Daily Clips

July 1, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016

OC REGISTER: Dodgers hit three home runs, hand Brewers an 8-1 beating- Bill Plunkett

Surgery unlikely for Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who receives epidural injection for mild herniated disc, heads to DL- Bill Plunkett

Dodgers acquire starting pitcher Bud Norris in trade with Braves- Bill Plunkett

On deck: Rockies at Dodgers, Friday, 7 p.m.- Bill Plunkett

DODGERS.COM: Maeda steps up as Dodgers win set vs. Brewers- Ken Gurnick and Adam McCalvy

Kershaw heads to DL with mild herniated disc- Ken Gurnick

Trade reunites righty Norris with Roberts- Ken Gurnick

All-Star Ballot end sets up Tuesday intrigue- Mark Newman

Ace may be out, but don't tell Dodgers that- Ken Gurnick

Pederson only has bruise, but may go on DL- Ken Gurnick

Dodgers won't fret over Kershaw's absence- Mike Bauman

Norris to make Dodgers debut vs. Rockies- Ben Weinrib

LA TIMES: Dodgers offense comes alive in 8-1 victory over Brewers- Andy McCullough

Clayton Kershaw will go on the disabled list- Andy McCullough

Dodgers acquire Bud Norris to fill injured Clayton Kershaw's roster spot- Andy McCullough

DODGER INSIDER: Clayton Kershaw to avoid back surgery- Jon Weisman

Corey Seager is an NL MVP candidate- Jon Weisman

Dodgers acquire Bud Norris, Dian Toscano- Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw heads to 15-day disabled list- Jon Weisman

This Dodgers team can’t be counted out- Cary Osborne

TRUEBLUELA.COM: Dodgers' bats break out to beat Brewers on getaway day-Eric Stephen

Solid start for Jose De Leon, Oklahoma City wins 7-3- Craig Minami

Rob Segedin named to Pacific Coast League All-Star team- Eric Stephen

Clayton Kershaw has herniated disc, won't require surgery- Eric Stephen

Dodgers acquire Bud Norris from Braves- Eric Stephen

ESPN LA: Dodgers know it will take a village without Clayton Kershaw- Doug Padilla

Dodgers belt 3 home runs in 8-1 rout of Brewers- Associated Press

MLB Rumor Central: What's the market for Yulieski Gourriel?- Kyle Brasseur

Adrian Gonzalez shows Mexican pride in some unexpected ways- One Nacion

Dodgers trade for Bud Norris after placing Clayton Kershaw on DL- Doug Padilla

USA TODAY:

Dodgers in panic mode with loss of Clayton Kershaw to DL- Bob Nightengale

NBC LA: Dodgers Go Home Run Happy in 8-1 Blowout of Brewers- Michael Duarte

LA TIMES: Dodgers Dugout: Clayton Kershaw can't be replaced, but here's why Bud Norris is an intriguing acquisition- Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016

OC REGISTER Dodgers hit three home runs, hand Brewers an 8-1 beating By Bill Plunkett MILWAUKEE – Well, they certainly put on a brave front. On the day they learned they would be without their ace and MVP candidate, Clayton Kershaw, for an unknown period of time, the Dodgers pounded the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-1, Thursday afternoon at Miller Park. The win ended a 3-4 trip and sent them home to lick their wounds and face a future without Kershaw. “Obviously that’s a big blow,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “To lose Clayton for any length of time is a big blow. But I think our guys made a point that we’re going to move forward. We’re going to go out there and keep winning games. We did that today. That’s our goal tomorrow.” They will try to do that with freshly-acquired Bud Norris starting in place of Kershaw – a massive dropoff by almost any measure. The Dodgers now have a much better starting rotation on the DL (Kershaw, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood and Frankie Montas) than they will have on the mound (Norris, Scott Kazmir and three rookies – Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias and Brock Stewart). “It’ll be a team thing. Not any one person can take on everything he did for this team,” Dodgers rookie shortstop Corey Seager said. “We’ll spread the wealth. We’re just going to have to share the load.” “It’s tough. He’s obviously a huge part of our team,” Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson said. “But the window is open for us to step up and for some pitchers to step up.” It was the hitters who stepped up Thursday. The Dodgers had 14 hits, six for extra bases. Seager, Thompson and Yasmani Grandal each had home runs, accounting for five of their runs. Thompson’s two-run home run was one of his three hits in the game. Seager’s two-run home run was one of his two hits, extending his career-high hitting streak to 13 games. That is tied with Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado for the longest active streak in the majors. During the streak, Seager is 22 for 53 (.415) with eight doubles, one triple and two home runs. Seager reached the midway point of the Dodgers’ schedule with 17 home runs and 20 doubles and leads the Dodgers in hits, homers, doubles and runs scored. “Obviously I have a biased perspective but I think he’s clearly the best shortstop in the National League,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Seager who was running third in the All-Star voting at that position (behind Chicago’s Addison Russell and Colorado’s Trevor Story).

Brewers starter Zach Davies held the Dodgers to one run in seven innings at Dodger Stadium two weeks ago. This time, he was gone in the fifth inning. “Good at-bats,” Roberts said of the difference. “It was good to see the guys come together with a gameplan. They made Davies get the ball up. He likes to get the ball on the ground.” Adrian Gonzalez had a single and a double and went 5 for 8, emerging from his slump-induced two-day sabbatical to reach base eight times in the three games at Miller Park. Yasiel Puig was on base three times Thursday with a walk, RBI single and double. Puig is 11 for 31with four multi-hit games in nine games since returning from the DL. As welcome as the offense was, though, more heartening for the Dodgers’ Kershaw-less future was the solid start by Maeda. Maeda gave up a run in the first inning, had the bases loaded at one point and threw 27 pitches to get through the inning. But he allowed no more runs and only two more hits in six innings, striking out six Brewers to win for the fourth time in his past six decisions. That completed a lucrative road trip for Maeda who cashed in contract bonuses in Pittsburgh (his 15th start of the season) and Milwaukee (passing 90 innings pitched) worth a combined $1.25 million on top of his $3 million salary. “It seems like he always comes through no matter what happens,” Grandal said of Maeda. “You think back to the Mets game – he got hit in the hand but still gets through six innings. Against Milwaukee at home, he threw a lot of pitches in the first couple innings but pitched into the seventh. “It doesn’t seem to matter whether he’s getting a lot of strikeouts or whatever, he gives us a strong outing.” Surgery unlikely for Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who receives epidural injection for mild herniated disc, heads to DL By Bill Plunkett MILWAUKEE -- Whatever deficiencies, dilemmas or DL moves the Dodgers had to deal with four out of every five days, they could count on everything being right in their world on that fifth day. They won’t have that rock to lean on for awhile. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was diagnosed with a mild herniation of a disc in his lower back and received an epidural injection Wednesday after being examined by back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are optimistic the injury will not require surgery but Kershaw will be placed on the DL until at least the All-Star break. Kershaw will be eligible to return after the All-Star break – but there is no guarantee he will be ready. In some cases, a series of injections is needed to treat a disc problem or the inflammation associated with

one. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hesitated when asked how much confidence he has that Kershaw will be ready to rejoin the rotation after the break. “I think how his body responds to the epidural, I think that’s the most telling,” Roberts said. “So I don’t know how it’s going to go. I’m hopeful. But I can’t say either way. “Clayton is very regimented obviously and such a tough guy. To have to go into the trainers room and then go see the doctors, get scans done and get an epidural, that takes a lot for him. He was obviously going through stuff that we can’t relate to as far as his own pain that he was dealing with. It says a lot about Clayton. He’ll be back as soon as possible.” This is only the second time in Kershaw’s career that he has gone on the DL. He spent five weeks on the DL at the start of the 2014 season because of a strained muscle in the back of his shoulder and returned to win both the National League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Awards that year. He also skipped starts in 2012 and 2015 with an impingement in his right hip and separated his right shoulder when he ran into an outfield wall while shagging fly balls during batting practice in September 2009. With rosters expanded in September, he did not go on the DL that time. Kershaw has been receiving treatment for the lower back pain for at least two weeks – and still managed to go 11-2 and lead the majors in ERA (1.79), WHIP (0.73), strikeouts (145) and innings pitched (121). The Dodgers were 14-2 in his 16 starts this season, 29-34 in all other games, and now they have to replace Kershaw in the rotation for at least two turns (and possibly longer). “He’s been our most valuable player,” Roberts said. “I can’t imagine how much better he could have pitched if he was pain free. This is something that happens to every team, the injuries. We’ve been bit by the injury bug. Your best player, to deal with this – it’s a big blow. But we’ve got to keep moving forward and hold the fort until he gets back.” Dodgers acquire starting pitcher Bud Norris in trade with Braves By Bill Plunkett MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers will plug the gaping hole in their starting rotation left behind by Clayton Kershaw’s back injury with a pitcher who lost his spot in the Atlanta Braves’ rotation earlier this season. The Dodgers acquired journeyman right-hander Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday in exchange for two minor-league pitchers. The Dodgers also received Double-A outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations from the Braves in exchange for Class-A left-hander Philip Pfeifer (a third-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt last year) and Double-A right-hander Caleb Dirks. Dirks was acquired by the Dodgers from the Braves in a trade for an international bonus slot last year. Norris is now scheduled to start for the Dodgers on Friday night at home against the Colorado Rockies, taking Kershaw’s spot in the rotation.

“Bud’s been pitching well. I had him for a bit in San Diego,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts who was the Padres’ bench coach when Norris finished the 2015 season there. “He’s really been throwing well. For him to give us a guy who can go deep into a game, can eat innings and get guys out was huge. We’re excited about it.” Norris, 31, is 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA for the Braves this season including 3-5 with a 5.02 ERA in 10 starts. He lost his spot in the Braves’ rotation after going 1-4 with an 8.74 ERA in five April starts. After spending May in the bullpen, Norris returned to the rotation in June and has a 2.15 ERA and has held opposing batters to a .200 average in his past five starts (four of them Braves wins). “The mound presence, he’s a competitor,” Roberts said. “Plus-fastball. Works at the top of the zone. Curveball, change and he’s got a cut fastball. He’s a guy that gets righties and lefties out. He’s done a lot of things. He’s been around. He’s won. He’s always had good stuff. “This is a guy who’s last three, four, five turns he’s been as good as anyone in baseball. This was a nice job by our guys (in the front office to acquire him).” Norris is making $2.5 million this year and will be a free agent this offseason. In eight big-league seasons with four teams (the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and Braves), Norris is 59-75 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, primarily as a starter. His best season was 2014 when he went 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA for the Orioles. Toscano is a 27-year-old Cuban who batted .226 in 58 games for the Braves' Double-A affiliate this season. In order to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for Norris, the Dodgers designated Triple-A left-hander Ian Thomas for assignment. On deck: Rockies at Dodgers, Friday, 7 p.m. By Bill Plunkett Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SNLA, 7 p.m. Did you know? With a win Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee, the Dodgers are 13-6 in day games, the best record in baseball. THE PITCHERS DODGERS RHP BUD NORRIS (3-7, 4.22) Vs. Rockies: 2-1, 6.23 At Dodger Stadium: 0-2, 3.10 Hates to face: Daniel Descalso, 8 for 21 (.381), 5 2B, 3B, HR Loves to face: Nick Hundley, 1 for 10 (.100), 3 Ks ROCKIES LHP JORGE DE LA ROSA (5-4, 6.47)

Vs. Dodgers: 7-11, 5.22 At Dodger Stadium: 2-6, 3.90 Hates to face: Adrian Gonzalez, 17 for 48 (.354), 6 2B, 3 HR Loves to face: Scott Van Slyke, 0 for 15, 5 strikeouts UPCOMING MATCHUPS Saturday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (6-5, 5.84 ERA) at Dodgers LHP Scott Kazmir (6-3, 4.67 ERA), 7 p.m. SNLA Sunday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (5-3, 4.83 ERA) at Dodgers LHP Julio Urias (1-2, 4.09 ERA), 1 p.m. SNLA

DODGERS.COM

Maeda steps up as Dodgers win set vs. Brewers By Ken Gurnick and Adam McCalvy MILWAUKEE -- If ever there was a day for a Dodgers pitcher to deliver, this was that day. And Kenta Maeda delivered. Hours after ace Clayton Kershaw hit the 15-day disabled list with a mild herniated disc, Maeda scattered three hits and surrendered a lone run in six innings of the Dodgers' decisive 8-1 win over the Brewers at Miller Park on Thursday. It gave injury-battered Los Angeles two wins in three days for a second series victory over Milwaukee in as many weeks. "Kenta had his breaking ball working, he threw good changeups," said manager Dave Roberts. "For him to give us six innings [was] huge for the 'pen." Trayce Thompson, Yasmani Grandal and Corey Seager homered off Brewers starter Zach Davies, who allowed six earned runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings for his first loss since April 29. The six earned runs matched Davies' total from his previous five June starts, in which he'd surrendered only two home runs. "It just comes down to not executing pitches, falling behind a lot of guys," Davies said. "Even when I did get ahead of some guys, I gave it right back to them. … I think you get frustrated with your game today, but at the same time, you realize those things are going to happen. You're going to have good times, and you're going to have some struggles." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED All-Star Seager: The Dodgers are pushing to get National League Rookie of the Year candidate Seager in the All-Star Game, and he again did his part with his 17th home run, a single, an intentional walk and a 13-game hitting streak. Seager is third in the NL All-Star voting at shortstop behind the Cubs' Addison Russell and the Rockies' Trevor Story. "I think it's obvious, I have a biased perspective, I think he's clearly the best shortstop in the National League," Roberts said. "The All-Star Game is an important game as far as home-field advantage as far as either league. When you talk about the game going forward, Corey Seager is what the game is about now and going forward. The numbers speak for themselves. He deserves to be in that game."

Hill yeah: Third baseman Aaron Hill made Maeda pay for a momentary bout of wildness in the first inning. After a Scooter Gennett single with one out, Maeda hit Ryan Braun in the backside with a pitch and walked Chris Carter to load the bases for Hill, who lifted a first-pitch breaking ball into center field for a sacrifice fly and a 1-0 Brewers lead. It capped a second consecutive productive month for the veteran, who slashed .169/.208/.246 in April, but had a .318/.403/.471 slash line in May and June. "Even the first-inning opportunity -- I think we made [Maeda] work that first inning, but he was good today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He was really willing to go to his offspeed whenever, and he slowed you down enough that when he did fall behind in the count, you weren't able to sit on anything." Puig returns: Yasiel Puig came limping off the field after running into the left-field fence Wednesday night, but he was back in the lineup Thursday and had a double, a single and a walk with an RBI. Painful ending: Braun fouled a Casey Fien pitch off his back knee during a long at-bat in the eighth inning, and he limped around the batter's box in pain before flying out to left fielder Howie Kendrick, who charged to make a diving catch. Braun then exited the game as part of a ninth-inning double switch. "I was going to take him out of the game, regardless," Counsell said. "It wasn't because of [the foul tip]. He was coming out of the game." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Thursday's outing snapped a long streak of effective starts for Davies. From May 4 through Wednesday -- covering Davies' last 10 starts -- he was 5-0 with a 2.46 ERA, tied for 10th best in the NL in that period behind some big names: Madison Bumgarner, Jose Fernandez, Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Julio Teheran, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Greinke. PITCHERS WHO CAN HIT With an eight-man bullpen and Joc Pederson unavailable, the Dodgers had only three position players available on the bench. So Roberts had reliever Chris Hatcher in the dugout for emergency pinch-hitting duties that weren't needed. Hatcher, a former catcher who pitched two innings Wednesday night, hit a walk-off home run in a Double-A championship game. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Barring travel complications, newly acquired Bud Norris will replace the injured Kershaw as the Dodgers' starting pitcher for the homestand opener against the Rockies, with a 7:10 p.m. PT first pitch. Norris was acquired Thursday from the Braves in a five-player trade. He's 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six June appearances after a rough April and May. Brewers: Matt Garza makes his fourth start of the season for the Brewers at 7:15 p.m. CT on Friday, when they travel to St. Louis to kick off a six-game road trip. The Cardinals have won 25 of the past 38 games between the NL Central opponents, dating back to 2014. Kershaw heads to DL with mild herniated disc By Ken Gurnick

MILWAUKEE -- Clayton Kershaw will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back pain, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn't say he was optimistic that his ace will return in the minimum time. Kershaw received an epidural injection for pain relief, and following an MRI on Thursday, the 28-year-old was diagnosed with a mild disc herniation that won't require surgery. The recovery time is not yet known. All back injuries are different, but teammate Scott Van Slyke missed nearly two months with a lower back injury and said he needed one month after receiving an epidural injection before he felt 100 percent. Roberts was asked the chances that Kershaw, with a four-day All-Star break included, would return after 15 days. The longer he is unable to throw, the longer it will take to rebuild arm strength needed to pitch deep into games. "I can say [the chances of only 15 days are] great, but I think how his body responds to the epidural is the most telling," Roberts said before Thursday's game against the Brewers. "I don't know how it's going to be. I'm hopeful, but I can't say either way. In the coming days, we'll know how he responds to that and that will give us more direction." Roberts said Kershaw, who's been on the DL only one other time in his Major League career, did not resist the decision to put himself on the shelf, and suggested that was a sign of how much pain Kershaw has been dealing with. "It's where he's at and what he was going through," Roberts said. "He understands this is the best course of action. He's very regimented, such a tough guy. Then for him to see the docs and get the scan done, that takes a lot for him. Obviously, he was going through stuff we can't relate to about the pain he was dealing with. He'll be back as soon as he can. This just shows his will, undeniable will, to be great. I can't imagine how he would have pitched if he was pain-free." Kershaw, a former National League MVP and three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, is 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA, which included a four-run second inning on Sunday night in Pittsburgh. The loss snapped a nine-game win streak. Kershaw had been receiving treatment for the condition for two weeks, but he reported more discomfort Monday after losing to the Pirates, 4-3. He flew home on Wednesday, and he was seen by back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins. Kershaw was scheduled to start on Friday, but the Dodgers acquired right-hander Bud Norris, Minor League outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named and cash considerations from the Braves for Minor League pitchers Caleb Dirks and Philip Pfeifer on Thursday, and Norris will start against Colorado. Regardless of the length of Kershaw's absence, the injury is another in an epidemic of ailments for Dodgers starting pitchers this year.

Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy are still trying to come back from last year's surgeries. Brett Anderson had back surgery in the spring, Alex Wood has been out a month with a left elbow injury, Frankie Montas has had two broken ribs and Mike Bolsinger an oblique strain. "Injuries happen to every team," said Roberts. "We've been bit by the injury bug. It's a big blow, but we've got to keep moving forward and hold down the fort until he gets back. He's been our MVP. To lose a player to the DL like Clayton, the guy we've counted on every fifth day to start, obviously it's out of all of our control. I know he's very disappointed. It's up to us to pick him up." One reason Kershaw has been as consistently dominant for as long as he has is his durability. He has officially been on the DL only once, for six weeks after straining the teres major muscle in his upper back in the 2014 season opener in Sydney, Australia. He was scratched from a '12 start and again with a minor right hip impingement in '15. He also suffered a separated right (non-throwing) shoulder running into the wall while shagging fly balls during batting practice in September 2009, missing three weeks but not going on the DL. Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB) Fantasy owners will be upset to lose Kershaw for any stretch of time, as the elite lefty has already logged 11 victories to go along with stellar rate stats and a strong strikeout total. Still, they can likely overcome his absence -- especially given the advantages they've already enjoyed in the wins, K's (145), ERA (1.79) and WHIP (0.73) categories. Some owners may try to replace quality with quantity by scooping up a two-start hurler for next week, with Jake Peavy, A.J. Griffin and Junior Guerra serving as potential waiver-wire options. Those interested in protecting their ratios may instead pick up one Week 14 start from a Danny Duffy, a Bartolo Colon or a Daniel Mengden. Trade reunites righty Norris with Roberts By Ken Gurnick MILWAUKEE -- Bud Norris has had a mixed-bag career, as well as a curious season. But under the circumstances, manager Dave Roberts said he's glad the Dodgers traded for the veteran right-hander, who pitched briefly last year for San Diego when Roberts was a bench coach there. "I had him in San Diego for a bit, and he's really thrown well lately," Roberts said of Norris, an emergency acquisition after the Dodgers put Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day disabled list for a mild herniated disc on Thursday. "To give us a guy to go deep and eat innings was huge. He'll be our starter tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted." The Dodgers acquired Norris, outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations from the Braves for Minor League pitchers Caleb Dirks and Philip Pfeifer on Thursday. "His mound presence, he's a competitor, he has a plus fastball, works at top of zone," Roberts said after the Dodgers' 8-1 win over the Brewers. "He has a curveball, change, cut fastball. A guy who gets righties and lefties, he's been around, he's won, always had good stuff. I know he's excited to be in Los Angeles. His last three, four, five turns have been as good as anyone in baseball. Nice job by our guys." Norris is 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA on the season, but he's 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six June appearances (five starts). Norris pitched seven innings on Sunday, so Friday is his regular turn to pitch.

The deal comes on the same day the club announced that Kershaw was being placed on the DL with a back injury that won't require surgery. Kershaw received an epidural injection for pain relief, but it's uncertain when he will return. Kershaw joins starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood and Frankie Montas on the DL. Norris, a 31-year-old right-hander, had his best year in 2014, when he went 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA for Baltimore. Last year, he went 3-11 with a 6.72 ERA, splitting time between Baltimore (which released him) and San Diego. The Dodgers acquired Dirks and Jordan Paroubeck from the Braves last summer for an international slot bonus of $249,000. They drafted the left-handed Pfeifer, who was at Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, in the third round last year out of Vanderbilt. Dirks was pitching for Double-A Tulsa. Toscano, a 27-year-old left-handed hitter from Cuba, is hitting .226 in 58 games at Double-A Mississippi. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated pitcher Ian Thomas for assignment. All-Star Ballot end sets up Tuesday intrigue By Mark Newman The people have spoken and the countdown is on. After 68 consecutive days of relentless fan voting to determine starting position players for the 87th All-Star Game on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego, the largest All-Star balloting program in sports closed at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday. Now it is time to kick back, partake in Fourth of July fireworks and fun, and finally see the people's choices. Starting position players will be unveiled in the Esurance All-Star Selection Show at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN, prior to that night's Pirates-Cardinals broadcast. There are plenty of questions to be answered as we wait to see how those 35 submissions per user account worked out after the launch of the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot. Will Buster Posey of the Giants hold off Yadier Molina of the Cardinals at National League catcher? Or did Washington's Wilson Ramos keep charging right to the top? From Monday to Wednesday, Posey overtook Molina atop the standings by 107,000 votes, receiving 51.5 percent more votes during that time. Those two have combined to win each of the last four and six of the last seven fan elections as the NL's starting catcher at the Midsummer Classic. Ramos, meanwhile, became a big factor in the final two weeks and was within striking distance in the final days. He entered Thursday third on the Nationals with 43 RBIs, and was tearing it up in June with a .360 average, six homers and 18 RBIs. Will the entire Cubs infield start at Petco Park -- or could first baseman Anthony Rizzo go it alone?

"It's overwhelming to see the fan support, just because I'm so focused on playing," Rizzo, the NL's top vote-getter in each of the voting updates, said at Citi Field on Thursday during the final day of balloting. "It's 100 percent generated by fans, and it's really cool to see them supporting me, and voting for me the way they've voted so far." His teammates' bids were less certain. In the final Ballot update on Wednesday, three of them saw their leads shrink. Ben Zobrist's lead over Washington's Daniel Murphy at second base was down to 185,000 with 30 hours left to vote. On the left side of the infield, third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Addison Russell were each fighting off a rallying Rockie -- Nolan Arenado for the former and Trevor Story for the latter. Both leads were about 290,000 votes. Story is not the only NL West rookie shortstop who was making noise behind Russell. Corey Seager of the Dodgers was pouring it on in the last week, and in the voting update announced on Monday, he was significantly outgaining both Russell and Story. Was it too little, too late? Entering Thursday, Seager's WAR was 3.5 compared to Story's 1.7, and those two were both at 886 in OPS. Will Lorenzo Cain of the Royals, Mark Trumbo of the Orioles or Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays crack the AL starting outfield? It was still a trio, in order, of Mike Trout of the Angels and Red Sox outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts as of late Wednesday. Did Cain make up that roughly 50,000-vote deficit behind Betts despite being on the 15-day disabled list? Did Royals catcher Salvador Perez hold off David Ortiz of the Red Sox in the race for top overall vote-getter? Two of the last three World Series MVPs were consistently ranked first and second for most overall votes. For Big Papi, it seems certainly to be his 10th All-Star selection during this final season, and it remains to be seen whether he can do what he did back in 2005 and take the most votes. "Going to the All-Star Game means a lot to us," Ortiz said. "When the fans pick you, it's because they want to see you play." Trout was leading comfortably in the AL outfield, and that would mean he will be in position to at least make a run at an unprecedented third straight All-Star MVP honor. "I take pride in my game and to be an All-Star is a humbling feeling," Trout said at last year's game. "It's an honor and it's fun. It's for the fans. . . . I go out there to play my hardest and try to put on a show. It goes by so quick. Just enjoy every minute of it, no pressure, go out there playing my game and try to help the team win." All-Star balloting is a process that almost always results in at least one surprising late-surge selection. In the first year that online balloting was combined with paper balloting, Cal Ripken Jr. moved into starting position in the final week of voting -- and then won All-Star MVP in his swan song at Seattle. Last year was the first year that paper balloting was eliminated, and late surges into the starting lineup were made by Miguel Cabrera, Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz. Posey would join them if he holds off Molina. Others still could happen.

The AL team will have nine elected starters via the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot, while the NL roster will have eight fan-elected starters. Pitchers and reserves for both squads -- totaling 25 for the NL and 24 for the AL -- will be determined through a combination of "Player Ballot" choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers, Ned Yost from the Royals and Terry Collins from the Mets. The one-hour Esurance All-Star Selection Show will unveil 33 players for each roster, and then it will end by announcing the five nominees for each league in the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote to decide the 34th man for each league. Now in its 15th season with nearly 600 million votes cast, the Final Vote will take place exclusively at MLB.com, club sites and mobile devices and will conclude at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, July 8. Last year's Final Vote winners were Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez and Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. In finalizing the rosters, managers will also have plans in place to replace any starting pitchers who elect not to participate in the All-Star Game after pitching on Sunday, July 10. Any pitcher replaced on the active All-Star roster will be recognized as an All-Star and invited to San Diego with full All-Star honors. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, as well as MLB.TV Premium (for authenticated subscribers), and during the game, visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. Ace may be out, but don't tell Dodgers that By Ken Gurnick MILWAUKEE -- Clayton Kershaw goes down and the Dodgers' season is over at the midway point, right? Sell at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, wait till next year, yadda, yadda. Right? Well, no, that wasn't the vibe in the Dodgers' clubhouse after Thursday's 8-1 win over the Brewers. "I guess I understand it from the fans' point of view when they see it like that, lose a guy like that, it's shellshocking from that side of it," said National League Rookie of the Year and All-Star candidate Corey Seager. "But there's none, there can't be any worry in the clubhouse. It's one of those things, we'll spread the wealth. It's a team thing, and you have to grind it out. You never want to lose your ace, especially when it's a guy like him. Just hope he comes back fast. You know he'll work hard, he's going to be OK and we'll need him at the end."

Seager, Trayce Thompson and Yasmani Grandal homered, while Kenta Maeda pitched six solid innings again as the Dodgers picked up the pieces in the wake of the Kershaw news by winning the rubber match of the three-game series. The Dodgers aren't saying how long Kershaw will be out with a lower back disc herniation, but it's likely to be significantly longer than the minimum 15-day disabled list. That leaves the Dodgers' starting rotation with two rookies (Julio Urias and Brock Stewart), a free-agent signing (Scott Kazmir), Maeda and now Bud Norris, who was released last year by Baltimore and dropped out of Atlanta's rotation in April only to come on strong in June. "Obviously, that's a big blow, to lose Clayton for any length of time," said manager Dave Roberts. "Our guys made a point we're going to move forward and keep winning baseball games, and we did that today and that's our goal tomorrow. To get Bud on the roster is a good thing and another step forward." The Dodgers' offense pushed around Milwaukee starter Zach Davies. Seager slugged his 17th homer, Thompson his 12th and Grandal his seventh. Justin Turner had three hits, and six Dodgers players drove in runs. Maeda, meanwhile, delivered a typical performance, scattering three hits after minimizing a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. "It seems like [Maeda] always comes through," said Grandal. "You think back to the Mets game when he gets hit in the hand, and all of a sudden, he gives you six innings. Against Milwaukee at home, he's got 70 or 80 pitches after three innings, and he still gives you six innings. I feel like he does a good job when it comes down to that. I thought he did a good job holding them down to one run, especially with the bases loaded in the first inning." Casey Fien picked up two scoreless innings before J.P. Howell pitched the ninth. Fien has a 2.08 ERA with the Dodgers after being claimed off waivers from Minnesota. Pederson only has bruise, but may go on DL By Ken Gurnick MILWAUKEE -- Yasiel Puig bounced off the outfield fence at Miller Park on Wednesday night and was back in the lineup Thursday, but fellow Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson was still unavailable after crashing into a wall, with a disabled-list stint still on the table. "We'll make a decision as far as what we do with Joc and the roster in the next day or two," manager Dave Roberts said on Thursday. Pederson slammed full speed into the fence Tuesday night while making a spectacular catch of Chris Carter's long drive during Los Angeles' 6-5 win. X-rays were negative regarding broken bones. The club announced that Pederson had a bruise of the acromioclavicular joint. Pederson said he bruised the same (non-throwing) A/C joint (where the

collarbone and scapula meet) diving for a ball in the Minors two years ago, but he returned in time for the Triple-A All-Star Game. With Pederson unavailable and an eight-man bullpen, the Dodgers had only three available position players on the bench for Thursday's finale: Chris Taylor, A.J. Ellis and Scott Van Slyke. Dodgers won't fret over Kershaw's absence By Mike Bauman MILWAUKEE -- The 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers are 14-2 when Clayton Kershaw starts for them. They are 30-35 when anybody else starts. That captures the essence of this situation. Now, the one player on the Dodgers' roster who could truly be considered indispensable is headed to the 15-day disabled list with what was diagnosed as a mild herniated disc in his lower back that will not require surgery. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Kershaw had received an epidural injection to alleviate the lower back pain. Kershaw's injured status brings the number of Dodgers starting pitchers on the DL to five. The Dodgers, temporarily down to a four-man rotation, traded two Minor League pitchers to Atlanta on Thursday in a deal to bring in an established right-hander, Bud Norris, to Los Angeles. "Bud's been pitching well, I had him in San Diego for a bit and he's really been throwing well," Roberts said. "For [the Dodgers' front office] to get us a guy who can go deep into games and get guys out was huge. We're excited about it." Norris isn't Kershaw, but then, nobody else is either. At the least, Norris is coming off a month in which he basically revived his career. And he can take Kershaw's scheduled start against the Rockies on Friday night in Los Angeles on regular rest. "Obviously, it takes a toll when you lose your No. 1 guy, especially Kershaw, who is a presence not only in the clubhouse, but out on the field," catcher Yasmani Grandal said. "I feel like Bud Norris did a pretty good job against us. I feel like he can be an addition, not only as a starter, but once we get other guys back, maybe he can help us out of the 'pen, too. But it's always hard to lose your No. 1 guy." Apart from Norris, the other members of the Dodgers' rotation are Scott Kazmir, 19-year-old Julio Urias, Brock Stewart, who made his first Major League start Wednesday night after beginning the season at Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, and Kenta Maeda. Kershaw's absence makes Maeda the de facto ace of the rotation. On Thursday, Maeda did his bit to compensate for Kershaw's departure with a fine performance in an 8-1 victory over the Brewers. Maeda went six innings, giving up one run on three hits, allowing two walks and striking out six. Maeda is now 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA. The Dodgers can reasonably ask him to remain reliable. Will the rest of the Dodgers' starters feel pressure to compensate for Kershaw's absence?

"It's hard to tell individually how the pitchers are feeling, but I think the important part is to do my job and to make sure that we can cover for Kershaw," Maeda said through an interpreter. Kershaw's performance this season pointed clearly in the direction of a fourth National League Cy Young Award. Maybe it still will, if the back pain is eased. Kershaw is 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA, but the truly awe-inspiring portion of his numbers would be the 145 strikeouts and nine walks in 121 innings. "It just shows his will, his undeniable will, to be great," Roberts said of Kershaw. "I can't imagine how much better he could have pitched if he was pain-free." Replacing Kershaw is not a concept grounded in reality. The next best thing would be various Dodgers "stepping up" in the time-honored parlance of the game. Some of that went on Thursday. "He's been our most valuable player," Roberts said. "I know Clayton's very disappointed. But it's up to us to pick him up." Beyond that concept, the Dodgers have, well, hope, as in, "We hope you get well soon, Clayton." "I can say [the chances of only 15 days are] great, but I think how his body responds to the epidural is the most telling," Roberts said. "I don't know how it's going to be. I'm hopeful, but I can't say either way. In the coming days, we'll know how he responds to that and that will give us more direction." There is only one Kershaw. The Dodgers have to hope that they will be operating with no Kershaw for the shortest possible period of time. Norris to make Dodgers debut vs. Rockies By Ben Weinrib Jorge De La Rosa will pitch for the Rockies against Bud Norris, who will make his Dodgers debut, stepping in for the injured Clayton Kershaw, in the series opener on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Norris was acquired in a five-player trade with Atlanta on Thursday. De La Rosa has faced the Dodgers 25 times in his career, opposing only the Padres, Giants and D-backs more. He has historically struggled against Los Angeles, holding a 5.22 ERA over 120 2/3 innings. However, he has a 3.90 ERA at Dodger Stadium and has a 2.87 ERA in his last five starts against the Dodgers, spanning back to August 2014. De La Rosa seems to be finding his groove after being reinstated to the rotation on June 14. He has won all three of his starts -- posting a 2.11 ERA -- but he has not pitched past the sixth inning. Norris is 0-2 with a 3.10 ERA in six games (five starts) at Dodger Stadium. He is 2-1 with a 6.23 ERA in 10 games (five starts) against the Rockies in his career, but 13 of the 21 earned runs came at Coors Field. Three things to know about this game • The Dodgers who have seen De La Rosa the most have had great success. Adrian Gonzalez is 17-for-48 (.354), Chase Utley is 7-for-21 (.333) and Howie Kendrick is 5-for-14 (.357). However, Justin Turner is 0-for-9 against him.

• Charlie Blackmon's 17 leadoff home runs since the start of 2013, his rookie season, are tied with Curtis Granderson for the most over that span. He hit his most recent one on Saturday. • The Dodgers will likely face a disabled-list decision with outfielder Joc Pederson, who bruised his right (non-throwing) A/C joint slamming into the wall in Milwaukee on Tuesday night and hasn't been available since.

LA TIMES Dodgers offense comes alive in 8-1 victory over Brewers By Andy McCullough In the wake of Clayton Kershaw’s back injury, which was announced a few hours before Thursday’s 8-1 victory over the Brewers, Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts did not call a meeting with his team to address the situation. He saw no need. His players understood the gravity of the loss. “They get it,” Roberts said. “You hear the news, and it’s like ‘Man, that sucks.’ But then it’s like ‘Let’s go. No one is going to feel sorry for us.’ That’s been the overall sentiment, which is encouraging for me.” Roberts could not quibble about the results Thursday. The Dodgers (44-37) swatted three homers to support Kenta Maeda and exited Milwaukee with a series victory. This trip featured a serious injury to Kershaw and more defeats than victories. But, for the Dodgers, at least it ended on an upbeat note. With Kershaw gone, perhaps the team will begin to rely on rookie shortstop Corey Seager. He smacked his 17th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth, and scored another run in the sixth. Trayce Thompson gave his team the lead with a two-run shot in the second. Yasmani Grandal added a solo shot in the fourth. Maeda appreciated the support. He wavered at the start. He needed 27 pitches to complete the first inning. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out. Maeda limited the damage to one run on a sacrifice fly. “I did throw a lot of pitches in the first inning,” Maeda said. “But my team really helped me today, scoring early runs and helping me out on that end.” Maeda recovered to last six frames. He surpassed the 90-inning threshold for the season, which earned him a $250,00 bonus. He will earn another $250,000 check when he crosses the 100-inning mark. The hitters hounded Brewers starter Zach Davies. Two weeks ago, he suppressed the Dodgers to one run in seven innings. He did not escape the fifth on Thursday. He exited soon after Seager went deep. In recent days, the Dodgers have made a public relations push for Seager to start in the All-Star game. He may lose the fan vote to Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. But Roberts thinks the case for Seager, who is hitting .299 with an .899 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, is sound. “Obviously, I have a biased perspective,” Roberts said. “But I think he’s clearly the best shortstop in the National League . . . Corey Seager is what this game is about, now and going forward.”

Clayton Kershaw will go on the disabled list By Andy McCullough The presence of Clayton Kershaw creates calm. Every fifth day, his teammates say, the Dodgers arrive for work with a sense of lightness. Kershaw acts as a rising tide for the 24 other boats on his roster. “It’s a feeling when you wake up in the morning,” catcher A.J. Ellis said after the Dodgers secured an 8-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. “It’s Clayton’s day. You’re going to win.” The Dodgers will not experience that luxury for the next two weeks, at least, and perhaps more, after it was announced that Kershaw would go on the disabled list. The team did not reveal a timetable for Kershaw’s recovery from a herniated disk in his back, which required an epidural Wednesday in Los Angeles. In the immediate present, the front office of Andrew Friedman scrambled to acquire right-hander Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves. Norris will face the Rockies in Kershaw’s place on Friday at Dodger Stadium. The long-term consequences remain unknown. A herniated disk can become a chronic problem, and Kershaw has dealt with issues in his right hip and upper back in recent years. Manager Dave Roberts was unsure if Kershaw would be available when his initial 15 days on the disabled list expire. “How his body responds to the epidural, that’s the most telling,” Roberts said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be. I don’t know. I’m hopeful. But I can’t say either way.” The importance of Kershaw to this injury-ravaged roster is difficult to overstate. Roberts referred to him Thursday as “our most valuable player.” That sentiment could stretch across the entire National League. Kershaw entered Thursday ahead of all National League pitchers and position players alike in Baseball-Reference’s version of wins above replacement. He led pitchers in earned-run average (1.79), innings (121), shutouts (three) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (16.11). The Dodgers are 14-2 in games he started and 30-35 otherwise. “That’s probably why he hurt his back, he’s been carrying us for so long,” Ellis said. Kershaw managed the discomfort in his back for at least a month. He reported an increase in soreness Monday morning, a day after a six-inning, four-run outing in Pittsburgh. The Dodgers flew him to see back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday. Kershaw did not fight the team’s decision to shut him down, Roberts said. He joined a veritable rotation of Dodgers pitchers on the disabled list, a group that includes Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood and Frankie Montas. The team hopes McCarthy and Ryu could return before the All-Star break. Until then, Norris will plug the gap. He went 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 22 outings for the Braves, but posted a 2.15 ERA in five starts this month.

“He’s really thrown well,” Roberts said. “For [the front office] to give us a guy who can go deep into games, eat innings and get guys out was huge.” To acquire Norris, the Dodgers gave up a pair of minor league pitchers, left-handed Phillip Pfeiffer and right-hander Caleb Dirks. The Dodgers also received minor league outfielder Dian Toscano and a player to be named later. The Dodgers will be Norris’ fourth team since the start of the 2015 season. Norris finished last season with a 6.72 ERA, splitting the year between Baltimore and San Diego. In short, he is a stopgap, a last-second maneuver to avoid a repeat of the ongoing problem already caused by the fifth spot in the starting rotation. Now the team features the vacancy at the top of the staff. “It’ll be a team thing,” shortstop Corey Seager said. “Not any one person can carry his load.” Trayce Thompson echoed his fellow rookie. “You never want to lose a guy, especially a guy like Kersh,” Thompson said. “But we’ve just got to step up as a team. Everyone has to do a little bit more. We can keep it rolling.” Life without Kershaw began this week in Milwaukee. It will continue through the All-Star break. His response to the epidural will determine how long the Dodgers must last without him. “It’s just going to mean on all five days we’re going to be on that grind,” Ellis said. “As opposed to having one day where you felt like he could shoulder the load.” Dodgers acquire Bud Norris to fill injured Clayton Kershaw's roster spot By Andy McCullough MILWAUKEE – With Clayton Kershaw on the disabled list, the Dodgers have made a move to plug their starting rotation. The team has acquired Atlanta starter Bud Norris in a five-player deal. The Dodgers will also receive minor-league outfielder Dian Toscano and a player to be named later. Norris, a 31-year-old right-hander, has posted a 4.22 earned-run average in 22 games for the Braves. In five June starts, he went 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA. In exchange, the Dodgers gave up a pair of minor-league pitchers, left-hander Phillip Pfeifer and right-hander Caleb Dirks. Norris is well-traveled in recent years. The Orioles released him last August and he landed in San Diego. The Dodgers will be his fourth team since the start of the 2015 season. Kershaw will miss at least two weeks because of a back injury. He received an epidural on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

DODGER INSIDER Clayton Kershaw to avoid back surgery By Jon Weisman Here’s the Dodgers’ official update on injured ace Clayton Kershaw: Yesterday, Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw was examined by Dr. Robert Watkins Jr. in Los Angeles after experiencing low back discomfort. Following an MRI, it was determined that he has a mild disc herniation that will not require surgery. We will know more about his recovery time at a later date. Tomorrow, it is expected that he will be officially be placed on the 15-day disabled list. Dave Roberts confirmed in Milwaukee after today’s 8-1 victory that newly acquired Bud Norris will start for the Dodgers in their homestand opener Friday. Corey Seager is an NL MVP candidate By Jon Weisman Forget the National League Rookie of the Year race for a moment. It’s time to start thinking of Corey Seager as a potential NL Most Valuable Player. The 22-year-old shortstop ranks second among NL position players in wins above replacement, and that doesn’t account for Seager hitting his 17th home run and reaching base three times in the Dodgers’ 8-1 pounding of Milwaukee today. For at least the past month, Clayton Kershaw has been considered the frontrunner for the MVP award, and we’ll keep him there while hoping for his fast recovery from the back distress that is sending him to the disabled list. If it’s not Kershaw, then such position players as Chicago’s Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, Washington’s Daniel Murphy, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Matt Carpenter of St. Louis could be considered the leaders. Either way, Seager has earned a place in the discussion. At the exact midpoint of the 162-game season, Seager has a .359 on-base percentage, .540 slugging percentage, 93 hits, 20 doubles and the 17 homers. He is the league’s best hitter and an above-average defender at baseball’s most challenging position. If Seager tires under the strain of his first full MLB season, so be it. But if not — if, in fact, the Dodgers don’t disappear like so many expect, but continue to lead the NL Wild Card race and gain on the suddenly struggling NL West-leading Giants — well, we’re telling the baseball world to keep an open mind. Dodgers acquire Bud Norris, Dian Toscano By Jon Weisman

Right-handed pitcher Bud Norris has been acquired by the Dodgers from Atlanta and is expected start in place of Clayton Kershaw for Los Angeles on Friday. The Dodgers also picked up left-handed hitting minor-league outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations. In exchange, the Dodgers have parted ways with minor-league pitchers Caleb Dirks (1.44 ERA, 10.1 K/9 in Double-A) and Philip Pfeifer (2.67 ERA, 12.5 K/9 in Single-A). The Dodgers also designated left-hander Ian Thomas for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old Norris had a 4.22 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings for the Braves this year. His season divides almost perfectly into three months — a brutal April as a starter (8.74 ERA), a rebounding May out of the bullpen (1.96 ERA, including June 1) and a successful return to the starting rotation in June (2.15 ERA, 29 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings over four starts). Most recently, Norris threw seven shutout innings with no walks and eight strikeouts Sunday against the Mets. He would be pitching on four days’ rest Friday. Orel Hershiser said on today’s SportsNet LA game broadcast that Norris improved this year once he abandoned his change-up for a cut fastball, especially against left-handers. For his career, Norris has a 4.43 ERA in 1,059 innings. At Dodger Stadium, he has a 3.10 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 29 innings and no homers allowed. Toscano, a 27-year-old from Cuba, was signed to a four-year deal by Atlanta in early 2015. Making his U.S. debut this year, Toscano has a .310 on-base percentage for Double-A Mississippi. The 23-year-old Dirks is returning to his original organization, which he left when the Dodgers acquired him 363 days ago along with Jordan Paroubeck for an international signing slot. Pfeifer was a third-round draft pick in the 2015 draft. Thomas had a 1.42 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 19 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, but he has been on the disabled list since May 13. He struck out 18 in 18 innings with a 4.00 ERA for the Dodgers last year. Clayton Kershaw heads to 15-day disabled list By Jon Weisman Clayton Kershaw will finish the first half of the 2016 MLB season on the 15-day disabled list, Dave Roberts told reporters today. Roberts said before today’s game in Milwaukee that Kershaw received an epidural in his lower back Wednesday after flying back early to Los Angeles. The Dodgers have not yet chosen who will take his scheduled Friday start, though Carlos Frias is a leading internal candidate if the Dodgers essentially decide to make it a bullpen game. A roster move has not officially been announced.

Baseball’s best pitcher went on the disabled list for the only previous time in his career in early 2014, when he began the season with a March start in Australia and didn’t return to action until May 6. He still won the National League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards. Kershaw would be eligible to come off the disabled list during the All-Star Break, meaning his first possible start in a best-case scenario would be July 15 at Arizona. He has been the obvious choice to start the All-Star Game for the NL this year, but unless that becomes the most high-profile rehab outing in history, that certainly seems in jeopardy. In any case, the Dodgers will be waiting to see how Kershaw responds to the epidural over the coming days. Kershaw allowed four runs in the second inning of his June 26 start at Pittsburgh. His six innings and four strikeouts matched season lows, and his two walks (though one was intentional) were a season high. He finished June with a 2.36 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 34 1/3 innings, walking four and striking out 40. The Dodgers now have an entire starting rotation on the disabled list — Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood — in addition to minor-league starter Brandon McCarthy. Following Friday’s TBD, Scott Kazmir and Julio Urías would round out the weekend against the Rockies. For Urías, it will be his fourth Dodger Stadium appearance and first in a day game. Brock Stewart is likely to pitch again for the Dodgers on Independence Day against the Orioles. He definitely seemed to take lessons from his second-inning struggles Wednesday. “The first two hits were pretty frustrating, and I probably let it get to me more than should have,” Stewart said, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. “I left balls up and they don’t miss them here, apparently. I didn’t slow myself down and make better pitches. You live and you learn.” Gurnick added that “Stewart said if he had it to do over again, he would have ‘breathed more.’ Dave Roberts took the good with the bad, according to Bill Plunkett of the Register. “It was one of those things where you still have to put this situation into perspective,” Roberts said. “I don’t want him to get too down on himself. I thought he did some good things and ultimately to get here – I wanted him to be in the moment and enjoy it, results not withstanding. “Things here happen so quickly. If you look at things like quality of contact, he pitched better than the line score. But that’s the game. You feel a little bit bad for him. But no one’s going to feel sorry for us.” This Dodgers team can’t be counted out By Cary Osborne Don’t give up on the Dodgers, because the Dodgers don’t give up on themselves.

Who is the best comeback team in the National League? When trailing at any point during a game this season, the Dodgers have come back to win 23 games. That’s tied with the San Francisco Giants for first in the National League. Texas leads baseball with 25, followed by Baltimore at 24. The difference between the Dodgers and Giants is the Dodgers have more late comebacks. When trailing after six innings, the Dodgers have won seven games (tops in the NL). They have an NL-high five wins when trailing after seven innings and are tied for the MLB lead with three wins when trailing after the eighth inning. With the midway point now here, we can double those numbers and set the pace for the Dodgers. They are on track to having their best comeback season since 2004, when they had 53 comeback wins — 17 when trailing after six innings, 12 when trailing after seven and six when trailing after eight. That was the season when Jose Lima became a cult hero in Los Angeles. That 2004 team was also one of the most powerful teams in franchise history, hitting 203 home runs.

TRUEBLUELA.COM

Dodgers' bats break out to beat Brewers on getaway day By Eric Stephen After suffering a series of injury blows this week, culminating in the loss of ace Clayton Kershaw earlier in the day, the Dodgers bats came alive in an 8-1 victory over the Brewers on getaway day at Miller Park in Milwaukee. "It's up to us to pick him up," manager Dave Roberts told reporters before Thursday's game, and that they did. The Dodgers homered three times off starter Zach Davies, who carried a 1.64 June ERA into the series finale. Trayce Thompson tagged Davies in the second inning, his first home run since June 16. Yasmani Grandal homered in the fourth inning, then Corey Seager homered in the fifth. Seager was 2-for-4 with a walk, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. The last seven of those games have included an extra-base hit, the longest streak by a Dodger since Yasiel Puig had an eight-game streak in May 2014. Davies was unable to complete the fifth. The Dodgers also got doubles from Chase Utley, Adrian Gonzalez and Puig, and Justin Turner added three hits. Seven of the eight Dodgers starting position players had a hit and either scored or drove in a run, or both.

That was more than enough support for Kenta Maeda, who allowed just one run on three hits in his six innings, the second time in his last three start he allowed one run to the Brewers. On Thursday, Maeda struck out six and walked two, giving him 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in June. Maeda also reached 91⅔ innings on the season, and in surpassing the 90-inning mark earned a $250,000 bonus. Maeda's next bonus is at 100 innings, for which he will earn another $250,000. Up next The Dodgers return home, opening a 10-game homestand with a weekend series against the Rockies. The Dodgers haven't announced their starting rotation for any of the weekend games, but new acquisition Bud Norris last pitched on Sunday and would figure to be the one to get the call in the opener. The Rockies will go with southpaw Jorge De La Rosa. Thursday particulars Home runs: Trayce Thompson (12), Yasmani Grandal (7), Corey Seager (17) WP - Kenta Maeda (7-5): 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts LP - Zach Davies (5-4): 4⅓ IP, 8 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts Solid start for Jose De Leon, Oklahoma City wins 7-3 By Craig Minami Six Dodger affiliates win on Thursday and Rob Segedin is named as the Oklahoma City representative to the Pacific Coast League All-Star game on July 13th at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. Player of the day Right-handed pitcher Jose De Leon matched his longest outing of the season on Thursday in Oklahoma City's 7-3 win. De Leon pitched five innings, allowed a run and four hits while striking out six. De Leon has only pitched 23⅓ innings in 2016 as the calendar now turns to July. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers got solid pitching and some pop in their 7-3 win over the Sounds. Player of the day Jose De Leon picked up his first win of the season. Grant Dayton and Jacob Rhame each pitched two innings to finish the game. Catcher Jack Murphy went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Micah Johnson, Corey Brown and Zach Walters each had two hits. In the seventh inning, Corey Brown and O'Koyea Dickson each hit their ninth home runs of the season and they did back-to-back. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers got back to into action after their All-Star break with a 6-2 loss to the Missions (Padres). Right-handed pitcher Tim Shibuya took the loss. Shibuya pitched four innings, allowed five runs (three earned), and gave up six hits.

Gus Schlosser and Michael Johnson pitched the final four innings and allowed one run. The Drillers did not do much at the plate, Jordan Tarsovich had two hits, including a double. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes led 4-0 going to the eighth but then the Ports scored four runs to tie the game. Edwin Rios led off the bottom of the eighth with his second home run of the game. That proved to be the difference as the Quakes won 5-4. Tommy Bergjans pitched six scoreless innings, allowed just one hit and one walk, and struck out five. Bubby Rossman allowed all four runs in the fateful eighth. Jeff Mahm blew the save but then got the win. 22-year old Rios was 3-for-4 with two home runs, Matt Beaty was 2-for-4 with a two-run home run. Mike Ahmed also had two hits. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons led 6-0 and then had to hang on in the ninth when the Lugnuts (Blue Jays) scored four runs and had the bases loaded when the Loons recorded the third out and get the 7-6 win. Michael Boyle picked up the win for his six scoreless inning effort. Boyle gave up three hits, three walks and struck out eight. Logan Landon hit two solo home runs. Ariel Sandoval hit his 11th home run of the season. Rookie - Ogden Buoyed by a six-run second inning, the Raptors beat the Owlz (Angels) 8-4. Jairo Pacheco pitched five innings for the win though Pacheco gave up four runs, six hits and walked three. Three pitchers, Tony Gonsolin, Austin French, and Corey Copping combined to pitch four scoreless innings. Luke Raley and Ibandel Isabel each had three hits. Brock Carpenter, Gerald Pitre and Moises Perez had two hits each. Rookie - Arizona The AZL Dodgers defeated the AZL Diamondbacks 11-1 on Thursday evening. Left-handed specialist Randy Choate made his fourth appearance and pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two. Caleb Ferguson pitched four innings, allowed no runs, two hits and struck out nine. Catcher Kelbert Ruiz was 3-for-4 with a triple, walk and three RBI. The 17-year old catcher played in the Dominican Summer League in 2015. The Venezuelan-born Ruiz hit .300 with a .726 OPS in 2015. Cody Thomas, Gavin Lux, Christian Santana, and Shaker Albert each had two hits. Dominican Summer League - Dodgers1 and Dodgers2 Dodgers1 beat the Mariners 4-1 and Dodgers2 lost to the Phillies 3-2. Outfielder Starling Heredia was 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Transactions Triple-A: Oklahoma City placed outfielder Alex Hassan on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to June 29, 2016; outfielder Andrew Toles assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa. Double-A: Catcher Shawn Zarraga assigned to Tulsa from Oklahoma City; right-handed pitcher Chris Anderson assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga; Tulsa placed catcher Tyler Ogle on the 7-day disabled list. Class-A: Right-handed pitcher Kyle Hooper assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Tulsa. Rookie: 2016 8th round draft pick right-handed pitcher Andre Scrubb, 2016 22nd round draft pick right-handed pitcher Jeff Paschke, and 28th round draft pick right-handed pitcher Jake Perkins assigned to AZL Dodgers. Thursday Scores Oklahoma City 7, Nashville 3 San Antonio 6, Tulsa 2 Rancho Cucamonga 5, Stockton 4 Great Lakes 7, Lansing 6 Ogden 8, Orem 4 AZL Dodgers 11, AZL Diamondbacks 1 Dodgers1 4, Mariners 1 Phillies 3, Dodgers2 2 Friday Schedule 4:05 p.m. PT - Bowling Green (Rays) (Blake Bivens) at Great Lakes (Victor Gonzalez) 5:05 p.m. - Oklahoma City (Jharel Cotton) at Nashville (TBD) 5:05 p.m. - Tulsa (Lisalverto Bonilla) at San Antonio (Seth Simmons) 6:00 p.m. - Orem (Ty Barkell) at Ogden (Gregor Mora) 7:00 p.m. - AZL Brewers at AZL Dodgers 7:05 p.m. - Stockton (Zack Erwin) at Rancho Cucamonga (Grant Holmes) Rob Segedin named to Pacific Coast League All-Star team By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers infielder Rob Segedin was honored on Thursday, named a 2016 Pacific Coast League All-Star for his strong performance this season for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Segedin, acquired from the Yankees on Jan. 12, made a strong impression with a solid spring training as a non-roster invitee, and has kept it going all year with Oklahoma City, hitting .296/.374/.562 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, seven triples, 45 RBI and 46 runs scored in 71 games. He ranks fourth in the PCL in extra-base hits (36), fifth in total bases (146) and is tied for the league lead in triples. The right-hander has 10 of those extra-base hits, including five home runs, in his last 15 games, hitting .273/.369/.655 during that span. Segedin has started 45 games at third base this season and 19 more at first base. He has also started one game apiece at second base and shortstop.

The 2016 Triple-A All-Star Game will be held at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte on Wednesday, July 13, pitting the PCL against the International League. The 4 p.m. PT game will be televised by MLB Network and streamed online through MILBtv. Clayton Kershaw has herniated disc, won't require surgery By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers gave an official announcement regarding the status of Clayton Kershaw, which had both good and bad news. The good news is that Kershaw will not require surgery, but the bad news is that he has a herniated disc in his back, with the club only saying they will know more about his recovery at a later date. In other words, expect Kershaw to miss much more than the 15 days his stint on the disabled list will require. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters before Thursday's game in Milwaukee that it was unclear if Kershaw would be ready after the All-Star break. Kershaw met with Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday in Los Angeles after experiencing lower back discomfort, something he has reportedly been dealing with for a few weeks. Kershaw last pitched on Sunday night in Pittsburgh. The Dodgers will officially place Kershaw on the disabled list on Friday, when they will activate new acquisition Bud Norris. Roberts said after Thursday's game that Norris will start on Friday night against the Rockies. Dodgers acquire Bud Norris from Braves By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have filled their desperate and immediate need for a starting pitcher, acquiring Bud Norris from the Braves, the team announced on Thursday. LA also receives outfielder Dian Toscano and a player to be named later plus cash considerations from the Braves. The price for Norris is a pair of minor league pitchers, Phil Pfeifer and Caleb Dirks. The Dodgers essentially bought Dirks from Atlanta last season, trading an international bonus slot with a value of $249,000 for both Dirks and outfielder Jordan Paroubeck. Norris, 31, has a 4.22 ERA and 3.84 FIP in 22 games this season, including 10 starts for the Braves, with 60 strikeouts and 28 walks in 70⅓ innings. But his season has really been split into three acts so far for the right-hander. In April, Norris struggled badly in the starting rotation, putting up an 8.74 ERA with six home runs allowed in 22⅔ innings. Then in relief work, Norris had a 1.96 ERA in 12 games, with nine walks and 14 strikeouts in 18⅓ innings. That earned Norris a return to the rotation on June 4 with a start against the Dodgers.

Since rejoining the rotation, Norris has a 2.15 ERA with 29 strikeouts and only eight walks in 29⅓ innings. He hasn't allowed a home run since April. The difference? A new cutter, it seems, with Jeff Sullivan examined at FanGraphs, and opined, "That makes him a usable starter on a bad team, which makes him a modestly appealing trade candidate. There’s actually a reason for a team to want Bud Norris." Norris last started on Sunday, putting him in line to fill in on Friday for what would have been Clayton Kershaw's start. Norris is making $2.5 million this season, putting the Dodgers on the hook for approximately $1,284,153 for the rest of the season. He will be a free agent after the season. Toscano isn't on the 40-man roster but was signed out of Cuba in 2015 by the Braves. The 27-year-old outfielder hit just .226/.310/.271 in 58 games with Double-A Mississippi this season. Per Cot's Contracts, Toscano is under contract through 2018 plus a club option for 2019. Toscano has roughly $513,661 remaining in 2016, then will receive $1.3 million in 2017 and $1.5 million in 2018. His club option in 2019 is worth $1.7 million, with a $200,000 buyout. To make room for Norris on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated pitcher Ian Thomas for assignment. Thomas has been on the disabled list in Triple-A with a shoulder issue and hasn't pitched since May 12.

ESPN LA Dodgers know it will take a village without Clayton Kershaw By Doug Padilla MILWAUKEE -- The Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation already was a patchwork-quilt kind of affair -- nine different starters this season, four making their big league debuts -- and that was before Clayton Kershaw was pointed toward the disabled list Thursday. Kershaw’s DL move likely will be made official Friday afternoon at some point, before the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. The game also kicks off a 10-game homestand, the longest of the season, and one that encompasses the Fourth of July, typically one of the more celebratory days of the year. If fireworks can burst inward, they will after Monday night's game at the ballpark atop the hill. Yet for the massive bad news heaped on Dodgers fans Thursday, there were signs of hope. The Dodgers did beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1, and Kershaw was diagnosed with a mild disk herniation in his lower back, an injury that will not require surgery. With Kershaw’s recovery plan for lower-back pain already underway with an epidural shot Wednesday, the next step was to find the poor soul who will have to replace him in the rotation. Bud Norris, come on

down. The 31-year-old right-hander, in his eighth major league season, is the guy who has to replace THE GUY, at least in the short term. Nobody is expecting Kershaw stuff from Norris upon his arrival from the Atlanta Braves. It doesn't matter who starts Friday -- it will be hard enough to replicate the kind of performances Kershaw gives every fifth day, much less the leadership and the sense of reassurance the left-hander provides. At the very least, the Dodgers found a hot pitcher for the role. Norris has made five consecutive starts, compiling a 2.15 ERA as the Braves went 4-1 in those games. Adding his one relief appearance in June and he has a 2.08 ERA in the month. Those numbers provide a bit more hope than Norris’ body of work this season, which includes a 3-7 record, a 4.22 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, almost double Kershaw’s league-leading total. Norris’ arrival means the Dodgers are now looking at a 10th different starting pitcher. And by going the veteran route in a trade, they avoided the possibility of a fifth starter to make his debut. Corey Seager had a two-run homer -- his team-best 17th -- and scored a pair of runs in a big day for the Dodgers offense in Thursday's 8-1 win in Milwaukee. Dylan Buell/Getty Images The latest to burst upon the scene for the Dodgers was Brock Stewart, who delivered five innings Wednesday night at Milwaukee, four of which were really good. The one that was not? Stewart gave up five runs in the second, and the Dodgers lost 7-0. The Dodgers touted starting-pitching depth this spring, but this is mining to Earth’s hot core at this point. Landing a pitcher via trade, in Norris, the day before he starts, is not exactly standard operating procedure. Neither is the route Stewart took to the Dodgers. The Illinois native started the season at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga before taking the longer eastern route on I-10 to travel 47 miles west to Dodger Stadium. In addition to announcing Kershaw’s move to the disabled list, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also said that Stewart will get at least one more start. That figures to come Monday at home against the Baltimore Orioles. Norris’ plan would take him from Friday’s start to an outing Wednesday at home against Baltimore. With Kershaw’s disabled-list stint expected to be backdated to Monday (he last pitched Sunday), he technically could return from the DL July 15 when the second half opens at Arizona. “He’s been our most valuable player, and when you lose a player to the disabled list like Clayton, that you have counted on every fifth day for a start, obviously that’s out of all of our control,” Roberts said, when asked what he is thinking about as his best player goes to the sideline for an extended period. “I know Clayton is very disappointed. But it’s up to us to pick him up.” Thursday was a good start, then. Kenta Maeda did his best to give the pitching staff a boost by giving up just one run on three hits over six innings to beat the Brewers.

“It hurts to lose Kershaw,” Maeda said afterward through an interpreter. “But my job is to throw as many innings as possible regardless and help the team win.” There was more than just Maeda contributing Thursday. Trayce Thompson, now the starting center fielder until Joc Pederson can return from his bruised right shoulder, crushed a home run, his first since June 16. Thompson had been dealing with his own back issue that cropped up a month ago. Yasmani Grandal and Corey Seager also hit home runs, with Seager moving to a team-leading 17 on the season. In his rookie year, Seager has become the offensive leader for the Dodgers and will be a sure All-Star Game participant. The offensive eruption was not at all atypical. But as Roberts suggested, to compensate for the loss of Kershaw, everybody will have to contribute. “Obviously it is a big blow to lose Clayton for any length of time, but I think our guys have made a point that we are going to move forward,” Roberts said after Thursday’s victory. “We’re going to go out there and keep winning baseball games, and obviously we did that today. That’s our goal tomorrow. And to get Bud on our roster is a good thing and another step in the right direction for us.” Dodgers belt 3 home runs in 8-1 rout of Brewers By Associated Press MILWAUKEE -- Yasmani Grandal, who hadn't hit a home run on the road this season, was just trying to get on base after working a 3-0 count with two outs in the fourth inning. Grandal did more than that, hitting a solo home run over the bullpen in left field, one of three Los Angeles Dodgers to homer off Milwaukee Brewers starter Zach Davies in an 8-1 victory Thursday. "Overall, he didn't have his best outing today," Grandal said of Davies. "He's a really good pitcher. We were just able to get a lot of base hits, a couple of home runs and get him out of the game quick." Trayce Thompson and Corey Seager also hit home runs for the Dodgers. "It was nice to get some runs," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Kenta Maeda (7-5) held the Brewers to one run over six innings as the Dodgers won the season series from the Brewers, five games to two. The strong start by Maeda was needed by the Dodgers, who announced before the game that they were placing ace Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury. An MRI revealed a mild disk herniation that will not require surgery, the team announced after the game. A timetable for Kershaw's return hasn't been determined. Los Angeles acquired veteran pitcher Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. Norris will start in place of Kershaw on Friday.

"When you start losing starters, it gets tough on your staff and your team, but Kenta took the ball today and gave us six strong innings," Roberts said. Maeda gave up three hits, struck out six and walked two. He allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings against the Brewers in Los Angeles on June 19. "My team really helped me out today, scoring early runs," Maeda said through an interpreter. Thompson put the Dodgers in front in the second with a two-run homer into the second deck in left field off Davies (5-4). Grandal extended the Dodgers' lead to 3-1 in the fourth. Seager's shot to straightaway center in the fifth accounted for two of the Dodgers' three runs in the inning, pushing the lead to 6-1. Los Angeles added two runs in the sixth, including one on a run-scoring double by Adrian Gonzalez. Davies, who had been 5-0 with a 2.64 ERA over his last 10 starts, gave up a season-high six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. He surrendered eight hits, walked two and struck out three. The three home runs were the most allowed by Davies in 20 career starts. HITTING STREAKS Dodgers: Seager extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a career high for the second-year player, with a first-inning single. Brewers: Ryan Braun's third-inning single extended his hitting streak to 11 games. DOUBLE ERROR Maeda attempted to pick off Jonathan Villar in the fifth but his throw sailed past Gonzalez at first base. Justin Turner retrieved the ball but his throwing error allowed Villar to reach third. Maeda and Turner both were charged with errors but the Brewers failed to score in the inning. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: CF Joc Pederson was out of the lineup for the second consecutive day after suffering a bruised AC joint when he crashed into the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game. "I think we'll make a decision with what we do with Joc, as far as the roster, in the next day or two," Roberts said. Brewers: RHP Taylor Jungmann, who began the season in the starting rotation before being demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs after posting a 0-4 record and an ERA of 9.15 in five starts, has been reassigned to Double-A Biloxi after a period of mental rest. Jungmann also struggled at Colorado Springs, going 1/3 with a 9.87 ERA in eight starts. He was scheduled to start for Biloxi on Thursday at Birmingham. UP NEXT Dodgers: Los Angeles begins a season-high, 10-game homestand on Friday against Colorado. Kershaw had been scheduled to start. The newly acquired Norris, who last pitched on Sunday, gets the start in Kershaw's place.

Brewers: Matt Garza (1-0, 2.81), who recorded his first win of the season on Saturday, will take the mound as Milwaukee opens a three-game series at St. Louis on Friday. Garza is 4-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cardinals. MLB Rumor Central: What's the market for Yulieski Gourriel? By Kyle Brasseur After Cuban free agent Yulieski Gourriel worked out for the New York Mets on Monday, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters that the 32-year-old would like to sign with a team "in the next week to two weeks," per his agent. That said, who will make a run at the slugger? Rumor CentralAccording to ESPN's Jim Bowden, the Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees are all "in" on Gourriel. The Mets, Dodgers and Astros have already worked out the coveted Cuban, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports notes, while the Giants are expected to soon, per Bowden. Meanwhile, the Yankees will host Gourriel for a private workout in Tampa next week, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. So how does Gourriel fit with each of these teams? The Mets are an obvious match, given David Wright's injury woes. However, Alderson said the team is undecided on whether it will place an offer on Gourriel after his workout. "We’re still evaluating where we are," Alderson said Tuesday. "We had a lot of people down there yesterday to take a look. We haven't made a decision on that yet." Of course, the Mets signed Jose Reyes last weekend, but Alderson says that won't prevent them from adding Gourriel as well. "Jose gives us a lot of versatility and therefore a lot of flexibility," Alderson said. "So in that sense I don’t think he precludes someone like Gourriel necessarily." We explored the Dodgers' interest here at the time of Gourriel's workout with them, noting that Bowden hears they prefer Justin Turner, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, over the Cuban. That said, if they like their chances to retain Turner after this year, they might not get too involved in the bidding. The Astros are an intriguing match for Gourriel as they have a plethora of young infielders in their system. Beyond major league stars Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, top first-base prospect A.J. Reed is up with the club, while Colin Moran has also seen time in the majors this season. Not to mention, Alex Bregman, the No. 2 pick in last year's draft, is on the fast track to the majors as well. With all that in mind, Rosenthal suggests that the Stros could shift somebody, including Gourriel, to the outfield in order to accommodate a potential signing. The Giants' interest could just be due diligence. Third baseman Matt Duffy (Achilles) and second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) are both on the disabled list, as are utility men Ramiro Pena (ankle) and Kelby Tomlinson (thumb). However, Duffy and Panik aren't expected to be out long, so it's hard to imagine the team would acquire Gourriel as a replacement for either. "We definitely want to be as thorough as we can when it comes to international talent," Giants GM Bobby Evans told Rosenthal.

"We're always trying to make sure we attend workouts and evaluate the relative options that are out there. It's no secret that we have a third baseman. But when it comes to these types of players, I just believe in being thorough." The Yankees, like the Mets, are a logical fit given their need for better production at third base. Chase Headley has been hitting better of late, but the team could still use more offense from the infield. New York might also consider the Cuban as a designated hitter given Alex Rodriguez's struggles this year. The Angels need all the help they can get in the infield, so it wouldn't be surprising if they made a run at Gourriel. However, they haven't been connected to the slugger too much, and owner Arte Moreno's reluctance to spend big in the offseason could still be a factor for the team. Adrian Gonzalez shows Mexican pride in some unexpected ways By One Nacion Yes, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is proud of his Mexican roots. That's why he plays for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. That's part of why he congratulated fellow Mexican Julio Urias with such pride after the pitcher's first MLB win.

Adrián González ✔ @Adrian_ElTitan

Primera victoria! muchas felicidades! @theteenager7 🇲🇲⚾️ #DodgersWin #WeLoveLA That's likely why Gonzalez also made sure his uniform name was properly rendered with a Spanish accent mark. And perhaps that's why he chose to wear a mariachi suit, of all things, on the travel day that Dodgers players are expected to wear suits.

Adrián González ✔ @Adrian_ElTitan When you have to wear a suit on travel day, dressed like a #Charro #TravelDay 🇲🇲 It's definitely a memorable way to show pride in one's country. Dodgers trade for Bud Norris after placing Clayton Kershaw on DL By Doug Padilla MILWAUKEE -- After losing staff ace Clayton Kershaw to the disabled list with a lower back injury, the Los Angeles Dodgers moved quickly to shore up a depleted pitching staff by acquiring right-hander Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves. Norris last pitched Sunday, firing seven scoreless innings at the New York Mets. He is in line to start Friday against the Colorado Rockies, the spot Kershaw would have occupied.

The Dodgers announced earlier Thursday that Kershaw received an epidural shot on his ailing lower back and was headed to the 15-day disabled list. Hours later, the team announced that an MRI exam revealed that Kershaw had a mild disk herniation but would not require surgery. The team said it would announce his expected recovery time at a later date. The Dodgers will officially place Kershaw on the disabled list on Friday. Kershaw had his second-worst outing of the season Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up four runs on nine hits. A day later, as the Dodgers finished a four-game series in Pittsburgh, he was being examined in Los Angeles for what was then labeled as minor back discomfort. "I think that he understands that's the best course of action," manager Dave Roberts said of placing Kershaw on the DL. "He's been our most valuable player. And when you lose a player to the disabled list like Clayton that you have counted on every fifth day for a start -- obviously that's out of all of our control. "I know Clayton is very disappointed. But it's up to us to pick him up." Roberts told ESPN.com on Monday that the back problem had been an "off-and-on issue" for Kershaw. Clayton Kershaw, who leads the National League in ERA, is going on the disabled list with a back injury. Harry How/Getty Images Kershaw, who has made at least 30 starts in six of the past seven seasons, is in the midst of one of the best seasons ever by a pitcher. Even with the loss to the Pirates on Sunday, he is 11-2 with a National League-leading 1.79 ERA. He also leads the NL with 121 innings, 145 strikeouts, a 0.727 WHIP and 0.7 walks per nine innings. Kershaw's 16.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which had been as high as 20-to-1 earlier this month, would crush the major league record of 11.63 set by the Minnesota Twins' Phil Hughes in 2014. The Dodgers are 14-2 when Kershaw pitches this season and 29-35 when he does not. Those will not be easy shoes to fill for Norris, 31, who was 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA for the Braves this season. In 22 appearances this season, Norris has made 11 starts. His last five outings were as a starter for the Braves; he was 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in that span. In the deal with the Braves, the Dodgers also receive outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations. Norris was on a one-year deal with the Braves at $2.5 million. The Dodgers give up minor-league pitchers Philip Pfeifer and Caleb Dirks in order to acquire Norris. Pfeifer, 23, is a combined 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA at two Single-A levels this season, and was a third-round pick in 2015. Dirks, 23, was 3-2 with a 1.44 ERA in relief at Double-A Tulsa. He is a former Braves draft pick. To make room for Norris on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated left-hander Ian Thomas for assignment.

USA TODAY Dodgers in panic mode with loss of Clayton Kershaw to DL By Bob Nightengale That tremor Thursday morning that jarred everyone to their senses throughout Los Angeles had nothing to do with an earthquake, but this felt worse. The franchise, otherwise known as Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, suddenly came toppling down. Kershaw, the greatest pitcher on the planet, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts unable to provide a specific timetable for when he’ll be able to return. Let the panic begin. This may be a $250 million team, but with Kershaw gone until after the All-Star break, the Dodgers will be gasping for air just to stay alive in perhaps baseball’s weakest division. The Dodgers, 43-37, are six games behind the suddenly reeling San Francisco Giants, but with the news of Kershaw’s bad back, diagnosed as a herniated disk that required an epidural shot to reduce inflammation, it suddenly feels like twice the deficit. This is a team that is 14-2 in games that Kershaw starts. And a team that is 30-35 in every game he doesn’t step on the mound. The Dodgers rely on the three-time Cy Young Award winner, who has the lowest career ERA of any pitcher since the dead-ball era in 1920, more than any other team in baseball. The Dodgers don’t have the offense, ranked fourth worst in the National League, to make up for the loss of Kershaw. Their bullpen is shaky outside of closer Kenley Jansen. And the rotation stinks on most days Kershaw doesn’t start. Really, despite all of their injuries, the Dodgers have no one to blame but themselves. They were the ones who passed on David Price, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann over the winter and Cole Hamels at the 2015 trade deadline, thinking they had enough depth. Take a good look at the rotation now. They’ve got free agent pickups Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir, rookies Julio Urias and Brock Stewart, and now journeyman Bud Norris, who was acquired Thursday from the Atlanta Braves. Yes, really. Let’s see, Stewart was in Class A this year and became the first Dodgers pitcher to make his major league debut in the same season since Hideo Nomo in 1995. Urias, 19, became the youngest Dodgers starter

since Fernando Valenzuela last month. Maeda flunked his physical last winter before the Dodgers signed him to a low-risk contract. Kazmir, 31, is on his fifth team in six seasons, despite sitting out two years. And Norris, who was demoted a month ago to the bullpen by the Braves, is 6-18 with a 5.58 ERA since the 2014 season. Norris, who was traded for pitching prospects Phillip Pfeiffer and Caleb Dirks, will become their 10th starting pitcher this season when he likely starts Friday against the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers have tried four different pitchers in the fifth spot alone. It began with Ross Stripling, who was sent out. He was replaced by Mike Bolsinger, who was replaced by Nick Tepesch, and now Stewart. The result of their seven starts since Stripling was sent to the minors: 7.79 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Oh, sure, the Dodgers will remind you they’ve got help on the way. They think that Alex Wood, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu will return in the second half. Yet, no matter who comes back, without Kershaw, they’ve got as much a chance of winning the division as the San Diego Padres. You take away Kershaw (11-2, 1.79 ERA), and the Dodgers starting rotation is 17-23. Image of the Walkoff logo that links to the Walkoff Podcast on iTunes “At some point, we’ve got to get length,” Roberts told reporters. “And we’ve got to win baseball games from that (fifth) spot.” And second spot, third spot and fourth spot. In the meantime, they can only pray that Kershaw’s back heals quickly and hope for as many rainouts as possible, even though we all know it never rains in Southern California. “I know Clayton’s very disappointed,’’ Roberts said. “It’s up to us to pick him up.’’ And soon, while there’s still a division race.

NBC LA

Dodgers Go Home Run Happy in 8-1 Blowout of Brewers By Michael Duarte Trayce Thompson, Yasmani Grandal and Corey Seager all homered as the Los Angeles Dodgers blew out the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 in the rubber match at Miller Park on Thursday. Hours after finding out their ace Clayton Kershaw would be headed to the DL, Kenta Maeda and the Dodgers picked up their teammate with a big victory to win the series and head back to LA on a high note.

"To lose Clayton for any length of time is a big blow," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "Our guys have made a point to move forward and keep winning baseball games." LA homered three times off Brewers starter Zach Davies. Thompson started the early fireworks show with a two-run shot in the second inning. The rookie outfielder feasted on an 88 MPH fastball up in the zone for his 12th homer of the season. Grandal also greeted a Davies fastball for a solo shot in the fourth inning that gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead. "3-0 count, I'm definitely not swinging and just trying to get on base," Grandal said of the home-run at-bat. "But, I changed mind and thought 'if he throws me a fastball down the middle, I'll take it.'" Finally, Seager sent an 84 MPH cut-fastball over the wall in centerfield for his team-leading 17th blast of the season in the fifth. "It's a game of adjustments," Seager told Alanna Rizzo of SportsNetLA after the game. "We struggled yesterday, came back today and made some adjustments and had success." The rookie shortstop continued to state his case for the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego as he finished 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, extending his hit streak to a season-high 13 games. "Obviously I have a biased perspective, but he's the best shorstop in the National League," Roberts said of Seager. "Corey Seager is what this game is all about now and going forward. The numbers speak for themselves and he deserves to be in the All-Star Game." Shortly after he surrendered the two-run bomb to Seager, Davies' day was done as the Dodgers scored three runs off the right-hander in the fifth inning to chase the Brewers starter from the game. Davies (5-4), entered the game with a 1.64 ERA in June, but he was tagged for six runs on eight hits with just three strikeouts in 4 and 1/3 innings pitched. LA extended their lead off Jacob Barnes in the top of the sixth. Grandal got the rally going with a leadoff walk and scored four batters later on an RBI single from Justin Turner. One day after he was ejected in a 7-0 loss, Adrian Gonzalez followed Turner's single with an RBI double that scored Seager from second. "We had good at-bats," Roberts added. "It was nice to see the guys come together with a game plan. Up and down the lineup there was a lot of good things." The eight runs of offense were more than enough for Maeda who pitched phenomenally for the second time in as many weeks against Milwaukee. The Japanese right-hander ran into trouble to start the game, surrendering a single, a walk, and a hit-batter to load the bases before a sac fly and a strike out got him out of the jam with just one-run allowed. "I threw a lot of pitches in the first inning, but my team really helped me out by scoring a lot of runs for me," Maeda told the media through a translator.

For the second straight start against the Brewers, Maeda allowed just one run on three hits in six strong innings of work. Maeda struck out six batters and cruised to his seventh victory of the season. Players of the Game: Corey Seager: 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored. Kenta Maeda: 1 run, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts, 6 IP. Trayce Thompson: 2-for-5 with a two-run home run. Three Takeaways: 1. Money Ball: Los Angeles Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda surpassed the 90-inning mark on Thursday, triggering a $250,000 bonus in his contract. Maeda can reach another $250,000 payday when he surpasses 100 innings. 2. Dodgers Down Davies: Milwaukee Brewers starter Zach Davies was 5-0 with a 2.46 ERA in his last 10 starts, tied for 10th best in the National League behind Madison Bumgarner, Jose Fernandez, Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Zack Grienke and more. The Dodgers were able to snap Davies streak of quality starts by putting up six runs in just four innings against Davies. 3. All-Star Seager: Today is the last day you can vote for players for the All-Star Game in San Diego in two weeks. Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is currently third in the voting at his position behind Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs and Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies. Leading LA in almost every offensive category, Seager is definitely All-Star worthy and needs your vote! Up Next: Dodgers (44-37): Newest Dodger Bud Norris will get thrown straight into the fire as he starts on Friday in the first game of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Brewers (35-43): Milwaukee travels to St. Louis to square off with the divisional rival St. Louis Cardinals.

LA TIMES

Dodgers Dugout: Clayton Kershaw can't be replaced, but here's why Bud Norris is an intriguing acquisition By Houston Mitchell Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I wonder if any of us can donate our back to Clayton Kershaw. Anyone but Kershaw Remember when Chicken Little would run around saying “the sky is falling,” but no one believed him? Well, if Chicken Little went door to door and told Dodgers fans that the sky is falling, they would believe every word. On Thursday the team announced it was going to put Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day disabled list because of a herniated disk in his back. He was given an epidural shot and the team is not sure when he will be back. He may not be back until well after the All-Star break.

“How his body responds to the epidural, that’s the most telling,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be. I don’t know. I’m hopeful. But I can’t say either way.” Apparently Kershaw’s back has been bothering him for about a month, but it became too much for him on Monday, one day after he struggled against the Pittsburgh Pirates. A couple of hours after the move was announced, the team acquired right-handed starter Bud Norris and outfielder Dian Toscano and a player to be named from the Braves for minor leaguers Philip Pfeifer and Caleb Dirks. Norris is 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 22 games this season, split between the rotation and the bullpen. As a starter he is 3-5 with a 5.02 ERA. On the plus side, in June he was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six games (five starts). In his career, Norris is 59-75 with a 4.43 ERA. His ERA+ is 90, meaning he has been 10% worse than a league average pitcher (his ERA+ this season is 97). However, there is some reason to be optimistic. Why did his number suddenly improve in June? He abandoned his change-up and started throwing a cutter instead. Since then he has become a groundball pitcher. In fact, since then he has the third-best WAR among starting pitchers, trailing only Jose Fernandez and some guy named Kershaw. So, while it is easy to complain that the Dodgers got another mediocre pitcher, there is reason to believe he has turned things around and I can see why Andrew Friedman is taking a chance on him. Let’s give him a couple of starts and see what happens. Toscano, 27, hit .226 with 10 RBI in 58 games with the Braves’ double-A Mississippi this year. Dirks, 23, went 3-2 with 6 saves and a 1.44 ERA in 28 relief appearances with double-A Tulsa and Pfeifer, 23, posted a 3-1 combined record with a 2.67 ERA in 17 relief appearances with Class A Great Lakes and Class A Rancho Cucamonga. This leaves the Dodgers with a rotation of: Kenta Maeda, Scott Kazmir, Julio Urias, Brock Stewart and Bud Norris. The Dodgers have also been linked in trade talks for Tampa Bay’s Erasmo Ramirez, who has a career record of 25-24 with a 4.17 ERA, but has been 18-12 with a 3.73 ERA since the start of the 2015 season. Kershaw’s injury will also hopefully end the thought of shutting Urias down for a while to “conserve his innings.” Because that would lead to "conserving our victories." Norris, of course, is not a true replacement for Kershaw, because he is irreplaceable. He is the most valuable player to his team in all of baseball, so it seems unlikely the team will make the playoffs if he is out for an extended period of time. And yes, the joke “he hurt his back carrying the team for so long" is too easy, so I won't say it. Calling all doctors

Here is a list of Dodger starting pitchers on the DL: Brett Anderson Kershaw Brandon McCarthy Hyun-jin Ryu Alex Wood And here are the other Dodgers currently on the DL: Andre Ethier Yimi Garcia Kiké Hernandez Frankie Montas Josh Ravin Chin-hui Tsao And that doesn’t include Joc Pederson, who may go on the DL because of a bruised shoulder. Troubling trend Trayce Thompson hit just .207 with five homers and 10 RBIs in June. Seven Dodgers hit below .225 for the month: Adrian Gonzalez (.223), Scott Van Slyke (.206), Chase Utley (.209), Thompson, A.J. Ellis (.188), Yasmani Grandal (.169) and Kiké Hernandez (.158). Ask Ross Porter Former Dodgers announcer Ross Porter will be answering select reader questions for the rest of the season. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on. His latest response: Ron Rand asks: I was privileged to hear you as one of the voices of the Dodgers. What games stand out in your mind most, Ross, and why? Ross: During my 28 seasons, Ron, I broadcast about 5,000 Dodger regular season, postseason and exhibition games. That's quite a few to remember. Here are just a few: April 7, 1977: Vin [Scully] was at the Masters with CBS so I was the No. 1 Dodger announcer for my major league broadcasting debut on Opening Day in Los Angeles. The first pitch of the season and my first to announce in a big league game was thrown by Don Sutton, and Gary Thomasson of the Giants slugged it into the right-field bullpen for a home run. Sutton allowed only two more hits and scored a complete game 5-1 victory. Oct. 8, 1977: The Dodgers led the Phillies, two games to one in the best of five National League Championship Series. Rain fell throughout Game 4 in Philadelphia and Tommy John bested Steve Carlton 4-1 to put the Dodgers in the World Series. All I could think about was getting a ring the next spring.

Oct. 18, 1977: On the CBS Radio network's 600 stations, I announced three home runs Reggie Jackson hit against the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. Jackson went deep on Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough — all on first pitches. Oct. 28, 1981: The Dodgers captured the World Series with a 9-2 triumph at Yankee Stadium in Game 6. It was 1-1 after four innings when New York Manager Bob Lemon inexplicably took his pitcher Tommy John out of the game. The Dodgers erupted for seven runs in the next two innings. Oct. 20, 1988: Orel Hershiser tossed a four-hitter at Oakland in Game 5 of the World Series to clinch a world title for the Dodgers. Aug. 23, 1989: In Montreal, the Dodgers and Expos were scoreless in the 22nd inning when Rick Dempsey lined a home run off Dennis Martinez to give the Dodgers a 1-0 win. I announced all 22 innings by myself on radio [and it] is still the longest solo broadcast in major-league history. The game lasted 6 hours and 14 minutes. May 23, 2002: Shawn Green of the Dodgers tied a major-league record when he hit four home runs in a game at Milwaukee, and it was a thrill to be on the air when he clouted his first and fourth. As nice a person as I have known went 6 for 6 that afternoon (a double and single included) with seven RBIs and six runs scored.