True Blue LA - May 27: Dodgers 8, Angels 7Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2013-05-28T12:59:53-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/41343072013-05-28T12:59:53-07:002013-05-28T12:59:53-07:00Matt Kemp continues to struggle
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/umRm_UTFZs-LTno5J4-F2TqrpqI=/0x571:2667x2349/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13767915/169207415.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike McGinnis</figcaption>
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<p>The Dodgers center fielder on Monday <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/8OxI6" target="new">struck out four times in a game for the fourth time in his career</a>, and the first time since 2010.</p> <p><span>Matt Kemp</span> continued his struggles on Monday night. As the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> picked up their most thrilling and perhaps most unlikely victory of the season, a comeback 8-7 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>, Kemp went 0-for-5 and struck out in his final four plate appearances.</p>
<p>Kemp is now hitting just .253/.304/.333 on the season with two home runs in 49 games, and manager Don Mattingly can see the frustration.</p>
<p>"He's not really guys where confidence leaves him, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get chipped away," Mattingly said. "It's been an extended period of time, so I think the confidence has chipped away a little bit."</p>
<p>Kemp's poor start has been a combination of recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, making adjustments, and falling into bad habits. But Mattingly thinks Kemp is getting closer to returning to form, or at least he did prior to Monday's 0-for-5.</p>
<p>"They told me the other day that he'll be able to do some weight training. That's going to be something that helps him. More than anything it tells me the shoulder is healthy," Mattingly said. "The biggest thing with Matt is, I'm not sure about the shoulder, if we've got some bad habits, fighting them still. As much as anything it's pitch selection. When you're swinging at bad balls, I don't care how good you are. Swinging at balls out of the strike zone will hurt you."</p>
<p>After the game, Mattingly was asked if he would consider moving Kemp down in the batting order while struggling. Kemp has started 28 games batting third, 17 games batting cleanup, and two more batting second.</p>
<p>"We're going to need Matt. We've seen that lesson over the years. I just don't give up on that. I'm not going to give up on Matt," Mattingly said. "Matt's going to get going. At certain times I will hit him in different spots trying to take a little pressure off of him and things like that. That's another day."</p>
<p>Kemp is now hitless in his last 12 at-bats with eight strikeouts, and in his last 10 games is 5-for-37 (.135) with 19 strikeouts and three walks. But Mattingly thinks Kemp can turn it around and regain his confidence at the plate.</p>
<p>"I know the confidence doesn't just show up, but it doesn't take much," Mattingly said. "One good day, if all of a sudden he drives a couple of balls to right center, hits a ball to left center and gets that feel, that one day can get you on that path. There it is."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/28/4373538/matt-kemp-don-mattingly-confidence-faithEric Stephen2013-05-27T23:19:43-07:002013-05-27T23:19:43-07:00Punto suffers minor bone bruise in back
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<img alt="This was the play before Punto and Aybar collided at second base." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fm9XtiP_DW1TCO191uNtS64llS0=/89x0:3911x2548/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13739059/169568487.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This was the play before Punto and Aybar collided at second base. | Stephen Dunn</figcaption>
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<p>With Dee Gordon headed to Albuquerque, Punto and Luis Cruz will split time at shortstop until Hanley Ramirez returns, likely in the first week of June.</p> <p>It seems fitting that in a year when the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> have suffered so many injuries, two innings after they optioned <span>Dee Gordon</span> to Triple-A Albuquerque their depth at shortstop became immediately tested. <span>Nick Punto</span> collided with a sliding <span>Erick Aybar</span> for the final out of the second inning in the Dodgers' 8-7 win over the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> on Monday, and landed squarely on his back.</p>
<p>Punto suffered a bone bruise in his back, though it's not something he considers serious.</p>
<p>"As the game was going on it felt alright. As long I kept moving, it felt okay. We'll just see how it feels," Punto said. "I'm sure it's just a bruise, but we'll see."</p>
<p>Punto remained in the game until after the fifth inning, when he was double-switched out of the game.</p>
<p>"It was just getting stiffer and stiffer as the game went on," manager Don Mattingly said of Punto's back.</p>
<p>The move not only moved Luis Cruz to shortstop, but also brought <span>A.J. Ellis</span> into the game for <span>Ramon Hernandez</span> at catcher and <span>Juan Uribe</span> at third base. Managers hate using their backup catchers, always in fear that the second one will get hurt. Had that been the case on Monday, Mattingly would have had to make even more moves.</p>
<p>"I had to keep <span>Jerry (Hairston)</span> in the game and I was kind of down to my list third baseman there. Then when I used A.J. to double in, it puts me in danger, because Cruzie is my backup catcher and Papi goes to short," Mattingly said. "None of those things happened, so that's good."</p>
<p>Papi, in case you were wondering, is Uribe.</p>
<p>Punto if healthy will likely start roughly two of every three games at shortstop until <span>Hanley Ramirez</span> returns, with Cruz starting the rest. Cruz returned the lineup for the first time in 10 days on Monday and contributed with a hit and a walk.</p>
<p>"I felt really good at the plate today. I've been working every day during the games. It was a good day for me to play today," Cruz said. "I was waiting for the chance again. I knew they would give me another chance. I just had to keep fighting and fighting, and hopefully I can keep doing what I did today."</p>
<p>The walk for Cruz was his first unintentional walk since Aug. 29, 2012. But he said he didn't change his approach against <span>Michael Kohn</span>, who has walked eight in 13⅓ innings this season and had walked four of his previous 11 batters faced.</p>
<p>"I was seeing the ball better. When your timing is right you start seeing the ball better and recognize pitches, and movement," Cruz said. "It was one of those days today I think will help me tomorrow and have that confidence to go to the plate."</p>
<p>Mattingly was happy to see some positive results for Cruz, who is hitting just .105 (8-for-76) this season.</p>
<p>"I'm happy for him to be able to get a hit and a walk, and make a couple of plays. Hopefully it kind of gets him going in the right direction," Mattingly said. "We'll see what happens with Nick tomorrow, and see where we're at. With the move we made today, it's more playing time (for Cruz)."</p>
<p>As for Punto, he was 0-for-3 but still scored a run. He said he plans to play on Tuesday, and was excited for the win on Monday.</p>
<p>"It was great. That was a great game for us. We were down 6-1, and we were just fighting the whole time. It's kind of what the manager wants to see and what we expect to do the rest of the year. We had no quit, and kept fighting. It was a great game, the bullpen was excellent," Punto said. "Hopefully we'll catch some momentum from that and start playing some good baseball."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/27/4371856/nick-punto-injury-dodgers-bone-bruise-backEric Stephen2013-05-27T22:47:53-07:002013-05-27T22:47:53-07:00Greinke struggles, Dodgers not worried
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<figcaption>Stephen Dunn</figcaption>
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<p>Greinke has allowed 11 runs and 19 hits in eight innings to his two previous teams over his last two starts. But he called it a coincidence. "I switch the game plan up a lot, so if you go into a game counting on me doing one thing I might be doing that, but I might not," said Greinke.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> pulled out their biggest comeback victory of the season on Monday night, so it was easier to live with starting pitcher <span>Zack Greinke's</span> short outing. But even allowing six runs on 10 hits in just over four innings wasn't enough to discourage Greinke or manager Don Mattingly.</p>
<p>"Last time I pitched terrible and the results were what they should have been. Today I felt pretty good, but the results didn't say that. Even the outs were hard outs," Greinke said. "I felt like I was throwing the ball well but they were hitting the ball hard."</p>
<p>Greinke allowed five doubles on the night and has allowed 11 runs and 19 hits in eight innings over his last two starts. But Mattingly saw a difference in stuff on Monday from Greinke.</p>
<p>"I never get too worried about Zack. He's going to compete and get to where he needs to get to," Mattingly said. "Even sending him back out there at 50-something pitches when he had given up six runs, you felt like he was going to get them out."</p>
<p>But after allowing a single to <span>Howie Kendrick</span> and a walk to <span>Alberto Callaspo</span> to open the fifth, Greinke's night was done. <span>Matt Guerrier</span> entered, got a double play ball and struck out <span>C.J. Wilson</span> to end the threat. The Dodgers bullpen combined to allow one run and five baserunners in five innings.</p>
<p>Greinke at this point is 2-1 with a 4.38 ERA through five starts, and has averaged just under five innings per start. But Mattingly feels his second ace will round into form soon.</p>
<p>"It's really been a backwards year from the beginning. He had the elbow thing going on, and he was pushing his way through spring training trying to get ready for his first start. Then two starts in we're at collarbone surgery," Mattingly said. "I feel like he's been behind the eight ball the whole year. But I do think he'll get where he wants to get to and he'll get where we want him to get to."</p>
<p>Greinke was happy that the team won.</p>
<p>"We haven't had many rallies like that, and down by a lot too. Down by one or two, it's one thing. But when you're down by a lot and come back on a good pitcher, it's a good sign," Greinke said. "I feel like we've been playing pretty good lately, not just today. We've been playing pretty well for a while. Not the best we can, but we've been playing pretty good baseball."</p>
<h3>Up next</h3>
<p>The Dodgers sent Hyun-jin Ryu to the mound on Tuesday night, the final game in Los Angeles before the Freeway Series shifts to Anaheim for two contests. Old friend <span>Joe Blanton</span> gets the call for the Angels.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/27/4371828/zack-greinke-struggles-dodgers-angelsEric Stephen2013-05-27T20:51:20-07:002013-05-27T20:51:20-07:00Dodgers 8, Angels 7
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<figcaption>Stephen Dunn</figcaption>
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<p>The 11 doubles combined by both teams (six by the Dodgers) set a Dodger Stadium record.</p> <p>Monday night at Dodger Stadium was easily the wildest game of the year for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, a game about which a quick, at-the-moment recap doesn't do anything close to justice. Dodger Stadium on Memorial Day felt as crazy and electric as the 4+1 game nearly seven years ago, and after the highs and lows settled the Dodgers beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> 8-7 in the opener of the Freeway Series.</p>
<p>The first inning was easily the sloppiest baseball played by the Dodgers in one of their messiest of seasons. After a <span>Mike Trout</span> single, <span>Albert Pujols</span> lined a ball to deep center field. <span>Matt Kemp</span> went back on the ball, tracked it and had in his glove before it bounced out, and Pujols was generously given a double. But Kemp's true error on the play was immediately throwing to third base, with no chance to get Trout, which allowed Pujols to amble into second base easily.</p>
<p>With runners on second and third with out out, Greinke struck out <span>Mark Trumbo</span>, but a passed ball by <span>Ramon Hernandez</span> allowed Trout to score. When Hernandez threw wildly to first, not only was Trumbo safe but Pujols scored from second base for a quick 2-0 lead.</p>
<p>Back-to-back doubles by <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> and <span>Scott Van Slyke</span> got the Dodgers on the board in the second inning, but the Angels bludgeoned <span>Zack Greinke</span> with a seemingly endless supply of extra-base hits for a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning.</p>
<p>It looked like the same old script for another disappointing Dodgers loss, one they have seen many times this season.</p>
<p>But after scraping a run across in the fourth inning, the Dodgers turned on the power themselves in the fifth. The inning started with a single from Luis Cruz, his eighth hit of the year and third at home. <span>Juan Uribe</span> followed with a single, then one out later <span>Mark Ellis</span> doubled home two to cut the lead in half at 6-4.</p>
<p>Then Gonzalez and Van Slyke struck again, the former with an RBI single and the latter with a double to score Gonzalez and tie the game.</p>
<p>The sixth inning started with Cruz, making his first start in 10 days, drawing a walk, which snapped a string of 199 consecutive plate appearances without an unintentional free pass. His last unintentional walk came on Aug. 29, 2012. The Dodgers didn't waste that opportunity, as Uribe doubled and <span>A.J. Ellis</span> hit a sacrifice fly to take their first lead at 7-6.</p>
<p>After the Angels tied it in the seventh, the Dodgers struck back in the eighth. Gonzalez singled, advanced to second on a walk by <span>Andre Ethier</span>, then scored on a single by <span>Jerry Hairston</span>.</p>
<h3>Notes</h3>
<ul>
<li>Gonzalez is 9-for-11 with three doubles and two home runs in his last three games.<br>
</li>
<li>Gonzalez scored four runs Monday, <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/yzyHk">the third time in his career he has scored four times in one game</a>.<br>
</li>
<li>Uribe doubled for the fourth straight game, the longest streak of games with an extra-base hit by a Dodger <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?t=b&id=ramirha01&year=2012#964-968-sum">since Hanley Ramirez last Aug. 14-18</a>.</li>
<li>Uribe was also 3-for-3, his first three-hit game since Apr. 23, 2012, when he was 4-for-4 against Atlanta.</li>
<li>Both starting pitchers allowed five extra base hits. Greinke allowed a triple and four doubles; <span>C.J. Wilson</span> allowed five doubles.</li>
<li>Matt Kemp was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.<br>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Monday's particulars</h3>
<p><b>Home runs</b>: none</p>
<p><b>WP - <span>Ronald Belisario</span> (3-4)</b>: 2 up, 2 down</p>
<p><b>LP - Robert Coello (1-1)</b>: 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>Sv - <span>Brandon League</span> (11)</b>: 1 IP, 1 hit</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/27/4371278/adrian-gonzalez-scott-van-syke-dodgers-angelsEric Stephen2013-05-27T16:34:43-07:002013-05-27T16:34:43-07:00Beckett shut down, to have MRI
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<figcaption>Harry How</figcaption>
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<p>Beckett last pitched for the Dodgers on May 13, and is 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA on the season.</p> <p>The good news for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> pitcher <span>Josh Beckett</span> is that his lingering left groin strain has improved. But the starter has been shut down from his throwing program nonetheless and is scheduled to have an MRI.</p>
<p>"The groin has been good, but the arm has been bad," said manager Don Mattingly before Monday night's game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>. "He's still feeling numbness and tenderness in his fingers."</p>
<p>Beckett has been sidelined since May 13. The groin issue and "other stuff," as Beckett called it contributed to his 0-5 record and 5.19 ERA in eight starts this season.</p>
<p>Catching up on other Dodgers injury news...</p>
<ul>
<li>Relief pitcher <span>Scott Elbert</span> will get Monday and Tuesday off but will continue his minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday with Triple-A Albuquerque. Elbert has already pitched eight games on his rehab assignment, which began on May 10. Elbert, recovering from two offseason elbow surgeries, pitched three games with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, then five more with Double-A Chattanooga, including back-to-back days on Saturday and Sunday for the first time since last season.<br><br>"He's still in the medical department. But they're getting pretty confident," Mattingly said. "They just wanted to make sure, with the length of time that he's been out, that he's ready."</li>
<li> <span>Stephen Fife</span> has had a slow recovery from right shoulder bursitis, but was able to throw one simulated game already. Mattingly said Fife will throw another simulated game of approximately 70 pitches at some point this week. Fife last pitched for the Dodgers on Apr. 21.</li>
<li>Dodgers catcher <span>A.J. Ellis</span> isn't so much injured but perhaps a little fatigued. <span>Ramon Hernandez</span> starts at catcher on Monday night, and Mattingly admitted he probably should have rested Ellis on Sunday. Ellis was involved in a home plate collission on Friday night and was hit by a pitch on the left wrist on Sunday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>. Since the home plate collission, Ellis was 0-for-9 with seven strikeouts.<br><br>Ellis is tied for sixth in the majors with 39 starts behind the plate and seventh in MLB with 343 innings caught this season.<br>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Game info</h3>
<p>Time: 5:10 p.m.</p>
<p>TV: Prime Ticket, Fox Sports West</p>
<p><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_05_27_anamlb_lanmlb_1&mode=gameday" target="_blank">MLB Gameday</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/27/4371054/josh-beckett-injury-dodgers-numb-fingers-mriEric Stephen2013-05-27T16:04:40-07:002013-05-27T16:04:40-07:00Cruz gets chance to fight for roster spot
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<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA</figcaption>
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<p>Cruz on Monday will make his first start in 10 days and second start in the last 22 days.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> had a choice to make on Monday before their game against the Angels. Needing a roster spot to activate Jerry Hairston, the Dodgers could have designated the unproductive Luis Cruz for assignment but instead chose to send down Dee Gordon, who had options.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h3>Starting Lineups</h3>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#ce1141" width="125"><font color="#fffff"><b>Angels</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#157dec" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Aybar (S)</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Punto (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Trout</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Ellis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Pujols</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Kemp</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Trumbo</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Hamilton (L)<br>
</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Van Slyke</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Kendrick</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Hernandez</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Callaspo (S)</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Hairston</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Conger (L)<br>
</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Cruz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P</td>
<td>Wilson (S)</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Greinke</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<p>Now, Cruz will back up Nick Punto at shortstop for the next week or so until Hanley Ramirez returns from the disabled list. Cruz got the start on Monday night at third base against the left-handed C.J. Wilson.</p>
<p>"We're trying to still see if Luis can do some things," manager Don Mattingly said. "We've got a lot of lefties coming up."</p>
<p>Cruz is threatening to join <span>Marlon Anderson</span>, <span>Ronnie Belliard</span>, <span>Mike MacDougal</span>, Juan Rivera, and others as surprise successes brought back by general manager Ned Colletti for an ultimately unsuccessful second go-around. Cruz wasn't nearly as expensive as most of that group, but given the offseason roster planning Cruz's lack of success might be the most costly.</p>
<p>After hitting .297/.322/.431 with 20 doubles and 40 RBI in 78 games for the Dodgers in 2012, Cruz was Plan A at third base for the Dodgers in 2013. Unfortunately there wasn't much of a Plan B other than to hope <span>Scott Rolen</span> said yes, so Cruz at 7-for-73 (.096) has been especially crushing to the offense.</p>
<p>"He has struggled. I know Luis is frustrated,"Mattingly said on Sunday. "He's been working hard."</p>
<p>In addition to Wilson, the Dodgers are scheduled to face southpaws Jason Vargas and Jorge De La Rosa this week. Cruz it appears will get his one last chance to save his roster spot.</p>
<p>Cruz, to his credit, has continued to stay upbeat and put in extra work in the batting cage. It may seem weird to say about someone who has gone 59 games and 197 plate appearances since his last unintentional walk (Aug. 29, 2012), but Cruz has remained patient.</p>
<p>"It's hard for me right now, because I'm having a bad season," Cruz said on Sunday. "The only way we're going to get out of this is work. Just grinding every day, working hard"</p>
<p>Cruz was nearly a candidate for the disabled list when the Dodgers were in Atlanta, with bone spurs in his right elbow. But on Sunday Cruz said he hadn't felt any problems in the elbow for a week.</p>
<p>"It was weird. It happened three years ago. I threw a ball in the ninth inning here and my elbow stuck. I have bone spurs floating around and they just got stuck," Cruz said. "The next day it was sore a little bit but the second day I was fine. I was throwing hard. It felt like a cramp."</p>
<p>Before Monday Cruz had started just once in the Dodgers' past 18 games, and he hadn't played at all since May 17. He has been taking ground balls at shortstop and second base in addition to third base and has even worked out in the outfield, trying to make himself more valuable, to get back in the lineup. He has essentially become 2012 <span>Juan Uribe</span>, who barely played in the final two months of the season.</p>
<p>Uribe has talked to Cruz about their shared experience.</p>
<p>"We always talk," Cruz said. "He always reminds me, 'I went through this. You have to get over this, keep working, keep grinding it, and get a hit."</p>
<h3>Game info</h3>
<h3></h3>
<p>Time: 5:10 p.m.</p>
<p>TV: Prime Ticket, Fox Sports West</p>
<p><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_05_27_anamlb_lanmlb_1&mode=gameday" target="_blank">MLB Gameday</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/27/4370464/luis-cruz-patience-dodgersEric Stephen2013-05-27T15:33:13-07:002013-05-27T15:33:13-07:00Hairston activated, Gordon optioned to Triple-A
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bBSjT2X8uxGxCCgRvsXZb_9JQgc=/4x0:995x661/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13728499/20120630_gav_sv5_026.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Hairston last played on May 5, and was on the disabled list with a left groin strain.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on Monday activated <span>Jerry Hairston</span> before their game with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>, and to make room on the roster optioned shortstop <span>Dee Gordon</span> to Triple-A Albuquerque. Hairston, who has been sidelined since May 5 with injuries to his left groin and left knee, is in the lineup for the Dodgers on Monday, playing left field and batting seventh.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h3>Starting Lineups</h3>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#ce1141" width="125"><font color="#fffff"><b>Angels</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#157dec" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Aybar (S)</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Punto (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Trout</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Ellis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Pujols</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Kemp</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Trumbo</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Hamilton (L)<br>
</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Van Slyke</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Kendrick</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Hernandez</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Callaspo (S)</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Hairston</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Conger (L)<br>
</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Cruz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P</td>
<td>Wilson (S)</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Greinke</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<p><span>Nick Punto</span> will play the bulk of the time at shortstop until Hanley Ramirez returns from the disabled list, with the other starts going to Luis Cruz. Manager Don Mattingly said Ramirez could begin a rehab assignment over the weekend, which puts him in line for a return early on the next homestand, about a week away.</p>
<p>Mattingly said Ramirez being so near returning made the decision to send down Gordon easier.</p>
<p>"It's got something to do with it, because we feel like Hanley is close," Mattingly said.</p>
<p>Gordon hit just .175/.278/.254 in 19 games with the Dodgers, and stole five bases in seven attempts.</p>
<p>"Dee was the guy with options," said Mattingly. "Punto is the guy playing two out of three at short for now, and that's not good for Dee to continue to develop.</p>
<p>"He made a lot of strides defensively. I've seen his feet when he catches the ball and makes the throw across. I've seen him speed up when he needs to," Mattingly said. "If he can keep doing that, just get the consistency. I think the offensive side will come. The speed and the stroke, to me he's like a Michael Bourn. Early on he wasn't really a guy you feared at all and then he just got better and better. I think that's Dee."</p>
<h3>Game info</h3>
<p>Time: 5:10 p.m.</p>
<p>TV: Prime Ticket, Fox Sports West</p>
<p><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_05_27_anamlb_lanmlb_1&mode=gameday" target="_blank">MLB Gameday</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/5/27/4370930/jerry-hairston-activated-dee-gordon-optionedEric Stephen