James Outman’s spot may eventually be taken by the team’s top prospect.

 

James Outman, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

After a “slow” start, the Los Angeles Dodgers are back atop the National League standings at 29-15. That is despite several rotation injuries that would crush most teams. Shohei Ohtani is once again on the MVP track, while Freddie Freeman is on a similarly prolific heater. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, is unlocking his stardom in real time.

 

You won’t be blamed for not caring what happens on the margins of this Dodgers roster, but that is precisely what makes L.A. such an exemplary organization. It’s not all free agent paydays and splashy trades. The Dodgers also have a top farm system.

 

Their No. 1 prospect (and MLB’s No. 15 prospect), Dalton Rushing, was recently called up at 24 years old. He made a strong impression in his debut, contributing two hits, a walk and three runs in L.A.’s dominant 19-2 win over the Athletics on Thursday.

 

While Rushing is traditionally a catcher — and he spent his debut behind home plate in place of a resting Will Smith — the Dodgers can’t keep their top prospect confined to a backup role forever. That puts James Outman’s job in jeopardy.

 

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Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing call-up puts immense pressure on the underperforming James Outman

In addition to his primary duties as catcher, Rushing has experience in the outfield. As for Outman, he has been Los Angeles’ least effective hitter this season — at least in the regular lineup — with a .679 OPS. At 28 years old, he is running out of time to deliver on his promise as an everyday centerfielder. Eventually, it will behoove the Dodgers to look in a new direction.

 

Rushing will probably spend a while as Smith’s backup before Dave Roberts rocks the boat, however. While Dodgers fans certainly do not want Rushing stuck in a backup gig for long, Roberts has thus far refused to entertain a move to the outfield for the uber-talented lefty. He expects Rushing to back up Smith twice per week at catcher and function as the occasional pinch hit option… for now.

 

That is great news for Outman, but the MLB season is long, and Rushing’s debut was a sign of how much pressure he can put on his teammates and the coaching staff right from the jump. Thursday’s blowout of the A’s was a slugfest for everyone involved, but Rushing was extremely productive in his limited exposure with Triple-A Oklahoma City beforehand.

 

If he continues to churn out hits, whether it’s in clutch pinch-hit spots or in his biweekly starts at catcher, it’s only a matter of time until Roberts seriously considers supplanting Outman with Rushing in the outfield.

 

Frankly, it’s the only logical path forward. The Dodgers only have so much space in the lineup for up-and-comers right now. Smith is under contract through 2033 as one of the very best catchers in MLB. Unless the Dodgers decide to trade him (or trade Rushing), something has to give.

Los Angeles cannot afford to keep its most promising prospect stuck in lineup limbo for the next decade. It probably can’t afford to keep him as a backup for the rest of this season.

 

Outman has lost his swagger at the plate. The production simply is not there right now. Los Angeles is built to weather the storm of a couple duds at the end of the lineup, but if there’s room for an upgrade, Roberts ought to make it. Los Angeles still faces stiff competition in the National League and Rushing could quickly emerge as their secret weapon.

 

 

 

 

Nothing, it seemed, went right for the Rangers on Friday night in a 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

 

With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Rangers down by three, third baseman Josh Jung represented the tying run at the plate for Texas.

 

Jung drove a slider out of the hand of Tanner Scott down the third-base line. The chopper appeared to bounce twice, first in fair territory and then, on the second hop, landed in foul territory before kicking back into fair territory and into the glove of Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who started a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

 

Jung, thinking the ball was foul, did not run toward first base for several seconds.

 

“I’m standing there watching it, so I thought it was foul,” Jung said. “I guess it hit something and came back and it was fair.”

 

Third-base umpire Nick Mahrley signaled fair, but Jung was unclear on the call in the moment.

 

“It was a quick, herky-jerky movement,” Jung added. “Not a smooth motion. It is what it is.”

 

The end of the game was delayed shortly as Jung asked to review the fair call.

 

“I just wanted to make sure that [the home plate umpire] got to look at it too,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Both of the umpires. The ball was foul and it hit something and kicked back. We couldn’t tell where it kicked back and whether it caught the bag or not. That determines if it’s fair, and that’s what they were saying.”

 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was shocked that Jung didn’t run it out before arguing his case, but noted that the Rangers star is a quality player overall.

 

“I just appreciate the way [Muncy] played it out,” Roberts said. “And it wasn’t an umpire. It did start foul, came back, and the umpires got it right. Fortunately, we saved Tanner some pitches and won a ballgame.”

 

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Kennedi Landry covers the Rangers for MLB.com.

 

How an old-school pitch went from ridiculed to back in fashion

5:00 AM GMT+1

Mike Petriello

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These days, every season seems to have a trendy new pitch: the high-spin four-seamer a while back, the sweeper two years ago, the splitter last year, the kick change this year … presumably some kind of knuckle-fastball next year, if Justin Martinez has anything to say about it.

That tells you a lot about how pitching works these days. Thanks to incredible advances in technology, science, and training, pitchers can do wild things with a baseball. It’s a miracle anyone hits anything, ever.

 

But if you’re only looking at what’s new, you might overlook what’s old. Take the sinker, a pitch so maligned a decade ago that multiple obituaries were written about it. Teams that still relied upon it, a little too long after it was useful, were derided as being behind the times.

 

The sinker, as predicted several years ago, really is being thrown less now than at any point in the pitch tracking era (which goes back to 2008), at a mere 15%. But the ones that are being thrown are more valuable than at any point in the pitch tracking era, too. If ever there was a case of “less is more,” this is it.

 

Part of the reason that sinkers fell out of fashion is simple: For years, they were a net negative for pitchers. That is, in 2010, the high-water mark for sinker usage, they collectively cost pitchers 373 runs worth of value, or -.21 runs per 100 of them thrown. (Run value, as used here, assigns credit to every pitch, not just the ones that end a plate appearance.)

 

Combining 2008-20, the sinker cost pitchers a whopping 4,568 runs, or -.24 runs cost per 100 pitches. Sliders, by comparison, earned 6,003 runs of value in that time. Yes, that says that sliders were worth more than 10,000 additional runs to sinkers, and now you’re not wondering why everyone rushed away from them to throw something with spin.

 

But sinkers have slowly been regaining value for the last few years. And now? They’re as valuable on a per-pitch basis as they’ve ever been. (The terms “sinker” and “two-seamer” both have been used over the years, with some disagreement over whether they refer to the same, or slightly different, pitches. At present, Statcast calls all of these pitches sinkers, for the sake of clarity.)

 

The sinker was a negative-value pitch for hurlers for more than a decade.

To put that in a more traditional viewpoint: In 2009, batters hit .301 against sinkers, a figure which is down all the way to .268 this year. If you’re about to point out that batting average is down across the board, that’s true – except that it’s down only 22 points on all non-sinker pitches. This is a sinker-specific story, at least for today.

 

Maybe this wasn’t a surprise, if you were seeing just how many pitchers in Arizona and Florida this spring talked about adding one. Kodai Senga has one now, and so does Paul Skenes, like he needed another weapon. So do Dylan Cease, Jack Leiter, Jackson Jobe, Joe Boyle, Carlos Rodón, Max Meyer, Erik Miller, Tanner Bibee, Nick Pivetta and assuredly more to come.

 

 

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Last year’s adopters included big names such as Gerrit Cole, Kevin Gausman, Joe Ryan, Luis Severino, and Tyler Glasnow. That’s particularly ironic in Cole’s case, given that his move away from the sinker to prioritizing the four-seamer is part of what fueled his ascension from good to great after the Pirates traded him to the Astros. When Hunter Brown added one, it turned him around from barely hanging onto a roster spot to being one of Houston’s best starters.

 

Half a decade after being ridiculed, the sinker is back – kind of – but why?

 

1) Batters began to adjust.

Part of the reason the sinker fell out of fashion and the high-spin high fastball rose to prominence in the first place is because batters got so good at crushing the low fastball, it no longer made sense to “keep it down,” as pitching coaches preached for decades.

This was a big part of what made the early-2010s Athletics teams so successful: As pitching coaches preached trying to stay low and get grounders, the A’s loaded up on low-ball swingers who could put it in the air, such as Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss and Josh Reddick.

 

As more hitters copied that style, fastballs moved upstairs. “Maybe,” wrote FanGraphs in 2018 during one of the countless eulogies of the time for the sinker, “the two-seamer will be back in a few years after batters find a way to combat velocity up in the zone.”

 

Exactly. It hasn’t fully happened, but the whiff rate on high four-seamers with above-average rising action was lower in 2024 than it had been since 2017. Batters have clearly been trying to change their approach as the years have gone on:

 

It is, to be clear, still quite effective to place a high-rise fastball at the top of the zone; pitchers who could do it in 2024 thrived. It probably always will be. But batters changed. Pitchers have noticed. Even back in 2021, then-Marlins manager Don Mattingly was talking about hitters “getting to that high ball better” by “learning to flatten” their swings.

 

“The hitters have responded and adjusted to getting on top of the fastball, so once they started making that adjustment, that opens the sinker back up,” Mets pitching coach (and former Major League starter) Jeremy Hefner told The Athletic last year. “It’s just a natural cycle of the game because of the way the hitters are trying to get on top of the heater now.”

 

2) But pitchers adjusted, too.

If this all sounds a little familiar, it’s because we touched on sinkers (along with splitters) before last season. Without regurgitating all of that, the main takeaway was that pitchers had increasingly gotten better about using the sinker as weapon against same-side hitters, rather than throwing it more evenly to righties and lefties, as they once did.

 

This year, 70% of right-handed sinkers are going to righty batters, up massively from 47% in 2013. “Don’t throw it into the barrel” is a surprisingly effective strategy, really.

 

Keep that last thought in mind, and see how pitchers adding the sinker were talking about it this spring.

 

“It’ll be a good weapon for me to use up and in to the righties and have another weapon inside,” veteran Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi said.

 

“It’s to get in on righties, away from lefties, kind of get to that quadrant that I’m not as good at getting to with the four-seam,” added his Texas teammate, Leiter.

 

It was a similar tone from White Sox righty Sean Burke, who noted that “it’s a pitch that will open up the arsenal and the zone a little bit more, so that guys are not always just diving for sliders a little bit.”

 

Let’s go back to Eovaldi, too, who said after a spring start that, “today, with the two-seam, [it] was down in the zone, and that’s not where I really want to be.”

 

So what are the themes? 1) In, in, in, 2) Only to same-sided hitters, 3) Opposite movement to sliders and sweepers, and 4) Staying away from low in the zone. You can see it in the numbers, too. This year, only 30% of righty-on-righty sinkers have crossed the plate at 2 feet or lower – the lowest rate in more than 15 years.

 

If “sinker” stirs up memories of Dallas Keuchel types throwing pitches that, well, sank toward the the bottom of the zone and pitching to contact, that’s not necessarily what these pitchers are doing in 2025. Which leads us to what’s really happening here:

 

3) It’s a different pitch – or at least used differently.

The 2025 version of a sinker is A) faster than ever, B) with more arm-side movement than ever, and C) with less vertical break than ever.

 

There are so many ways to show all of that, but let’s keep it simple, going back in five-year chunks. Everything is more.

 

Velocity: % of sinkers above 95 mph

 

2010 // 9%

2015 // 17%

2020 // 21%

2025 // 31%

Horizontal break: Arm-side movement more than 14 inches

 

2010 // 53%

2015 // 52%

2020 // 64%

2025 // 73%

Vertical break: Gravity-free movement less than 8 inches

 

2010 // 32%

2015 // 34%

2020 // 36%

2025 // 53%

The Major League-average sinker’s Stuff+ – a measure of a pitch’s effectiveness just based on the movement, velocity, release point, and other factors – is at an all-time high, dating back to the introduction of the method in 2020. If it seemed like 2020 in the value chart above was the start of the pitch’s resurgence, that’s probably not a mistake.

 

With the introduction of Hawk-Eye tracking to the Majors that year, the doors opened to the world of seam-shifted wake – the study of how to use the seams of the ball to catch the right air to provide unexpected or extra movement on the way to the plate – which pitchers like Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale are using to get even nastier.

 

As we did with Skubal, we can look to see how many sinkers are gaining from that seam-shifted movement, like Clay Holmes, who gets it on 87% of his sinkers so far this year.

 

Seam-shifted wake: % of sinkers with seam-shifted movement

 

2020 // 38%

2021 // 39%

2022 // 39%

2023 // 42%

2024 // 42%

2025 // 49%

“Before, the sinker used to be guys throwing 90, 91 mph, and now you’ve got guys throwing 100,” Yankees star Aaron Judge told MLB.com’s David Adler back in 2022. “I’ve worked on hitting those pitches, especially when they’re coming in off the plate. I didn’t know I was gonna get attacked like that.”

 

It’s only gotten worse (for hitters). It’s not the same pitch you remember – or least it’s not being used in the same way.

 

4) It’s an added pitch, not a solo pitch.

If you listen to what the pitchers are saying, they’re unintentionally telling you something else, too. Almost no one is abandoning the four-seamer in favor of the sinker.

 

It’s almost entirely an addition. For all the talk of the death of fastballs, what that really meant was that “establishing the fastball” wasn’t really a thing. Throwing a fastball, in 2025, isn’t the point. Throwing multiple fastballs is what’s actually going on. The sinker is another tool, not the primary tool.

 

“The two-seam fastball is just to give another look … and it makes the four-seam play better as a result,” noted Leiter.

 

You can see the trend pretty easily, just in terms of how many pitchers are using multiple fastballs – four-seam, sinker, and cutter – as part of their repertoires. Using 500 pitches as a seasonal minimum for years through 2024, and 100 pitches for this season, nearly a quarter of pitchers are throwing all three fastballs, which is more than double the rate it was as recently as 2021, when the hot thing to do was to abandon all fastballs in favor of all spin all the time.

 

Nearly a quarter of pitchers now feature a four-seam, sinker, *and* cut fastball.

As The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya wrote about Dodgers reliever Matt Sauer, the goal is clear. “The three differently shaped fastballs, [Sauer] said, let him pitch off that trio to get ahead in counts and set up his curveball and a tweaked changeup.”

 

It is, essentially everything. The sinker never really went away. But the bad ones did, and the ones to opposite-handed hitters largely did, and the ones that remain are nastier and better-timed than ever, coming more often than not as part of a sea of multiple fastballs. Even the unpopular pitches, it turns out, can still be devastating.

 

 

 

 

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially activated Freddie Freeman off the injured list, and he’s in the lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

 

Freeman hasn’t played since March 29, and has only appeared in three games for the Dodgers this season. However, after missing two games in Japan against the Cubs due to rib discomfort, and after missing nine games due to him re-injuring his ankle, Freeman is officially back in the lineup and batting fourth for the Dodgers.

 

Here’s the full Dodgers lineup against Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd, with Max Muncy getting the night off:

 

Shohei Ohtani, DH

Mookie Betts, SS

Teoscar Hernández, RF

Freddie Freeman, 1B

Tommy Edman, 2B

Will Smith, C

Michael Conforto, LF

Andy Pages, CF

Miguel Rojas, 3B

The Dodgers are coming off a 2-4 roadtrip, but are looking to get back on track against a Cubs team they swept in the Tokyo Series.

 

The Dodgers have right-handed pitcher Yoshinubu Yamamoto on the mound. Yamamoto has gone 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA this season with 19 strikeouts and six walks.

 

How to Watch Dodgers vs Cubs on Friday

First pitch for Dodgers vs. Cubs on Friday, April 11 is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on SNLA.

 

 

 

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The two teams in last year’s World Series could not be in more different situations regarding their starting rotations for the upcoming season.

 

The New York Yankees lost ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John Surgery, and Luis Gil will be out for at least three months with a high-grade lat strain. Due to those injuries, prospect Will Warren is projected to start the year as the No. 5 starter in the rotation, and 38-year-old veteran Carlos Carrasco will also make the Opening Day roster.

 

The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers have a surplus of starting pitching depth, leaving them no other option but to send young starters like Bobby Miller and Landon Knack to the minors. There’s not enough room on the 26-man roster for everyone to stick around.

 

However, many would consider the Dodgers’ extra arms a good problem. Would the front office be willing to part ways with one of the young starters like Emmet Sheehan?

 

Sheehan, 25, could be a name the Yankees would show interest in if the Dodgers made him available in trade talks. He posted a 4.92 ERA in 60.1 innings in 2023 and will begin the 2025 season on the 15-day injured list while he recovers from his Tommy John Surgery last May.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning for game one of the NLDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning for game one of the NLDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

If the Dodgers prefer the Yankees’ position players, No. 17 prospect Rafael Flores and 2019 21st overall MLB Draft pick Braden Shewmake could pique the Dodgers’ interest.

 

The catcher and first baseman Flores performed well at Double-A Somerset in 2024, slugging .519 with 15 home runs and 33 RBIs in 66 games. MLB.com estimates his arrival to MLB as soon as 2026.

 

The shortstop Shewmake is on the Yankees’ 40-man roster but will start the season in the minors. He’s yet to receive a substantial MLB opportunity, playing 29 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2024. He was named the 2017 SEC Freshman of the Year by Texas A&M University.

 

In this trade, the Yankees help support their starting pitching depth at the MLB level, and the Dodgers add a prospect that could provide power at the backup catcher position as early as next season.

 

 

 

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who achieved back-to-back victories in the Tokyo Series, also won a preseason game ahead of their regular season opener on the U.S. mainland. Minor league prospects were inserted into the game in the mid-to-late innings and performed remarkably.

 

The Dodgers won the 2025 Major League preseason game against the Los Angeles Angels, 7-1, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 24th (Korea time). With their third consecutive preseason win, the Dodgers now have a record of 13 wins and 8 losses (winning percentage .619).

 

Having won their two opening games against the Chicago Cubs in the MLB World Tour Tokyo Series held at Tokyo Dome on the 18th and 19th, with scores of 4-1 and 6-3 respectively, the Dodgers returned to the U.S. rested for 4 days before playing in a preseason game. In the first game of the three-game ‘Highway Series’ against the Angels, which is held annually before the season opener, minor league prospects were fully utilized from the middle of the game to lead to victory.

 

The Angels scored first with a home run in the top of the 3rd inning. Taylor Ward hit a high four-seam fastball from Dodgers left-handed prospect Jackson Pfaadt, marking it as a solo shot to center field. The Dodgers responded with a home run as well. Max Muncy, leading off in the bottom of the 5th inning, exploded a solo shot over the wall against Angels right-handed starter José Soriano, pulling the first pitch inside and hitting it out of the park.

 

In the bottom of the 7th inning, the Dodgers succeeded in taking the lead. Minor league prospects got the winning run against Angels’ Kenley Jansen, who recorded a franchise-high 350 saves. A walk by Jair Hope, a stolen base to second, and a walk by Andy Pahse resulted in a one-out, first and second base situation, where Chris Okey hit a two-run double down the left field line. This marked the first earned run for Jansen in the preseason.

 

In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Dodgers added a run after an error on a ground ball by Pahse when they had two outs and runners on first and third, following a hit by Joe Betran’s single and a stolen base by Hope. With two outs and runners on first and second, Chris Taylor hit a two-run double to the left, solidifying their advantage. Another error by the Angels allowed the Dodgers to extend their lead to 7-1.

 

Kim Hye-seong, preparing for the season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, did not appear in this game, whereas Dodgers catching prospect Okey recorded two hits and two RBIs in two at-bats, while outfielder Hope recorded one hit, one walk, and two runs in one at-bat. Starting left-hander Pfaadt pitched 3⅔ innings, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, while striking out 4 and giving up 1 run. The bullpen, consisting of Ben Casparius (1⅓ innings), Jack Dryer (1 inning), Luis Garcia (1 inning), Kirby Yates (1 inning), and Alex Vesia (1 inning), all pitched scoreless and contributed to the win.

 

Shohei Ohtani, who started as the designated hitter for the Dodgers, recorded no hits and one walk in one at-bat. After getting on base with a walk after a full count against Angels starter José Soriano in his first at-bat in the bottom of the 1st inning, he was out on a ground ball to second base in the bottom of the 4th inning and was replaced. Freddy Freeman, who missed the opening two games of the Tokyo Series due to rib pain, appeared as the third batter playing first base and recorded no hits in two at-bats.

 

Meanwhile, Mookie Betts, who returned early due to condition issues and did not participate in the Tokyo Series, was initially included in the starting lineup as the second batter at shortstop, but was suddenly excluded before the game. Betts, who suffered from dehydration after gastroenteritis, has lost 7 kg and is struggling to recover his condition. His participation in the home opener against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium on the 28th is also highly doubtful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

significant moment as two storied franchises brought their talents to an international venue steeped in baseball history. The season-opening clash provided fans with a unique opportunity to witness top-tier Major League Baseball action on a global stage.

 

Electrifying Performances Unfold

Dynamic plays and pivotal moments set the tone early in the game. Both teams delivered spirited performances, showcasing their offensive prowess and tenacious fielding. The clash unfolded with a blend of veteran experience and youthful energy, creating an atmosphere charged with anticipation and excitement.

 

Throughout the contest, several key moments turned the tide and captured the imagination of the crowd. Clutch hits, timely defensive maneuvers, and impactful pitching changes kept fans on the edge of their seats. Every inning carried its own narrative, adding layers to an already compelling storyline and reflecting the deep competitive spirit inherent in the rivalry.

 

A Commitment to Global Baseball Growth

The event underscored the sport’s expanding reach and highlighted the commitment of top teams to bring baseball to a wider audience. Playing in Tokyo not only celebrated the international appeal of the game but also paved the way for future engagements that promise to deepen the connection between diverse fan bases and America’s pastime.

 

 

With the series drawing to a close, the impressive display of skill and determination leaves lasting impressions on participants and spectators alike. The international outing serves as a reminder of the enduring appeal of baseball, beautifully blending a rich heritage with a forward-looking global perspective.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers warms up before the MLB game against the Cleveland Guardians at Camelback Ranch on March 11, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.

When Dave Roberts traveled to Japan in December, Shohei Ohtani warned his manager.

 

“Get ready,” Ohtani told him, “because you’re going to see a lot of pictures of me.”

 

Now, all of the Los Angeles Dodgers should take heed as they enter the frenzy in Tokyo. Their organizational quest to turn Japan blue has borne fruit, with Japanese stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki joining Ohtani for a season-opening matchup against the Chicago Cubs that will be a unique homecoming.

 

The group that will join them is now set. The Dodgers announced their 31-player traveling party that flew from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Haneda Airport for the series.

 

The list of names looks different than envisioned when the team arrived in Arizona last month. While Dodgers officials anticipated delayed starts to the season for Evan Phillips (shoulder) and Michael Kopech (forearm), they have also lost Michael Grove for the year with labrum surgery and Edgardo Henriquez for the start of the season when he injured his foot in an off-field incident.

 

Hyeseong Kim’s assimilation to the United States will require some time in the minors, and the Dodgers deemed that the Korean infielder was best served getting regular at-bats on back fields at Camelback Ranch rather than at the Tokyo Dome.

 

Tony Gonsolin tweaked his back while lifting weights, opening the door for Dustin May to be the Dodgers’ fifth starter — though May will stay back in Arizona to keep building up in his return from emergency esophageal surgery and two elbow procedures in three years.

 

Clayton Kershaw won’t be part of the 31 as he rehabs from his offseason toe and knee surgeries, but will travel with his family to join the Dodgers in Tokyo.

 

This is not the set Opening Day roster. There are further cuts to come. But for this group of players, a long flight, a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a check for $70,000 are waiting for them.

 

Here’s a thought on each, in order by uniform number.

 

No. 3, Chris Taylor, utility: Hasn’t exactly torn the cover off the ball this spring after making adjustments to flatten his swing coming off a brutal 2024 (.598 OPS). Roberts still has plenty of trust invested in the 2021 All-Star, who is guaranteed at least $17 million in salary and buyouts in his last year under contract and is on track to reach 10 years of major-league service by year’s end. His role is still fluid.

 

No. 5, Freddie Freeman, first base: The reigning World Series MVP has had a busy spring training. His surgically-repaired right ankle has required at least 90 minutes of treatment before he can even take the field and more than an hour of further maintenance after the day is done. But he’s been playing without tape on the ankle and his swing looks just as pristine this spring.

 

No. 7, Blake Snell, left-handed pitcher: The two-time Cy Young winner won’t be on the active roster when the season opens. Instead, he’ll pitch one of the Dodgers’ exhibition games against the Yomiuri Giants or Hanshin Tigers. His first regular-season start will likely be the home opener at Dodger Stadium on March 27 after Snell finally got the long-term deal he sought this winter (and the year before that).

 

No. 8, Kiké Hernández, utility: When his re-signing was official, Hernández lamented his market as a free agent – partially, he said, because he thinks clubs just assumed he would be back with Los Angeles. His chameleonic defensive versatility certainly makes him an easy fit on this loaded roster.

 

No. 11, Roki Sasaki, right-handed pitcher: He will start the second game in Tokyo against the Cubs, which makes for one heck of a stage for a major-league debut at 23 years old. “I think that we’re all baseball fans here,” Roberts said, “And how many opportunities would you get to pitch for a major-league team going back there? This is a probably one-time, one-shot opportunity for these guys.” There are questions about Sasaki as he makes the transition to Major League Baseball, but, man, it’ll just be fun to watch that splitter in action.

 

No. 13, Max Muncy, third baseman: Muncy will be the Dodgers’ Opening Day third baseman, just as Brandon Gomes forecast at the Winter Meetings. That was never really in doubt. But Muncy is healthy now after a nagging side injury that cost him much of the summer and required treatment all the way through the Dodgers’ World Series run.

 

No. 15, Austin Barnes, catcher: “I think he understands the fabric of and culture of our club,” Roberts said of the backup catcher and longest-tenured position player in the organization. “He’s one of the glue guys, he really is.”

 

No. 16, Will Smith, catcher: The franchise catcher dealt with a painful bone bruise in his left ankle from June on last season. He insisted it didn’t impact his swing, but his production told a different story. That same ankle slowed him down at the start of spring, but he’s swung a good bat in Cactus League action and is expected to be one of the best all-around catchers in the sport.

 

No. 17, Shohei Ohtani, two-way player: The star of the Sho. The reigning NL MVP won’t pitch in Japan but will double as designated hitter and international ambassador during this trip as the biggest star in the sport, and perhaps the world. Ohtani’s swing doesn’t seem to be inhibited at all from labrum surgery on his left shoulder. Just this week, he smoked a double with an exit velocity of 118.5 mph.

 

No. 18, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, right-handed pitcher: There was never really much of a choice when it came to naming the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter in Tokyo. “Truth be told, it’s his country. I think it’s bigger than the Dodgers. It’s about baseball,’’ Roberts said, “and it only makes the most sense for him to start the first game of the season in Tokyo.” The $325 million man has looked great this spring ahead of his second MLB season.

 

No. 23, Michael Conforto, outfielder: “I’m not 27 anymore, even though I feel like it,” Conforto said this spring. He’s now two seasons removed from shoulder surgery, and has remained a productive hitter even if he hasn’t been the type of middle-of-the-order presence he was with the New York Mets. There’s more there, the Dodgers think: Roberts made Conforto his “pick to click” this year.

 

No. 25, Tommy Edman, utility: Edman will play every day, somewhere. It could be in center field, where he originally appeared pegged to play most of the time this summer. It could be at second base, which is unsettled with Kim’s adjustment period to major-league pitching. It could also be at shortstop, where Edman was during the World Series.

 

No. 31, Tyler Glasnow, right-handed pitcher: He’s now one of three nine-figure pitching contracts in the Dodgers’ rotation, and one eager to prove that the tweaks he made to his delivery can help him last through a full season. He will be pitching the other of the Tokyo exhibitions, but the main goal has to be having Glasnow available in October.

 

No. 33, James Outman, outfielder: When Outman went to a private facility last offseason to make changes to his swing, he had a simple explanation: “My performance,” he said. Last year was disastrous for him, with a .521 OPS. Each of the last two seasons, he was the Dodgers’ Opening Day center fielder. Now, he’s still working through massive swing-and-miss issues and it’s uncertain if he’ll be on the Dodgers’ active roster.

 

No. 37, Teoscar Hernández, outfielder: It would have been surprising to see Hernández land anywhere else this offseason. Now, the All-Star and reigning Home Run Derby champion is settled, and has taken Andy Pages under his wing this spring as the young star works through his swing.

 

No. 38, Kirby Yates, right-handed reliever: Only Emmanuel Clase had a lower ERA (0.67) last season than Yates (1.17) among relievers with at least 60 appearances. Yates fits right into leverage innings to start, especially with Phillips and Kopech delayed to start the season.

 

No. 43, Anthony Banda, left-handed reliever: Banda was a wonderful story in 2024, and now has a chance to stick. He doesn’t have minor-league options, so the Dodgers have to keep him on the big-league roster as long as he continues to perform like he did a year ago. Maybe he’s already making some adjustments to stay ahead: during one bullpen session recently, he had Yates help him fiddle around with a splitter grip.

 

No. 44, Andy Pages, outfielder: Pages’ best path to playing time is again in center field, even though he likely profiles best defensively in a corner. Which raises the question: How much are the Dodgers willing to sacrifice their outfield defense for production in the lineup? And do the Dodgers need another right-handed hitting option on a right-handed heavy bench? Pages crushed left-handed pitching a year ago, but it’s not a super simple fit.

 

No. 49, Blake Treinen, right-handed reliever: Treinen’s resurgence after essentially missing two seasons with shoulder trouble was astounding. He’ll remain one of the most trusted arms in the Dodgers’ bullpen, even after the additions of Yates and Tanner Scott.

 

No. 50, Mookie Betts, shortstop: Betts, by his admission, was “embarrassed” at shortstop last season. His offseason of work at the position centered around avoiding that happening again.

 

No. 51, Alex Vesia, left-handed reliever: Vesia is fully past the intercostal injury that kept him off the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, and is coming off a season in which he was one of the most valuable lefty relievers in baseball.

 

No. 57, Luis García, right-handed reliever: García was the most established of the Dodgers’ non-roster invites to big-league camp, with real leverage innings in the postseason on his track record. A year ago, he was traded for a haul at the deadline. The velocity appears to have taken a slight dip this spring, but more than anything he has to dial the command to a place where his power arsenal can be effective again.

 

No. 64, Matt Sauer, right-handed reliever: The most surprising inclusion on the itinerary found out last week he was going when Roberts told him as he was coming off the mound. It will be a great family story: Sauer’s mother, Tammy, was born on an Air Force base in Okinawa.

 

No. 66, Tanner Scott, left-handed reliever: The recipient of the richest free-agent contract for a reliever this winter (four years, $72 million) will receive most of the save opportunities, but won’t be designated as the team’s set closer as the Dodgers look to maximize flexibility in matchups. When Phillips is healthy, he’ll be reunited with his former Orioles teammate.

 

No. 67, Hunter Feduccia, catcher: There are situations throughout the sport where Feduccia is likely serving a bigger role than third catcher. There’s more attention on the guy behind him in Dalton Rushing. But Feduccia is a strong insurance policy should anything happen to Will Smith or Austin Barnes.

 

No. 70, Justin Wrobleski, left-handed pitcher: Has turned some heads with his spring. He’s minimized the walks, partly due to his willingness to use his curveball early in counts for strikes to get ahead and grab count leverage. When the Dodgers need a depth starter, he’ll be one of the team’s first calls. He could very well break camp with the team in the bullpen as a long man.

 

No. 72, Miguel Rojas, infielder: The Dodgers didn’t make him the starting shortstop the past two years because of concerns the veteran could stay healthy. Rojas delivered the best offensive full season of his career last year (a .748 OPS) but also was hampered by lower-body issues that ultimately required offseason hernia surgery. He remains a valuable piece off the bench who can play all around the infield.

 

No. 78, Ben Casparius, right-handed reliever: This time a year ago, Roberts had no idea who Casparius was. By October, Casparius was starting a would-be World Series clincher. Life changes fast. Casparius trained this offseason with a swingman role in mind, and saw his velocity tick up this spring along with a new emphasis on throwing his curveball harder.

 

No. 79, Nick Frasso, right-handed pitcher: Sent down earlier in camp but, like Landon Knack a year ago, is a 40-man option who has a chance to be part of this trip. Frasso almost certainly would have made his debut last year if not for shoulder surgery that wiped out all of 2024. His stuff has certainly bounced back after surgery, and it will be interesting if that injury history — along with a violent delivery — makes him more of a fit for the bullpen long-term.

 

No. 86, Jack Dreyer, left-handed reliever: He’s a problem-solver with an elite skill: a fastball that seemingly rises more than any four-seamer in the big leagues. He’s pitched well enough that he’s not just a novelty with a penchant for messing around with a Rubik’s Cube.

 

No. 96, Landon Knack, right-handed pitcher: The ultimate Swiss Army Knife the Dodgers have on the pitching front, who likely will open the rest of the season in the Oklahoma City Comets rotation in Triple A but found himself pitching in World Series games last October.

 

 

Fabian Ardaya is a staff writer covering the Los Angeles Dodgers for The Athletic. He previously spent three seasons covering the crosstown Los Angeles Angels for The Athletic. He graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2017 after growing up in a Phoenix-area suburb.

 

 

A third round of Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training roster cuts came following a Cactus League victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, this time removing seven pitchers.

 

The Dodgers reassigned Jackson Ferris, Joe Jacques, Jose E. Hernández, Sam Carlson, Jared Karros, Jack Little and Jose Rodriguez to Minor League camp. Their roster now stands at 45 players total as they work to trim it down to the 31-man travel roster for Tokyo and eventually a 26-man roster for Opening Day.

 

Ferris is the most notable of the group as the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect. The 21-year-old pitched three innings, striking out six and allowing two runs with one hold.

 

Ferris was named the Dodgers 2024 Minor League Pitcher of the Year while pitching for the High-A Great Lakes Loons and Double-A Tulsa Drillers.

 

The southpaw went 4-4 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 119 strikeouts over 20 starts for the Loons. After joining the Drillers, Ferris went 1-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in seven starts.

 

Jared Karros, the son of Dodgers legend and current SportsNet LA broadcaster Eric Karros, has also been an impressive prospect, but he has not been ranked as highly by scouts.

 

Still, the 24-year-old worked four scoreless innings in Cactus League play this spring while striking out three.

 

Karros is coming off a strong season where he posted a 2.79 ERA across 15 starts with the Loons and Drillers.

 

Jacques signed a Minor League deal this past offseason and has nearly 30 innings of MLB experience. After posting a 1.80 ERA with seven strikeouts across five innings this spring, he could see a chance with the Dodgers at some point during the season.

 

Hernández, Carlson, Little and Rodriguez all figure to be organizational depth arms. Any of them could see some time at the MLB level, but the majority of their season will more than likely be spent in the Minor Leagues.

 

 

During the second round of roster cuts, the Dodgers focused on the position player side with Griffin Lockwood-Powell, Chris Okey, Alex Freeland, Austin Gauthier and Kody Hoese all reassigned to Minor League camp.

 

The first round of roster cuts included optioning Nick Frasso while Carlos Duran, Julian Fernández, Justin Jarvis, Ryan Ward, Justin Dean, Zyhir Hope and Josue De Paula were reassigned.

 

Players on the 40-man roster are required to be optioned while those in camp as non-roster invitees can be sent back to the Minor League level.

 

Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!

 

Blake Williams is a journalist from Reseda, Calif., who is currently the Managing Editor for Dodger Blue. He previously worked as a Managing Editor for Angels Nation, as a staff writer at Dodgers Nation, as the Managing Editor and Sports Editor for the Roundup News at L.A. Pierce College, and as an Opinion Editor for the Daily Sundial at California State University, Northridge.

Blake graduated Cum Laude from CSUN with a major in journalism and a minor in photography/video. He is now pursuing his master’s degree from the University of Alabama. Blake is also always open to talk Star Wars with you. Contact: Blake@mediumlargela.com

The next Japanese-born superstar free agent who intends to join the Major Leagues has already been revealed, and the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes has been concluded.

After the 2025 season, Munetaka Murakami, one of Nippon Professional Baseball’s finest sluggers, is expected to become available.

Which MLB team will sign the two-time Central League Most Valuable Player is the big question.

More news: Dodgers ‘Don’t Know’ When Shohei Ohtani Will Pitch This Season, Says Manager

 

“If I had to pick right now, I think the Yankees would be the favorite to land him,” Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain said on Dodgers Dougout Live.

“I think that would be the No. 1 team for him right nowAdditional news: Manager Says Dodgers “Don’t Know” When Shohei Ohtani Will Pitch This Season On Dodgers Dougout Live, Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation stated, “If I had to choose right now, I think the Yankees would be the favorite to land him.

” “I believe that would be the best team for him at the moment.”.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made themselves into contenders for any Japanese-born talent that beco I’m mes available with the addition of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. But McKain hinted that Murakami would not necessarily end up in Los Angeles.

He would undoubtedly prefer to play on the West Coast, according to some Japanese NPB experts I spoke with, but it will only be West Coast teams against the Yankees, an East Coast team, McKain stated.

“He would definitely be willing to sign with the New York Yankees, but he would prefer to be on the West Coast.”

According to reports, Murakami stated that he would like to challenge Ohtani, the unanimous 2024 NL Most Valuable Player winner.

Murakami’s choice of where to sign would be greatly influenced by whether he wants to compete with Ohtani as a comrade or as a rival.

Murakami has hit at least 28 home runs each season since 2019 and has led the Central League in home runs twice (2021 and 2022). In 2022, he blasted 56 home runs and enjoyed a career-high.711 slugging percentage.

At the plate, the 25-year-old first baseman and third baseman could be able to challenge Ohtani. However, Murakami’s base-stealing is lower than Ohtani’s; he hasn’t stolen more than 12 bases in a season since 2018, whereas Ohtani has stolen 59 this season.

The Yankees would be a solid choice if Murakami wants to develop a rivalry with Ohtani, even though he would rather sign with a West Coast team.