Kenny G Around the Horn

Webster Leaves Organization

2009-11-13T17:14:47Z

Mitch Webster, the scout who signed Blake DeWitt and Scott Elbert, left the organization to become Midwest regional scouting director of the Kansas City Royals. Webster had been a Major League scout the past two seasons and was part of the team that scouted the St. Louis Cardinals for this year's NL Division Series. -- Ken Gurnick

Minor League Pair Win Topps Awards

2009-11-06T22:14:39Z

Dodger minor league shortstop Dee Gordon and outfielder Brian Cavazos-Galvez were named Topps/Minor League Players of the Year for their respective leagues. Gordon, son of Major Leaguer Tom Gordon, won the honors in the Single-A Midwest League, batting .301 with a league-leading 73 steals and 12 triples for the Great Lakes Loons. Gordon also earned the Branch Rickey Award as the Dodgers' Minor League Player of the Year, Midwest League Prospect of the Year, and league co-Most Valuable Player. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Cavazos-Galvez, son of former Dodgers pitcher Balvino Galvez, claimed the award for the Rookie-advanced Pioneer League, batting .322 with a league-leading 18 homers for the Ogden Raptors. Cavazos-Galvez, 22, won the league's Most Valuable Player Award and was named to the league All-Star team after being selected in the 12th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of New Mexico. -- Ken Gurnick

Honors for Dodgers Scout Nickels

2009-11-06T20:17:17Z

Dodger Midwest Scouting Supervisor Gary Nickels will be inducted into the Midwest Scouts Association Hall of Fame Saturday and the Mid Atlantic Scouts Association Hall of Fame next Saturday. The 2009 season is Nickels' 38th as a scout and seventh in his current position. Dodgers drafted under his supervision include Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Scott Elbert, Blake DeWitt, Cory Wade and A.J. Ellis. -- Ken Gurnick

Oblique Sidelines Aaron Miller

2009-11-04T01:09:45Z

Left-handed pitcher Aaron Miller, the Dodgers' top pick in the June draft, was shut down with an oblique strain and taken off the Arizona Fall League roster. -- Ken Gurnick

Mattingly Passes on Nationals

2009-11-03T20:24:39Z

Don Mattingly, the Dodgers hitting coach and presumed heir apparent to manager Joe Torre, has declined to interview for the vacant Washington Nationals manager job, according to baseball sources. The development is an indication that Mattingly and the Dodgers are making progress on a new contract that would formalize his succeeding Torre, who has one year remaining on his contract. None of Torre's coaching staff is signed beyond this year. -- Ken Gurnick

Torre Shuffles Batting Order

2009-10-18T19:52:51Z

Manager Joe Torre has the same eight position players starting Sunday night in Game 3 of the NLCS, but he's juggled the batting order against Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee from the one he used in Game 1 against lefty Cole Hamels.

He left Rafael Furcal first and Russell Martin eighth, but moved everybody else around. Ronnie Belliard moved from seventh to second; Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp moved down one slot each from second, third and fourth to third, fourth and fifth; and he moved James Loney ahead of Casey Blake, the pair now sixth and seventh.

This gets Belliard, 3-for-8 in the first two games, nearer the top of the order while moving down Blake, 1-for-8. -- Ken Gurnick

Injured Kuroda Out of First Round

2009-10-02T23:52:29Z

Starter Hiroki Kuroda has a herniation of his cervical spine and will not pitch in the first round of the playoffs, Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Friday. Torre said Vicente Padilla will start Sunday's regular-season finale and will be considered for the starting rotation for the first round of playoffs. He said Chad Billingsley and Jon Garland remain in the mix for the four starters and no decision on who joins Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw will be made until an opponent is determined. Kuroda last pitched Monday in Pittsburgh, allowing seven runs, but didn't complain about neck pain until running in the outfield Tuesday in San Diego. -- Ken Gurnick

Manny Out with Hamstring

2009-09-28T16:42:12Z

Left fielder Manny Ramirez was out of Monday's lineup with a tight hamstring he originally felt Saturday night. Manager Joe Torre said he did not consider the injury serious. However, Casey Blake was sent home to have a lingering tight hamstring examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. And Ronnie Belliard missed Monday's game with a tight groin muscle. -- Ken Gurnick

Wolf Scratched from Start

2009-09-10T00:13:08Z

Randy Wolf has been scratched from his scheduled start Friday night against the Giants with stiffness in the back of his left elbow. Wolf was sent to Los Angeles and received a cortisone injection. Club officials believe the injury is not serious. Hiroki Kuroda will start Friday. -- Ken Gurnick

Kershaw to Miss Start

2009-09-07T19:30:39Z

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw will miss his scheduled start Friday night in San Francisco after bruising his right shoulder running into the fence at Dodger Stadium Sunday shagging fly balls during batting practice, according to manager Joe Torre. The Dodgers had announced they were going with a six-man rotation, so Torre said one scenario would be to move everybody up one day. -- Ken Gurnick

Dodgers Promote Elbert, Ellis, Repko

2009-09-01T21:44:26Z

The Dodgersmade their first wave of promotions Tuesday, bringing left-handed pitcher Scott Elbert, catcher A.J. Ellis and outfielder Jason Repko from Triple-A Albuquerque. Elbert and Ellis have been with the Dodgers earlier this year, Repko has not. -- Ken Gurnick

Dodgers Look to Improve Bench

2009-08-28T18:37:08Z

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is trying to acquire a run-producing pinch-hitter before Sept. 1, but the market is thin. Any player who joins the organization by Tuesday would be eligible for post-season play. Mark Loretta and Juan Pierre are the Dodgers' primary pinch-hitters. Loretta is 11-for-51 (.216) with no homers and six RBIs pinch-hitting, only two of those RBIs since the All-Star break. Pierre has shown to be an effective pinch-hitter despite disliking the role (12-for-33, .364), but has no homers or RBIs and is often used to lead off an inning. Of the Dodgers' four pinch-homers this year, two were hit by regular starters (Manny Ramirez and Rafael Furcal). The others were by Blake DeWitt (expected to be recalled from Triple-A next week) and the disabled Xavier Paul. Doug Mientkiewicz, who had the role until blowing out his shoulder and having surgery, is expected to be activated when rosters expand Tuesday. -- Ken Gurnick

Padilla Active, Schmidt Done, Abreu Optioned

2009-08-27T16:13:46Z

To make room for Thursday starting pitcher Vicente Padilla on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers placed Jason Schmidt on the 60-day disabled list, effectively ending his tenure with the club. Schmidt is in the final season of a three-year deal and has hinted he will retire. He went 2-2 in four starts last month, but was placed on the disabled list with recurring shoulder problems. In three seasons with the Dodgers he won a total of three games and had two shoulder operations. The Dodgers also optioned infielder Tony Abreu to Triple-A and he is expected to return Sept. 1 when rosters expand. -- Ken Gurnick

Padilla Tunes Up With Win

2009-08-23T15:29:03Z

Vicente Padilla, expected to be promoted to start for the Dodgers Thursday in Colorado, tuned up for that one with a win at Triple-A Albuquerque Saturday night. Padilla allowed two runs on three hits in five innings, striking out five with three walks. He made 84 pitches and allowed a home run in Albuquerque's 8-4 win over Nashville. Padilla was signed last week after being released by Texas. He will take over the spot of disabled Opening Day starter Hiroki Kuroda. -- Ken Gurnick

Martin Fined by MLB

2009-08-21T15:19:02Z

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin was fined $1,000 by MLB for his part in a bench-clearing incident in San Francisco Aug. 12. Martin was fined for attempting to confront San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval and needing to be restrained several times by teammate Brad Ausmus. Sandoval was hit by a James McDonald pitch that he swung at and he moved toward the mound, triggering the incident. There were no ejections on the play. -- Ken Gurnick