Welcome to The California Submit’s weekly Dodgers recap, the place baseball writers Dylan Hernández and Jack Harris evaluate the week that was, hand out very official awards and take inventory of the state of the season.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
How will Dalton Dashing do as fill-in beginning catcher?
Dalton Dashing has not been shy about saying he doesn’t need to be a backup eternally.
Proper now, with the Dodgers formally putting Will Smith on the injured listing Thursday with a neck harm, the previous first-round decide will get his first prolonged audition to show himself in a beginning function.
Actually, Dashing has been filling in because the on a regular basis catcher since final weekend, getting 5 straight begins since Smith was first sidelined with what was later recognized as an infected disk.
To this point, the previous high prospect’s outcomes have been strong, albeit blended. He had a four-hit, three-RBI recreation final week towards the Angels however is simply 2-for-14 in any other case. He has additionally helped the Dodgers to a 3-2 report because the backstop behind the plate however was left second-guessing some ABS selections in Shohei Ohtani’s most up-to-date begin Wednesday.
General, the 25-year-old slugger has been praised by supervisor Dave Roberts, who has repeatedly highlighted Dashing’s progress in what has been a much-improved second big-league season.
“I believe that’s been one of many silver linings [of Smith being out], giving Dalton some alternative,” Roberts stated. “I believe he’s gotten his footing. I believe he’s doing a terrific job with the pitchers. His at-bat high quality is getting extra constant. The manufacturing is there. Simply giving him the chance is actually a plus for him and his progress.”
Certainly, the chance will proceed a minimum of till subsequent weekend, with Smith not eligible to return till June 19.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Ward (4-for-19, 2 residence runs, 8 RBIs this week; .242 common, .840 OPS this yr)
How for much longer Ward stays within the majors isn’t clear, with Tommy Edman nearing the tip of his rehab project and Teoscar Hernández already a number of weeks into what was anticipated to be a roughly monthlong absence.
However proper now, the longtime minor leaguer is profiting from his first prolonged big-league alternative, with Ward hitting two extra residence runs this week, together with his first profession grand slam Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
The holes in Ward’s recreation have began to point out themselves. Notably, he has struck out 10 instances already in 34 plate appearances this yr. However the 28-year-old rookie can also be displaying loads of pop on the plate, with Wednesday’s grand slam marking his fifth extra-base hit on the season, whereas additionally elevating his RBI whole to 11 in simply 10 video games.
One other nice shock has been Ward’s protection in left subject, the place he has made a few sliding catches and regarded typically snug thanks, partially, to every day pregame work with outfield coach Dino Ebel.
To this point, it has made Ward greater than serviceable because the left-handed-hitting portion of the Dodgers’ left subject platoon. The function received’t final eternally, however he’s making an enduring impression.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts vs. Angels this week; 6-4 report, 2.68 ERA, 73 strikeouts in 77 ⅓ innings on season)
This was not the very best week from the Dodgers’ pitching employees, but it surely yielded Yamamoto’s greatest efficiency of the season.
With higher protection within the first inning of Saturday’s begin towards the Angels, the right-hander may need had a shot at a no-hit bid –– holding the Angels hitless over his ultimate seven innings of labor thereafter.
Nonetheless, the outing was the closest Yamamoto has regarded this season to his kind from final October, when he pitched two full video games and located elevated ranges of effectiveness and effectivity.
Now, Yamamoto is monitoring to probably be the lone pitcher from the Dodgers (excluding Shohei Ohtani) who is chosen for the All-Star Recreation.
He at the moment ranks seventh within the Nationwide League in ERA (2.68), second in WHIP (0.92) and sixth in batting common towards (.201).
PROSPECT OF THE WEEK
Mike Sirota (50-game on-base streak at the moment; .337 common, 10 residence runs, 39 RBIs in Excessive-A/Double-A this yr)
We’ve highlighted Sirota on this area earlier than. However what he’s doing now warrants recognition once more.
Getting into Friday, the 22-year-old outfield prospect –– initially acquired by the Dodgers in a commerce for Gavin Lux with the Reds two years in the past –– had reached base safely in 50 consecutive video games, changing into the primary minor leaguer in additional than two years to perform such a feat.
Sirota has additionally been rising up prospect rankings just lately, together with a bump to the No. 19 total prospect within the recreation by Baseball America.
He’s one in every of a number of proficient outfielders headlining the Dodgers’ system and simply the most recent instance of how the membership had maintained a robust pipeline regardless of few excessive draft picks for a lot of the final decade.
FUTURE DODGER OF THE WEEK
(The place we establish a possible Dodgers’ future acquisition — typically far-fetched, typically not)
Kyle Finnegan, Tigers (ETA: August)
The Tigers are lifeless, so it is smart for the Dodgers and different contenders to select at their stays. With no ensures of how Edwin Diaz will pitch when he returns, the Dodgers want no matter bullpen assist they’ll get. The Tigers can supply them that in Finnegan, a 34-year-old right-hander with a 2.01 ERA in 31 ⅓ innings. Finnegan is underneath contract by subsequent season –– his deal additionally features a mutual choice for 2028 –– however that’s of minimal worth for the Tigers, who will rebuild after they lose Tarik Skubal this winter. Right here’s an thought: What if the Dodgers purchase Skubal and Finnegan in the identical commerce?
