Daily Clips

June 9, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2017

DODGERS.COM Dodgers Foundation hosts annual gala—Ryan Posner Inbox: Why is Taylor starting in center?—Ken Gurnick Dodgers may target lefty pitchers, third basemen—Ken Gurnick Thursday's best: McKenzie fans 13 for Lynchburg—Mike Rosenbaum LA TIMES Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill searching for consistency as Reds come to town—Andy McCullough If Clayton Kershaw gets mad when he gets taken out of a game, good. He should get mad.—Bill Plaschke Dodgers' Sergio Romo remains optimistic despite bumpy homecoming—Lindsey Thiry OC REGISTER Dodgers and Kenley Jansen embracing broad interpretation of closer role—Bill Plunkett On deck: Reds at Dodgers, Friday, 7:10 p.m.—Bill Plunkett TRUE BLUE LA Oklahoma City wins 6-1, Willie Calhoun drives in five—Craig Minami Dodgers vs. Reds probable pitchers, TV schedule & game times—Eric Stephen Dustin May, Keibert Ruiz named to Midwest League All-Star team—Eric Stephen Dodgers add Fabio Castillo to 40-man roster- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Dodgers select contract of RHP Castillo, option him to Triple-A—Rowan Kavner NBC LA Dodgers LGBT Night to Feature LA Pride Kickoff Party—Wire Services BLEACHER REPORT Los Angeles Dodgers' 2017 MLB Draft Preview, Predictions- Jacob Shafer

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2017

DODGERS.COM Dodgers Foundation hosts annual gala By Ryan Posner LOS ANGELES -- Droves of celebrities, current and former Dodgers players, front office executives, coaches, NFL players and more gathered on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation's third annual Blue Diamond Gala, presented by the team's ownership group. The sold-out event had over 1,500 people in attendance. The evening started with the star-studded lineup making its way down a blue carpet into a pre-show dinner party before Grammy Award-winning artists Maroon 5 and Earth, Wind & Fire performed concerts in center field. Proceeds from the event went to the Dodgers Foundation in the hopes of reaching its goal of building 50 baseball fields for underserved communities in Greater Los Angeles. "This event has been pretty incredible over the last few years in helping build the foundation," Adrian Gonzalez said. " [The gala] is definitely a lot of fun and it's doing great things for kids in the Los Angeles community." Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and nearly the rest of the Dodgers' roster joined Gonzalez on the blue carpet just outside Dodger Stadium. "To be here tonight and to be able to give back to the foundation means a lot to me," Turner said. "The foundation does so many things like letting kids run the bases after games, holding summer clinics -- the list goes on and on." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and most of the team's coaching staff were present, as well as team owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly and former general manager Ned Colletti. Former Dodger greats Steve Garvey, Manny Mota, Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela and Ron Cey were also in attendance. "For those of us that are no longer playing for the organization, the foundation is the sparkling gem for being able to continue to give back," Garvey said. The Dodgers shared the blue carpet with exclusive company, with Larry King, Mario Lopez, "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet, Heather Morris and Lea Michele from "Glee," Haley Joel Osment, Prince Jackson, Alfonso Ribeiro and Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi from "The Bachelor" making up just a sampling of the celebrities in attendance.

"This foundation affects Little League baseball, high school baseball and all kinds of organized baseball," King said. "I've been a fan of the team since they were in Brooklyn -- 70 years. To have a charity that helps kids like this, you couldn't do better." Former United States women's soccer star Mia Hamm and members of the Los Angeles Chargers attended the Blue Diamond Gala as well. Along with raising money for the team's foundation, being able to see Maroon 5 and Earth, Wind & Fire in the intimate setting had attendees buzzing on the blue carpet. "It's kind of nice to get out of your element of baseball for a minute and do something like this," Seager said. "It's definitely pretty cool to have the concert in the outfield, too." The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation hopes to impact the lives of over 10,000 young boys and girls through sport in the Los Angeles community through its programs like Dodger Dreamfields and Dodger RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities). "We've been able to take this amazing Dodgers brand and use it to make positive impacts throughout the Los Angeles area," said Nichol Whiteman, executive director of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation "Events like tonight aren't possible without the backing of the organization." Inbox: Why is Taylor starting in center? By Ken Gurnick With Enrique Hernandez's experience in the outfield, and Chris Taylor's in the infield, why is Taylor continuing to start in center field with Kiké at third base and second base? Not that Taylor isn't holding his own in center, because he surely is. -- @shayeclubb There is more playing time available in the current outfield, especially with the absence of the injured Joc Pederson, and Taylor has been a far superior hitter against right-handed pitching than Hernandez. Against righties, Taylor's slash line this year is .280/.374/.477, while Hernandez's is .217/.263/.391. Really no comparison, which is why the Dodgers have gone with Taylor at a skill position despite his lack of experience there, and it's hard to argue with the results so far. Do you think that given the injuries this year, the Dodgers will trade for a front-line starter before the Deadline? -- Brian Hatter Depends on the definition of "front-line starter." This front office has acquired starting pitchers Alex Wood, Mat Latos, Bud Norris and Rich Hill during the past two summers. During that time, starting pitchers traded elsewhere included Cole Hamels, David Price, Johnny Cueto and James Shields. Some years, a "front-line starter" isn't even available in-season. Almost always, the cost in prospects is extravagant and potentially damaging to the organization's future. When other clubs are asking for Julio Urias or Corey Seager or Cody Bellinger (or a combination) for that "front-line starter," you can better understand why a club in need backs away.

Why was Mike Freeman in the Dodgers' clubhouse on Monday? Is it common for a player to show up just in case someone needs to go to the DL? -- @andresmloera It's not common, but it is allowed through a change to the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2012. The primary reason is to have a player on site to replace a player placed on the disabled list, so a club doesn't play short-handed waiting for a replacement to arrive from the Minor Leagues. Freeman was with the Dodgers because of the continued medical issues of right-handed pinch-hitter Franklin Gutierrez, who has been plagued since the 2011 onset of the immune-arthritic condition Ankylosing Spondylitis, which causes stiff joints and associated debilitating symptoms. Gutierrez sat out the 2014 season to let the medication, which he still takes, heal his body. When will Willie Calhoun arrive? And where will he play? -- @nick_nrangel22 Calhoun is a 22-year-old hitting machine who has excelled this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers expected Logan Forsythe to lock down the second-base job, but injuries and strikeouts have marked his first season in Los Angeles. Calhoun, who committed 21 errors at second base last year, only has three this year. That said, he's a left-handed-hitting second baseman and the Dodgers already have one of those in Chase Utley, who followed a .122 April with a .314 May, although he's back to .158 in June. Because the Dodgers have so many second-base options on the current roster, Calhoun's arrival is most likely in September. How do you see Joc's future playing out if Chris Taylor keeps producing? -- @MattMuelot Manager Dave Roberts has been pretty clear that Pederson not only needs to fully recover from the effects of the concussion following his collision with Yasiel Puig and the outfield wall, but his bat needs to recover through a Minor League rehab stint and, although unspoken, possibly a Minor League option. At the time of the injury, Pederson had a disappointing slash line of .200/.309/.314. Roberts played him in 14 games against left-handed pitching and the slash was predictably worse -- .174.208/.174, with no extra-base hits. Pederson earned a fast track to the big leagues with a 30/30 season in 2014 at Triple-A. He's stolen only 10 bases in two-plus seasons with the Dodgers. Pederson combined to slug 51 homers while playing nearly every day in 2015 and '16. But with only two homers this year, he needs to find those 2015 skills or Taylor figures to keep the job. Dodgers may target lefty pitchers, third basemen By Ken Gurnick The 2017 Draft will take place from Monday through Wednesday beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m on Monday. MLB Network will broadcast the first 36 picks (Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A), while MLB.com will stream all 75 picks on Day 1. MLB.com will also provide live pick-by-pick coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Day 2, starting at 1 p.m. ET. Then, Rounds 11-40 can be heard live on MLB.com on Wednesday, beginning at noon ET.

Go to MLB.com/draft to see the Top 200 Prospects list, projected top picks from MLBPipeline.com analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying. Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the Dodgers, whose first selection is the 23rd overall. In about 50 words In addition to the 23rd overall pick, the Dodgers have the 62nd, 100th and 130th picks in the first four rounds. Despite organizational deep pockets, signability is key in targeting picks, and strategy is implemented to maximize the amount of quality players within the constraints of the allotted bonus pool. The scoop This is the third Draft of the current management team. Billy Gasparino is the director of amateur scouting, but top brass Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi, Josh Byrnes, Alex Anthopoulos and David Finley are also heavily involved in a group effort. With the first pick in their first two Drafts, they went with a college pitcher (Walker Buehler), then a high-school shortstop (Gavin Lux). First-round buzz MLB.com's latest mock Draft projects the Dodgers taking University of Missouri right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck with the 23rd overall pick. Houck was drafted in the 12th round in 2014 by the Toronto Blue Jays, but he didn't sign and went to college. Expecting to be taken higher, he had the details of his selection -- "RD12/PK354/BLUEJAYS'14" -- tattooed on his left wrist for motivation. Money matters Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total. Any team going up to five percent over its allotted pool will be taxed at a 75-percent rate on the overage. A team that overspends by 5-10 percent gets a 75-percent tax plus the loss of a first-round pick. A team that goes 10-15 percent over its pool amount will be hit with a 100-percent penalty on the overage and the loss of a first- and second-round pick. Any overage of 15 percent or more gets a 100-percent tax plus the loss of first-round picks in the next two Drafts. The Dodgers have $5,794,200 to spend on their first 10 picks, with $2,702,700 designated for the 23rd overall pick, $1,018,200 for the 62nd overall pick, $537,100 for the 100th overall pick and $401,000 for the 130th overall pick. In the past, the Dodgers have been rigid about not exceeding the threshold that would cost a first-round pick. Shopping list

Although lefty Julio Urias is the most cherished of their young pitchers, the Dodgers don't have a left-handed hurler listed in MLBPipeline's top 30 club prospects, while they have 13 right-handers listed. And they remain thin at third base, although sliding shortstop Corey Seager there when a replacement for Justin Turner is needed is a logical option, especially if Lux emerges at shortstop. Trend watch In his first Draft for the Dodgers, Gasparino took college pitchers with his first two selections and went with collegiates with five of the first six selections, four of them pitchers. But last year, he started off with Lux, followed by a college catcher (Will Smith), the highest Dodgers pick of a catcher since Paul Konerko in 1994. In two Drafts for San Diego, Gasparino took college position players first both times, and both years five of the first six players he selected were position players. RECENT DRAFT HISTORY Rising fast In Spring Training, with only five professional innings pitched, every bullpen session Buehler threw was watched by club executives amidst whispers he might be in Los Angeles by September. A May promotion from Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga to Double-A Tulsa keeps that aggressive timetable in play for the 2015 first-rounder, especially stunning because he needed Tommy John surgery after being selected. Cinderella story Seventh-rounder Trevor Oaks (2014), now at Triple-A Oklahoma City, is trying to become the first player from California Baptist to reach the Major Leagues. He throws a heavy sinker and gets a lot of ground-ball outs. Oaks knows how to win, having gone 15-8 in college and 29-11 in the Minor Leagues. Like many Dodgers pitchers, he has had Tommy John surgery. In the Show From the current 25-man roster, Clayton Kershaw (first round in 2006), Seager (first round in '12), Ross Stripling (fifth round in '12) and Cody Bellinger (fourth round in '14) were drafted by the Dodgers and developed by their Minor League system. Dodgers' recent top picks 2016 -- Gavin Lux, SS, Class A Great Lakes 2015 -- Walker Buehler, RHP, Double-A Tulsa 2014 -- Grant Holmes, RHP, Double-A Midland (Oakland) 2013 -- Chris Anderson, RHP, released by Class A Fort Myers (Minnesota) on May 15 2012 -- Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles

Thursday's best: McKenzie fans 13 for Lynchburg By Mike Rosenbaum With each start this season, Triston McKenzie is making his case as one of the top pitching prospect in the Minor Leagues. The Indians' No. 3 prospect was electric once again on Thursday as he fired seven dominant frames, allowing one earned run on two hits, to pace Class A Lynchburg in a 7-1 win over Frederick. McKenzie, MLBPipeline.com's No. 49 overall prospect, struck out 13, one shy of his career high, and walked one before departing the game after 94 pitches (66 strikes). "He had his three-pitch mix working today and was aggressive with his fastball," Lynchburg pitching coach Rigo Beltran told MiLB.com. "He pitched to all four quadrants and located in very well and elevated with two strikes. When you're able to do that with your fastball and throw your secondary pitches for strikes, that's when the strikeouts are going to rack up." McKenzie struck out the side twice in the contest and fanned two hitters in five of his seven innings. He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, too, while allowing just one baserunner to reach (via an infield error) from the fourth inning on. "I've really started to read hitters better," said McKenzie. "I've been able to feel out their tendencies and adjust. I go into every start with a gameplan and modify it and improvise it, if I need to." The lone run permitted by McKenzie came on a leadoff homer by Austin Hays (Orioles' No. 7 prospect), who added a single in the third inning to account for both of Frederick's hits against the 19-year-old right-hander. McKenzie's gem netted him his fourth win in 11 starts for Lynchburg. He's posted a Carolina League-leading 84 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings (11.8 K/9) in that span, with the circuit's second-best ERA (2.51) and WHIP (0.90). As for Hays, the 2016 third-rounder went 2-for-3 to improve his slash line to .326/.363/.570. The home run, meanwhile, was the 21-year-old outfielder's 12th in 54 games for Frederick. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Thursday • No. 8 overall prospect Eloy Jimenez (Cubs' No. 1) filled out the box score as he went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, three runs scored and a stolen base for Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach. The performance improved the 20-year-old outfielder's average to .313, and he's now hit five homers in 20 games. • No. 10 overall prospect Brendan Rodgers (Rockies' No. 1) extended his hitting streak to 16 with another multi-hit performance for Class A Advanced Lancaster. The 20-year-old shortstop tallied a double in his first at-bat before finishing 2-for-5 with three runs scored in the JetHawks' win over Inland Empire. Rodgers' .387 average is far and away the best in the California League, and he's now collected 65 hits (28 for extra bases) and 37 RBIs in 39 games.

• No. 28 overall prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays' No. 1) went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs to lead Class A Lansing past Dayton, 7-3. One of the more impressive hitters in the Minors, the 18-year-old third baseman is batting .344/.429/.505 with 22 extra-base hits and more walks (27) than strikeouts (25) through 51 games in his full-season debut. • One night removed from his first career multi-homer game (and a career-high six RBIs), No. 35 overall prospect Francisco Mejia (Indians' No. 2) did it again on Thursday as he connected on two more homers in Double-A Akron's loss against Portland. The 21-year-old switch-hitting backstop has been on fire over his last 10 games, with a .462 average (18-for-39), four home runs and 12 RBIs. "The young man never takes any shortcuts," Akron hitting coach Johnny Narron told MiLB.com Wednesday. "He's always in the cage every single day and he always wants to learn. He's very committed to making the big leagues, and he's putting in the work he needs to be doing every single day to get it done." • No. 52 overall prospect Alex Verdugo (Dodgers' No. 2) and Willie Calhoun (No. 71 overall, Dodgers' No. 3) accounted for all of Triple-A Oklahoma City's offense in a 6-1 win over Iowa. Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a solo homer, his second, two runs scored and a steal out of the leadoff spot, while Calhoun plated five courtesy of his 11th homer, a three-run shot, an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly. • No. 98 overall prospect Jack Flaherty (Cardinals' No. 5) was dominant in his second Triple-A start as he allowed two hits over six scoreless innings in a no-decision for Memphis. The 21-year-old righty issued one walk, struck out eight and generated seven ground-ball outs, with 61 of his 99 pitches going for strikes in the outing. • Mariners No. 3 prospect Nick Neidert was a tough-luck loser for Class A Advanced Modesto despite notching a season-high 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. The 20-year-old righty allowed three earned runs on six hits and recorded another six outs on the ground. He owns a 3.16 ERA through 68 1/3 innings (13 starts) for the Nuts. • In his best start since joining Double-A Mississippi, Braves No. 10 prospect Luiz Gohara piled up seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits over five scoreless innings in a no-decision against Biloxi. The 20-year-old Brazilian left-hander has fared well in the Southern League so far, posting a 2.38 ERA with 14 strikeouts and a .214 opponents' average in 11 1/3 innings. • Tigers No. 10 prospect Sandy Baez turned his season around behind six scoreless innings of one-hit ball for Class A Advanced Lakeland. He fanned seven, a season high, and walked one while throwing 59 of 89 pitches for strikes to record his first win in seven starts. • Astros No. 13 prospect J.D. Davis hit a fourth-inning grand slam and later added a solo shot as he helped power Double-A Corpus Christi past Frisco, 11-6. The 24-year-old third baseman has gone deep five times in his last nine games to push his Texas League-leading total to 16 home runs. • Royals No. 24 prospect Corey Ray went the distance for Double-A Northwest Arkansas en route his second career complete game and first shutout. The 2014 fifth-rounder needed just 88 pitches (60 strikes) to accomplish the feat, as he scattered four hits, struck out four and recorded 13 groundouts in nine innings. Ray lowered his ERA to 4.43 from 5.14 with the performance, and he's now recorded four wins in 12 starts.

LA TIMES Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill searching for consistency as Reds come to town By Andy McCullough Lost amid the Dodgers’ starting-pitching shuffling this week, with Kenta Maeda moving to the bullpen and Hyun-Jin Ryu solidifying his spot in the rotation, is Rich Hill’s ongoing search for consistency. After missing a month due to a blister on his left hand, Hill has been unable to find steadiness on the mound. In four starts since returning from the disabled list, Hill has logged only 18 innings. He has a 4.50 ERA in those games, with 19 strikeouts and 13 walks. Hill was upset with himself after a 10-8 victory over Milwaukee last week, when a ninth-inning rally took him off the hook for a defeat. He sounded frustrated with his inability to find a repeatable delivery, which has led to imprecise location. “It’s just mechanically finding that same, repetitive motion that I can go to every single time,” Hill said after the game. “Where you can basically close your eyes and throw the ball, and you know where the pitch is going to go. Unfortunately, that just isn’t something I’ve felt for the last little bit.” He will get another shot to settle down this weekend, as the Dodgers host the Reds. Here are the pitching matchups for the series: Friday: LHP Rich Hill (2-2, 4.15 ERA) vs. LHP Amir Garrett (3-4, 7.17 ERA). Saturday: LHP Alex Wood (6-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. RHP Asher Wojciehowski (1-0, 4.50 ERA). Sunday: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-6, 4.08 ERA) vs. RHP Tim Adleman (4-2, 4.42 ERA). If Clayton Kershaw gets mad when he gets taken out of a game, good. He should get mad. By Bill Plaschke It’s become an annual event at Dodger Stadium, much like Friday night fireworks, only more explosive. It’s “Clayton Kershaw Lack Of Appreciation Day.’’ The script has involved different supporting actors and props in recent years, but the story is always the same. The best pitcher on the planet carries the Dodgers into the late innings, but clearly begins to tire. He wants to keep pitching, but his manager wants to save his arm. The manager wins. Kershaw gets pulled. There is an animated discussion. Kershaw shakes his head. Kershaw scowls. Everyone interprets. The Dodgers are annoying their best player! He’s never going to forget this! They’re going to lose him one day and then they’ll be sorry!

Big sigh. It happened again Wednesday in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. Kershaw was pulled after seven innings of giving up one run and three hits. He had thrown 95 pitches, only his ninth-highest pitch count of the season. He had struck out nine, equaling his third-best mark of the season. Making matters more unsettling, he had just batted, so he rightfully assumed he was still in the game. Yet he was told to remain in the dugout by manager Dave Roberts, who clearly should have never let him hit but apparently decided to pull him at the last minute. It was almost as ugly as two years ago, when Kershaw confronted then-manager Don Mattingly in the dugout when he was pulled after five innings. This time, discomfort turned to chill, with Kershaw carefully choosing his words in his postgame news conference. When asked how he felt, he told reporters, “There’s a lot going on there both ways. Without elaborating, that’s the way it went.’’ When asked again, he said, “I’m going to say something cliché, but it is what it is.’’ When asked one more time, he said, “I think I answered it as best as I’m going to.’’ In his 10 years as a Dodger, Kershaw has always been the epitome of clubhouse correctness and class. He has had plenty of reason to criticize or cry for help, but he has consistently demurred. He never rips anyone but himself. He never talks about his surroundings with anything other than optimism or praise. So, basically, when he says little, he says a lot. On Wednesday afternoon he clearly issued the message of irritation, which leads us back to all that interpretation, which raises the same two annual questions. Are the Dodgers wrong in pulling Kershawwhen he still wants to pitch? And do they have to worry about annoying him into bad feelings that could fester and ultimately alienate? The answers are no and no. The Dodgers are not only being smart in closely monitoring Keshaw’s pitch count, they are fulfilling an obligation to their franchise and their fans. This is not about June, it’s about October. This is not about enabling him to win another Cy Young, it’s about keeping him upright to deliver a World Series championship. Kershaw is no longer a boy wonder, he’s 29 years old, he’s averaged 185 innings a season for a decade, and he’s less than a year removed from suffering a herniated disk in his lower back that was not surgically repaired. More than ever, he needs to be treated with care, and preserved for when it really matters. It is no coincidence that, even though the numbers might seem otherwise, Kershaw had his most effective postseason last October after throwing the second-fewest innings of his career during the regular season. The Dodgers won three of his four starts. He came out of the bullpen for a series-

clinching save. He was once again on the mound for the Dodgers’ final loss of the season, but that was as much about the Chicago Cubs’ magic as any nagging postseason demons. No matter how much Kershaw pleads or glares, the Dodgers need to continue to pull him when his rising pitch count matches his dwindling energy, which seemed obvious Wednesday after he allowed four line-drive outs in the previous two innings. Kershaw will get mad. He should get mad. That’s part of what makes him great. It has been a true pleasure watching the best pitcher on the planet act like he owns the entire planet. But history has shown, he’ll get over it. When it comes to competing, Kershaw never seems to hold a grudge against anybody but opposing hitters. The Dodgers trade away his favorite catcher A.J. Ellis, yet he keeps pitching. They never really shore up his surroundings with a big July trade, yet he keeps pitching. Kershaw surely has an ego, but he never brings it to work with him, and here’s guessing his anger over being pulled dissipates by the time he returns to the stadium the next day for an early-afternoon workout in those colorful baggy shorts. If the Dodgers win a championship, nobody is going to remember a June scowl. If Kershaw can pitch his way into a ring, nobody has to worry about him fleeing when he has a chance to opt out of his contract after next season Of course, after all this, if the Dodgers feel still really bad about pulling Clayton Kershaw out of games, there is a way the front office can placate their best player. Just find him another starting pitcher, OK? While they’re at it, maybe one more bat? Dodgers' Sergio Romo remains optimistic despite bumpy homecoming By Lindsey Thiry Sergio Romo lay in the corner of an L-shaped black leather couch in the Dodgers’ clubhouse three hours before the night’s first pitch. Clubhouse attendants watched, and Dodgers president Andrew Friedman occasionally glanced over, as Romo scrolled through more than 100 video games on a console connected to a television. “Look!” he hollered to no one in particular. On the screen, RBI Baseball from the original Nintendo system was loading. A minute later, Romo beamed and giggled as his team hit a home run and the pixelated crowd cheered. Just a 34-year old kid playing a version of the game he loves. If only pitching for the Dodgers came that easy.

Through 19.2 innings this season, Romo’s earned-run average has soared to a career-high 6.41. The month of April was particularly cruel, when he allowed five runs in one-third of an inning at Arizona and five days later gave up two runs in one-third of an inning at San Francisco. At one point, he was giving up an average of more than an earned run per inning, and some Dodgers fans might have wondered if his one-year, $3-million deal with the club was a year too long. “Statistically it doesn’t look that great right now,” the veteran right-hander conceded. Romo grew up in Brawley, a desert community 3 1/2 hours southeast of Los Angeles and 20 minutes north of the Mexican border, and he anticipated a happy homecoming after nine years with the San Francisco Giants. He turned down more money from other organizations so that he could play closer to his parents, siblings and three sons, and so that he could fulfill a dream that began as a child growing up listening to Vin Scully call games on the radio. It’s been a bumpy start, but Romo’s goals are still in front of him: a 10-year big league career culminating in a fourth World Series ring. “Just give me the baseball and I look at every game as an opportunity to pitch, not compete against my numbers,” Romo said. “I’m still competing against the other team.” :: Backyard baseball at the Romo house in Brawley Growing up in Brawley, Calif. Sergio Romo learned to pitch on a makeshift baseball diamond that his dad built in the backyard. Family members call the home where Romo grew up “The Fort.” That’s because it’s now surrounded by a tall wooden fence, installed after a Giants World Series win to dissuade curious onlookers. It was in the backyard that Sergio and younger brother Andrew honed their baseball skills under the supervision of their father, Frank, himself a player in Mexican amateur leagues. There are remnants of those workouts, which took place after Frank arrived home from working as a mechanic in the agricultural fields. Where Sergio’s mother, Leticia, wanted a flower garden there is a lump of dirt with a chunk of battered wood stuck in the middle — the pitching mound and rubber. About 60 feet away, where Leticia wanted trees, is home plate. A hole in an old tire dangling from a pole forms what was the strike zone. And in another corner of the yard, a string with fragments of a battered baseball clinging to the end hangs from a pole. Hit properly, Andrew explained, the ball and string would loop perfectly all the way around the pole. “That is just what we would do all the time, if we weren’t playing video games,” said Andrew, who played five seasons in the minor leagues before becoming a sheriff’s deputy in Yuma County Arizona.

“It was like training camp back there,” Leticia recalled. “It was hardcore,” remembered the boys’ older sister, Leti, laughing. “They broke my window!” While Sergio and Andrew were busy with baseball, riding bikes and playing video games, Leti always had a book or a baseball scorecard in her hands. “Back when they were little, Frank would always put them in sports,” Leticia said. “And I was always there for them.” The attention helped steer the Romo children away from other more sinister influences that pervaded a community where the median annual income is just over $37,000 and the temperatures of summer routinely top 105 degrees. Three of Sergio’s closest childhood friends died because of drug use. Another is serving time in prison. Yet another made a career out of the Navy, a path Sergio almost chose when he had no scholarship offers out of high school. “I was this close away from signing,” Sergio said, pinching his fingers together. “But I just looked at my dad and said, ‘Dad, remember that promise I made you?’ And I was like, ‘I think I can do it.’” Romo wasn’t tall — he’s listed at 5 feet 11 — and was slightly built. But his coach at Brawley High, Pedro Carranza, believed in him and called around on his behalf. What came next was a baseball odyssey — stops at two junior colleges and two universities, followed by a phone call late in the 2005 Major League Baseball draft. “Everyone always criticized him for his size,” Andrew said, or that he “didn’t throw hard enough. But watching him play … [I] just loved that fire that he had. “And he still has it.” :: Sergio Romo is a kid at heart Where does Sergio Romo get his personality? He's always been the one bouncing off the walls, his family said. Romo was the 852nd player chosen in 2005, and his selection prompted a phone call to his grandfather. Evaristo Romo, was a lifelong Dodgers fan who made his way to Brawley from Mexico and always had a ballgame on the television or radio. “He told me he was proud of me, that I got a foot in the door,” Sergio said. But moments after they hung up, Evaristo called back. His grandson hadn’t told him which organization he’d be playing for. “Anybody but the Giants!” Evaristo said.

As it turned out, the Dodgers’ archrival was a good fit for Sergio. Within three years, he was promoted to the big league squad. The call-up surprised almost everyone in Brawley — except for Romo’s family. “Nobody else believed it because, yeah, he was a little troublemaker at times and the whole, ‘You’re too small and you don’t throw hard enough,’” Andrew said. “But he pushed through it. The more things you told him he couldn’t do, the more he wanted it and the more he did it.” Romo won three World Series rings with the Giants, throwing the final strike in Game 4 of the 2012 World Series — a fastball when everyone expected a slider. Afterward, Evaristo was spotted in Brawley walking to church in 100-degree heat wearing a Giants jacket. Before Evaristo died last summer, he requested that he be buried in his grandson’s World Series jersey and a Giants cap. “It was just an example of how proud he was,” Romo said. Romo became a free agent after last season, and was hopeful he would have the opportunity to stay with the Giants. “It’s been one heck of a ride and I’ve been very appreciative of the whole thing,” he said. “Twenty-nine teams didn’t draft me, but the Giants did. Growing up a Dodgers fan … it wasn’t necessarily a hard pill to swallow, but I was kind of like, ‘Wow, the sheer irony of life.’” Now, toward the end of his career, the tables have been turned again. :: From Eddie West Field at the high school to Johnny’s Burritos, a local favorite Mexican restaurant, all of Brawley buzzed with the news that Romo would sign with the Dodgers. “You should have seen the number of texts I received,” said Carranza, the high school coach. “Just, ‘Sergio is a Dodger! Sergio is a Dodger!’” Romo called his father first, Carranza shortly thereafter. Leticia went for a fresh manicure, making sure her long nails were painted a Dodgers’ hue of blue. “I was a ball of tears,” she recalled, crying again at the memory. Leticia cries a lot when recounting family memories and Sergio’s accomplishments. Tears of laughter about Sergio progressing from driving the family “Mazda-rati” to his own McLaren are followed by tears of sadness when she recalls him leaving home. Now, watching him perform at Dodger Stadium, she said, “I can’t help the feelings watching him there and I can’t believe that’s my son.”

With Romo’s return to the area, Leti began to make plans for him to repay old favors. She oversees the Cross-Cultural Center at Chapman University and it was Uncle Sergio’s turn to provide free babysitting for his niece and nephew. After all, it was Leti who often provided Romo the starving college student with food when he was hungry. She said he would call her when he was at Colorado Mesa University and she was living in Florida. Before long, a pizza delivery person would be on his doorstep, compliments of his compassionate sister. Romo never doubted that his family would be happy when he signed with the Dodgers, especially since it meant the ban on wearing blue would be lifted. “I joked around with all of them,” he said, “telling them they could take the Dodgers stuff out of the closet now.” Said Andrew: “Blue fits him so much better. He looks so good in a blue uniform!” Romo said he is happy to be a Dodger and, moreover, “thankful that I have a spot in the big leagues, that I am able to keep counting the days. “I am thankful for having this opportunity here,” he added, “because not only do I have a spot at the table on a team, but I have a spot at a really, really good table. “I just want to win.”

OC REGISTER Dodgers and Kenley Jansen embracing broad interpretation of closer role By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES — The ink has dried on the five-year, $80 million contract Kenley Jansen signed with the Dodgers last December after flirting – and nearly going home – with the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins. But a deal like that can change a player. “Guys go one of two ways,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged. “They can sit back and say, ‘I got it.’ … He is actually pushing himself to show – not to put pressure on himself or justify it – but to do right by the organization, his teammates and this city.” Security can make a player comfortable, make him shrink from new challenges. Had Jansen adopted this attitude, he might decide he had been signed to pitch the ninth inning and only the ninth inning and only in save situations. “I don’t want to be that kind of closer. I don’t want to be compared in that class,” Jansen said. “I’m not trying to be a hero here but any time the team needs me, I’m ready.

“Sometimes the situation for the best pitcher to come in is not always the ninth inning. It’s not always like that.” Roberts calls Jansen “the best reliever in the game” – not just the best closer. He might also be among its most open-minded. Nine times this season, Roberts has brought Jansen into the game in an inning other than the ninth – six times in the eighth, three times in extra innings. Six times Jansen has pitched more than one inning. Of the major league’s top 10 in saves, only Tampa Bay’s Alex Colome (primarily a starter until two years ago) can match that. The major league’s saves leader, Colorado’s Greg Holland, has not recorded more than three outs in any of his 23 appearances. Neither of Jansen’s two peers on last winter’s free agent market – Aroldis Chapman, who signed a record deal for a closer with the New York Yankees, and Mark Melancon, who signed with the San Francisco Giants – has pitched before the ninth inning this season or recorded more than three outs in an appearance. Both have also been on the DL. The roots of this new job description lie in last fall’s postseason run. Five of Jansen’s seven playoff appearances lasted more than an inning including a 51-pitch, 21/3-inning stretch in the Dodgers’ NLDS-clinching Game 5 victory – an effort that left a spent Jansen conducting post-game interviews while sitting on the floor of the hallway outside the Dodgers’ clubhouse – and three scoreless innings in the NLCS finale. Those performances “unlocked” something in Jansen, Roberts said. “We had many conversations about being unselfish and doing whatever it takes to win,” Roberts said. “The care, the will, the desire to win were there. But until any player actually does something, you don’t really know the potential you do have. For him to actually go through that and have success, it kind of validated all of his intentions.” That experience “took me to the next level” in terms of confidence and recognizing what mattered to him, Jansen said – so much so he’s able to laugh when teased about his relatively low save total (10) this season. Last week in St. Louis, he returned to his locker to find an assortment of snacks waiting for him with a letter of apology from the Dodgers’ offense (clubhouse leader Justin Turner is the likely ghost writer) after a late rally had taken away a save opportunity. “I’m mature. Let me put it that way,” Jansen said with a large smile. “I’ve matured enough to know it’s about the team. It’s not about my individuals.” Closers are not solely evaluated by their save totals anymore, Jansen knows. “It’s about strikeouts and walks. It’s about WAR and WHIP. When you’re doing good in that stuff, you’re doing your job.” By those measures, Jansen is doing his job very well indeed. His WHIP (0.66) is even lower than last season (0.67), when it was the lowest in the majors. He has struck out nearly half of the batters he has faced (41 of 90) and hasn’t walked any of them, breaking Adam Wainwright’s record (35) for the most strikeouts without a walk to start a season. “I think it’s just the same reason Mariano Rivera was able to pitch in the big leagues for, what, 50 years?” Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said when asked to explain Jansen’s success.

The comparison between Jansen’s cutter and the one that will carry Rivera into the Hall of Fame is frequent and flattering. Like Rivera, Jansen throws the pitch 90 percent of the time and hitters have yet to figure out a way to make consistent contact. For that, Jansen thanks the natural movement that comes with his throwing motion. For his ability to maintain consistent mechanics with it despite his size (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) and a stride that is one of the longest in baseball (only Chapman’s is longer) – factors that could complicate things – Jansen thanks … Charlie Hough? “I owe Charlie Hough a big thank you. He kept it simple with me from Day One. That’s why I have a simple delivery, simple mechanics,” Jansen said, referring to the one-time knuckleballer who was a pitching coach in the Dodgers’ minor-league system when Jansen was converted from catcher to pitcher. “He said, ‘You’re a hard thrower. You’re not a pitcher. Just throw.’” When it is pointed out that some players might have taken that as an insult, a broad smile spreads across Jansen’s face. “Let’s just say I’ve learned some things over the years,” he said. On deck: Reds at Dodgers, Friday, 7:10 p.m. By Bill Plunkett REDS at DODGERS When: Friday, 7:10 p.m. Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SportsNet LA (where available) THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP RICH HILL (2-2, 4.15) Vs. Reds: 3-2, 4.05 At Dodger Stadium: 3-3, 2.31 REDS LHP AMIR GARRETT (3-4, 7.17) Vs. Dodgers: First game UPCOMING Saturday – Reds (RHP Asher Wojciechowski, 1-0, 4.50 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Alex Wood, 6-0, 1.69 ERA),

7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market only) Sunday – Reds (RHP Tim Adleman, 4-2, 4.42 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, 2-6, 4.08 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA

TRUE BLUE LA Oklahoma City wins 6-1, Willie Calhoun drives in five By Craig Minami Oklahoma City and Great Lakes were victorious while Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga both took defeats. Both Dominican Summer League teams won their games on Thursday. Player of the Day Willie Calhoun homered and tripled in the Dodgers win, driving in five runs. Calhoun played his second game in left field, thus far he has fielded one chance in those two games. Calhoun is hitting .294/.339/.531 this season. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers took the lead in the third on a Alex Verdugo home run and went on the beat the Iowa Cubs 6-1 to close their series taking three out of five. Wilmer Font started and pitches six innings and gave up five hits, one run and struck out seven. Joe Broussard, Steve Geltz and Josh Ravin each pitched a scoreless inning to finish up the game. Verdugo had three hits including his second home run, Wille Calhoun drove in five runs and went 2-for-5, hitting his 11th home run and a triple. Kyle Farmer and Charlie Culberson each had two hits. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers lost 6-1 to the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) that saw the Travelers score all six runs in the second inning. Josh Sborz had given up a run but had also gotten two outs when while recording a double play, that run scored. So with two outs and no one on base, Sborz hit a batter and then gave up a double, home run, double and home run. After walking the next batter, Sborz was taken out after pitching 1⅔ innings. The three Drillers who followed Sborz on the mound pitched the final six innings and did not give up anymore runs. At the plate, the Drillers did not have an extra-base hit until the ninth inning when Brayan Morales tripled and scored on a Jacob Scavuzzo sacrifice fly. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes suffered a tough defeat when the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) posted three runs in the eighth inning to comeback and defeat the Quakes 3-1 in the opening game of their four-game set at Lake Elsinore. The big blow was an Edwin Moreno triple that drove in the go-ahead runs and put the Quakes behind for good. Prior to that, Caleb Ferguson pitched six scoreless innings and scattered four hits, striking out five. Tony Gonsolin followed and pitched a scoreless seventh prior to giving up the three runs in the eighth. The Quakes scored their one run on Yusniel Diaz’s fifth home run. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons scored three runs in the 12th inning and then hung on and beat the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) 6-5 on Thursday. The Loons tallied their extra-inning runs on singles from Errol Robinson and Cody Thomas. A sacrifice fly by Steve Berman scored what turned out to be the winning run. The game featured eight errors, five by the Loons. A.J. Alexy pitched 4⅓ innings and gave up two hits, two runs, walked three and had one strikeout. Sven Schuller got the win, pitching three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Five Loons had multi-hit games, Mitchell Hansen had three hits, and Saige Jenco, Robinson, Thomas and Berman each had two hits. Transactions Triple-A: Los Angeles selected the contract and optioned right-handed pitcher Fabio Castillo; Oklahoma City activated first baseman Ike Davis from the 7-day disabled list. Double-A: Outfielder Brayan Morales assigned to Tulsa from AZL Dodgers; Tulsa placed outfielder Henry Ramos on the 7-day disabled list. Thursday Scores Oklahoma City 6, Iowa 1 Arkansas 6, Tulsa 1 Lake Elsinore 3, Rancho Cucamonga 1 Great Lakes 6, West Michigan 5 (12) DSL Dodgers1 5, DSL Braves 2 DSL Dodgers2 6, DSL Astros Orange 4 Friday Schedule 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. South Bend Cubs (TBD) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Justin Masterson) vs. Round Rock Express [Rangers] (TBD) 5:10 p.m.: Tulsa (Isaac Anderson) at Arkansas (Brett Ash)

7:00 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Dennis Santana) at Lake Elsinore (TBD) Dodgers vs. Reds probable pitchers, TV schedule & game times By Eric Stephen The Dodgers finish off their homestand with three games against the Reds. Here is a look at the weekend schedule and starting pitching matchups beginning Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA) The dealing with blisters part has been expected with Rich Hill, but what wasn’t expected with the left-hander was that he’d be so ordinary so far this season. One of the best pitchers in the game when on the mound from September 2015 through the end of 2016, Hill has been mired in mediocrity in 2017, with a 4.15 ERA in six starts, with an alarmingly high walk total (18) to go with his 26 strikeouts. Amir Garrett had a solid start to his 2017, with two or fewer runs allowed in five of his first six starts, but in his last three starts he has been tattooed for 22 runs and 19 hits in 11⅔ innings. Saturday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) Alex Wood slots back into the rotation after missing time with shoulder inflammation. The National League Pitcher of the Month in May has won his last five starts. Asher Wojciechowski just joined the Reds rotation, and has made one bad start (three home runs allowed in four innings at Toronto) and one good start (six strikeouts and two runs in six innings against St. Louis). Sunday, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA) Hyun-jin Ryu is coming off his longest start of the season, and for the last few weeks has looked more like vintage Ryu. Kenta Maeda for now is the odd man out and is in the bullpen, where Ryu was just a few weeks ago. Tim Adleman enters Sunday with three straight quality starts, allowing four total runs in his last 21 innings, with 16 strikeouts and six walks during that span. Dustin May, Keibert Ruiz named to Midwest League All-Star team By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate Great Lakes Loons will host the 2017 Midwest League All-Star Game, and a pair of Dodgers minor leaguers will get to play in their home park, with pitcher Dustin May and catcher Keibert Ruiz named All-Stars on Wednesday. The All-Star Game will be held at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich. on June 20, with May and Ruiz on the Eastern Division team. The All-Star rosters were selected by the field mangers on the Midwest League.

May was drafted by the Dodgers out of high school in the third round in 2016, and is 3-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 11 starts for the Loons this season, with 54 strikeouts and just eight walks in 50⅓ innings. Before the season, May was ranked the Dodgers’ No. 21 prospect by our own David Hood. Ruiz, 18, is hitting .290/.337/.368 with nine doubles and one home run in 43 games. Dodgers add Fabio Castillo to 40-man roster By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers added pitcher Fabio Castillo to the 40-man roster on Thursday, to avoid losing the right-hander. Castillo was added to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, for whom he started the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday night. Castillo, 28, pitched part of his 2016 with Hanwha of the Korean Baseball Organization. He received interest from a team overseas, which triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league contract. Castillo has a 3.27 ERA in 44 innings in 2017 between Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa, with 41 strikeouts and 13 walks. He was in big league camp during spring training with the Dodgers as a non-roster invitee. To make room on the 40-man roster for Castillo, the Dodgers designated left-handed pitcher Justin Marks for assignment. Marks, who was claimed off waivers from the Rays on May 9, had a 4.50 ERA in nine relief appearances for Oklahoma City, with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 10 innings.

DODGER INSIDER Dodgers select contract of RHP Castillo, option him to Triple-A By Rowan Kavner The Dodgers selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Fabio Castillo and optioned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Castillo has gone 3–4 in 12 games (seven starts) with Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa, combining for a 3.27 ERA and one save, while striking out 41 batters and walking 13 in 44 innings. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated left-handed pitcher Justin Marks for assignment. Marks was claimed from the Rays by the Dodgers on May 9, when Andre Ethier (herniated disk) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. With Oklahoma City specifically this year, Castillo went 3–3 with a save in nine games (seven starts), holding opponents to a .224 batting average. Castillo was a non-roster invitee at Spring Training this year, his first with the Dodger organization.

The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic has played 11 Minor league seasons, spending time in the Rangers (2006–12), Giants (2013), Orioles (2014), Reds (2014), Padres (2016) and Dodgers systems. He also played in 2016 in the Korean Baseball League. The move comes a day after right-handed pitcher Chris Heston was claimed off waivers by the Twins, and the Dodgers filled that 40-man roster spot by reinstating right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart from the 60-day disabled list.

NBC LA

Dodgers LGBT Night to Feature LA Pride Kickoff Party By Wire Services The Los Angeles Dodgers will celebrate LA Pride Friday night with the team's fifth annual LGBT Night, featuring a kickoff party at Dodger Stadium for the first time. The party will be from 5:30-7:10 p.m. in the Right Field Plaza at the start of a weekend of LA Pride events. Ceremonial first pitches before the game against the Cincinnati Reds will be thrown by the Emmy-nominated actor Matt Bomer and Brian Pendleton, founder of Sunday's ResistMarch, which will begin at Hollywood and Highland and head to West Hollywood. Bomer is best known for his starring role in the 2009-14 USA Network crime drama "White Collar." He received an outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie Emmy nomination in 2014 for his role in HBO's "The Normal Heart." The national anthem will be performed by Dot-Marie Jones, a three-time Emmy nominee for her portrayal of Coach Beiste on the 2009-15 Fox musical "Glee." She will be accompanied by members of the Gay Men's Chorus and Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. Other scheduled special guests include Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's ambassador for inclusion; actors Guillermo Diaz ("Scandal") and Noah Galvin ("The Real O'Neals"); and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, plaintiffs in the lawsuit that overturned Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. A fireworks show set to music by George Figares and DJ Blacklow is scheduled to follow the game. Fans will be invited onto the field to watch the show, which will take place before 11 p.m. and is subject to cancellation if the game lasts too long, like all of the Friday night fireworks shows at Dodger Stadium. The ticket package includes a Dodger LGBT T-shirt with a depiction of the team's name in the colors of the rainbow.

BLEACHER REPORT

Los Angeles Dodgers' 2017 MLB Draft Preview, Predictions By Jacob Shafer The Los Angeles Dodgers have won four straight National League West titles behind baseball's gaudiest payroll, yet have also managed to build a robust farm system. Dodgers fans, therefore, have every reason to be excited about the upcoming MLB amateur draft. Los Angeles owns three picks in the top 100 (No. 23, No. 62 and No .100), and there's enough available talent for president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and company to gild the minor league lily. While we await the actual draft beginning on June 12, let's take a closer look. Farm System Strengths Outfielder Alex Verdugo. Outfielder Alex Verdugo.Morry Gash/Associated Press With first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger graduating to The Show and making his presence felt, the Dodgers' top prospect is now outfielder Alex Verdugo, per MLB.com. Verdugo is one of two outfielders—along with 20-year-old Cuban Yusniel Diaz—in L.A.'s highest-ranked 10. The Dodgers' biggest glut of talent, however, comes in the form of right-handed pitching. Of the franchise's top 20 prospects, seven (No. 4 Yadier Alvarez, No. 6 Walker Buehler, No. 7 Jordan Sheffield, No. 13 Brock Stewart, No. 14 Josh Sborz, No. 15 Imani Abdullah and No. 18 Jacob Rhame) are righty hurlers. That's not to say the club won't target an arm, but look for southpaws to be the focus if possible. Areas of Need Third Baseman Justin Turner. Third Baseman Justin Turner.Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images Despite a recent slump, Bellinger looks like the heir apparent to Adrian Gonzalez at first base. The Dodgers, however, have precious little coverage at the hot-corner infield spot, in addition to the aforementioned shortage of lefties. Of the team's top 20 prospects, only 19-year-old Brendon Davis (ranked No. 17) has seen significant innings at third base, and he's marinating at Single-A.

Yes, third baseman Justin Turner is signed through 2020 and was hitting .379 before a hamstring injury put him on the shelf. However, he's also 32 years old and will need a replacement at some point. Top Hitter Options North Carolina infielder Logan Warmoth. North Carolina infielder Logan Warmoth.Joel Auerbach/Getty Images Logan Warmoth, SS, North Carolina In his third season with the Tar Heels, Logan Warmoth is hitting .336 with a .958 OPS while showcasing plus speed and solid defense at shortstop. Yes, the Dodgers already have a pretty dang decent shortstop by the name of Corey Seager, and Warmoth could easily be snatched up before the 23rd pick. If he's available when Los Angeles selects, though, he may be too enticing to pass up. Keston Hiura, 2B, UC Irvine Keston Hiura slashed .442/.567/.693 in 2017. ESPN.com's Keith Law suggested the 21-year-old "might have [the draft's] best pure hit tool." The only reason Hiura could slip to Los Angeles at No. 23 is an elbow injury that may require surgery, per Law. That said, the Dodgers could be seeking "upside over safe," per Dustin Nosler of Dodgers Digest. Jake Burger, 3B, Missouri State Jake Burger hit .333 with 22 home runs and a 1.110 OPS in his third season at Missouri State, suggesting the kind of pop that could allow him to stick at third base, even if his glove needs work. Intriguingly, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter tapped the 21-year-old for precisely the 23rd draft slot. Top Pitcher Options Trevor Rogers, LHP, Carlsbad High School (New Mexico) Trevor Rogers is long in the tooth for a prep player, as he'll turn 20 in November. His mid-90s fastball and impressive slider are likewise advanced, and he could be grabbed before L.A. gets a crack at him. He's got a lanky, projectable frame and electric stuff, however, that warrant Clayton Kershaw comparisons on an especially generous day.

Brendon Little, LHP, State College of Florida (Manatees) With a fastball that can touch the upper 90s and a plus-plus curveball, Brendon Little could be off the board within the top 20 picks. Then again, he wobbled badly in 2016, raising questions. "I just see an electric pitcher with a good head on his shoulders and a great attitude," Manatees head coach Tim Hill said, per Joey Johnston of Baseball America. "I'm not quite sure what happened last season." Uncertainty can damage draft stock. In fact, Reuter has Little going at No. 38, meaning he should be on Los Angeles' radar. David Peterson, LHP, Oregon David Peterson posted a collegiate career-best 2.51 ERA in 2017 while boasting career highs in innings pitched (100.1) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.56). His three-quarters delivery and lack of eye-popping stuff suggest a role as a bullpen sniper rather than a starter, but the numbers and results are impossible to ignore. Draft Predictions The Dodgers should roll the dice at No. 23 and grab a hitter who fills a need, which makes Burger a logical pick. He's far from a rock-solid bet, but his hit tool makes him worth a spin of the fence-clearing roulette wheel. As for the No. 62 and No. 100 picks, that's genuinely anybody's guess. We'll assume L.A. opts for a lefty pitcher such as Jacob Heatherly of Alabama's Cullman High School and another infielder like Virginia's Ernie Clement. Those are dart-tossing prognostications. This much is clear: The Dodgers can shore up the future while keeping their gaze fixed on division title No. 5.