone who says the reason Bellinger is struggling so bad this year because he’s a stoner, you need to chill out and smoke a joint. Enlighten yourselves.
So Pete, u think if he gets stoned prior to a game, he plays better. Or did he just forget how to hit?
If you think The Dodgers would ever allow Bellinger to get high before any game, or that he somehow gets away with doing it, you are very sorely mistaken. And I never said, or eluded to, that it makes you play BETTER. I said it wouldn’t be the reason his performance has declined.
So a couple of things. Between the leg, newly repaired shoulder and non displaced rib fracture, there is no way this man is swinging comfortably. About the weed stuff, I would hope he would at least wait until after games and use it for pain management and relaxation. But anyone on here that says that it does not slow down reaction time and motor functions clearly has no idea wtf they are talking about.
You can only rise from the ashes after you’ve burnt to the ground… Cody is definitely still burning. A lot of talk about weed, I have no doubt daily use could derail any baseball career to the extent his has become derailed. Baseball is hard as heck and requires intense concentration, weed hinders that. It’s so easy to be a daily weed user, the vape pens are so convenient and easy to get hooked on.
For his sake, let’s just hope everything that went wrong for him is because he has been injured and not recovered.
If not, his career could end very quickly next season.
You should be jailed for having a .237 OBP
It may be time to go back to the basics for Bellinger. When I managed youth teams, and I had one of my better hitters mired in a slump, I’d have him bunt his way out of it. Can’t bunt every AB, but most of the time. At least you’re putting the ball in play on the ground and you have a chance to make a productive out if nothing else. All he’s doing now is popping up, flying out, or striking out.
Agreed he’s playing hurt. The team should have him on the DL. He’s helping no one by playing in this condition. His shoulder was popped back in a few times last season. In the past he would have been left in the team when the rosters expanded. He should be put to rest and rehab until next March.
As a brewers fan we have same issue with yellich, he and bellinger need to adapt their style or become part time players.
Bellinger has been embarrassing. I had him in a fantasy league because I had high expectations for him. I dropped him after awhile because literally any outfielder would be better than him.
I’m pretty sure Abraham Almonte’s stats were even better before he got DFAd. If that doesn’t make Belli take stock of what he’s doing, nothing will.
Lux is managing just fine in left field. He’s holding it for Pollock. CT3 appears to have put his neck injury behind him. So, CT3, lux/Pollock will man the left and center field spots in the playoffs. Cody can be a late inning defensive replacement and even possibly a PH in the right scenario.. Then, get some rest and recovery in the off season and try and come back next year.
Man they deleted that entire, juicy thread that was on this article. You guys gotta stop deleting good entertainment.