The Dodgers were well-established as searching for pitching upgrades ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. In the end, they managed to make some minor additions, adding right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly in a deal with the White Sox and picking up left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the Royals, but failed to land any of the impactful starters that were moved like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Jordan Montgomery. The club had a deal in place with the Tigers to acquire lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, though Rodriguez vetoed the trade using his 10-team no-trade list, which included the Dodgers. After failing to acquire an impact starter at the deadline, the club will have to lean heavily on the group of arms already in the organization down the stretch.
To that end, the Dodgers relayed good news regarding a pair of arms currently on the injured list yesterday starting with lefty veteran Clayton Kershaw. The 35-year-old future Hall of Famer delivered a 2.55 ERA in sixteen starts prior to going on the IL at the end of June and could return to the mound as soon as next week for the Dodgers. As noted by J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register, Kershaw’s most recent simulated game inspired confidence in manager Dave Roberts to the point that he suggested Kershaw likely won’t require a rehab assignment in the minor leagues before returning to the big league club. Per Hoornstra, one more bullpen session is on the docket for the club’s veteran ace before they decide whether he’ll make his return in Arizona on either Tuesday or Wednesday or wait to face the Rockies at Dodger Stadium later in the week.
The Dodgers also had positive news to offer regarding right-hander Walker Buehler, who has missed the entire season to this point while rehabbing Tommy John surgery. As relayed by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Roberts indicated yesterday that Buehler has nearly reached the point in his recovery process where he will begin a minor league rehab assignment. Earlier this season, Buehler expressed a desire to make it back to the majors this year, with a target date of September 1. That goal seemingly remains unchanged, though it was initially thought that a September return for Buehler would likely come as a member of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Roberts indicates that isn’t the case, however, as the righty will be built up as a starter as he aims to return to the majors next month.
A healthy and effective Buehler would be a huge boon for a Dodgers rotation that has seen its starting staff struggle to a 5.86 ERA since Kershaw’s last start back in June. Prior to his injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Buehler had been one of the best starters in the game over the past four seasons, with a 2.82 ERA and 3.16 FIP across 564 innings of work between 2018 and 2021. That included a sensational 2021 campaign, where Buehler finished fourth in Cy Young award voting after throwing 207 2/3 innings of 2.47 ERA baseball.
More from the other side of town…
- Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani exited his start against the Mariners yesterday after just four innings due to cramping in his middle finger, as noted by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. The Angels phenom stayed in the game as a hitter, but the departure continues a worrying trend of issues hampering Ohtani on the mound, as he dealt with a cracked fingernail and blister on that same finger last month. Since his battle against those injuries began, he’s struggled on the mound with a 5.52 ERA across his last five starts. While the combined thirteen scoreless innings from his last two starts would normally be encouraging, the prospect of Ohtani potentially missing a start is a worrisome one for the Angels, who at 56-54 need every win they can get if they’re to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
- While Ohtani’s health is in question, the Angels received a positive update regarding the status of infielder Brandon Drury yesterday, per MLB.com. Drury, who has been on the shelf with a shoulder contusion since the end of June, started a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday and is scheduled to play another rehab game tonight. If that goes well, it’s possible he’ll rejoin the major league roster as soon as tomorrow to contribute to an infield mix that has primarily relied on Mike Moustakas, C.J. Cron, Zach Neto, Luis Rengifo, and Eduardo Escobar in recent weeks. When on the field, it’s been a strong season for Drury, who sports a 122 wRC+ in 75 games with the club while playing first and second base for the Angels.
- While he may not be as close to returning as Drury, the Angels also received good news regarding veteran superstar Mike Trout yesterday. Trout underwent surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in early July with a four-to-eight week timeline for return. It sounds like Trout’s return may come on the earlier end of that spectrum, as manager Phil Nevin reports that Trout had progressed to hitting off a tee yesterday, per MLB.com, adding that his ramp-up to returning to game action should be a quick one. It’s been a relative down season for Trout, as he’s slashed “only” .263/.369/.493 with a wRC+ of 137 in 81 games. Those excellent numbers may be a far cry from his career wRC+ of 170, but the 31-year-old superstar is well established as not only one of the greats of today’s game, but one of the finest hitters in baseball history.
the angels made a huge mistake not trading ohtani.
Depends on your definition of huge mistake. He would bring in a big prospect haul if traded but he generates a butt load of cash for the Angels. Definite money versus possible MLB level prospects.
He’s repeatedly been expressing a desire to play for a contender. The Angels have cashed in on the short run, but what about the long term? They could have had a chance to re-sign him this offseason if they had taken steps to contend in 2024 and beyond.
I would put their chances of signing Ohtani this offseason at 0.0000001
And Texux won’t go far and Ohtani will only go there to beat them.
What team on the west coast is loaded with talent, maybe the a’s lol. Arte needs to give him what he wants.
Owner is selling. They no longer care about the future.
Also if you get a big haul, and you miss that’s your job on the line. It’s better to keep ohtani he was also appreciative for the angels being buyers it was a interview not some made up stuff on ESPN. He might understand that they only have two starters from opening day in the lineup, everyone else is on the dl, it’s just a unlucky year.
lol
No excuse for the rotten bullpen. No excuse for not adding to the starting staff. No excuse for most of the additions being bad additions.
But people make excuses anyway.
The only way to be optimistic about the future is to clean house and get rid of the dregs who have screwed up in the past.
Estevez had a bad night, but it’s looking good with Lopez. Devenski, Bachman coming back. They definitely need to win the series with the Mariners
As an Astros fan, it sucks watching y’all play against us. It’s fun that we win. But y’all have Trout and Ohtani and it’s just not competitive. There have been decent bats throughout the years, but the pitching staff and defense has consistently been underwhelming imho.
I thought the Angels best chance of contending in 2024/beyond was to trade Ohtani. Acquire some cheap, controllable players for the next couple of years and build around them. I didn’t realize the farm system was 30th.
Oh well.
Please stop with the stupid trash can comments. They are so irrelevant that it’s embarrassing.
I’m not talking about Estevez or even this current bullpen or what happened last night.
I’m talking about the mess prior to this bullpen being in place. Had this been our pen in April we’d be in first.
I’m sick and tired of going into the year with a bullpen built on hope and prayer which throws away double digit early games every year.
That is what happened this year, that is what happens every year. And unless a change is made, that’s going to happen next year.
How does anyone not see this and how is everyone not tired of this?
I’m a broken record because it’s a broken record.
Sorry if I stated irrelevant facts, the Astros fan was talking smack, and I said something back. I didn’t talk about the other allegations of cheating or leaked emails. The thing that’s old is people talking about ohtani, and not knowing the team
I agree the blowpen has been a mess for years, just stating that if they can stay afloat the depth is finally there on both sides. The injuries have piled up, and that’s the problem.
I have actually complemented Minasian for providing the lifeboat to try to keep the team alive. But there was no excuse for going into these seasons with these bullpens. He’s the reason the ship is not afloat and we were forced into the lifeboat.
He’s a dime a dozen GM, and the Angels should not be satisfied with the way he steers the ship.
All bullpens are crap shoots when they don’t have a Shields/K-Rod combo at the back end.
During the Angels’ ‘02-‘09 run, their bullpens weren’t much better after Percival, Donnelly, and Weber moved on. Angels replaced them with Hector Carrasco, Esteban Yan, JC Romero, Justin Speier, and they all tanked. Why was Jose Arredondo so huge for them locking down the 7th inning in 2008? Because they didn’t have any bullpen depth left after Shields and K-Rod.
But they won 100 games.
It was their rotation going deep into games and handing the ball straight to Shields and K-Rod that kept the Angels from blowing leads. Notice how in 2009 after K-Rod left and Shields got hurt, their bullpen fell off a cliff. But yet, this year they’ve had a mostly dominant back end between Moore and Estevez.
The problem is the starting rotation wasting 100 pitches by the 5th inning. Plus, to make the playoffs, you usually need a Cy Young caliber performance from your ace unless you have a solid rotation full of effective innings eaters and/or an elite offense.
3 biggest problems the Angels have: inability to move runners, starting pitching not going deep enough into games, and shaky defense.
Any bullpen problems the Angels have had this season, and several seasons past, are a byproduct of not enough starting pitching and wearing relievers out by August.
Yeah I agree the starting pitchers have been the problem to much nibbling on the outside, wasting pitches, and it taxes the bullpen. Maybe start using barria as the opener it’s probably a philosophy issue probably need a new coaching staff, and gm if that’s a perry thing
All bullpens are crapshoots? Wrong. Another excuse for Minasian.
Let’s get a GM who realizes all bullpens are not crapshoots. Let’s get a GM who realizes the manager shouldn’t have to guess who is high leverage relievers are in April and May.
High leverage RPs are not crapshoots. Depending on RPs without stuff, coming off small windows of success, are crapshoots, and that’s the king of GM we have, and that’s the kind of fans who say all bullpens are crapshoots..
I’d wish they would waste pitches. 0-2 pitches are killing us.
As far as RP innings, the Angels are middle of the pack. More excuses. More moving the goal post.
I’ve haven’t moved the goal post in three years…. I don’t have to. My point three years ago is as sound and apparent as it is now.
Wrong. No mistake at all. You never trade the best player In baseball! Our Halos keeping him all year and making a push for the playoffs. Get excited
And when you miss?
the angels 100% miss the playoffs.
Let’s say they go to the playoffs – would that be considered success? Enough to keep Ohtani in possibly his only trip into FA? The team hasn’t made any progress since having him fall into their laps. With the DH throughout now, not limiting him like it did when he chose them, why would he stay?
Silver lining: Trout will have many more Octobers free to watch his Eagles.
Amen
That was an Amen to Joe says…the truth
I’ll be more excited to see ohtani leave the angels and go somewhere else!! I hope he signs with the dodgers or Yankees and gives the owner Moreno a middle finger as he leaves
update?
If they had any inclination, should have been done last year when the boat load of opportunities sailed…
They made their choice then, nothing to talk about now.
All this talk is over water under the bridge.
Acceptance is a difficult thing – impossible if you’re Arte.
I agree and a lasting mistake
Best not to pitch just after you ate. Your fingers cramp up.
Similar to the advice your mom gave you:
uamshealth.com/medical-myths/do-you-have-to-wait-3….,a%20swim%20right%20after%20eating.
Welp, last night’s loss won’t get us to where we need to be. I can’t understand how Nevin still has his job when Maddon was fired for less with a worse roster. 4th place in the division with this roster is shameful.
I’ve never been a big fan of a short man going two innings. Estevez didn’t pitch in Atlanta, the. Ant throw strikes.
Not to menention. ANOTHER 0-2 PITCH?
And 0-2 right down the middle?
How many late leads given up this year?
Where would they be of they had a competent bullpen…
Halo – Tom “Flash” Gordon was only 5’9″ and he pitched two or more innings several times.
Short guys have more stamina, ask any wife.
And he was a starter. That’s not typically the way these guys are trained or are used.
I’m never a fan of using players in situations where they don’t train.
Because Joe was intentionally walking people with the bases loaded.
Maddon wasn’t fired because of intentional walks.
While I too think Nevin’s over his head I don’t see how you can fault last night on him. He had his ace closer who hadn’t surrendered a longball to a righty all year – get fooled by a unrated rookie. just one of those things.
If not for the bullpen alone, we’d be right there with both Texas teams.
You could say that about many teams. More and more the bullpen is becoming the most important part of any good baseball team.
Maybe. But the Angels went into the year with no defined roles, Nevin pushed all the wrong buttons, and the Angels threw away ten games at least in the first two months. And that’s not counting coin flip games.
There are no excuses for that. None.
Nevin is doing what Perry tells him to do. Maddon said no to Perry telling him to pull Trout out in the 9th. He was fired for exercising his rights as a manager. Nevin is nothing but a puppet who puts in Rengifo as a defensive replacement because Minasian’s calculation on broken computer says so.
Fire them all!
I agree someone is telling Nevin what to do. He is a “yes man” where I think Maddon probably said no a lot and did what he wanted. Moreno doesn’t like that.
Nevin has a hot temper. He looked pissed in the 9th last night like I’ve never seen.
Who did you want Nevin to roll out there in the ninth? This isn’t Nevin’s fault. I have no problem with the way he’s handled the club.
This is the third time Ohtani has been brought down by cramps. Really? Cramps?
Hoping Ohtani is ok. It won’t be nearly as much fun to watch Los Angeles of Anaheim miss the playoffs if he’s not on the mound!
That’s good to get Kershaw back, the dodgers need him. The 1st ballot hall of famer is good for the game
It’s cool that Kershaw is coming back from his “annual” mid season IL stint… gotta save that arm for the latter part of the season…
It’s not just hard to play this game but also takes a toll physically. I’m not judging Kershaw for always being injured, just part of the game
Halos can’t get Trout back fast enough…every team is walking Ohtani to get to the next guy. That is different when Trout is protecting him. And if we get healthy and have a full team we can compete with most of the fringe wild cars teams. We have 2 months to put up or shut up. Hoping we can get to the show in October. Like always…I’m cautiously optimistic
Still hard to imagine Buehler making it back this year, especially in the rotation. He was in the dugout last night though, so that was good to see.
can’t believe it either. would’ve been crazy to see that heat play up as a reliever, but i wasn’t even counting on seeing that
I saw a lot of free Ohtani comments after last nights debacle.
I watched that. Must be really hard to be Angels fan. I feel bad for you all.
I can see ohtani thinking id really like to resign … but idk .. maybe it’ll never be good here.
Still no news on Ryan Pepiot. Is he really going to miss the entire year with a strained oblique?
He’s pitched 12 iffy innings in the minors so far. He may make it back later but probably can’t count on him too much for this season.