Dodgers bracketology: 'Tucsonology' decides rosters for Tucson, Rancho Cucamonga games

The Dodgers on Monday morning held their Tucsonology draw, manager Don Mattingly's method of picking which major leaguers make the trip to Thursday's game against the Cubs in Tucson. Proceeds from the game will benefit the Christina-Taylor Green Foundation.

Mattingly held a similar drawing last year, though this year had a twist. Players either volunteered or were drawn for the Tucson trip, a bus ride of over two hours, and when chosen a player got to pick another player as well to make the trip. This year's caveat was that players who weren't chosen for Tucson are ones who will go to Rancho Cucamonga on Mar. 28.

The Dodgers have a split squad that day, with some headed to Anaheim for the opener of the Freeway Series, and others playing the Class-A Quakes at The Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga.

Full rosters for Tucson haven't yet been released, but among the players headed for that game Thursday are Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, A.J. Ellis, Mark Ellis, Skip Schumaker, and Nick Punto. Stephen Fife starts on the mound for the Dodgers. "He was volunteered by (pitching coach Rick) Honeycutt," Mattingly said.

Among the players known to be headed to Rancho Cucamonga are Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Luis Cruz, Jerry Hairston Jr., Juan Uribe, and Dee Gordon. The pitchers are unknown but it looks like Chad Billingsley and Hyun-jin Ryu could be lined up to pitch on Mar. 28.

Notes

• With Josh Beckett scratched from his start Monday, the game against the Diamondbacks is essentially a bullpen game. Josh Wall will start, and will be followed by two more relievers in Paco Rodriguez and Shawn Tolleson.
• Beckett threw 76 pitches in a six-inning simulated game on the back fields, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, and in case you needed visual proof Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register was nice enough to snap a photo.
• Pitchers up from the minor league side for the Dodgers are Red Patterson, Geison Aguasviva, Eric Eadington, and Sean White.
• Other minor league players in uniform for the Dodgers include catcher Chris O'Brien, infielders Brian Barden, Scott Wingo (his first time on the major league side this spring), C.J. Retherford, Miguel Rojas, and Scott Van Slyke; and outfielders Jeremy Moore, Matt Angle, Jeremy Rathjen, and Blake Smith.
  
• Randall Delgado starts for the Diamondbacks, and is expected to be followed by Matt Reynolds and Tony Sipp.
• Kenley Jansen left in a hurry Friday night after he pitched in relief for the Dodgers. Not only was he trying to get to Peoria quickly to meet up with The Netherlands, who were playing an exhibition game against the Mariners, then travel back with them to the World Baseball Classic semifinals, but he was also in touch with his fiancee Candace Cotton, expecting their first child. Cotton gave birth to a baby girl, Natalia Hana, on Saturday.
  

Game info

Time: 1:05 p.m. PT

TV: Prime Ticket

Radio: KLAC 570

MLB Gameday