Dodgers notes: Trevor Bauer ‘singled out,’ Luke Raley debut, nightmare concessions

After a report from Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic on Thursday about Major League Baseball confiscating baseballs from Trevor Bauer’s start against the A’s on Wednesday, the Dodgers right-hander blasted the report as a leak from MLB.

One of the issues is that this wasn’t unique to Bauer across the sport in the opening week of the season.

“My understanding is that umpires collect baseballs from all pitchers, balls that were in play, to collect samples,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “I just hope that our players are not singled out. That’s the one thing I want to guard against.”

Roberts said he didn’t know whether Bauer will face discipline, though he didn’t think he would.

“He’s just kind of the only name I’ve heard floated around,” Roberts said.

If Bauer is being singled out by MLB, perhaps as a warning to other pitchers across the league, Barry Petchesky at Defector did a good job of laying out why that would be the case, given Bauer’s outspokenness on the issue in recent years.

Concession nightmare

The Dodgers used a mobile ordering system for the home opener, trying to adhere to social distancing guidelines, even with the reduced capacity of 15,036 fans at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

It did not go well, with crowded concourses and long waits for food.

The Dodgers midgame switched back to a walk-up ordering system that is usually used, and plan to do so going forward.

“After consultation and cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Dodger Stadium will continue with walk-up ordering, as in past seasons, with social distancing and all health and safety guidelines enforced,” the team said in a statement. “Starting tomorrow and moving forward, additional concession locations will be open to better serve Dodger fans.”

This one goes to 11

Luke Raley entered on defense in a double switch in the eighth inning, playing right field in the final two innings in his major league debut. Raley grounded out to shortstop against Nationals right-hander Sam Clay to lead off the ninth in his first major league at-bat.

Raley was drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round in 2016, then traded to Minnesota in 2018 for Brian Dozier, and returned to Los Angeles in the Kenta Maeda trade in 2020.

Raley is the 11th player drafted and signed by the Dodgers in 2016 to reach the major leagues. That matches 1968 as the most players drafted and signed by the Dodgers in one year to reach the majors.

Raley was recalled Friday when Cody Bellinger was placed on the injured list with a left calf contusion.

“We’re not going to push him. You know how we operate,” Roberts said. “Once we get the go-ahead from the training staff for Cody, I know he’s eligible to return Friday, so that’d be the hope, but it’s not a hard date.”

Up next

Julio Urías gets the start for the Dodgers on Saturday night (6:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). The Nationals haven’t yet named a starter for that game, but it could be Patrick Corbin if he is activated.