Andrew Heaney, Dodgers went back to basics this preseason

Andrew Heaney, in search of another fresh start, is open to learning as much as he can with the Dodgers to ensure he finally gets it.

From his starting position on the mound to the movement of his breaking ball, the Dodgers have already begun picking apart Heaney’s mechanics and putting them back together. He’s now standing in the middle of the rubber for each pitch, instead of hopping from side to side with each batter, and trading in his breaking ball for a new pitch called a “sweeper” (or a “whirly,” if you’re a Yankee).

“Last year, I was terrible,” Heaney told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. “And I’m on a one-year deal with a team that’s really good at what they do...When you talk to one person about something, it feels like the next guy you talk to already knows what you’ve talked about.”

The training Heaney has received as a Dodger already seems to be paying off. In his debut with the Dodgers last night, Heaney pitched just over four innings with five strikeouts and three hits.

Dodgers Links

Former Dodgers outfielder Steven Souza claims that the Astros aren’t alone in sign stealing schemes, with more than half the league running similar rackets, writes Matt Young at Chron.

MLB.com’s Juan Toribio offers three takeaways from the first week of the season, including concerns about Julio Urías’s velocity and the Dodgers’ offense.

Maury Wills won’t be able to attend Dodger Stadium’s celebration in his honor this weekend, but he shared the speech he would’ve given at the event with Houston Mitchell at Dodgers Dugout.