Daily Clips

May 3, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

DODGERS.COM Gutierrez homers in return; Van Slyke optioned - Ken Gurnick Urias set to face Giants for 2nd straight start - Chris Haft Bellinger making case to stick with Dodgers - Ken Gurnick Dodgers roar back to romp past Giants - Ken Gurnick and Chris Haft LA TIMES Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calls treatment of Adam Jones at Fenway Park 'completely unacceptable' – Andy McCullough Plaschke | Struggling Dodgers need rookie Cody Bellinger’s bat in lineup - Bill Plaschke Dodgers crush Giants, 13-5 – Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Miller: Dodgers and Angels are baseball’s best – at getting hurt - Jeff Miller Dodgers notes: Chris Taylor making his case to stay in majors - J.P. Hoornstra Cody Bellinger does his part as Dodgers rout Giants, 13-5 - Bill Plunkett ESPN Rumor Central: Hot-hitting Cody Bellinger in danger of demotion? - ESPN.com MVP and Cy Young watch: Which Nationals slugger is No. 1? - Mark Simon A lineup fix for all 30 teams - Dan Szymborski Puig, Bellinger power Dodgers to 13-5 win over Giants - Associated Press TRUE BLUE LA Ailing Adrian Gonzalez gets day off - Eric Stephen Dodgers’ big innings bury Giants - Eric Stephen Dave Roberts: No roster moves set in stone- Eric Stephen Bobby Wilson hits two homers but OKC loses 14-inning game - Craig Minami DODGER INSIDER Giving the gift of sight – Erin Edwards Roberts on Gutierrez return: “He can change a game”- Rowan Kavner Five Takeaways: A bevy of firsts in 13–5 win - Rowan Kavner DODGERS PHOTOG BLOG 5/2/17-Something Current-SF-5,LAD-13 at Dodger Stadium by Jon SooHoo and Josh Barber/©LA Dodgers - Jon SooHoo PROJECT : INVESTED Off the Mound, Dodgers Pitcher Has Back-Up Career Plan in Financial Industry

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

DODGERS.COM Gutierrez homers in return; Van Slyke optioned By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers activated outfielder Franklin Gutierrez from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday and optioned Scott Van Slyke to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Gutierrez started in left field vs. the Giants on Tuesday and slugged a homer leading off the second inning, sparking a rally en route to a 13-5 Dodgers victory. Gutierrez was placed on the DL on April 11 with a left hamstring strain and played two rehab games at Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. Van Slyke, used primarily against left-handed pitching, hit .129 in 21 games. He hasn't been optioned to the Minor Leagues since 2013. "It was a tough one," manager Dave Roberts said of the decision. "Slyky has been a mainstay here for a number of years and has gone through a lot physically, with the inconsistent playing time for a role player. We acquired Franklin to hit off left-handed pitching and he's healthy. It gives Slyky an opportunity to get consistent at-bats and work through mechanical things. He'll be back at some point." The Dodgers face two more difficult decisions later in the week, as center fielder Joc Pederson and second baseman Logan Forsythe are on rehab assignments with Roberts anticipating their return by Friday night's series opening in San Diego. It has been assumed that a spot for Pederson would be opened by returning Cody Bellinger to Triple-A. But Bellinger has played well in his trial, and his start at first base Tuesday over the ailing Adrian Gonzalez opens speculation that Gonzalez could be headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career because of lingering right elbow tendinitis. Roberts said he hasn't discussed the disabled list yet with Gonzalez, who showed more power during early batting practice than he has this season.

Urias set to face Giants for 2nd straight start By Chris Haft Everybody knows that 20-year-old left-hander Julio Urias possesses a seemingly limitles supply of great stuff. But Urias, who starts Wednesday's series finale for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants, can't always harness his impressive array of deliveries. Case in point: Urias' start at San Francisco last Thursday in his season debut. He issued four walks while throwing 38.3 percent of his pitches within the strike zone. Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who will oppose Urias, is another hurler who almost routinely takes impressive stuff to the mound. But Samardzija has gained a semblance of control, averaging 2.9 walks per inning during his career. Things to know about this game • Samardzija's penchant for allowing home runs has continued. He has yielded at least one in four of his five starts. • Samardzija is coming off his best start of the season. He allowed three runs (two earned) while walking one and striking out five in seven innings as the Giants outlasted San Diego, 4-3, last Friday. • The early-season binge of Giants-Dodgers games will resume May 15 when the rivals open a three-game series at AT&T Park. After that, they won't face each other until late July. Bellinger making case to stick with Dodgers By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Cody Bellinger might not be shuttled back to Oklahoma City on Friday after all. That was the plan when Bellinger was promoted a week ago after Joc Pederson's groin strain. The 21-year-old Bellinger was an injury fill-in who would return to Triple-A for more seasoning when Pederson was healthy. But after Bellinger's latest heroics -- a three-run triple that helped fuel a 13-5 Dodgers win over the Giants on Tuesday night -- there might be a Plan B. "There was nothing set in stone and obviously, with guys coming back ... obviously things can change," said manager Dave Roberts. "Anyone who's followed our club for the last year and a half knows things change daily, or hourly. Cody's done everything he can to show he warrants a continued opportunity. Tip your hat to him the way he plays the game. A lot can happen between now and Friday, and we haven't made a final decision." Bellinger's second-inning triple was all the more impressive coming off Giants left-handed starter Matt Moore, who struck out Bellinger twice in San Francisco last week, but also allowed him a single that triggered a four-run fourth inning Tuesday night. Bellinger was 0-for-6 against lefties before the triple.

"Cody has shown the ability to handle left-handed pitching throughout the Minor Leagues," said Roberts. "He stays in there, doesn't fly open, and to take a fastball and turn it around and hit it 400 feet, and a slider down and away and go line to line, the ability to go bat-to-ball skill is elite. The first time he faced [Moore], it was a tough day, but he came back. He's on the plate and that was a big hit. He finds himself on third base. He's so athletic and dynamic. He does a lot of things to win baseball games." And with the typical Dodger flair for the dramatic, Bellinger's performance Tuesday night had the added intrigue in that, unlike his previous outfield appearances, he started at first base as Roberts wanted to give Adrian Gonzalez and his ailing right elbow a rest. Bellinger is the heir apparent at first base, but his outfield versatility accelerated his arrival. "Cody's played well, offensively, defensively, the spark he's contributed to our club, and tonight he had another good night at the plate," said Roberts. "It seems like every time he takes the field, he does something to help you win. And for me, that's the mark of a winning player, and that's a good thing." On the pitch before his triple to left field, Bellinger pulled a long fly ball well foul. "The last series in San Fran, he was attacking me with fastballs inside," Bellinger said. "I was guessing after the foul ball it would be a heater or cutter in. He threw a heater and I was just trying to put the barrel on it." In five games at Dodger Stadium, Bellinger is 9-for-19 with seven runs, a double, triple, two homers and five RBIs. Overall, he's hitting .345 with a 1.061 OPS. "I haven't been told anything," he said. "I'm up here to help the team win every at-bat, offense, defense, baserunning. The rest is out of my control. It's been great, the family's here and I'm living out my dream right now. I think I belong." Dodgers roar back to romp past Giants By Ken Gurnick and Chris Haft LOS ANGELES -- Yasiel Puig drove in four runs and rookie Cody Bellinger tripled in three as the Dodgers pounded out a 13-5 win over the Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Giants starter Matt Moore (1-4) held the Dodgers to one run in seven innings last week in San Francisco, but after the Giants gave him a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning, he coughed it up in a six-run Dodgers second built around Franklin Gutierrez's home run and Bellinger's triple. "He just had a hard time commanding the fastball. It came back over the plate," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Moore. "Matty's so good but occasionally he does have these moments." The Dodgers chased Moore in a fourth inning that included the first of Puig's pair of two-run singles. "The way the offense responded after that was pretty impressive, for sure," Dodgers starter Alex Wood said.

Wood struck out eight in five innings and is 2-0. The nine earned runs charged to Moore in 3 1/3 innings were a career high, and the 13 runs San Francisco yielded was a season high. Giants pitchers issued nine walks (five by Moore) and hit a batter. Chris Taylor of the Dodgers walked four times. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Welcome back, Franklin: In his first at-bat off the disabled list, Gutierrez homered off an 0-2 pitch from Moore and it triggered the six-run second inning, reversing the momentum of San Francisco's four-run top of the second. Statcast™ measured the home run at 448 feet with an exit velocity of 110 mph. "I wasn't surprised he hit a homer, because he hit one on his rehab and I hit one last year on rehab and then hit one my first at-bat back," said Puig. "I thought maybe he would." Right the ship: After allowing Joe Panik's two-out RBI single in the third inning that cut the Dodgers lead to 6-5, Wood retired the next seven batters, five by strikeout, to restore order and turned it over to the bullpen. "This was the most consistent my stuff's been," Wood said. "They hit some balls in the right spots in the second inning, a couple of tough knocks. But after that, it was fun to watch." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS According to STATS LLC, the run-scoring outburst in the second inning was the first time in the teams' history that both the Dodgers and Giants each plated at least four runs in the same frame while playing at Dodger Stadium. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Giants challenged a sixth-inning decision in which Los Angeles' Austin Barnes was ruled safe at third base. A replay review demonstrated that Giants third baseman Christian Arroyo tagged Barnes on the left hand as he reached for the bag after oversliding it. Thus, the initial call was overturned. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will start for the Giants in Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. PT series finale at Chavez Ravine in an attempt to lead them to a win that would give them a 2-1 series victory. Samardzija owns an 0-2 record with a 5.40 ERA in three career Dodger Stadium appearances. Dodgers: Julio Urias starts Wednesday night's series finale at 7:10 p.m. PT, coming off last week's start in San Francisco, when he walked four in 5 2/3 innings. According to Statcast™, he threw just 38.3 percent of his pitches within the strike zone. That was his lowest rate in any game since his Major League debut last May 27 against the Mets (34.5 percent).

LA TIMES

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calls treatment of Adam Jones at Fenway Park 'completely unacceptable' By Andy McCullough Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spent only a few months as a member of the Boston Red Sox, but his legacy in franchise lore is unquestioned. His stolen base in the fourth game of the 2004 American League Championship Series aided the club as it completed a historic comeback and ended an 86-year championship drought. He has fond memories of the city, and the reception he receives at Fenway Park tends to be glowing. Roberts is also the son of an African American father and a Japanese mother. He reacted with restraint but disappointment when asked about the incident in Boston on Monday evening, when fans hurled peanuts and shouted racial epithets at Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones. Like Roberts, Jones is a black man who was raised in San Diego. He condemned the actions of the hecklers afterward. Roberts spoke about the situation before the Dodgers’ game Tuesday against San Francisco. “I have great history and great memories of the city,” Roberts said. “And I know Adam is a great advocate of the game, and a great man. For him to be treated that way by a small group of people, by an individual — overstepping the lines of friendly, competitive banter — is unacceptable. Very disappointing. To reflect an entire fan base, let alone a city, because of a certain group or an individual, is being ignorant.” He added, “For Adam, I applaud him for bringing it to light again. I think change occurs when things are talked about and brought to the table and brought to light. I applaud him for that.” Roberts has said he broke down in tears when the Dodgers traded him to Boston in the summer of 2004. But he said he never worried about how he might be treated by the fans based on his race. “It wasn’t race-driven, it was just more of how bad a player I was,” Roberts said. “That’s what major league players sign up for. I wasn’t a superstar player like Adam. They didn’t need to get on me too much. “For the particular individuals who feel it’s OK, with free speech, to say those type of things, completely unacceptable.” The fans at Fenway greeted Jones with a standing ovation before his first at-bat Tuesday. The Red Sox organization had already issued an apology. “Our entire organization and our fans are sickened by the conduct of an ignorant few,” team president Sam Kennedy said in a statement.

Plaschke | Struggling Dodgers need rookie Cody Bellinger’s bat in lineup By Bill Plaschke The bases were loaded early Tuesday evening, and there was seemingly only one spot on the Dodger Stadium field where Cody Bellinger could hit a ball that would clear them. It was a distant spot, a remote spot, deep in a left-field corner that was surrounded by a freshly mowed green emptiness. The shifting San Francisco Giants didn’t think he could hit it there. Common sense indicates that a 21-year-old playing in just his eighth major league game could not hit it there. Bellinger hit it there. Using his bat like a wand, the left-handed hitter shot an opposite-field laser that curled into the warning-track dirt. By the time it had been retrieved and returned by the sheepish Giants, Bellinger was standing on third base, three runs had scored, and a three-word plea echoed through Chavez Ravine. The kid stays. The Dodgers have been thinking about sending Bellinger back to triple-A Oklahoma City this weekend, but now that thinking must end. The roster must be juggled. Room must be made. The kid stays, even when Joc Pederson comes off the disabled list, even with Andrew Toles deserving another outfield spot, and even with Yasiel Puig still hanging around. As Bellinger showed again in the Dodgers’ 13-5 victory over the Giants on Tuesday, the kid is already their best hitting outfielder. The kid is one of their three best hitters, period. If they want to keep their veteran outfield intact, the kid can play first base when they finally decide to do the right thing and put Adrian Gonzalez on the disabled list to allow his forearm and back to heal. No matter where he plays, the kid stays. And after Tuesday’s game, maybe the Dodgers are starting to agree? “Cody has done everything he can to show he warrants a continued opportunity,” manager Dave Roberts said. “A lot can happen between now and Friday.” What else does anybody need to see? Bellinger has already fulfilled almost every duty required of a rookie hitter in this town, combining Puig excitement with Corey Seager calm. Power? On Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, he hit two homers in a span of three innings. Precision? Twice he’s laid down shift-defying bunts along the third-base line, both good for a shock and a single. Cool? His two homers against the Phillies helped the Dodgers mount a game-winning comeback, while his second-inning triple Tuesday tied the score.

Numbers? He is batting .345 with an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.061. Gasps? It seems like everything he hits, it sings. Even when it bounces, it blares. In one game, he mashed a line drive that flew into the stands on one hop, and some some say it was the hardest Dodgers hit all season. Hollywood? His mother Jennifer, who has been his visible cheerleader during his first homestand, has been shown on Spectrum SportsNet LA more than Orel Hershiser. The kid stays. “Cody’s done a great job, he’s played well, there’s definitely a spark he’s contributed to our club,” Roberts said. “It seems like every time he takes the field, he does something to help you win. To me that’s a winning player.” Granted, the Dodgers were not planning on bringing him up as soon as they did; injuries forced his invitation. And understandably, they would like him to play more than 18 games at triple A considering his age, and that this is only his fourth year in full-season professional baseball. But, now, forget it. Tear up the blueprint. The Dodgers offense has basically two players who are regularly producing. The offense is the reason this potentially great team is treading among the mediocre. This is not about marketing, it’s about hitting, and Bellinger provides the pop the Dodgers desperately needs. He will surely struggle. Pitchers will find holes in his giant swing. He will have to adjust. The Dodgers will have to be patient. The talent will be tested. But the talent needs to be here. The kids stays, and the easiest way the Dodgers can keep him here is to rest Gonzalez. Bellinger took his place Tuesday night, and could easily remain there while the struggling veteran gets right. Gonzalez has never been on the disabled list in his sterling 14-year career, so it might be a tough move, but at least for now, it could be the right move, so much that Roberts even addressed it. “With a player like Adrian, a guy who has never been on DL his entire career, it says a lot about character and the will to want to post,” said Roberts before Tuesday’s game. “I can only go on his word and the training staff in the sense of, ‘I feel good enough to play.’” Gonzalez, however, has been a different hitter this season, even though he drove in a run Tuesday night with a hard pinch single. This season he has yet to homer in 90 at-bats and, since Aug. 27 of last season, he has only two homers in 192 at-bats. For a guy who has had at least 18 homers in each of his last dozen seasons, this is a big deal, and considering he arrived in spring training with forearm tendinitis, injuries appear to be a factor. “He’s talked about not being 100%,” said Roberts. “Obviously, if there’s a performance thing, and a bigger issue is if there’s further damage. He feels like he can still go out there, so I’ve got to continue to count on that, but we’ll see, there’s going to be ongoing conversations.”

Management can talk all it wants, about whoever its wants, as long as when the discussion ends, Cody Bellinger stays. Dodgers crush Giants, 13-5 By Andy McCullough The plan followed logic and the plan felt sound. On Friday afternoon, according to the plan, the Dodgers would recall outfielder Joc Pederson from the disabled list. As a corresponding move, the team would send top prospect Cody Bellinger back to the minors. The team would thank him for his efforts, wish him well and prepare to welcome him back later in the season. That was the plan. Steinbeck understood how those unravel, and so do baseball teams. The concept of stashing Bellinger in the minors looked curious when he hit two home runs Saturday. It sounded odd when he provided two hits Monday. And it reached the point of absurdity a few minutes past 8 p.m. Tuesday, in the second inning of the Dodgers’ 13-5 victory over San Francisco, when Bellinger hit a three-run triple into the left-field corner of Dodger Stadium. It was the first of his career, and the crucial blow in a six-run rally that erased a four-run deficit. Two innings later, Bellinger hit a leadoff single to spark a four-run flood. About 10 minutes after the game, manager Dave Roberts conceded that the plan might not be the plan, after all. “There was nothing set in stone,” Roberts said. “Obviously, things can change. Anyone who has followed our club over the last year and half can see that things change daily. Or hourly.” On a night when the offense roared, Bellinger helped Alex Wood (2-0) survive a rocky five-inning outing and aided the offense in flattening starter Matt Moore. The long season will test Bellinger’s ability to sustain performance in the major leagues. But at this moment, as the Dodgers seesaw toward summer, his presence in the lineup here appears close to vital. Bellinger has injected life into a club that struggled to gain traction on offense. And his confidence is well-earned. “Yeah,” a sheepish Bellinger said after the game, “I think I belong.” The argument for sending Bellinger back to triple-A Oklahoma City derived from the organization’s interest in furthering his development. Bellinger will not turn 22 for another two months. Before he arrived in the majors, he had played in only 21 games above double A. The Dodgers do not want him to languish on the bench. Except Bellinger appears capable of playing all three outfield spots, and has shown the ability to hit left-handed and right-handed pitchers. His natural position is first base, which he handled Tuesday for the first time in the majors. With the Dodgers pondering putting Adrian Gonzalez on the disabled list, the team could pivot from the plan to keep Bellinger around. Gonzalez lacks interest in a shutdown, even as he grapples with discomfort in his forearm and back. He came off the bench to deliver a run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

No decision would be made Tuesday. Instead, the Dodgers savored the contributions of the youngest position player on their roster. “He’s just so athletic and dynamic,” Roberts said. “He does a lot of things that help you win baseball games.” In the afternoon, the team brought outfielder Franklin Gutierrez back from the DL. Gutierrez sat out 20 days because of a strained hamstring. To make room on the roster for Gutierrez, the team optioned Scott Van Slyke to Oklahoma City. Van Slyke was hitting .129. By the time Gutierrez came to the plate, in the second inning, Dodgers trailed by four runs. The Giants peppered Wood with well-placed hits to notch four runs in the top of the inning. “They hit a a couple balls in the right spots,” Wood said. Gutierrez crushed a fastball for a solo home run, his first as a Dodger. The rally was only beginning. The first six Dodgers all reached against Moore. Chris Taylor walked. Yasiel Puig singled. A walk by Austin Barnes loaded the bases for Bellinger. A week ago, Moore struck out Bellinger three times. Bellinger felt prepared for the rematch. He passed on a fastball inside and a changeup away. When Moore stuffed a fastball near his fists, Bellinger pulled it down the right-field line. The crowd erupted even as the drive went foul. When Moore threw a fastball away, Bellinger did not try to pull. He stroked the ball into the left-field corner and cleared the bases. “I was just trying to put the barrel on it,” Bellinger said. Wood reclaimed the lead on his own. He flared a single to bring Bellinger home. After Corey Seager doubled, a sacrifice fly by Justin Turner finished the six-run splurge. Bellinger blended into the handshake line after the final out. His place on the roster may still be tenuous. But the plan to ship him out may soon change. “Cody’s done everything he can to show that he warrants a continued opportunity,” Roberts said. “You tip your hat to him, and the way he plays the game.”

OC REGISTER

Miller: Dodgers and Angels are baseball’s best – at getting hurt By Jeff Miller The pitcher ended up on the disabled list Monday with what the Dodgers officially called a hip contusion.

But it was Manager Dave Roberts who probably diagnosed the situation more accurately when he said left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu suffered “a little tightness in the glute.” In layman terms, a pain in the behind. That’s because Ryu became the 13th Dodger on the DL, a total approached throughout baseball only by the Angels, who didn’t even have to play Monday to be left feeling more pain. Just before the news concerning Ryu was announced, the Angels told everyone pitcher Tyler Skaggs would miss 10-12 weeks because of a strain in his right side, the left-hander turned temporarily obsolete by a temperamental oblique. And so go the off days for a franchise that once had a player injured when his own manager playfully tossed a bat toward him. Skaggs became the 11th Angel on the disabled list, the Dodgers being the only other team with more than eight. As of game-time Monday, in fact, the Cubs, Indians, Tigers, Yankees, Marlins, Brewers and Royals had only 10 DL’d players combined. The Dodgers and Angels, meanwhile, were nursing enough lumps, bumps and bruises to qualify as an AFC wild-card team. They like to say injuries are just part of the game. OK, fine. But for our two local baseball clubs, injuries are like a separate game altogether, each day a doubleheader of double headaches. The Dodgers’ failing health comes just a season after the 2016 team set a record for number of players placed on the DL. The Angels’ problems follow their 2016 team being forced to use an NFL-like 53 players, and that’s not including one who dressed but never got into a game. I wish I had an answer to all this trauma, almost as much as the Dodgers and Angels wish I had an answer. If I knew how to keep these teams healthy, I’d sell the solution and be instantly rich enough to, in the future, pay someone else to feel pain for me. But I’m guessing it’s more just a run of insanely bad luck and not some faulty training or medical practices. I mean, it would be different if I’d seen the Dodgers and Angels doing anything – wrestling wildlife, bench-pressing BMWs, playing catch with flaming baseballs – other teams aren’t doing. Besides, without concrete proof, questioning the medical techniques of a team can be dangerous, and this isn’t a particularly good time for any news-gathering organization to get sued.

The totality of the damage locally, though, is doubtlessly stunning. From Rich Hill’s immortal blisters to the Angels’ all-consuming inability to keep pitchers intact, DL has come to mean Destined Locale. Both teams actually activated players from the disabled list Tuesday – Franklin Gutierrez returning to the Dodgers and Luis Valbuena finally joining the Angels – which normally would be encouraging news. But, with the recent history around here, history that belongs set in a splint and secured by an ACE bandage, I’m just going to assume both teams are instead readying for the next boo-boo. Yeah, right, as if these injuries were that minor. Even with baseball’s new 10-day DL making it easier for teams to disable players, the Dodgers and Angels have plenty of health concerns that will require significantly more recovery time than a week and half. For the Dodgers, the strains include a groin, hip, toe and another groin. There’s also a fracture (toe), a contusion (hip) and a herniation (disk), along with shoulder tendinitis and elbow surgery. For the Angels, the strained body parts are a biceps, a groin, a lat, a hamstring and an oblique. They also have a contusion (foot) to go along with inflammation (shoulder) and stiffness (neck) and two elbow surgeries. Other than that, hey, everyone’s doing just fine, expect, of course, for Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has a forearm problem and maybe should be on the DL already. As for the Angels, Billy Eppler called the news on Skaggs “another challenge for us,” this team already being challenged enough by the presence of opponents like the Astros and A’s. But, as the general manager, what else is Eppler supposed to say or do? He could react in a very understandable manner, yes, although it’s generally considered unacceptable for a GM to crumble, curl into a ball and weep. Of the nine Angels still on the DL, eight are pitchers, a group that includes three of the team’s best relievers and four starters who, under normal conditions, could form 80 percent of the rotation today. Nothing, however, is normal when it comes to the Angels, the Dodgers and injuries, these teams the first that could officially hold X-ray Night at the ballpark. Collect all 10! That reality was underscored again this week in the strangest yet most appropriate of places: Hyun-Jin Ryu’s rump. Dodgers notes: Chris Taylor making his case to stay in majors By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES – While 21-year-old phenom Cody Bellinger continued to fulfill his potential as a blue-chip prospect, another Dodger has quietly been making his case to stay in the majors.

Chris Taylor hit his second home run of the season Sunday in his 10th game since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Taylor had never hit more than one home run over the past three seasons with the Mariners or Dodgers. He entered Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants with a .321 batting average. Manager Dave Roberts said any decision on Taylor’s future would wait until Joc Pederson and Logan Forsythe are ready to return from the disabled list. That could come as early as Friday’s game in San Diego. “Chris has shown very well,” Roberts said. “His makeup, the athleticism, the versatility, the swing change this winter – everything plays.” The change to Taylor’s swing is conspicuous, both visually and when measured by its results. At the urging of Dodgers hitting consultants Robert Van Scoyoc and Craig Wallenbrock, Taylor exaggerated the height of his leg kick, roughly from the height of his shoe to the height of his sock. (Taylor typically wears his socks just below his kneecaps.) He’s also loading his hands earlier, giving him more momentum toward the baseball than he had from a still position in the past. Through Monday, Taylor had improved his average exit velocity from 87.5 mph to 96.0 according to MLB’s Statcast data. The 8.5-mph jump was the most of any returning Dodger. Taylor said he doesn’t track his exit velocity, but he’s cognizant of the difference. “Partly I think I’m hitting the ball on the barrel more,” Taylor said. “That’s a big part.” The changes have also allowed Taylor to catch up with more fastballs, which in turn has improved his contact rate. Combine more contact and harder contact, and Taylor’s surprising statistics have a context. Taylor, 26, said his swing is still a work in progress. “I was constantly tinkering with it all offseason and even into spring training,” he said. “If you look at my at-bats from the beginning of spring training, there’s subtle differences. I definitely have gotten more and more comfortable with it. Even now, I’m becoming more comfortable with it.” VAN SLYKE DOWN, GUTIERREZ UP The Dodgers activated outfielder Franklin Gutierrez from the DL and sent veteran backup Scott Van Slyke to Triple-A. The demotion of Van Slyke allows Bellinger to stick around a little longer – probably until Friday when another left-handed hitting outfielder, Joc Pederson, is expected back from the DL. Bellinger got his first major league start at first base on Tuesday. Van Slyke had a sluggish April (four hits in 31 at-bats), following two seasons marked by more injuries than production. Valued as a well-liked teammate and a power bat off the bench against left-handed

pitching, Van Slyke hasn’t produced in that role since 2014. Over the past two-plus seasons, Van Slyke has hit only .225 with a .656 OPS. “It gives (Van Slyke) an opportunity also to go down to Triple-A to get some consistent at-bats, play, work through some mechanical things he’s been working through,” Roberts said. Gutierrez had been on the DL since injuring his hamstring on April 10 at Wrigley Field. He went 3 for 6 with a home run in a two-game rehab assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. ROBERTS: RACIAL TAUNTS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ Roberts said he never was a target of racial epithets as a visiting player in Boston, or during his time as a Red Sox outfielder. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, who is African-American, wasn’t as fortunate. Jones told USA Today that he had “one of the worst” nights of his career Monday when he heard racial taunts multiple times in the outfield, and had a bag of peanuts thrown at him in the Orioles’ dugout. “For him to be treated that way by a small group of people, an individual overstepping the lines of friendly competitive banter, is unacceptable,” Roberts said. “Very disappointing. To reflect an entire fan base, let alone a city because of a certain group or an individual being ignorant. … (Red Sox president) Sam Kennedy is a friend of mine. They’ll figure this thing out. “But I think for Adam, I applaud him for bringing it to light again, because I think that change occurs when things are talked about, brought to the table, brought to light, and I applaud him for that.” ALSO The Dodgers transferred prospect Walker Buehler from Rancho Cucamonga to extended spring training with the intention of sending him to Double-A Tulsa later this week. The right-handed pitcher had eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings Monday for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, the latest in a string of outstanding starts to begin the season. In five starts over 16 1/3 innings, Buehler allowed only eight hits, two earned runs and five walks while striking out 27. Buehler was the Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 2015. … Pederson played six innings in center field for Rancho Cucamonga, his second rehab game in as many days. Pederson drew a walk, struck out and singled in three plate appearances. … Forsythe served as the designated hitter in his first rehab game and went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts for Rancho Cucamonga. Cody Bellinger does his part as Dodgers rout Giants, 13-5 By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – However this plays out, the Dodgers are going to have some ’splaining to do. Cody Bellinger should be nearing the end of a 10-day cameo, a brief big-league baptism scheduled to end when the Dodgers start emptying their disabled list. But the 21-year-old prospect has shown the kind of respect 21-year-olds usually have for their elders’ plans.

He had two more hits, including a three-run triple, and scored twice as the Dodgers pounded the San Francisco Giants, 13-5, Tuesday night. “Cody’s done a great job. Cody’s played well – offensively, defensively,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s definitely a spark that he’s contributed to our club. Tonight, he had another good night at the plate. Every time we take the field, he seems to do something to help you win. To me, that’s the mark of a winning player.” Bellinger has started eight consecutive games since being promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City last week, making himself more and more at home.Tuesday, Roberts started him at first base (Bellinger’s best position) for the first time, giving veteran Adrian Gonzalez the night off even though both are left-handed hitters and the Giants were starting a left-handed pitcher, Matt Moore. Bellinger had the key hit as the Dodgers dismantled Moore in a six-run second inning. Batting with the bases loaded against Moore, Bellinger was overanxious on a 2-and-0 fastball, jumping out in front and launching a towering foul fly ball down the right field line. On the next pitch, he took an outside pitch where it wanted to go, slicing it into the left field corner for a three-run triple that tied the score. “To take a fastball and turn it around and hit it 400 feet foul then get a slider down and away, keep his barrel in the zone, keep the front shoulder closed and go line to line – that’s … bat-to-ball elite,” Roberts said. Bellinger has gone 10 for 29 (.345) with four extra-base hits (a double, triple and two home runs), seven runs scored and five driven in. The Dodgers were – are? – planning to send Bellinger back to OKC on Friday when Joc Pederson is expected to return from the DL. But Bellinger’s performance, particularly on this homestand, has made that a very difficult move to make. “There’s nothing set in stone,” Roberts said. “Anyone who’s followed our club over the past year and a half, knows things change daily – or hourly. “Cody’s done everything he can that he wants to continue this opportunity. Tip your hat to him for the way he plays the game. … A lot can happen between now and Friday and even with that we have not made a final decision.” With Pederson back in center, Andrew Toles (8 for his past 21) can return to platooning in left field, pushing Bellinger out of that spot. Or maybe not. Maybe it is Toles who will be the odd man out. Maybe it’s time Yasiel Puig got a platoon partner in right field. But he had three hits and four RBI in Tuesday’s win. Maybe it’s time Gonzalez took his forearm injury to the DL – a move the Dodgers have avoided so far out of respect to the veteran who has never been on the DL in his career. Roberts has said a DL move with Gonzalez would require a conversation with the 14-year veteran. He said again Tuesday that conversation has not been had.

There would be no point in keeping Bellinger on the roster beyond Thursday unless one of these scenarios played out, assuring him of consistent playing time. “I don’t know. I haven’t really been told anything,” Bellinger said. “I’m just here to help the team win. When I’m in the game, that’s what I’m trying to do every at-bat, offense, defense or baserunning. I’m just going to put that in the back of my mind and play the game I know I can.” There is no hesitation from Bellinger when asked if any doubts about his readiness for the big-league level have survived the past week. “I think I belong,” he said. “I’m feeling pretty confident at the plate and on defense. So – yeah.” It would be hard to convince anyone at Dodger Stadium over the past five days that Bellinger hadn’t earned an extended stay. He is 9 for 19 on the homestand and has been in the middle of much that has gone right for the Dodgers while winning four of five – like Tuesday’s six-run second inning. “It’s been great,” Bellinger said. “My family’s out here. I think they’re loving it as much as I am. I’m just living out my dream right now.” There was plenty more offense to come in a four-run fourth and a three-run sixth. The Dodgers had 11 hits in the game, including a home run by Franklin Gutierrez in his first game back from the DL, and Giants pitchers kept the pump primed by walking nine batters – including Chris Taylor four times.

ESPN

Rumor Central: Hot-hitting Cody Bellinger in danger of demotion? By ESPN.com Cody Bellinger has made a big splash in his first week in the major leagues, but the Los Angeles Dodgers might still send the outfielder back to the minor leagues by this weekend. Bellinger has eight hits in 25 at-bats (.320) since his promotion on April 25th, including a two-homer game in Saturday’s 6-5 win over the Phillies. The Dodgers have high hopes for the 21-year-old Bellinger who was hitting .343 with five homers in 18 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City. But with Franklin Gutierrez coming off the disabled list Tuesday and Joc Pederson on pace to return later this week, Bellinger will return to Oklahoma City, predicts Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. "It does him little benefit to stew on the bench in the majors, not getting daily at-bats. In the near future, those at-bats will be in the Pacific Coast League," McCullough writes. "Do not fret. He will not be there for long." One player who has plenty work to do before returning to Los Angeles is outfielder Trayce Thompson, who has a .243 average in 127 major league games for the White Sox and Dodgers. Thompson has just

one hit in 46 at-bats (.022 BA) with 19 strikeoutsat Oklahoma City this season -- stunning numbers for a player with big league experience. MVP and Cy Young watch: Which Nationals slugger is No. 1? By Mark Simon It’s early. Very, very early. But that doesn’t stop us from beginning to track the MVP and Cy Young races. There are some surprise names at the top of the list, along with some of the usual suspects. We’re here to offer up the top three contenders for each award, plus an early dark horse to keep an eye on through the end of April. Argue and debate all you wish -- we plan to revisit this at the start of each month -- but remember, we’ve got a long, long way to go. NL MVP Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals Zimmerman can actually make a better case than Bryce Harper, which is almost unthinkable given how unhealthy Zimmerman was last season. Through the end of April, Zimmerman had Harper beat in batting average (.420 to .391) and slugging percentage (.886 to .772). His 29 percent hard-hit rate is the best in baseball. Though Harper has a slight edge in Win Probability Added, Zimmerman has been better in what Baseball-Reference dubs “Late and Close” situations (tie game, up one or having the tying run at least on deck in seventh inning or later). He’s 5-for-11 in those spots with four home runs. Harper is 5-for-12 with one home run and four walks. “He was my pick to click when the year started,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “Look at his track record when he’s healthy. He’s not old, and he didn’t get heavy around the midsection. It wasn’t that hard [a pick].” Bryce Harper, Nationals The Zimmerman/Harper tandem is one that could rival Chicago's duo of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo circa 2016. Right now, we have Harper playing the role of Rizzo, but what a run it has been. Harper had a .391/.509/.772 slash line in 114 plate appearances in April. Only two players have had that high of an on-base percentage in that many plate appearances in April since 2000 -- Darin Erstad (.512 in 2000) and Albert Pujols (.523 in 2008). Neither was within 150 points of Harper’s slugging percentage, however.

The thing that’s keeping Harper’s value down slightly is his defense and baserunning, which has been worth a combined minus-2 runs. But when you’re hitting like Harper has been, that’s forgivable. As for the former, he has twice put up 10 defensive runs saved in a season, so it’s not impossible that he could be great there, as well. My ESPN Stats & Information colleagues Riley Foreman and Brett Perrotta also pointed this out: The Nationals went 16-2 in April when Harper got at least one hit. They were 1-6 when he was held hitless. Eric Thames, Brewers It’s as if Thames never left Korea. The Brewers slugger hit .345/.466/.810 with a club-record 11 home runs in the month of April. Thames has the fifth-lowest chase rate in the majors, one comparable to gritty contact hitters such as Joe Panik, which means he’s saving his big hacks for the best pitches. And as we detailed, when he gets his best pitch, he crushes it. Freddie Freeman, Braves (Dark Horse) Chipper Jones said Freeman will be a “perennial top-five MVP candidate” from here on out, and who are we to doubt him? Every success Freeman had at the end of 2016 has carried over to 2017 thus far. Freeman followed up a 2-for-17 stretch by hitting a video game-like .429/.538/952 with nine home runs in his last 18 April games. He’s single-handedly keeping the Braves' offense running. AL MVP Mike Trout, Angels Fun with player paces: If we took Trout’s April production and prorated those numbers for the whole season, he’d finish with a .364/.443/.707 slash line, with 216 hits, 42 home runs, 54 doubles and a perfect 30-for-30 in stolen-base attempts. And 12.6 WAR, which would be better than all but every major league season, save for two by Babe Ruth. As my colleagues Paul Casella and Meghan O’Donnell note, Trout has never had a start quite like this. His batting average, home runs (7), hits (36), RBIs (18), extra-base hits (18) and total bases (70) all were career highs for April. Francisco Lindor, Indians The Indians lead the AL Central, as expected, and though their best player in the WAR department has been Jose Ramirez (building off his 2016 metrics), Lindor is on his way to an amazing season, with a .306/.375/.622 slash line. He’s nearly halfway to his 2016 home run total of 15. The only thing holding his numbers back is on the defensive side. He finished with minus-2 defensive runs saved in April, which feels like a fluke given his combined 27 defensive runs saved over the past two seasons and his 2016 Gold Glove. Aaron Judge, Yankees Judge’s numbers in 12 April games at Yankee Stadium are off the charts -- a .382/.488/1.059(!) slash line with seven home runs in 41 at-bats. The Yankees rookie is playing in the perfect ballpark for his power.

Whether Judge has any staying power on this list will depend on whether he hits outside of the Bronx (.231/.302/.513). But for now it’s a fun story, not just for the Yankees, but for wordsmiths who like the many puns his last name provides. Mitch Haniger, Mariners (Dark Horse) This is admittedly a ridiculous choice, given that the Mariners have been bad and Haniger has been hurt (out with a strained oblique), but consider what he has done: He leads the AL with a .447 on-base percentage, is slugging .608, and has lived up to expectations with five defensive runs saved. We might be laughing about his inclusion here come September, but for now he’s one of the game’s best surprise stories this season. NL Cy Young Mike Leake, Cardinals Mike Leake? Really? Yes, definitely. Leake has the best ERA (1.35) and second-best FIP (1.97) among NL starters (he trails the New York Mets' Noah Syndergaard). The biggest positive for him is that he hasn’t allowed a home run in five starts this season after having allowed at least 20 in each of the past six seasons. Leake is doing a better job keeping the ball down than usual, and the Cardinals have turned 82 percent of his batted balls into outs, compared to 70 percent last season. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers You knew he’d be here, and he’ll probably top the list in May, June, July, August and September. In four of his six starts, Kershaw has looked a lot like the pre-injury Kershaw -- economical in his pitches and pitching with minimal damage. The only concern is that his slider isn’t all the way back. He has allowed three hits with it in each of his past three starts (he had a 5-start stretch last season in which opponents were 0-for-46 against it). We’re guessing he’ll figure out how to make it work, Monday's start notwithstanding. Jacob deGrom, Mets DeGrom is the one Mets pitcher who doesn’t seem to have any issues, though remember he did have elbow surgery last season. DeGrom leads the NL in strikeouts, averaging 12.5 K's per nine innings. What has been most impressive about deGrom is that just when it looks like he’s in trouble, he locks in. He has allowed seven runs in the first two innings of his five starts, but only three runs after the second inning. Ivan Nova, Pirates (Dark Horse) Since being obtained by the Pirates, Nova has five complete games and four walks (a 2-to-1 ratio this season). He leads the NL with an 0.75 WHIP. The question is whether or not this stretch of success can be sustained. Nova’s current hard-hit rate is 19 percent, which ranks 88th among the 108 ERA-title qualifiers. Opponents are 13-for-25 when recording a hard-hit ball against him. That is atypically low (most pitchers will allow 17 of 18). The percentages could catch up with him.

Pirates pitcher Ivan Nova is a sleeper Cy Young pick, but the former Yankee currently leads the NL with a 0.75 WHIP. Justin K. Aller/Getty Images AL Cy Young Ervin Santana, Twins The lessons learned at the end of last season have paid off for Santana, who has been the game’s dominant pitcher, with an 0.77 ERA. Elias research shows he’s the only pitcher to begin a season with five straight starts allowing no more than one run and four hits, since the mound moved to 60 feet, 6 inches in 1893. This might not be a fluke. Santana had a 2.41 ERA in his last 18 starts in 2016. Dallas Keuchel, Astros As long as Keuchel can keep the ball at the bottom of the strike zone like he has for the first month, he’s likely to be quite successful. His current run is unprecedented. Keuchel is the first pitcher in Astros history to begin a season with six straight starts of at least seven innings and no more than two runs allowed. Dallas Keuchel is the first pitcher in Astros history to begin a season with six straight starts of at least seven innings and no more than two runs allowed. Jason Miller/Getty Images Chris Sale, Red Sox Through his first five starts with the Red Sox, Sale is looking Kershawian, with 52 strikeouts, six walks and one home run allowed. It has been Sale’s fastball that is popping, averaging 94 mph; his miss rate (28 percent) with it is back up to 2015 levels (remember, he took some velocity off the pitch in 2016). And now that he has catchers who can handle his stuff, Sale's called strike rate with his fastball (41 percent) is in line to be considerably higher than it was during his White Sox days. Jason Vargas, Royals (Dark Horse) We could have easily tabbed James Paxton here, but Vargas’ story is slightly more interesting. After making 12 starts in the previous two seasons, Vargas was great in his first three starts, faltered in his fourth, but then bounced back with a strong start to open May. A great changeup is what propelled it -- the most valuable one in baseball in April per Fangraphs’ run values. A lineup fix for all 30 teams By Dan Szymborski As the calendar turns to May, there has been enough baseball played that every team should be, at a minimum, re-evaluating their "Plan A," if they hadn't been already. Are you daydreaming about trades for Mike Trout? Keep dreaming. Until teams become serious sellers later in the summer, most upgrades have to come from within, either using different players or using the existing talent in a different manner. EDITOR'S PICKS

This shortstop crop could be the best ever Step aside, A-Rod. Move over, Derek Jeter. From Addison to Xander, the current generation of young star shortstops has the potential to be the most productive group in the game's history. With our heads firmly in reality, what moves can teams actually make to improve in the short term? For all but a few of the 30 suggested changes (which I'll note), the ZiPS projection system estimates a rest-of-season improvement of at least five net runs, or about half a win. American League East Baltimore Orioles While I appreciate the creativity to use a player like Seth Smith at leadoff, Hyun Soo Kim was the team's OBP leader in 2016, projected to be the leader again in 2017, and the team has hit him mostly seventh in the lineup. In addition, I still think the team gave up way too soon on Kim hitting left-handed pitchers; he actually had fairly normal platoon splits for a left-handed batter in Korea. Generic platoon splits for all players predict a specific player's future platoon splits far better than his actual platoon splits until you're talking 2,000 to 3,000 career plate appearances. Given the competition is Joey Rickard and Craig Gentry, I'd rather the O's do what the Braves did with Ryan Klesko and stop typecasting Kim as a platoon player. Boston Red Sox The projections never completely bought into Sandy Leon's 2016, and it's hard to say, at least so far, that the projections have been wrong. Still, ZiPS projects Christian Vazquez as only a little better than Leon the rest of the way. And as poor a start as he has had, none of the Red Sox minor league options look to be a significant upgrade over Steven Wright. You can't get a five-run move here unless the Red Sox can get David Ortiz to come out of retirement. New York Yankees As of Monday morning, the team leads the league in runs scored and has allowed the fewest runs, so the Yankees are not a team that's burning to make any large-scale changes. The biggest move, from a projection standpoint, is putting Chris Carter at first rather than Greg Bird. Bird is still the long-term option, but the rest-of-season projection of .221/.304/.415 reflects the reality of a player who missed an entire developmental year because of injury and has done nothing offensively this season. To snag a few extra runs, let Bird get comfortable in Triple-A and then bring him back later this season for the pennant race and as the starter in 2018. Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Kiermaier's strength is his elite glove, not his ability to avoid outs -- ZiPS projects only a .312 on-base percentage from Kiermaier over the rest of the season. While the team isn't deep with OBP players, getting Steven Souza Jr. and Morrison more plate appearances and Kiermaier fewer is enough, in the projections, to eke out another half-win.

Toronto Blue Jays What makes the situation for the Jays awkward -- well, other than being in last place and at the bottom of a massive hole -- is that Devon Travis, Jose Bautista and Roberto Osuna are struggling mightily even though you expect them to be just fine long term. Meanwhile, a player you expect to be a problem, like Justin Smoak, is actually one of the team's best players. I think the key decision for the Jays may be when to throw in the towel rather than exploring what big changes they can make. American League Central Chicago White Sox No, I'm not buying that Avisail Garcia is a legitimate .443 BABIP hitter; no player in the last 50 years has retired with a BABIP above .360. But he's not currently a problem in the lineup. Yoan Moncada is at Triple-A and killing it. If the goal is to immediately improve the team, getting Moncada in the lineup over Tyler Saladino would be beneficial. Getting Melky Cabrera out of the lineup would be beneficial as well, but the team's minor league options don't actually project as any better than Cabrera. Cleveland Indians Cleveland is an extremely well-run organization, but I think the Indians optioned Tyler Naquin too quickly, and despite Abraham Almonte's strong start, I think the evidence points to Naquin being the superior offensive player. I also don't think Lonnie Chisenhall is likely to have very appealing defensive stats in center field over the long haul. At the very least, I'd rather have the left-handed Naquin on the bench over Brandon Guyer, who doesn't really fit the roster right now. Detroit Tigers At 38, the question wasn't if Victor Martinez would fall off a cliff, but when. V-Mart has looked done in the past (2015), but a .218/.281/.276 start has pushed his rest-of-season projection down to an anemic .258/.315/.398. While the team strikes me as too conservative to actually bench him -- and Jim Adduci probably isn't any better -- not hitting Martinez cleanup would be a nice start. Drop him to the bottom of the order until he shows signs of being able to cheat Father Time once more. Kansas City Royals Nothing stands out from a projection standpoint, with the Royals' depth in the lineup and pitching staff being sapped the past couple of years, and with interesting options such as Jarrod Dyson now wearing different uniforms. It might not help the Royals this year, but with the team looking about done, I'd almost rather have the team see if minor leaguer Ryan O'Hearn's improvement is for real and trade Eric Hosmer if there's any team that really thinks he's a star. (Sadly for Kansas City, Jim Leyland is not the manager or general manager of any team.) Minnesota Twins It's sad to think about, but we've reached the point where Kennys Vargas now projects as a significantly better hitter than Joe Mauer at first base by 50 points of OPS. Even with a disastrous 2016, Jose Berrios is pitching excellently in the minors and ZiPS projects him to be a significant upgrade over Kyle Gibson,

though that may be damning with faint praise. The Twins should also hop in a time machine and be more reasonable about their Brian Dozier demands, but we haven't solved that time-travel problem yet. American League West Houston Astros The rotation hasn't been a strength for the Astros this year, outside of Dallas Keuchel's bounce-back campaign, but at least Lance McCullers and Charlie Morton have peripheral stats that suggest their high-ish ERAs are likely to come down significantly. Mike Fiers, on the other hand, has been a mess this season, and Chris Devenski, with a 2.16 ERA and 10 strikeouts per nine innings in 125 frames, has ample experience as a starter and is being wasted in the bullpen. ZiPS projects a 3.60 ERA from Devenski as a starter, which any team would take. And if Joe Musgrove pitches better and the Astros have a problem of too many starting pitchers when Collin McHugh returns, that's a problem that no team in history has been unhappy about. Los Angeles Angels With a very weak farm system, the Angels have few good options to patch any of their holes. Trout, Andrelton Simmons and the bullpen are the areas that have functioned well, even as the team still manages to hang around the .500 mark. It's not as if the team is actually going to give up on Albert Pujols, either. I'd at least try Simmons at the top of the order. I'm not sure he's actually a .358 OBP guy, but he's at the right age for a peak offensive season. Oakland A's So you have Khris Davis, leading the AL in home runs and as scary a hitter from a pure power standpoint as anyone in the major leagues right now. But despite 10 home runs, he has only 17 RBIs in the cleanup spot. If you're looking for a reason for change, the largest one is the top three of the A's lineup having on-base percentages of .250, .287 and .283. Rajai Davis and Jaff Decker are both miscast as leadoff hitters. And more confusingly, if the A's liked Yonder Alonso enough to retain him, why don't they like him enough to put him in the first half of the lineup regularly while he's actually hitting well? Go Jed Lowrie-Alonso-Davis and actually try to take advantage of having the AL's most prolific home run hitter. Seattle Mariners The Mariners have gotten very little offense at first base, and even though Danny Valencia is projected to be better than his anemic .181/.259/.306, his rest-of-year .256/.310/.417 line isn't remotely what you want from your first baseman. He still projects at a .760 OPS strictly against left-handed pitchers, and Daniel Vogelbach, hitting .309/.409/.473 for Tacoma, remains the best option against righties. While that's not amazing first-base production, it's better than miscasting Valencia as a full-time starter at first. Texas Rangers

It's long past time to drop Nomar Mazara and Mike Napoli in the batting order, especially the latter. Joey Gallo is leading the team in OPS by a sizable margin, and he's still batting mostly seventh and eighth in the lineup. The team has finally stopped using Carlos Gomez as the leadoff hitter -- there's no law that the center fielder has to hit leadoff no matter how unsuited for the position -- but it would be nice to see Shin-Soo Choo, the team's best table setter, more regularly leading off. Delino DeShields projects at only .323 OBP for the rest of the season. National League East Atlanta Braves The most obvious thing to do would be to call up Ozzie Albies, but he's just 20 and still getting the hang of Triple-A pitching. Given that the Braves aren't realistically competing for the playoffs this year, there's no compelling reason to push him into enough service time that he ends up being a super-two player for arbitration. But what the Braves can do is stop hitting Adonis Garcia in the No. 2 spot when he's projected to have the lowest OBP of any Atlanta starter for the rest of the season. You can understand not using Dansby Swanson there while he's struggling, but getting on base is Nick Markakis' main strength, and the regular No. 3 hitter, Freddie Freeman, has had runners on base in only one-third of his plate appearances (Jace Peterson, for example, is at 50 percent). Miami Marlins One little-known fact is that the spot in the batting order that leads off the fewest innings is the No. 3 spot. Marcell Ozuna is unlikely to maintain his current .357 on-base percentage, but his power should remain, and it's better to have him higher in the order rather than frequently hitting after the underwhelming Justin Bour. New York Mets It's getting to the point where the Mets are giving away wins by not calling up their top prospect, Amed Rosario. He's hitting .400 at Triple-A, and the Mets are supposed to be competing. Yet their season is rapidly spiraling out of control. Jose Reyes has been terrible -- he has lost 19 points of OPS in his rest-of-season projections in one month -- and Asdrubal Cabrera has no business playing shortstop defensively. Now possibly without Thor, the Mets need another way to catch lightning in a bottle. Philadelphia Phillies The team has done a poor job using its better relief pitchers in higher-leverage situations, with a very small spread between the best and worst relievers in leverage index. For leverage index when entering a game, you don't see a Phillies player until No. 53 (Hector Neris). Just getting Neris and Joaquin Benoit, the best projected reliever on the team, into more higher-leverage situations at the rate that other teams manage to do gets an estimated six additional runs this season. Washington Nationals This is a team that's actually using the talent it has fairly effectively, given that its holes don't match up well with minor league talent that could play in the majors right now and that the lineup choices are

well-optimized. ZiPS suggests that eventually playing a returning Stephen Drew at shortstop and playing Trea Turner in center rather than Michael Taylor full time would net a couple extra runs, but that's not really a large enough difference to make a reshuffle practical. National League Central Chicago Cubs Jason Heyward's decent start and Kyle Schwarber's rough one have changed the projections just enough that Heyward's projected rest-of-season OBP almost matches Schwarber's. While Schwarber almost certainly is going to hit for more isolated power this year, Heyward may make more sense hitting leadoff. That being said, it's only a few runs. The best move is to not make one, with practically every experimental move costing the Cubs at least five runs. As "WarGames" told us in the 1980s, sometimes the winning move is not to play. OK, that movie was more about nuclear war, but it still works here. Cincinnati Reds End the Bronson Arroyo experiment. It was nice to give him one last chance, but for a 40-year-old rotation member to make sense, a team really needs to be in win-now mode, and even then, it's not like Arroyo pitches well. Half of the upper minors projects as a better-this-season starter than Arroyo, not just eventual returnees Anthony DeSclafani and Homer Bailey, but also more marginal pitchers like Sal Romano, Jackson Stephens and journeyman Rob Wooten. I'm not sure what using Arroyo accomplishes for the Reds as an organization. Milwaukee Brewers Tommy Milone was going to go here, but the Brewers already designated him for assignment. And I'm guessing my editor won't let me suggest the "Give Eric Thames a disguise so he can hit twice in the batting order" trick. (Editor's note: Maybe.) So it's not quite as exciting, but Brandon Woodruff already projected as the team's fourth-best starting pitcher coming into the season, and with him being solid for Colorado Springs -- a nasty environment for any pitcher -- that projection has only improved as Wily Peralta has gotten worse. Peralta has regressed as a pitcher and may flourish in the bullpen. Yes, Peralta's 4-1, but that's more because of the Brewers' offense than his pitching. Pittsburgh Pirates With Starling Marte's suspension, the Pirates took the path of least resistance in center field, restoring Andrew McCutchen to his old position. Problem is, he has been 16 runs below average per season over 2014-16, according to Baseball Info Solutions, and 11 runs below average per year by Ultimate Zone Rating. And as the truism says, he's not getting any younger. If Gregory Polanco is not five runs below average in center field, that's a significant upgrade. St. Louis Cardinals How about they never, ever, play Matt Adams in the outfield again? ZiPS projecting Adams full time as minus-15 runs per year as a corner outfielder actually looks optimistic compared to his very-small-sample-size minus-50 runs rate he has put up by UZR. (His BIS numbers are even worse.) While he's not quite that bad, the Cards' defense is weak already, and this just makes that problem an even bigger one.

If you must get Adams' bat in the lineup, I'd rather play Jedd Gyorko in the outfield and shift Matt Carpenter back to third. National League West Arizona Diamondbacks When your team is lousy or you're a 15th-century military leader, closer/longbowman Fernando Rodney is at least interesting. Maybe he pitches well enough that you can trade him through another team's ill-advised move (hello, Marlins!) or win the Battle of Agincourt. But Bad Rodney showing up isn't that exciting when your team is still relevant in the standings. Rodney has been so terrible in high-leverage situations that his win probability added is already at minus-1.5 wins. ZiPS projects a 4.30 ERA for him the rest of the way -- hardly a tantalizing number that justifies an important role while Arizona is playing relevant games. Colorado Rockies ZiPS projected Jeff Hoffman as the team's fifth-best starter coming into the season, and he's now into his second season of surviving admirably in Albuquerque, one of the most hitter-friendly park/league combinations around. Of the pitchers ahead of him, Chad Bettis is fighting cancer, Jon Gray has a toe injury and Tyler Anderson has problems with the long ball. The Rockies are playing meaningful games and Hoffman is likely a significant upgrade over German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela or even Kyle Freeland (though they're not going to replace Freeland while his ERA is as low as it is). Los Angeles Dodgers Logan Forsythe could return from the DL soon. That's good, because Chase Utley is hitting like a pitcher this season, and small sample size or not, that's a pretty big red flag for a player as ancient as Utley. While he's one of the most underappreciated players of his era and one who is going to get totally cheated in the Hall of Fame vote in six years or so, he's just a sad reflection now of the player he once was. ZiPS projects Chris Taylor to hit .255/.311/.378 the rest of the season compared to Utley's .227/.293/.357 projection. Just give Taylor the job until Forsythe returns from the DL and fill in with Enrique Hernandez when you have to. San Diego Padres Coming into the season, ZiPS actually projected Dinelson Lamet as the team's best in-house starter, though that said more about the state of the Padres' rotation than any optimistic projection for Lamet. Now, we can argue whether the Padres should even care about improving the rest of the season -- getting that top draft pick may be the most valuable thing -- but if they do, Lamet has been rocking the PCL (0.45 ERA) with 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings in four starts, and I can't help but think he's still an upgrade over, well, anyone they have. San Francisco Giants Can I choose "ban players from using dirt bikes"? No? The Giants are off to a lousy start, but they're also using their talent quite well. The last thing I would suggest, Christian Arroyo to third and Eduardo Nunez

to the outfield, appears to be exactly what San Francisco is doing. Short of using Jae-Gyun Hwang as a role player, which doesn't move the needle a ton, they're losing nearly optimally, as sad as that sounds. Puig, Bellinger power Dodgers to 13-5 win over Giants By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers found themselves in a quick 4-0 hole Tuesday night. Then, they hit and walked their way back. Yasiel Puig drove in four runs with two singles and rookie Cody Bellinger added three more RBI with a bases-clearing triple as Los Angeles rallied to defeat the San Francisco Giants 13-5. Justin Turner and Franklin Gutierrez each added two RBI, helping the Dodgers score six runs in the second inning, four in the fourth and three more in the sixth. The Dodgers managed 11 hits, including a homer by Gutierrez, but the Giants helped Los Angeles with nine walks. "We were taking the walks we needed to, with a little bit of slug in there," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Matt Moore (1-4) took the loss, lasting just 3 1/3 innings. He was charged with nine runs and six hits with five walks. "That came back to haunt him and the whole staff," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It was just a long night. When your starter struggles and your bullpen, it usually does make for a long night." Despite throwing 82 pitches the first three innings, Alex Wood (2-0) made it through the fifth to earn the victory. He allowed five runs, four earned, and seven hits. He walked one and struck out eight. "I thought Alex was a lot better than his linescore," Roberts said. Bellinger was originally slated to return to the minors Friday when several Dodgers are expected to be activated off the disabled list. But with two hits Tuesday, the rookie has gone 9 for 19 with seven runs, two homers and five RBI during the team's last five games at home. "There was nothing set in stone," Roberts said. "Obviously, things can change. Anyone who's followed our club over the last year and a half can see that things change daily or hourly." The Dodgers have won five of their last six. TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: Right-hander Johnny Cueto revealed after Monday's game that he has been battling a blister issue since the end of spring training. He is not expected to miss a start. "You have to be a little concerned," Bochy said. "The thing's been lingering around."

Dodgers: Adrian Gonzalez, who turns 35 on Monday, has been batting elbow and back soreness and did not start Tuesday. He did pinch hit to single in a run. Gonzalez has never been on the disabled list. He has yet to hit a home run. Roberts said he would start Wednesday. ROSTER MOVES The Dodgers activated Gutierrez (hamstring) and started him Tuesday. They sent Scott Van Slyke down to play daily and work out some mechanical issues with his swing. ... The Giants recalled left-handed reliever Josh Osich and sent right-handed reliever Chris Stratton to Triple-A Sacramento. MOORE INCONSISTENT Moore (6.75 ERA) has been wildly erratic this season. He held the Dodgers to one run and two hits in seven innings in his last start. "It does get under my skin after a while," Moore said, "especially this season with six starts it seems like a Jekyll and Hyde case." UP NEXT Giants: Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will attempt to earn his first victory of the season in the series finale against the Dodgers on Wednesday. Samardzija is 0-4 but coming off his best outing of the season. He gave up two earned runs and four hits and a walk, with five strikeouts in seven innings against the Padres. Dodgers: Julio Urias is scheduled to make his second start of the season against the Giants. Urias held the Giants to one run on four hits and four walks, striking four, in his season debut Thursday.

TRUE BLUE LA

Ailing Adrian Gonzalez gets day off By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has never been on the disabled list in his major league career. And from the sounds of things, any sort of decision for that streak to end would almost have to be decided by Gonzalez himself. Gonzalez is not in the starting lineup Tuesday night, hitting just .258/.333/.315 with no home runs, and a ground ball rate (47.3%) that is the highest of his career. This is coming off a season with a similar ground ball rate (46.2%) and his lowest home run total (18) in 11 years, and his lowest doubles total (31) in eight years. “With Adrian, trying to manage his health — and he’s talked about not being 100% — with today, and the off day Thursday, hopefully that will get him back a little bit,” manager Dave Roberts said.

What Gonzalez is dealing with is elbow tendinitis that sidelined him for a few weeks before the World Baseball Classic, and nagged during spring training. He has also had chronic issues with his neck off and on for several years, but nothing was enough to put him on the disabled list. Gonzalez has been an ironman in his career, averaging 159 games per season from 2006-16, never playing in fewer than 156 games in any of those 11 years. With his performance in those years, Gonzalez has earned a substantial amount of rope. Roberts said he didn’t think Gonzalez was hiding or downplaying his health. “With a player like Adrian, for a guy who’s never been on the disabled list for his entire career, it says a lot about the character and the will to want to post,” Roberts said. “It’s possible [he’s hiding something], but I can only go by his word and the training staff in the sense that he says he feels good enough to play. “Obviously there is a performance thing, and the bigger issue of if there is further damage. But in the conversations I’ve had with him, he feels like he can still go out there. I have to continue to count on that, but we’ll see. There’s going to be ongoing conversations.” Since joining the Dodgers in August 2012, Gonzalez has played in 97.2% of the club’s games, a 157-game pace over a full season. Even in the first five times Gonzalez didn't start this season — all against left-handed pitchers — he ended up playing in the game anyway as a reserve. Sitting Wednesday too — even with a right-hander (Jeff Samardzija) starting for the Giants — could potentially give Gonzalez three days of rest, including Thursday’s scheduled off day, while only missing two games. “I’m going to talk to him to see how he feels today,” Roberts said. “If he feels that three days in a row might benefit, that’s a conversation.” Cody Bellinger starts at first base on Tuesday night for the Dodgers, and with the return of Franklin Gutierrez and the pending return of Joc Pederson on Friday, the only real avenue for Bellinger to get regular playing time in the major would be if Gonzalez were to go on the disabled list. If Gonzalez felt that DL stint would benefit, of course. Dodgers’ big innings bury Giants By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — In a game they once trailed four runs, the Dodgers poured on the offense to overwhelm the Giants, 13-5 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers scored six runs in the second inning — matching their highest output in a single inning this year — then four runs in the fourth, and three more in the sixth. All nine Dodgers starters scored on Tuesday, including pitcher Alex Wood. That’s the second time the team has done that this season, matching their opening day feat against the Padres.

That 14-3 win over the Padres on Apr. 3 was the only game this season in which the Dodgers scored more than they did on Tuesday night. The Dodgers scored double-digit runs three times in the first week of the season, but hadn’t done so for the last 20 games, before Tuesday’s outburst. Giants pitchers walked nine batters, the second-most walks by Dodgers batters this season. They walked 11 times on Apr. 6 against the Padres, one of the Dodgers’ four games with 10 or more runs in 2017. Dodgers batters have 109 walks in the season, tied with the Nationals for most in the National League. Chris Taylor had four of those walks, doubling his previous career high. After the Giants scored four runs in the second inning, Franklin Gutierrez got things started in the bottom of the frame with a 448-foot shot to dead center, his first home run of the season in his first at-bat after getting activated from the disabled list. That was the beginning of the end for Matt Moore, who allowed the first six batters of the inning to reach, including loading the bases with the next three hitters after Gutierrez. That brought up Cody Bellinger, who lined a ball into the left field corner, clearing the bases with a triple. Dodger Stadium isn’t much of a place for triples. Since the start of 2015, only 35 triples have been hit in this park, third-fewest in the majors, more than only Yankee Stadium (33) and Camden Yards (30). Coors Field during that time span, for instance, saw 129 triples, the most in baseball. But hitting a triple to left field at Dodger Stadium is even more rare. Bellinger’s was the first triple hit to left field (not left center) at Dodger Stadium since Justin Upton on April 7, 2015. Yasiel Puig added a two-run single during a four-run fourth inning, then hit another two-run single in the sixth. Puig’s four RBI matched his season high, done two other times. After Wood was shaky early, allowing five runs but settled down a bit. He retired the last seven batters he faced, including four strikeouts, to get through the fifth. Wood also struck out a season-best eight, with only only one walk. Adrian Gonzalez, who didn’t start the game, pinch hit in the sixth inning and delivered an RBI single. All six times Gonzalez wasn’t in the starting lineup this season, he played as a reserve, and is the only Dodger to play in all 28 games in 2017. Tuesday particulars Home run: Franklin Gutierrez (1) WP - Alex Wood (2-0): 5 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 1 walk, 8 strikeouts LP - Matt Moore (1-4): 3⅓ IP, 6 hits, 9 runs, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts

Dave Roberts: No roster moves set in stone By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — Another night, another chance for Cody Bellinger to state his case for remaining in the major leagues. The Dodgers rookie hit a three-run triple in the club’s 13-5 win over the Giants on Tuesday, one of two hits he had on the night. “There’s definitely a spark he’s contributed to our club. Tonight, he had another good night at the plate,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It just seems like every time he takes the field, he does something to help you win. To me, that’s the mark of a winning player.” Utleyian praise. The Dodgers cavalry is close to returning in full. Franklin Gutierrez was activated off the disabled list on Tuesday, and homered in his first at-bat. He’s the lefty masher in left field. Joc Pederson played in his rehab game with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, and could be activated on Friday when the club is in San Diego. Logan Forsythe started his rehab assignment Tuesday with the Quakes, and could also return this weekend. The prevailing thought has been that Bellinger would be optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City once Pederson is activated, with the idea that Bellinger would be better served playing every day in Oklahoma City than in a reduced role in Los Angeles. On Sunday, Roberts said as much: “I think that it’s great to see Cody perform, but I don’t think it is up for discussion that because he’s performing in the short term — which is great for his confidence, and for us — that now someone else is going to be casualty because of Cody.” But Bellinger, who is now 10-for-29 with four extra-base hits in eight games, hitting .345/.406/.655, is forcing the Dodgers hand. Two days later, Roberts backtracked a little bit. “There is nothing set in stone,” Roberts said after Tuesday’s game. “With that, things can change. Anyone who has followed our club over the last year and a half can see that things change daily, or hourly.” “Cody has done everything he can to show that he warrants a continued opportunity. You tip your hat to him and the way he plays the game. A lot can happen between now and Friday. We haven’t made a final decision.” For his part, Bellinger already has the major league cliches memorized. He’s not thinking about potentially getting optioned because it’s out of his control. He’s just thinking about the game tomorrow, and trying to win. Etc., etc. But when asked if he felt he belonged in the major leagues, Bellinger did smile,

“Yeah, I think I belong,” Bellinger said. “I’m feeling pretty confident at the plate.” “He’s just so athletic and dynamic,” Roberts said. “He does a lot of things to help you win baseball games.” Gonzalez pinch hits Though he didn’t start at first base, Adrian Gonzalez worked extensively before the game with hitting coach Turner Ward. Gonzalez delivered an RBI pinch-hit single in the sixth inning, putting any thoughts of a three-day break to rest. Roberts said Gonzalez would start at first base on Wednesday in the series finale against the Giants. But one thing is clear — Gonzalez is still not at full capacity. “He’s not 100%. Is everybody 100% all the time? Probably no,” Roberts said. “With that right forearm area, and the back, you’re talking about torque, you’re talking about extension. When those are compromised, it’s tough to be consistent. “But Adrian is a grinder, and he’s going to try to find a way. For him to get a knock tonight was good.” Wood feels consistent Though he allowed five runs (four earned) on the night, Alex Wood said he likes the way the ball is coming out of his hand. “I was happy with how consistent my stuff was tonight, and how it’s been,” Wood said. “There were a couple tough knocks there in the second, and I made a bad pitch to Moore. After that, it was a fun game to watch, for sure.” The Giants scored four runs in the second, an inning that saw two hits up the third base line and a flare by Moore for a hit, plus a throwing error by Kiké Hernandez in center field. “I feel like when the consistency is there, and it stays there, you’re going to have a lot more nights that are good than like [tonight],” Wood said. Wood ended up striking out eight with one walk, and after early pitch count issues was able to finish five innings for the win. “I thought he was better than the line score,” Roberts said. “For me, to get through five, and stressed in a couple innings, he went as far as he needed to go.” Up next The Dodgers finish off their series against the Giants on Wednesday night, a 7:10 p.m. PT game with the pregame ceremony inducting Vin Scully into the Dodgers’ ring of honor. Julio Urias starts for the Dodgers, facing Jeff Samardzija for the Giants. Bobby Wilson hits two homers but OKC loses 14-inning game

By Craig Minami All four teams lose on Tuesday and three opponents score in their last at bat to take the game. Oklahoma City lost in 14 innings, Tulsa got beat on a walk-off and Rancho Cucamonga gives up two to break a tie game in the eighth on the road. Great Lakes dropped their game in a more conventional, losing by three at home. Player of the day Bobby Wilson was 4-for-6 with two doubles and two home runs. He had hit two home runs with the Angeles in 2010 and has had one four-hit game with the Rangers in 2016. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Oklahoma City Dodgers and Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) played 14 innings with the Sky Sox winning 8-6 to take the first game of their series. Old friend Ivan De Jesus, Jr. tripled home the tie-breaking run in the 14th and soon scored the second run of the inning. The Dodgers tried to rally, with two outs, singles by Alex Verdugo and Michael Ahmed brought the winning run up to the plate. However, Trayce Thompson grounded out to end the game. Trevor Oaks started and pitched five innings, allowing four runs, eight hits, walking one and striking out four. Bobby Wilson hit the first of two home runs in the second inning that gave the Dodgers a brief 2-0 lead. By the time Wilson came up in the ninth, the Dodgers trailed 6-5. Wilson hit his second home run to tie the game in the ninth. The Dodgers had the winning run in scoring position in the eleventh and twelfth but were unable to get the run in. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers scored four runs after their first four batters had come to the plate but they could not hold on to that lead and the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) had a walk-off home run to win the game 6-5. Edwin Rios hit the grand slam to give the Drillers the early lead and Paul Hoenecke hit a solo shot to tie the game in the seventh. Isaac Anderson started for Tulsa and pitched four innings, gave up five runs and nine hits. Michael Johnson and Corey Copping each pitched two scoreless innings to keep the game close. Colt Hynes pitched to one batter, Kyle Waldrop, who hit the game-winning home run. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes lost another close one to the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres), this time it was a 4-3 win for the Storm. Infielder Logan Forsythe played his first rehab game as the designated hitter while outfielder Joc Pederson played in his second rehab game.

Yadier Alvarez started and went four innings, giving up a run, one hit, three walks and striking out three. In the three games since he gave up seven runs in his 2⅓ innings 2017 debut, he has pitched 11⅔ innings and given up three runs, seven hits, five walks and struck out 15. Forsythe was 1-for-4 with three strikeouts (Storm starter Cal Quantrill struck out 12 in six innings). Pederson was 1-for-2 with a walk. The Quakes had 11 hits but they also struck out 14 times and went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Trailing by two going into the ninth, a single, walk and single made it 4-3 but the Storm retired the next three batters to hold onto the game. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons fell behind in the first inning and could not catch up losing 5-2 to the Burlington Bees (Angels). A.J. Alexy only got two outs in the first inning, he made 37 pitches and allowed two runs, two hits and walked three. Gregorio Sequera followed and gave up two more runs. By the time the Loons scored, they trailed 5-0. With one out and runners on second and third, catcher Keibert Ruiz singled in Brendon Davis and Oneil Cruz. The Loons received eight walks but could only muster three hits. Ruiz had two of the three hits. Transactions Triple-A: Los Angeles optioned 1B/outfielder Scott Van Slyke to Oklahoma City. Double-A: Left-handed pitcher Michael Johnson assigned to Tulsa from Extended Spring Training; outfielder Tyler Holt assigned to Extended Spring Training from Tulsa. Class-A: Los Angeles sent 2B Logan Forsythe on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga; right-handed pitcher Ryan Moseley assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Extended Spring Training; right-handed pitcher Lenix Osuna assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Great Lakes; right-handed pitchers Walker Buehler and Carlos Felix have been assigned to Extended Spring Training from Rancho Cucamonga. Great Lakes placed 1B Nick Yarnall on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to May 1, 2017; Great Lakes activated outfielder Saige Jenco from the 7-day disabled list. Tuesday scores Colorado Springs 8, Oklahoma City 6 (14) Arkansas 6, Tulsa 5 Lake Elsinore 4, Rancho Cucamonga 3 Burlington 5, Great Lakes 2

Wednesday schedule 9:00 a.m.: Tulsa (Ivan Vieitez) at Arkansas (Lindsey Caughel) 4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Jordan Sheffield) vs. Burlington (Sam Pastrone) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Wilmer Font) vs. Colorado Springs (Josh Hader) 6:00 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Mitchell White) at Lake Elsinore Storm (Pedro Avila)

DODGER INSIDER

Giving the gift of sight By Erin Edwards In May 2013, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) was at Dorris Place Elementary School, just minutes from Dodger Stadium. I was there as an LADF intern. I can remember everything about this day, from the starched blue LADF polo I was wearing to the leaves falling on the Dodger branded eye mobile unit parked in front of the school. I remember so vividly because this day changed my career path. As I saw former Dodger players literally giving the gift of sight to many kids who otherwise could not afford glasses and many kids who did not know they needed glasses, I could not believe how cool they made glasses seem. Why? Because Major League Baseball players are telling you they are! I knew I could be a part of something that impacted all children in Los Angeles. Fast forward to today, May 2, 2017, and a lot has changed, but one thing remains — LADF is in the community impacting the children who need it most. Today, LADF celebrated its five-year continued partnership with Vision To Learn (VTL). We now have two mobile units that go across Los Angeles and surrounding cities, screening kids in schools and at community parks and rec centers. All players in our Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball In Inner Cities) also have the opportunity to be screened and receive glasses if needed. To date, Vision To Learn has helped screen more than 420,000 children, examined over 80,000, and provided almost 65,000 with glasses, all FREE of charge. This morning we added to those numbers, as Adrián González and Justin Turner helped dispense glasses to 43 students at Betty Plasencia Elementary School during a school wide assembly. Turner spoke to the students about a time when he was in third grade and his teacher asked him what he saw on the board. He responded, “Turkeys.” It turns out they were acorns, and he was unable to tell. Turner told the kids he would not be where he was today if it were not for receiving the glasses he did then — not only to help him see the ball, but also to excel in the classroom in order to get his college education.

Events such as today’s are bigger than baseball. Stay up to date and follow LADF on social media: Twitter (@DodgersFdn), Instagram (dodgersfoundation) and Facebook (LosAngelesDodgersFoundation). Roberts on Gutierrez return: “He can change a game” By Rowan Kavner Manager Dave Roberts said it was a tough decision to option Scott Van Slyke when the Dodgers reinstated Franklin Gutierrez from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday. The Dodgers acquired Gutierrez largely for his ability to hit left-handed pitching, with all four of his previous starts coming against southpaws earlier this year. Gutierrez is back in the starting lineup and hitting clean-up Tuesday against Giants left-hander Matt Moore. Tuesday will mark the fourth time this year Gutierrez is hitting fourth. “We’ve got a left-handed pitcher tonight, we’ve got one on Saturday.” Roberts said. “So, just the presence against a left-hander is big, and also when we face right-handed pitching to have that bat, that bullet off the bench against a potential left-hander, he can change a game. He takes professional at-bats, he’s healthy and I expect him to be productive.” Roberts said this gives Slyke an opportunity to go to Triple-A Oklahoma City and receive more consistent at-bats and “work through some mechanical things he’s been working through.” Bellinger at first The Dodgers’ top prospect and Major League Baseball’s top first base prospect had not yet played first base in his seven games with the Dodgers. That changes Tuesday, as Cody Bellinger is batting eighth and playing first base, with Adrián González getting the night off. “With Adrián, trying to manage his health right now,” Roberts said. “With today and Thursday, the off day Thursday, hopefully it’ll kind of get him back a little bit, manage him. Cody, we’ve seen him out there in left field. He’s a good defender out there, very athletic, but he’s a plus-plus first baseman. That’s something where he’s very comfortable, so we really lose nothing there. Cody’s here, we want to see as much as we can.” Bellinger went 2-for-4 on Monday with a double and two runs and has hit safely in each of his first four games at Dodger Stadium. Rehab update After serving as the designated hitter Monday at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga in his first rehab start, Joc Pederson (10-day disabled list — strained groin) will play in center field Tuesday and will be joined in the

lineup by fellow Dodger Logan Forsythe (10-day DL — fractured toe), who will take three or four at-bats in the DH spot. The hope is for both to be ready to return to the Dodgers by late this week. “Joc, talked to him by way of text last night, said he felt good,” Roberts said. “Logan, getting ready to go out there and take batting practice, just talked to him briefly. He’s looking forward to playing again. We’ll see how it goes tonight, and hopefully come Friday we’ll get them back in there.” Reliever Josh Ravin (10-day DL — strained groin) also made his first rehab appearance Monday at Rancho, allowing one hit and striking out one in an inning of relief. Ravin started the season on the disabled list. Other Notes: · In Alex Wood’s last start for the Dodgers, he allowed just one hit and one walk in six innings to the Giants. San Francisco starter Matt Moore also had success against the Dodgers, though, allowing one run in seven innings the last time he saw them. · The Dodgers are coming off a 4–3 loss, which snapped their season-high four-game winning streak. · Justin Turner looks to start a new hitting streak after seeing his MLB-leading 16-game streak snapped Monday night. Five Takeaways: A bevy of firsts in 13–5 win By Rowan Kavner The second Franklin Gutierrez stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the second inning and delivered his first home run of 2017 in his first game back off the disabled list, the Dodger comeback was on. It was the first of six runs in the bottom of the second inning, eliminating an early 4–0 deficit against the Giants and tying for the most runs the Dodgers have scored in an inning this year. It also happened to be the first of many firsts for the Dodgers in a 13–5 win against the Giants. Here are five takeaways from the win, all of them firsts for the Dodgers during the 2017 season. 1) Bellinger keeps belting with his first triple of the year— The decision later this week when the Dodgers get more position players back continues to get tougher, as Cody Bellinger keeps finding new ways to deliver and demonstrate his complete package at the plate. Making his first Major League appearance at first base, MLB’s top first-base prospect continued what Gutierrez started in that breakout second inning. With no outs and the bases loaded, Bellinger cleared them with his first MLB triple, tying the game, 4–4, before coming around to score on Alex Wood’s first RBI of the year.

Bellinger finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs and is now 9-for-19 with two home runs, a double, a triple and five RBI at Dodger Stadium this year, hitting safely in each of his first five games at home. When Bellinger was first brought up, manager Dave Roberts said it was to get the top prospect’s feet wet. But the way he’s playing, Roberts said now that nothing is set in stone. 2) Taylor sets team season-high for walks in a game — As phenomenal as Bellinger’s been since his call up to the big leagues, it’s been easy to look over the contributions of another Dodger who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. Chris Taylor was moved up to the №5 spot in the order Tuesday, and he once again answered the call. In addition to helping Wood out with his glove at second base with a diving catch, Taylor walked four times in his five plate appearances, marking the first time a Dodger player has walked four times in a game since A.J. Ellis on Aug. 18, 2015. Taylor’s consistently found ways to get on base since getting recalled April 19, and he raised his OPS over 1.000 in the process. For the 2017 season, Taylor’s now hitting .310/.429/.586. The four-walk game was just the fourth for any Major League player this year. 3) Dodgers overcome four-run deficit for first time — By the time Gutierrez homered, Bellinger tripled, Wood recorded his first RBI of the year (and second RBI for a Dodger pitcher this year) and Justin Turner smacked a sacrifice fly to right field, the Dodgers plated six runs and batted around in the second inning. That was the spark that allowed the Dodgers to record their largest comeback of the year, surpassing what they did earlier this homestand overcoming a ninth-inning three-run deficit against the Phillies. The Dodgers tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning and another three in the sixth to secure the victory. 4) Led by Puig, first game with four Dodgers recording multiple RBI — Yasiel Puig was one of four Dodger players with multiple RBI on Tuesday, the first time that’s happened this year. Puig finished 3-for-4 with four RBI, knocking in all four runs without needing an extra-base hit. Bellinger, Turner and Gutierrez also recorded multiple RBI on the night. 5) Wood gets his first career win against the Giants — Alex Wood allowed four runs in the second inning and a season-high five runs in the start, but as Roberts said, he seemed to pitch better than the box score would indicate. A couple infield singles started the Giants’ rally in the second inning, and by the fourth, Wood had settled in. Wood went five innings, retiring the final seven batters he faced while throwing a season-high 94 pitches and earning his second win of the season and his first in four career starts against San Francisco. Quote of the Night: “It seems like every time he takes the field, he does something to help you win.” — Dave Roberts on Cody Bellinger Up Next: Julio Urías looks to build off his first start of the year, when he went 5 2/3 innings allowing just one run before the Dodgers won in extra innings in San Francisco, facing Jeff Samardzija.

DODGERS PHOTOG BLOG

5/2/17-Something Current-SF-5,LAD-13 at Dodger Stadium by Jon SooHoo and Josh Barber/©LA Dodgers By Jon SooHoo https://dodgersphotog.mlblogs.com/5-2-17-something-current-sf-5-lad-13-at-dodger-stadium-by-jon-soohoo-and-josh-barber-la-dodgers-7cf049fa1cb8

PROJECT : INVESTED

Off the Mound, Dodgers Pitcher Has Back-Up Career Plan in Financial Industry A career as a pro athlete is a rare opportunity most of us will never experience. But for all their outward glamour, those careers also carry a lot of risk. The competition is stiff, the majority of athletes don't ascend to the heights of fame, and the career window for most pros is only a few years-and fewer still if a player falls short of expectations or faces serious injury. That's why some far-sighted athletes, like baseball player Ross Stripling, are making back-up plans for the next stage of their working life. A starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Stripling, 27, recognizes that even the most promising pro careers can meet with disappointment, dashed dreams and unexpected outcomes. Which helps explain why he's also a licensed stockbroker with the Memphis-based investment firm Wunderlich Securities, working in the firm's Houston office during his off-season. Stripling's interest in investing was sparked by his grandfather, Hayes Stripling, an active day trader during his retirement who shared his insights about business and investing. “He was a guy I would go to and ask questions,” Stripling told the Orange County Register in a 2016 interview. “What are you looking for when you are looking for a company to invest in? Or what do you think the market is going to do in the next three to six months? It's something really that started off as something for us to talk about when we called up and had a fun conversation.” After playing ball for Texas A&M, where he majored in finance, Stripling embarked on his pro career in 2012. He received a six-figure signing bonus upon inking his league contract, but there was no spending spree for him-instead, he opted to invest his bonus mostly in equities and a few mutual funds. An injury in 2014 required surgery, which left him temporarily sidelined from play and thinking about the need for alternative career plans, in the event his baseball career didn't work out.

“[The surgery is] something you should come back from, but you never know,” Stripling tells Fox Business. “I wanted something to fall back on.” He passed the Series 7 General Securities Representative Exam in 2015, with plans to take the Series 66 Uniform Combined State Law Exam to complete his licensing as a financial advisor. “He's a realistic guy,” Matthew Houston, senior vice president at Wunderlich, told the Register. “He understands he could have been out of the baseball business in a short time, so he was looking out for building a career whether it's in two years or 15 years, which I don't know if that's typical of somebody in the minor leagues. I suspect it's not.” And while baseball and money management may appear at first glance to be widely disparate career paths, Stripling sees at least one commonality in that both place a priority on analyzing the data to optimize outcomes. In a post-“Moneyball” era, knowing how to read the stats to guide decision-making can bring big rewards-a lesson that Stripling brings to both of his jobs. “The statistical analysis that's out there right now, he's really working hard to break it down and have an idea of all these hitters he's never faced before, what a computer or what a stat system might say that are the safe spots for him to go,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said in the Register interview. “So he's able to really make a lot of good choices.” Financial industry firms have taken an interest in former athletes because of the unique qualities they bring to the workplace. Though most are young, they have already logged significant achievements in their chosen athletic fields, early successes that afford them a sense of confidence that comes from exercising discipline, focus and hard work in pursuit of a goal. They also tend to be self-starters and team players with a strong competitive instinct, and are accustomed to performing under pressure. In addition to the skills and work ethic that many athletes bring, their employers may also enjoy a public relations boost from having a former pro player or Olympic competitor on staff. “The approach Ross has taken, thoughtfully preparing for a variety of outcomes with his sports career and personal financial situation, is exactly how an advisor should counsel clients,” comments Wunderlich president Philip Zanone. “Ross is a great example of how an athlete's unique professional background and experiences can add value to the client relationship, as well as the entrepreneurial culture of a firm like ours.” Second-stage opportunities are particularly important for athletes given the career risks they face. The news is full of stories of star players who go from multimillion-dollar contracts to hardship after losing everything. Poor spending and saving choices, bad management, failed business ventures, and tax woes can be as serious a threat as a career-ending injury. An estimated 78% of NFL players “face bankruptcy or serious financial stress” within two years of retirement from the league; for NBA players, it's 60% within five years, according to a 2014 report in the Wall Street Journal. But it doesn't have to be that way, and Stripling's example illustrates how having a back-up plan for your career can help ensure an athlete doesn't end up as a cautionary tale.

“Baseball makes me extremely competitive, and it's a competitive industry. You have to prove to clients that you can make them some money,” Stripling said in the Fox Business interview. “It's nice always knowing I've got a degree and something to fall back on, God forbid something happened to my arm. But obviously I want to play baseball for the next 10 years.”