True Blue LA - All PostsWhere The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2024-03-19T05:31:01-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/current/2024-03-19T05:31:01-07:002024-03-19T05:31:01-07:00Opening day matchup: Tyler Glasnow vs. Yu Darvish
<figure>
<img alt="Team Korea v. Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_a3bMsVrEE4gFoK_WmqEvo0T6As=/0x0:8640x5760/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73217412/2087314048.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 2024 MLB season starts at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea on early Wednesday morning</p> <p id="BA8Zas">Major League Baseball will play its first regular season games in South Korea, with the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> and Padres set for battle for two games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. That starts with opening day on Wednesday, March 20, with an early morning start time stateside (3:07 a.m. PT; SportsNet LA, ESPN).</p>
<p id="j1JhKM">It marks the official debut of Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers, after <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/23981351/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-contract">the superstar signed a 10-year contract in December</a> that will eventually pay him a total of $700 million.</p>
<p id="FMbfgr">South Korea is the fourth country in which the Dodgers will have played the Padres. They’ve played 935 regular season games and seven postseason games in the United States over the last 55 years, in addition to three regular season games in Monterrey, Mexico in 2018, during which <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2018/5/4/17321924/walker-buehler-combined-no-hitter-dodgers-padres-recap">Walker Buehler and three relief pitchers combined for a no-hitter</a>. The two clubs also <a href="https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/923608.html">tussled during spring training in Beijing in 2008</a>, though those games in China were exhibitions.</p>
<p id="PvbtSj">Tyler Glasnow <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/11/24097353/tyler-glasnow-dodgers-opening-day-south-korea-yoshinobu-yamamoto">gets the opening day start for the Dodgers</a>, also making his debut for his hometown team, having grown up in Santa Clarita. The Dodgers <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/12/16/24002977/tyler-glasnow-manuel-margot-trade-dodgers-rays">acquired Glasnow from the Rays in a four-player trade on December 16</a>, then <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/12/18/24002918/tyler-glasnow-contract-dodgers-competitive-balance-tax">signed the right-hander to a five-year contract worth over $136.5 million</a> that will keep Glasnow with the Dodgers through 2027.</p>
<p id="Q2Yuz5">“I feel like I’m in a good spot right now,” Glasnow told reporters during a press conference Monday at Gocheok Stadium. “I just think ironing stuff out early in spring and keeping it on a consistent routine throughout spring, I’m in a good spot for sure.”</p>
<p id="VStQak">Yu Darvish, who starts for the Padres, has been a thorn in the Dodgers side for years (and no, I’m not talking about his two <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> starts <em>for Los Angeles</em> in 2017), with a career 2.57 ERA in 13 starts against them, including 99 strikeouts and 20 walks in 80⅔ innings.</p>
<p id="B7wuwR">Darvish only allowed three earned runs in 13⅔ innings in his two starts against the Dodgers in 2023.</p>
<p id="rzWTo1">SportsNet LA will televise both games against the Padres locally, with Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser on-site in Seoul along with reporter Kirsten Watson. For those out of the local markets for both teams, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/12/11/23997091/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-debut-padres-espn-south-korea">ESPN has the telecast nationally</a>, with Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, and Daniel Kim on the call.</p>
<p id="hoVtVo">Tim Neverett and Rick Monday will call the game on KLAC AM 570 radio, doing so from a studio in El Segundo.</p>
<h3 id="GoSRG8">Opening day info</h3>
<ul>
<li id="ZL3WE1">Teams: Dodgers at Padres</li>
<li id="tQFNfP">Stadium: Gocheok Sky Dome, South Korea</li>
<li id="ipxAAz">Time: 3:07 a.m. PT</li>
<li id="yx3Lxu">TV: SportsNet LA, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/12/11/23997091/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-debut-padres-espn-south-korea">ESPN (out of market)</a>
</li>
<li id="8K3Juk">Radio: KLAC AM 570</li>
</ul>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/19/24105252/dodgers-padres-opening-day-tyler-glasnow-yu-darvish-espnEric Stephen2024-03-18T05:39:50-07:002024-03-18T05:39:50-07:00Gavin Stone pleads the fifth
<figure>
<img alt="Team Korea v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VO5adPfgrMBlOKY29ELQHJY3FoY=/0x0:4263x2842/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214850/2093856090.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Presumptive Dodgers fifth starter strikes out 8 of 11 batters faced in final exhibition in Seoul</p> <p id="yWR5f1">It’s hard to stake a claim more firmly than the way Gavin Stone has wrapped his arms around the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> fifth starter role to open the season. Nothing has been made official just yet by the team, but Stone’s pitching in the last four weeks has removed any doubt that he deserves to start every fifth day in games that count.</p>
<p id="P4Q1Rf">Stone on Monday in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the Korean national team at Gocheok Stadium had his best outing yet this spring, with 3⅓ scoreless, hitless innings. He struck out <em>eight</em> of his 11 batters faced and only allowed one walk.</p>
<div id="mYr7bd">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gavin making it look easy. <a href="https://t.co/V78nKpqNmB">pic.twitter.com/V78nKpqNmB</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1769700716895944897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="yhEdtX">Monday continued a strong spring from Stone, who showed improvements over the final two months of 2023 after struggling early. Counting Cactus League play, this spring Stone has 17 strikeouts and only two walks in his 13 innings, with just one run allowed.</p>
<p id="NkWJdT">Stone said after the game that manager Dave Roberts told him before Monday’s game that he’d be the fifth starter.</p>
<p id="7jWv0I">“I’m incredibly thankful for that and the opportunity that they’re giving me,” Stone said in the interview room of Gocheok Stadium. “Very appreciative, and I look forward to taking advantage of it.”</p>
<p id="a6LVfk">Stone on Monday touched 97 mph on his fastball and averaged 95 mph, a tick up from last year in the majors. He got 17 swinging strikes against Team Korea, including 11 on the changeup alone, all thanks to a more complete repertoire.</p>
<p id="mjTmmX">“This is the command of the fastball that we saw two years ago that was missing a little bit last year,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said of Stone during the seventh inning on the SportsNet LA broadcast. “He’s also added a true cutter and more of a traditional slider to kind of open up the arsenal a little more. We know the changeup is plus-plus. What’s evident is the velocity being back to where it was, and he’s moving the ball around like a big leaguer right now.”</p>
<h3 id="U8g2oB">Early wake-up times</h3>
<p id="FPfXtI">Monday’s game was the most apt tuneup of the two practice games in Seoul, in that the 3 a.m. PT start time matched the Wednesday and Thursday game against the Padres.</p>
<p id="o17yd2">Several hours before any In-N-Out location opened on Monday, the Dodgers went double-double following a pair of walks to tally three runs in the third inning. The first two of that frame came on a double by Will Smith, with Freddie Freeman touching home plate before an ill-placed tag on a throw that beat him.</p>
<div id="vsxN6l">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will Smith puts the <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dodgers</a> ahead after this 2-run double! <a href="https://t.co/SMtye6QXum">pic.twitter.com/SMtye6QXum</a></p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1769680685197885523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h3 id="T1NpN1">Notes</h3>
<p id="8ygG4E">Bobby Miller won’t pitch in either game against the Padres, but got another tuneup start with Monday’s exhibition. Miller struck out six and walked a batter, allowing a pair of runs in the third inning but that was it. But more importantly, he stretched out to five innings and 76 pitches. The schedule likely allows Miller one more tuneup before the regular season, with the Freeway Series looming next weekend.</p>
<aside id="vV4JLZ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Shohei Ohtani will begin throwing program when Dodgers return home","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/18/24104625/shohei-ohtani-throwing-program-dodgers-elbow-surgery"}]}'></div></aside><p id="HKbvfd">Shohei Ohtani was hitless in three at-bats on Monday and was 0-for-5 in the two exhibition games in Seoul. Before the game, manager Dave Roberts <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/18/24104625/shohei-ohtani-throwing-program-dodgers-elbow-surgery">said Ohtani would begin a throwing program after the Dodgers return to Los Angeles</a>, continuing his rehab from elbow surgery last September.</p>
<p id="NnrLpc">Chris Taylor hit an opposite-field home run in the seventh inning, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/16/24103485/dodgers-freddie-freeman-home-run-michael-grove-bullpen">the Dodgers’ second home run in two exhibition games</a> in South Korea.</p>
<p id="xkaimr">J.P. Feyereisen followed Stone and got the final two outs of the game. The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/15/24099213/dodgers-travel-roster-south-korea-padres">only available Dodgers pitchers</a> not used during either of the two exhibition games in Seoul were Blake Treinen, Ryan Yarbrough, Gus Varland, and Landon Knack.</p>
<h3 id="UY2MRC">Highlight play</h3>
<p id="GhdT6d">It’s safe to say the Dodgers infield defense is a question mark entering the season, with Mookie Betts mostly new to shortstop, Gavin Lux having throwing problems all season, and Max Muncy coming off a below-average year with the glove. But in the fourth inning on Monday, Lux made a nice play on a hot shot at second base and to end the inning Muncy made a fantastic stop and throw to end the frame.</p>
<div id="HqFXMx">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">WOW, MAX. <a href="https://t.co/JRRuDSIqxx">pic.twitter.com/JRRuDSIqxx</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1769684444993228862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h3 id="AewOrO">Up next</h3>
<p id="7P1kzu">When the Dodgers take the field next, it will count in the standings. Opening day is opening morning in America, with a 3:07 a.m. PT start time against the Padres (SportsNet LA, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/12/11/23997091/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-debut-padres-espn-south-korea">plus ESPN out of market</a>). Tyler Glasnow starts for the Dodgers, making his second career opening day start. Yu Darvish will be on the mound for San Diego.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/18/24104616/gavin-stone-strikeouts-dodgers-fifth-starterEric Stephen2024-03-18T04:41:00-07:002024-03-18T04:41:00-07:00Shohei Ohtani will begin throwing program when Dodgers return home
<figure>
<img alt="LA Dodgers spring training." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dXN9_fKOv6Sia6DIsoxK_upCvuw=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214535/2006241818.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ohtani, who had elbow surgery in 2024, isn’t expected to pitch this season. But potentially playing the outfield occasionally might be in the cards</p> <p id="QRhfMT">Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s first season with the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> will feature him as designated hitter. But there’s at least the possibility that he might play in the field at some point later in the 2024 season.</p>
<p id="WTqrBC">In Monday’s pregame session with reporters at Gocheok Sky Dome in South Korea, before the Dodgers’ final exhibition game, manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani, who had elbow surgery in September, would begin throwing soon.</p>
<p id="9FDPxE">“Once we get back to the states, which he hasn’t started yet. We’ll see how that progression goes,” Roberts said. “If his arm is healthy enough, we’ll have that conversation in [playing] in the field. I do know he’s not going to pitch this year. But right now, our only focus is him being a designated hitter.”</p>
<p id="OMW3pu">During his six seasons with the Angels, Ohtani played only seven games and 8⅓ total innings in the outfield, all in 2021 when he played six games in right field and one in left field, entering all those games in reserve. When Ohtani might see the outfield, if at all, in 2024 will depend on how Ohtani’s throwing program goes.</p>
<p id="qfqxrG">While he’s not expected to pitch during the 2024 season, it’s at least possible his elbow rehab could progress into facing hitters later in the season. Last week, Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Ohtani’s elbow surgery in September as well as Ohtani’s Tommy John surgery in 2018, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-dodgers-elattrache-9a87de3cf0ea31d1bb78420d6b505cc7">spoke with Jay Cohen of Associated Press</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="OMRB53"><em>“It just so happens that, if he goes along with the throwing program as we have it scheduled, he’ll be throwing his first simulated game the last week of September,” ElAttrache told the AP. “Tommy John’s operation 50 years ago was September 25th, 1974. So Ohtani will be throwing his first sim game 50 years almost to the date of the first Tommy John, which is pretty wild.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="rQszuO">Roberts on Monday was asked about the possibility of Ohtani facing hitters as part of his rehab later this season.</p>
<p id="URMtXb">“I think with Shohei, anything is possible, but I haven’t head that one,” Roberts said. “If that’s what Dr. ElAttrache says, he’s the expert.”</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/18/24104625/shohei-ohtani-throwing-program-dodgers-elbow-surgeryEric Stephen2024-03-18T04:03:00-07:002024-03-18T04:03:00-07:00Shohei Ohtani is beloved in South Korea
<figure>
<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Kiwoom Heroes" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6_T_Z7slv97FPjcLaw5utLrW7nc=/0x0:3609x2406/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214683/2090548370.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="YmEIHD">When the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> landed at Incheon International Airport, they were greeted to a barrage of media and fans and were treated as celebrities. </p>
<p id="t9v2Cz">The one player who stood out among the crowd of anxious fans waiting to see the Dodgers in person was Shohei Ohtani, who is arguably South Korea’s favorite Japanese athlete. Ohtani has reciprocated the love and admiration he has received from Korean fans, which has only helped increase the amount of support for both him and the Dodgers alike. </p>
<p id="uBWp1T">Hyung-Jin Kim of the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-korea-japan-mlb-f49f3172373dbc5257af96c488aa8cbe">writes about the amount of fanaticism surrounding Ohtani in South Korea</a>. </p>
<blockquote><p id="pMGwGB"><em>“Our social atmosphere has often made it difficult for us to openly say we like Japan,” said Lee Jong-Sung, a sports culture expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University. “I think Ohtani would perhaps be the first Japanese athlete who we can say we like. Maybe, some even consider him an honorary Korean citizen.”</em></p></blockquote>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="rhMAyd">
<p id="GB18yf">With Walker Buehler set to begin the season on the injured list and with Emmet Sheehan landing on the IL to open the season, Gavin Stone will likely be the fifth starter for the Dodgers to open the season. </p>
<p id="ah8lBA">Bill Plunkett <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2024/03/17/former-big-leaguer-on-korean-team-gets-better-of-dodgers-shohei-ohtani/">of the Orange County Register wrote about Stone’s growth since last season</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="Xx4FyJ"><em>“I think with Gavin, like a lot of our young pitchers, just kind of sharpening up the command,” Roberts said of the difference in Stone this spring. “I use that word a lot because it’s important. For Gavin Stone in particular, the low dart, the fastball down at the knees, the changeup off of that, the cutter to the lefty. I just think for me, there’s just a lot less arm-side misses. He’s been able to repeat his delivery. So for me, that shows a lot of growth for him.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="EbLUv3"></p>
<p id="sluIMU"></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/18/24104414/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-gavin-stoneJacob Macofsky2024-03-18T02:50:00-07:002024-03-18T02:50:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Team Korea game chat
<figure>
<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v. Kiwoom Heroes" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xOQALZ-nEZ4sFnjeZ5s0RNd56w8=/0x0:6201x4134/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214567/2084194475.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="UQt8RK">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> take on the Korean national team in their second and final exhibition game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.</p>
<p id="RfBeGd">Bobby Miller, with a secure spot in the rotation, is on the mound for this one, slated to go five innings. Gavin Stone, the likely fifth-starter favorite, will follow Miller on the mound and pitch three or four innings. Dave Roberts said before the game J.P. Feyereisen might also have an opportunity to pitch in this game, too.</p>
<p id="gbXGKO">Same lineup for the Dodgers as Saturday/Sunday.</p>
<div id="E6fHWu">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Set your alarms.<br><br>Here's today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeoulSeries?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeoulSeries</a> Dodgers lineup vs. Team Korea: <a href="https://t.co/XRkxw6vvcW">pic.twitter.com/XRkxw6vvcW</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1769590042941624370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h3 id="GoSRG8">Game info</h3>
<ul>
<li id="ZL3WE1">Teams: Dodgers vs. Korean national team</li>
<li id="tQFNfP">Stadium: Gocheok Sky Dome, South Korea</li>
<li id="ipxAAz">Time: 3:07 a.m. PT</li>
<li id="yx3Lxu">TV: SportsNet LA</li>
</ul>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/18/24104613/dodgers-korea-game-chatEric Stephen2024-03-16T23:06:18-07:002024-03-16T23:06:18-07:00Freddie Freeman & friends power Dodgers over Kiwoom
<figure>
<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Kiwoom Heroes" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I0vyGvMsMjJFqianL0pfXwTd7Kc=/0x0:3540x2360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212733/2090301573.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jason Heyward (3 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBI), Gavin Lux (2 hits, 2 RBI) also shine in exhibition win over Kiwoom Heroes</p> <p id="3KEmB3">Nine different <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> scored in their 14-3 win over the Kiwoom Heroes to kick off the exhibition portion of the Seoul Series on Sunday afternoon in South Korea (Saturday night in Los Angeles).</p>
<p id="aWTn8n">The first run of the Dodgers’ trip came fairly quickly, thanks to Freddie Freeman. The first baseman launched a ball off the scoreboard down the right field line for a solo home run.</p>
<div id="hD92LB">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">New country, same Freddie. <a href="https://t.co/qva4Jot3w3">pic.twitter.com/qva4Jot3w3</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1769200537906626737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="i09yHI">Freeman nearly hit another ball out to right field in the fourth inning, but he settled for a double off the wall. In the seventh, Freeman even added a dribbler up the vacant third base line for an infield single, and also walked.</p>
<p id="LnXXv9">Ariel Jurado, the Panamanian right-hander who pitched parts of three seasons in the majors (2018-20) and led Kiwoom last season in starts (30), innings (183⅔), and wins (11), was touched up for four runs in his four innings of work. The Dodgers scored in each of the first three innings off of Jurado, who walked four.</p>
<p id="XHKWys">But Jurado <em>also</em> struck out Shohei Ohtani swinging twice, which is a nice feather to have in one’s cap. When Jurado was with the Rangers in 2018-19, he held Ohtani to just a single and double in 11 at-bats, with three strikeouts.</p>
<p id="AqXLdr">Ohtani batted just those two times on Saturday/Sunday, which manager Dave Roberts mentioned before the game was part of the plan. To keep the entire roster involved, and given that it is still only an exhibition, only Freeman, Jason Heyward, and Gavin Lux played all nine innings.</p>
<p id="1llLVy">Heyward doubled twice, singled, and drove in four runs. Lux doubled, singled, and drove in a pair.</p>
<p id="UgbwvW">Freeman got his work in, batting seven times from the third spot in the batting order, as the Dodgers had 17 hits and 11 walks.</p>
<h3 id="ZnFz6e">What a relief?</h3>
<p id="YQE7FU">Michael Grove got the start on the mound in Saturday’s exhibition, but this was really a bullpen game for the Dodgers, who used seven pitchers to cover the nine innings. He did quite well, retiring all six batters he faced, with four strikeouts, all swinging, including fanning all three batters in the second inning.</p>
<div id="R62rtJ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final line: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 Ks<a href="https://t.co/bvLFz8c4s4">pic.twitter.com/bvLFz8c4s4</a></p>— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsNetLA/status/1769219416947114221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="2sJHPf">Grove was at least nominally still in the conversation for the fifth-starter spot to open the season, with <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/9/24095538/emmet-sheehan-injured-list-dodgers-dave-roberts">both Emmet Sheehan</a> <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/2/3/24060808/walker-buehler-injured-list-dodgers-2024-season-start-innings-limit">and Walker Buehler</a> set to begin on the injured list. But it sounds like Grove’s best path toward an active roster spot once the games count could be pitching in short bursts out of the bullpen.</p>
<p id="8KG3a2">“Michael to be able to go one inning, two innings, three innings as a bridge guy right now makes a lot of sense given the construction of our pitching right now,” Roberts told reporters during his pregame conference on Saturday. “He is certainly a viable option for the pen for us to start the season.”</p>
<p id="j0HYxD">With Grove potentially in the bullpen, and with apologies to Kyle Hurt and the already-optioned Landon Knack, that leaves Gavin Stone as the clear favorite for a rotation spot to open the season once the club gets back to Los Angeles. One could argue that Stone was already the favorite regardless of the plans for Grove.</p>
<p id="9BdBdd">“We’ve got Gavin built up to four innings, potentially five,” Roberts said before Saturday’s game. “If it goes well, we could see him in that fourth or fifth spot.”</p>
<p id="7GZE4b">Hurt, who might also be active in the bullpen for at least the two regular season games against the Padres, was impressive in his own right. He retired all seven batters he faced, closing out the game with a spotless, five-strikeout effort.</p>
<div id="btFCYx">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Dodgers still view Kyle Hurt’s projection as a starter, but Dave Roberts said it’s a “very good possibility” he is an option in their bullpen when the season opens here in Seoul in a couple days.</p>— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabianArdaya/status/1769251697195704626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h3 id="52IhG4">A new intro</h3>
<p id="IT9B0I">Saturday night marked the first telecast of the year for Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser, who opened their SportsNet LA broadcast with a recorded opening while standing on the field, akin to <a href="https://youtu.be/mkujVk-c56Q?si=YY_2CBxPmi8J0eML&t=130">the old NBC Game of the Week telecasts on Saturdays in the 1980s</a>.</p>
<p id="ZEdxZo">I don’t remember such an opening before on a SportsNet LA telecast — the usual opening comes from the booth, with the announcers facing the camera with their backs to the field — but then again I am getting older and the memory fades. Whether new or not, it was a nice touch.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser open the SportsNet LA broadcast of the Dodgers vs. Kiwoom Heroes exhibition game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul South Korea on March 17, 2024." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Oq_njIJGNC7LzcqvTIZqMGVpdKw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25340378/joe_davis_orel_hershiser_sportsnela_open_dodgers_kiwoom_heroes_exhibition_031624.png">
<figcaption>Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser open the SportsNet LA broadcast of the Dodgers vs. Kiwoom Heroes exhibition game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul South Korea on March 17, 2024.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="zCrm4p">Up next</h3>
<p id="h3Ha1m">The Dodgers have one more exhibition game remaining, playing the Korean national team on Monday night in Seoul, which is Monday <em>morning</em> in Los Angeles (<a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/15/24099155/dodgers-south-korea-schedule-games-tv">3:07 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA</a>). Bobby Miller gets the start for the Dodgers and should pitch four or five innings, and Stone will also pitch.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/16/24103485/dodgers-freddie-freeman-home-run-michael-grove-bullpenEric Stephen2024-03-16T19:45:00-07:002024-03-16T19:45:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Kiwoom Heroes game chat
<figure>
<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers Workout" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1TP-1StuTvl0aEMJ1shbDzzV6aA=/0x0:6626x4417/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212591/2088663217.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="BbtXo8">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> play the first of two exhibition games in Seoul, taking on the Kiwoom Heroes in their home stadium, the Gocheok Sky Dome. The game starts at just after noon local time in South Korea, but 8:07 p.m. PT.</p>
<p id="cG7jB7">Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser call their first game of the year for SportsNet LA.</p>
<p id="LhQPB5">This will be a bullpen game for the Dodgers, With Michael Grove on the mound first, with Dave Roberts saying Saturday evening that Grove will pitch two inings. Ryan Brasier, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Joe Kelly, and <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/16/24092824/daniel-hudson-dodgers-bullpen-miguel-vargas-andre-lipcius">the newly-rostered Daniel Hudson</a> are also scheduled to pitch, and perhaps Kyle Hurt as well.</p>
<p id="vaunSm">The Dodgers lineup sure looks like the one that will be used on opening day.</p>
<div id="6UvMDX">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let’s do this.<br><br>Tonight’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeoulSeries?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeoulSeries</a> Dodgers lineup at Kiwoom Heroes: <a href="https://t.co/bzA49laPPl">pic.twitter.com/bzA49laPPl</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1769155769738629390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h3 id="GoSRG8">Game info</h3>
<ul>
<li id="ZL3WE1">Teams: Dodgers vs. Kiwoom Heroes</li>
<li id="tQFNfP">Stadium: Gocheok Sky Dome, South Korea</li>
<li id="ipxAAz">Time: 8:07 p.m. PT</li>
<li id="yx3Lxu">TV: SportsNet LA</li>
</ul>
https://www.truebluela.com/24103451/dodgers-kiwoom-heroes-game-chatEric Stephen2024-03-16T18:46:00-07:002024-03-16T18:46:00-07:00Daniel Hudson added to Dodgers roster, Miguel Vargas optioned
<figure>
<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Texas Rangers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ndvo5RVzTKPzuW6LxBAq-crmj6I=/0x0:4488x2992/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212396/2055606827.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Infielder Andre Lipcius was designated for assignment</p> <p id="1RXmJC">After two knee injuries robbed him of nearly all of the last season and a half, Daniel Hudson is healthy again and ready to give it one more go with the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>. The veteran right-hander made the team as a non-roster invitee, and is back in the bullpen for Los Angeles.</p>
<p id="414bQV">The Dodgers officially added Hudson to the roster on Saturday. To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Andre Lipcius was designated for assignment. In a separate move, Miguel Vargas was optioned.</p>
<p id="7tBBs2">Hudson was a steady presence in Cactus League games, pitching in six games, with either two or three days in between appearances. He allowed two runs on five hits in 5⅓ innings in those games, with seven strikeouts and three walks, including two strikeouts in each of his last two appearances on Saturday and Tuesday.</p>
<p id="QeQ9CL">After the Dodgers declined his club option in November, Hudson <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/12/13/23956142/daniel-hudson-dodgers-minor-league-contract">re-signed on a minor league deal on December 12</a> that will pay him a $2 million base salary in the majors, plus an opportunity to earn up to a reported $2 million more in incentives.</p>
<p id="7BnseD">Hudson tore the ACL in his left knee in June 2022, and <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/6/30/23779533/dodgers-roster-daniel-hudson-activated-injured-list-ricky-vanasco-nick-robertson">surgery knocked him out for a year</a>. Once he finally returned to the Dodgers in June 2023, his comeback lasted only three games before <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/7/6/23786588/daniel-hudson-injured-list-mcl-sprain-right-knee">spraining the MCL in his <em>right</em> knee</a>. Though he pitched on a rehab assignment in Triple-A late in the season, Hudson didn’t make it back to the majors last season.</p>
<p id="hEhH8a">Hudson, who turned 37 on March 9, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-03-07/dodgers-daniel-hudson-knee-injuries-comeback-reliever-bullpen">talked to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times this spring about his return to the Dodgers</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="RzjpWE"><em>“I’ve been through so much, and when I get hurt, I really get hurt,” Hudson said. “That’s the frustrating thing ... I really, really wish that I could have, like, four- to six-week injuries instead of a freaking year.</em></p>
<p id="6eFV2O"><em>“But like I said, I just didn’t want to go out like that. So, you know, if we decide in a week or two that it’s just not working, I’m more than happy with what I’ve done in my career. I just wanted to give it one more shot.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p id="1scm56">When healthy the last two seasons, Hudson was one of the Dodgers’ most effective relievers, with a 1.98 ERA and 31.5-percent strikeout rate in 27⅓ innings, with 35 strikeouts and eight walks in his 28 appearances, including six saves.</p>
<p id="7N47TA">The Dodgers <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/4/24090484/andre-lipcius-trade-dodgers-tigers-clayton-kershaw">acquired Lipcius from the Tigers for cash on March 4</a>, a few days after he was designated for assignment by Detroit. Lipcius appeared in three Cactus Legue games in his week-plus with the Dodgers, playing third base and second base. Lipcius, who <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/10/24092795/dodgers-roster-cuts-matt-gage-andre-lipcius-spring-training">was optioned on March 10</a>, was <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/15/24099213/dodgers-travel-roster-south-korea-padres">not on the 31-player travel roster to South Korea</a>.</p>
<p id="jsYhXZ">Vargas <em>is</em> with the Dodgers in Seoul, but his getting optioned means he won’t be active for the two regular season games against the Padres. He is eligible to play in the two exhibition games though, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/15/24099155/dodgers-south-korea-schedule-games-tv">against the Kiwoom Heroes and the Korea national team</a>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/3/16/24092824/daniel-hudson-dodgers-bullpen-miguel-vargas-andre-lipciusEric Stephen