True Blue LA - Mar. 20: Royals 7, Dodgers 2Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2013-03-20T17:28:11-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/38927272013-03-20T17:28:11-07:002013-03-20T17:28:11-07:00Notes: Puig, Hanley, Greinke, Gordon
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<figcaption>Eric Stephen | True Blue LA</figcaption>
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<p>The Cuban outfielder is now hitting .521, the $147 man may not have to be placed on the disabled list after all, plus some news on a pair of injured shortstops.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> fell to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a> 7-2 on Wednesday in Surprise, but the story continues to be <span>Yasiel Puig</span>. The 22-year-old Cuban outfielder tripled, singled and hit a sacrifice fly in his three plate appearances on Wednesday, and is hitting a cool .521/.500/.854 in the Cactus League.</p>
<p>That's 25 hits in 48 at-bats.</p>
<p><span>Wade Davis</span> walked four but he allowed no hits in 12 at-bats to the Dodgers not named Puig on Wednesday, while Puig was 2-for-2 against him.</p>
<p>"He was facing a good big league pitcher today in Wade Davis and he continues to look good," manager Don Mattingly said. "Again we just keep building up expectations. If he doesn't hit .500 now, he's terrible."</p>
<p>Puig is on the travel roster to Tucson on Thursday, while shortstop <span>Dee Gordon</span> is not. Gordon was originally slated to make the trip but a left ankle sprain changed those plans. But the move was more precautionary than anything, and Gordon participated in workouts on Wednesday morning.</p>
<p>"He was doing all of our bunt plays. It wasn't like we had him off to the side watching. He was doing everything," Mattingly said. "He doesn't go to Tucson, but he'll be ready to go Friday."</p>
<p>In other ailing Dodgers shortstop news, Mattingly said the MRI exam for <span>Hanley Ramirez</span> will scheduled for 7 p.m. in Phoenix on Wednesday night, so it's unlikely we will get results on the severity of his thumb injury until Thursday.</p>
<p>While Matingly and the Dodgers were in Surprise, <span>Zack Greinke</span> and <span>A.J. Ellis</span> were back at Camelback Ranch in a minor league game. Greinke <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2013/3/20/4128994/zack-greinke-elbow-dodgers-return">threw 43 pitches in four scoreless innings</a>, and Mattingly got good reports. He said Greinke was able to use all of his pitches and was sitting around 91-93 mph.</p>
<p>Greinke will next start Monday, and though there is a possibility that the Dodgers may have him throw in a minor league game in order to have the option to back date him on the disabled list, Mattingly hinted that might not be needed.</p>
<p>"We'll keep playing all the scenarios as we go. The health theory is that we'd like to see him on the front fields. I think he wants to be on the front fields, too," Mattingly said. "At this point if something flares up it's probably more than a start anyway, so the DL is not going to matter."</p>
<p>Greinke will have two more spring starts, on Mar. 25 and Mar. 30. If he doesn't go on the disabled list, the earliest he could start in the regular season is Apr. 5 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a>. Mattingly was asked whether Greinke would be built up in time for that regular season debut with just two more starts.</p>
<p>"He just threw 40 in four. I think he's looking at 90 pitches as seven innings. I think that's the way he looks at it," Mattingly said. "That's pretty much a full outing, 90 pitches. It's pretty close."</p>
<h3>Up next</h3>
<p>The Dodgers head to Tucson on Thursday to face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> in a game benefiting the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation. <span>Stephen Fife</span> starts on the mound and will be followed by five yet to be named pitchers from minor league camp. <span>Scott Feldman</span> starts for the Cubs.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/3/20/4129330/yasiel-puig-zack-greinke-dodgers-spring-training-2013Eric Stephen2013-03-20T12:51:36-07:002013-03-20T12:51:36-07:00Harang switched numbers for Nuxhall
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Aaron Harang switched numbers from 44 to 41 this season for the Dodgers, thanks to an old friendship with Reds legend Joe Nuxhall in Cincinnati.</p> <p><span>Aaron Harang</span> gets the start for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on Wednesday in Surprise against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a>. He was one of a few Dodgers to change his uniform number this season, switching from 44 to 41. Since it was highly unlikely that non-roster invitee <span>Dallas McPherson</span> (who has been released by the Dodgers) forced the change, I decided to ask Harang the reason for the number switch. What was found was a personal relationship dating back to his days in Cincinnati.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h2>Starting Lineups</h2>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="left" bgcolor="#157dec" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="left" bgcolor="#000572" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Royals</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Schumaker (L)</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Gordon (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Ellis</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Escobar</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Kemp</td>
<td>DH</td>
<td>Butler</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Moustakas (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DH</td>
<td>Hairston</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Perez</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Cruz</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Cain</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Puig</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Francoeur</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Punto (S)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Johnson (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Federowicz</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Giavotella</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<span>Harang vs. Davis in Surprise</span>
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<p>Joe Nuxhall was the youngest pitcher ever to appear in a major league game, at just 15 when he pitched one game for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> in 1944. Nuxhall found his way back to the Reds at age 23, and won 135 games in a 16-year career, all but about a year and a half in Cincinnati.</p>
<p>Nuxhall moved to the broadcast booth in 1967 and called Reds games for 38 years, including Harang's first two seasons in Cincinnati, in 2003-2004. The two struck up a friendship that lasted until Nuxhall's death in 2007. Harang has donated to Nuxhall's charity foundation, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/nuxproject.html">the Miracle Fields</a> in and around Cincinnati, and still keeps in touch with his son to this day.</p>
<p>"He was just a special guy in general," Harang said. "Everybody who came in contact with him thought the world of him."</p>
<p>In 2008, Harang won the Joe Nuxhall Good Guy Award from the Cincinnati chapter of the BBWAA, an award that has special to him.</p>
<p>"It was just cool that I can have something to tie to such a special person," Harang said. "He meant so much to Cincinnati in general, but baseball as well. It's an honor to be tied to someone like that."</p>
<p>Harang wore number 39 during his time in Cincinnati, the same number Nuxhall wore in 1944 and from 1952-1960.</p>
<p>"At the time I didn't think anything of it when I got the number and then I remember him telling me it was his number when he first came up," Harang said. "Then I found out later on that he had 41 as well."</p>
<p>When Harang moved to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> he picked number 41, the number Nuxhall wore from 1962-1966. When he came to the Dodgers in 2012, number 39 was not an option since it was retired for Roy Campanella. Harang tried to bribe Rubby De La Rosa to switch from number 41, but De La Rosa wouldn't budge. Harang settled for number 44.</p>
<p>But with De La Rosa now with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> after last August's nine-player blockbuster trade, Harang seized the opportunity to honor his friend.</p>
<h3>Notes</h3>
<ul>
<li>With Dee Gordon still nursing a left ankle sprain and an early bus to Tucson on Thursday morning, he has been scratched from making the trip. <span>Juan Uribe</span> will take Gordon's place on the roster for Tucson's game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> to benefit the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation.</li>
<li> <span>Chad Billingsley</span> threw a bullpen session, sans curve balls, without any pain on Wednesday, and remains in line to start on Saturday. Both Billingsley and <span>Hyun-jin Ryu</span> will start on Saturday, one against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">White Sox</a> and one on the back fields at Camelback Ranch.</li>
<li>Scheduled to follow Harang on the mound on Wednesday in Surprise are <span>Ronald Belisario</span>, <span>Matt Guerrier</span>, <span>Kenley Jansen</span>, and Kevin Gregg. All four relievers will pitch back-to-back on Thursday in a simulated game against <span>Carl Crawford</span> and <span>Tim Federowicz</span> at Camelback Ranch.</li>
<li>Suited up for the Dodgers from the minor league side on Wednesday are pitchers <span>Yimi Garcia</span> and <span>Eric Eadington</span>; catcher Wilkin Castillo, infielders <span>Omar Luna</span>, <span>Miguel Rojas</span>, <span>O`Koyea Dickson</span>, and <span>C.J. Retherford</span>; and outfielders <span>Nick Buss</span> and <span>Brian Cavazos-Galvez</span>.<br>
</li>
<li> <span>Wade Davis</span> starts for the Royals, and will be followed by J.C. Gutierrez, <span>Tim Collins</span>, <span>Donnie Joseph</span>, and <span>Louis Coleman</span>.<br>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Game info</h3>
<p>Time: 1:05 p.m. PT</p>
<p>TV: none</p>
<p>Radio: MLB.com (Royals broadcast)</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_03_20_lanmlb_kcamlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB Gameday</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/3/20/4128474/aaron-harang-joe-nuxhallEric Stephen2013-03-20T09:09:04-07:002013-03-20T09:09:04-07:00Puig batting 7th against KC
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Zack Greinke won't be in Surprise with the Dodgers, but Yasiel Puig will, batting seventh and playing right field against the Royals.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> travel to Surprise on Wednesday afternoon to battle the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a>, and while many will remain at Camelback Ranch to see <span>Zack Greinke</span> pitch in a minor league game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">White Sox</a> at the same time, those who hit the road will be given the gift of Puig.</p>
<p><span>Yasiel Puig</span> is back in the lineup on Wednesday, hitting seventh for the Dodgers against Kansas City. For those wondering, he is also listed on the travel roster for Thursday's game in Tucson.</p>
<p><span>Aaron Harang</span> gets the start for the Dodgers, while <span>Wade Davis</span> starts for Kansas City. Here are Wednesday's lineups:</p>
<h3>Dodgers</h3>
<p>Schumaker LF<br>Ellis 2B<br>Kemp CF<br>Gonzalez 1B<br>Hairston DH<br>Cruz SS<br>Puig RF<br>Punto 3B<br>Federowicz C</p>
<p><span>Luis Cruz</span> was originally going to start at third base, but has been moved to shortstop with <span>Nick Punto</span> at third. There hasn't yet been an update on the thumb injury suffered by <span>Hanley Ramirez</span>, but one has to wonder if Cruz might shift to shortstop if Ramirez misses an extended period of time.</p>
<p>Also slated to pitch for the Dodgers are <span>Ronald Belisario</span>, <span>Matt Guerrier</span>, and <span>Kevin Gregg</span>.</p>
<h3>Royals</h3>
<p>Gordon LF<br>Escobar SS<br>Butler DH<br>Moustakas 3B<br>Perez C<br>Cain CF<br>Francoeur RF<br>Johnson 1B<br>Giavotella 2B</p>
<p>For that minor league game back at Camelback Ranch, Zack Greinke is scheduled to throw roughly three innings and 45 pitches against White Sox minor leaguers, and <span>A.J. Ellis</span> will catch him. Also slated to pitch on the minor league side are <span>Brandon League</span> and <span>J.P. Howell</span>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/3/20/4127664/spring-training-2013-dodgers-royals-starting-lineupsEric Stephen