Dodgers Week 24: Rain delays, a bone bruise, and more doubles

The Dodgers split six games on their last East Coast road trip of the season, enduring an injury scare with Mookie Betts (who missed two games with a bone bruise in his foot before returning Sunday) and three long rain delays in three days in Washington D.C.

That all paled in comparison to how the week started, with Julio Urías getting arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence on Sunday night. He was placed on administrative leave by MLB on Wednesday which, given the timing of the schedule, will almost certainly end his tenure with the Dodgers.

But as for what happened on the field, we’ve got you covered here.

Batter of the week

A number of candidates made strong cases this week, and not just the usual battle between Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. We’ll go with Chris Taylor here, who homered twice and led the team with eight RBI, continuing a solid run at the plate for the last month or so.

Pitcher of the week

Ryan Pepiot started the week in the minor leagues, busy not accruing major league service time. But after Urías was placed on administrative leave, that opened the door for Pepiot to return inside of the required 15 days on option. Pepiot made the most of it and then some, retiring his first 20 batters faced in a win over the Marlins. He allowed a two-out single in the seventh to Josh Bell, but settled for seven scoreless innings, extending his scoreless streak to 12 innings.

Week 24 results

3-3 record
38 runs scored (6.33 per game)
32 runs allowed (5.33 per game)
.578 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

87-55 record
800 runs scored (5.63 per game)
628 runs allowed (4.42 per game)
.609 pythagorean win percentage (86-54)

The Dodgers magic number to clinch the National League West is seven.

Miscellany

The 800 club: When Kiké Hernández doubled into the left field corner at Nationals Park in the sixth inning on Sunday to drive in Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers reached 800 runs scored on the season. They rank second in the majors in total runs scored and runs per game (5.63), behind Atlanta in both. Scoring 800 runs, which equates to a hair under five per game over a full season, was a rarity in the Dodgers’ first six decades in Los Angeles, doing so only twice — in 1962, the first year of Dodger Stadium, and in 2006. But this year is marks the fifth full season in a row the team has scored at least 800 runs. It should be noted that the first of his modern run for Los Angeles was in 2018, when the Dodgers totaled 804 runs, but that included five runs in the Game 163 National League West tiebreaker to get there.

Frederick passing Frederick: On Friday night in Washington DC, Freddie Freeman doubled on a ground ball to right center field off Mason Thompson. Freeman’s 53rd double of the season broke the Dodgers single-season doubles record, set by Brooklyn outfielder Johnny Frederick all the way back in 1929. Freeman doubled in three straight games during the week and through Sunday has 54 doubles through 142 team games, already tied for the 12th-most doubles in a season in the 148-year history of the National League.

This is forty: Lance Lynn allowed three home runs in a loss in Miami on Wednesday, the second straight start he failed to complete five innings and the second time in a row he allowed three home runs. On the season, Lynn leads the majors with 40 home runs to go with his 6.09 ERA, including 4.95 in seven starts with the Dodgers. Lynn is the first major league pitcher to allow 40 home runs since Mike Leake in 2019.

Transactions

Wednesday: Julio Urías was placed on the restricted list while on administrative leave under MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy after his arrest on Sunday night. That was the roster mechanism that allowed Ryan Pepiot to be recalled from Triple-A before he completed 15 days on optional assignment.

Friday: This wasn’t technically a transaction, but Walker Buehler’s rehab assignment was shut down. He won’t pitch in 2023, instead focusing his efforts on returning from Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair in 2024.

Friday: J.D. Martinez was activated off the injured list after missing nearly three weeks with left groin tightness, and Michael Busch was optioned.

Sunday: Gus Varland landed on the IL with right knee inflammation, and Wander Suero was called up for a third time this season.

Game results

• Tuesday: Marlins 6, Dodgers 3
• Wednesday: Marlins 11, Dodgers 4
• Thursday: Dodgers 10, Marlins 0
• Friday: Dodgers 8, Nationals 5
• Saturday: Nationals 7, Dodgers 6 (11 innings)
• Sunday: Dodgers 7, Nationals 3

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23

The week ahead

The Dodgers run the Eddie Vedder Joey Cora gauntlet, with three games at home against the Padres before a weekend series in Seattle against the Mariners.