Dodgers spring notes: Clayton Kershaw, Joe Wieland, Julio Urias, ties

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers played to their third tie in four days on Tuesday, a 2-2 draw against the Rockies at Camelback Ranch. Clayton Kershaw, in his second start of the spring, was stretched out to three innings a full 27 days before his scheduled opening day start on April 6.

Kershaw threw 46 pitches in his three innings of work, allowing a run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. The run was a solo home run by Nick Hundley in the third inning, a curve ball pulled to left field for Kershaw's first run allowed this spring.

"I thought he looked good, sharp," manager Don Mattingly said. "I think Hundley hit a good pitch."

A.J. Ellis doubled in one of his two at-bats, and caught Kershaw for a second straight start, but Mattingly said not to read anything into that pairing, again shying away from the official sanction of personal catchers. Yasmani Grandal is expected to catch Kershaw in his next start, which will likely be Sunday against the Mariners in Peoria.

"Yasmani will get him next time out," Mattingly said. "You want him to be able to catch him out there so they can be on the same page as they work through stuff."

Joe Wieland, one of several "next man up" candidates for the starting rotation depth chart, threw two scoreless innings, retiring all six batters he faced, including four ground balls and a strikeout.

Wieland spent his last two springs rehabbing elbow surgeries, and is now healthy and competing.

"I'm sure he's happy to be getting out there and getting to work, having a more normal spring instead of having a rehab spring," Mattingly said. "He's a guy we talked about, along the lines of [Brandon] McCarthy and [Brett] Anderson, that throw the ball where they want. They can get the ball to both sides of the plate, and can spin it. We think that works."

Notes

Mike Adams is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Wednesday, his final step before appearing in games.

Scott Schebler hit an eighth-inning home run to tie the game, his first of the spring to go along with a team-leading three doubles.

I enjoyed this exchange during the SportsNet LA broadcast of the game. When Pedro Baez was pitching, Kevin Kennedy mentioned that Baez in 2014 threw 291 four-seam fastballs and on said fastballs he averaged 96 mph. Rick Monday, on play-by-play and without missing a beat, said, "He averaged 96, but there is nothing average about 96." Those two have excellent rapport in the booth.

Dodgers pitchers retired 15 of the final 16 Rockies batters on Tuesday, and the only one who reached was immediately erased on a double play. Paco Rodriguez stood out by striking out all three hitters faced in the eighth.

Julio Urias is slated to pitch against the Cubs in Mesa on Wednesday, and will be stretched out since he is on a starter's workload program, though Mattingly said that might not mean three innings during tomorrow's game. Urias might pitch two innings, followed by work in the bullpen.

Up next

Zack Greinke makes his 2015 Cactus League debut on Wednesday afternoon against the Cubs, facing the man who helped set the parameters of Greinke's opt-out decision after 2015, in Jon Lester.