Hello and welcome back to another edition of the Dodgers Dugout. My name is houston mitchelland the season opener is only eight days away.
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andres toles He hasn’t played for the Dodgers since September 30, 2018. However, he just renewed his contract for another year last week.
You probably know the story of Toles. He hit .364 in the 2016 postseason for the Dodgers and got off to a strong start in 2017 when he tore his ACL sliding into the wall while trying to catch. He missed the rest of that season but returned in 2018, playing in 17 games. He was absent from spring training in 2019, and it eventually emerged that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
In 2020, Toles was found sleeping behind a building at the Key West International Airport in Florida. He was homeless and was taken to a mental health facility.
According to the latest report, Toles was in the care of his father, Alvin, who said Andrew is in a “zombie” condition. “We’re having challenges”, Alvin told USA Today in 2021, “but nothing that God and I can’t handle. Schizophrenia, it’s so hard. I mean, he can’t even watch TV. He hears voices and the TV at the same time, so it’s a bit confusing. I’ve seen him watching some baseball games on his laptop, but I don’t think he really understands what’s going on. I just want him to have a chance in life. That’s all. Just to be healthy, live a normal life.”
It would be easy for the Dodgers to cut ties with Toles and wish him well. Instead, they have renewed his contract every year so Toles, 30, can keep his health insurance. They did it again this year. It’s a classy gesture that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
The story did not go unnoticed by the former Dodgers pitcher tom koehlerwho signed with the team in 2017, injured his shoulder in spring training and never pitched a tackle for the team.
“Love this,” Koehler said on Twitter. “I saw firsthand how they treated me when I couldn’t provide them with anything. I’m not surprised they’re helping Andrew. He is bigger than sports”.
I guess almost everyone has a friend or family member who has suffered from mental illness. While it seems unlikely that Toles will play in the majors again, let’s hope he can enjoy life again. And if things work out perfectly and he can return to Dodger Stadium one day to throw out the first pitch or just wave from the stands, let’s hope there’s a sellout crowd on hand to give him a standing ovation.
Tony Gonsolin out
Tony Gonsolin He will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained ankle, opening up a rotation spot for the Dodgers. Who will he be? The main candidates:
—ryan pepiottwho started seven games for LA last season, finished with a 3.47 ERA, allowed 26 hits and 27 walks in 36 1/3 innings, striking out 42. This spring, he has a 2.00 ERA in nine innings, striking out 13 and walking only nine.
—miguel arboleda, who started six games for LA last season, finished with a 4.60 ERA, allowed 32 hits and 10 walks in 29 1/3 innings, striking out 24. He has a 4.38 ERA in 12 1/3 innings of spring, striking out 14 and walking just one. However, he has allowed three home runs.
The money is in Pepiot, but there’s another intriguing candidate who probably won’t get the job, but would if just based on numbers.
— gavin stone He’s not even on the 40-man roster, but he’s had an outstanding spring, striking out 14 in 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and two walks. Last season, with three minor league teams, he posted a 1.48 ERA in 121 2/3 innings, struck out 168, walked 44 and allowed 92 hits. He improved as he moved up the ladder, finishing the season with six starts at triple-A Oklahoma City, where he posted a 1.16 ERA in 23 1/3 innings, striking out 33 and allowing 14 hits and eight walks. . The Dodgers will probably want him to get a little more experience in the minors, where he can pitch regularly instead of being the No. 5 in the Dodgers’ rotation. But his time is drawing near, and if the Dodgers don’t re-sign Julio Urías, it could be because they think Stone can fill his place very well. Of course, why not have both?
Key information about JD Martinez
One of the seemingly dozens of Dodgers announcers is Tim Neverett, who used to broadcast games for the Boston Red Sox. Playing for the Red Sox then was jd martinez, the current designated hitter for the Dodgers. neverett he told the dodger nation how fans can tell when Martinez is locked at the plate:
“When he drives the ball to right center field, he has his swing on. He likes to, what he calls, ‘compress his swing,’ so it has to be a tight swing. It can be a real value driving races. He will have a slugging percentage especially against lefties – he crushes lefties and I think he will be a great addition. … If he’s starting to hit those doubles between center and right, he’s seeing the ball well.”
speaking of statistics
Here’s how the key Dodgers are doing this spring (through Sunday):
battered
Eddys Leonard, .409 (9-for-22), 1 double, 1 home run
Freddie Freeman, .381 (8-for-21), 2 doubles, 3 home runs
Will Smith, .357 (5-for-14), 1 double
Johnny DeLuca, .350 (7-for-20), 1 double, 1 home run
Miguel Rojas, .323 (10-for-31), 3 doubles, 1 home run
Max Muncy, .281 (9-for-32), 3 doubles, 1 home run
Miguel Vargas, .280 (7-for-25), 3 doubles, 1 home run
Jorbit Vivas, .278 (5-for-18), 2 doubles
James Outman, .265 (9-for-34), 1 double, 1 triple, 2 home runs
Michael Busch, .261 (6-for-23), 1 double, 1 home run
Yonny Hernandez, .250 (7-for-28), 2 doubles, 1 triple
Austin Barnes, .250 (3-for-12), 1 double
Andy Pages, .235 (4-for-17), 1 double
Steven Duggar, .208 (5-for-24), 1 double, 1 home run
JD Martínez, .205 (8-for-39), 1 double, 1 home run
Jason Heyward, .200 (7-for-35), 1 double, 2 home runs
Mookie Betts, .182 (2-for-11), 2 home runs
Luke Williams, .179 (5-for-28), 1 triple, 2 home runs
Chris Taylor, .135 (5-for-37), 1 home run
Trayce Thompson, .095 (2-for-21), 1 double
Diego Cartaya, .091 (1 of 11)
David Peralta, .071 (1-for-14)
pitchers
André Jackson, 0.00 ERA (6 IP)
Evan Phillips, 0.00 (5)
Brusdar Graterol, 0.00 (5)
Caleb Ferguson, 0.00 (4.2)
Tony Gonsolin, 0.00 (2.1)
Noah Syndergaard, 0.96 (9.1)
Julio Urías, 1.35 (6.2)
Phil Bickford, 1.59 (5.2)
Ryan Pepiot, 2.00 (9)
Dustin May, 2.13 (12.2)
Jake Reed, 2.70 (6.2)
Adam Kolarek, 3.60 (5)
Alex Vesia, 4.15 (4.1)
Michael Grove, 4.38 (12.1)
Clayton Kershaw, 6.14 (7.1)
Ruby De La Rosa, 6.23 (4.1)
Yency Almonte, 9.00 (2)
Justin Bruihl, 12.00 (3)
Shelby Miller, 12.27 (3.2)
Victor Gonzalez, 13.50 (3.1)
Jimmy Nelson, 15.43 (2.1)
I don’t make a big deal out of spring numbers, particularly for pitchers, because it’s a very small sample size, but I find it’s getting harder and harder to keep james utman outside the team the injury to gavin lux it opened up many possibilities for the final position.
Where is Bobby Miller?
right handed bobby miller is the Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect (behind diego cartaya) but hasn’t pitched this spring and was optioned to the minors last week. But do not worry. That was the plan all along. The team wanted him in the big league environment for a while, but he wants to take him a little at a time because he threw more innings than ever last season (112, compared to 56 in his first season in the minors and a high of 80 in University).
they will not make the team
The Dodgers sent some players to the minors last week: catcher diego cartayainfielders michael busch, Jorbit Alive, jahmai jones and eddys leonardgardeners jonny de luca and Andy’s Pages, and jugs matt andriese and Miller.
In case you missed it
Dodgers prospect Gavin Stone makes an impact in his first major league camp
Jason Heyward’s swing is a ‘work in progress’. Still a sure bet to make the Dodgers’ roster
Why one misstep (literally) is holding up the search for Tony Gonsolin’s “unfinished business”
Brusdar Graterol has the ‘best stuff on the planet’. So why isn’t he a closer yet?
James Outman is having a great spring. Has he done enough to make the Dodgers’ roster?
Dustin May’s mound maturity is improving, even if his curse is a work in progress
The World Baseball Classic is once again a success. But the best American pitchers stayed away.
They’re going to have a chance. Meet the four pitchers leading the Dodgers’ youth movement
And finally
tommy lasorda give your opinion of Dave KingmanPerformance . It’s really, really, really not safe for work. In fact, you should probably find a soundproof booth to listen to this. watch and listen here.
