Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: LA’s Rotation Down to 3, David Price Now an Option to Start

Bullpen games have become a common practice for the Dodgers this season. With the endless injuries that have plagued the ball club, it has forced the rest of the team to pick up the slack. 

Not too long ago, bullpen games were supposed to come to an end, but with the recent investigation into Trevor Bauer and the unseen injury to Clayton Kershaw, the team is without two fifths of it’s rotation. Fans have expressed their dislike for these games, especially when the pen is depleted only to not come out with a win. With that being said, does Dave Roberts and the front office have a plan to bring in reinforcements anytime soon?



“Obviously with Clayton going on the IL now, you’re looking at Walker, Julio, Gonsolin, and I think that as we look out into the near future – David Price. The idea of building him up starts to make more sense.”

Originally the plan for Price was to keep him in the bullpen as a multi-inning weapon. However, the plan has clearly changed with recent events. Doc mentioned how he wouldn’t be surprised to see DP take on the bulk of innings of Friday, which is supposed to be another bullpen game. He didn’t make it clear if that Price would start or eventually come out of the pen. Whatever the case, Price has expressed he’s ready for whatever the team needs.

Other Options?

Stretching out David will only solve one of the Dodgers’ problems. It’s unknown what will happen with the Bauer situation and the team is also unsure when they expect Kershaw to be back. Josiah Gray would’ve been an option if he was healthy, but the club still wants to see more from him before they deem him ready. 

The trade market is also a route they could definitely explore. Arms like Jóse Berríos, Kyle Gibson, and Danny Duffy could be available and be valuable innings eaters for a desperate Los Angeles team. 

NEXT: Yoshi Tsutsugo Outrighted Off of the 40-Man Roster

32 Comments

  1. Making Price an option to start made sense two months ago. And yet, they have continued to trot out the Not Ready For Prime Time Players over and over and over again.

      1. I’m not sure why anyone assumes that Doc makes these calls. The roster and how guys are used is clearly part of the bigger plan that AF owns. I’m sure Doc has input, and makes in-game decisions, but I think he ultimately defers to Friedman.

  2. This team is starting to remind me of a story my dad (Army Air Corps) told me about one B-17’s mission in the European Theatre of Operations (WWII). The B-17 was a 4-engine heavy bomber. But this one B-17 which was pretty much shot to pieces, managed to make it back to England and land, one just one engine.

    The Dodgers still have a couple engines, but in aircraft parlance, they’re getting real, real, close to being a glider.

  3. Lacking 2 pitchers our main attraction stars Bauer and Kershaw are out for 10 days and maybe 2 for Bauer when his 7 days comes to a end. There is no reason why he can’t come back. He says there is nothing wrong and is not guilty. He can still work.

  4. I don’t see how Price is even a question anymore. Frankly, Nelson should be an option as well. Friedman is now like a concert cellist trying to play through a performance as his strings pop one by one. At this point, it might be better to go OJT with his high ceiling prospects like Ryan Pepiot, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, and Clayton Beeter than gleaning the trade market for mediocre starters. Uceta and White just don’t have it.
    Bauer was paid big to give the team innings; he screwed them big time.

    1. Bum4ever, the embarrassment of riches has all but disappeared. BP games won’t get it done. The team’s over all play along with the overwhelming injuries, and decimation of this pitching staff means I just can’t see any October run.

      1. giving up already? c’mon they don’t even have their MVP playing now for what 6 weeks, and yet the Dodgers are the #2 team in NL.

  5. I said over 2 months ago why was Price not helping as a starter instead of the bullpen. Roberts is unable to plan ahead effectively. He is completely clueless when it comes to managing a pitching staff, even more so with the team as a whole.

  6. I totally agree with Paul. I’ve been a Dodger fan since 1972 and this manager is worse I’ve ever seen.

        1. I watch all the games and most including myself have witnessed how Roberts handles the pitching and daily lineups. He is responsible for in game decisions Freidman has input, but it’s his job to make sure Roberts has enough capable bodies to work with. Talk to others what they’ve seen with the managing of this team ,especially the pitching. Others have already made note of the fact that other teams like SF or doing much better with much less talent to work with. I know what I have seen with a team that all the other teams know they can run on the Dodgers at will. Dodgers appear not to be able to control the running game and one reason besides the offense striking out a ton in these first 3 games with the Marlins, but they stole 8 bases at least in this series which led to unnecessary runs coming across. All the injuries have a lot to do with it. but if the team thinks it can get by with 2 BP games a week, they are highly mistaken. No team wins without enough solid starting pitching, period.

          1. Robert’s couldn’t handle a pitching staff with Mathewson , Koufax, Gibson , Paige, page, and erskine
            He is out of his depth
            Hottest hitters get sat down
            How many consecutive games would either Gehrig or Ripken have played under him..? Five ?

          1. I hate bullpen games it’s the worst idea ever. I miss starting pitchers pitching the whole game. Bullpen games are boring and unsatisfactory at best.

      1. A fan from 1947 disagrees. Roberts only problem is discipline. The players have fear his decision making to stay sharp and concentrated all year. Too many weak at bats, too many sloppy plays, too little blood lust for winning. They accept losing to easily.

      2. I’ve been a dodger fan since Brooklyn, mid forties on.
        Very perceptive except your forgetting what a terrible manager mattingly was.
        Mattingly, the antithesis of a players manager. How many times did he criticize a player to the press. The most unpardonable sin for a manager. At least roberts encourages his players , big cheerleader when somone gets a big hit. Mattingly barely twitches when one of his guys comes back to the dugout
        I miss the O’Malley family. Why didn’t someone hire dusty baker, bill russell or talk scoscia out o retirement.
        I see where Roberts is inviting Reggie smith to the all star game. Too bad they dont reverse roles after the game

    1. All you old guys make me laugh, literally! I’m not old but not that young, but I have experienced and coached enough baseball that players who execute and perform to their best of their abilities make a winning team. The Dodgers have the talent but some of the guys are currently under performing and others have unfortunate injuries. Doc is trying to piece together w/ who’s available and not wear down the vets. for the long stretch to the playoffs, hopefully. These guys are professionals and champions, but they need to get their mind-set to face the challenges w/ no excuses, because everybody and everything is coming after you. That is where a manager and his staff must keep that task and focus always in check. Although the season can be a grind, the players must understand they are getting paid well to play a game that we all wished we had the talent to do.

  7. Well a few of you have more tenure than me, I’ve been following the Dodgers for 65 years. That’s long enough to recognize a team that’s limping into the all-star break while trying to stay within striking distance of first place. Doc’s main job right now is to buy time for Andrew to make some trades. That said, he also has to get the most out of the players he has. He hasn’t done that but we will turn it on in the second half; we always do.

    Although there is ZERO explanation for not stretching out Price, I don’t see Roberts as a poor manager of his pitching staff overall. He doesn’t have enough high quality pitching right now and hasn’t had for most of this season. The roof is always leaking somewhere this year. Andrew will get it figured out but realize it’s a seller’s market so we will likely be giving up more than we’d like.

    I do question Doc’s management of position players: He’s done little to develop Bellinger into the hitter he should be, less to motivate Mookie and generally dumps all over Beaty. Our catching is below average and the running game (against) is a disgrace. The whole team is tired despite his resting policies ie. Lux looks pretty bad in the field; where’s his rest now that he needs it? Taylor, Muncy, and Turner are gifts from the front office that Roberts can take little credit for. Same could be said for Albert I suspect. Now Baur, there’s lousy decision that keeps on getting worse! Leaving Ruiz in the minors while our bench is mediocre and neither of our catchers can defend is pretty questionable as well. At least get Smith off his knee with runners on base for crying out loud! Catcher’s interference..why?? They’re stealing on the pitchers and neither catcher has much of an arm.
    I find it hard to believe Andrew is not scouring the market for pitching and that we won’t see a trade by the end of the month. We won’t get Scherzer and I hope we don’t go for the SP’s having their one best year. Andrew gets paid to avoid the situation we are in now; let’s hope he can at least bail us out of trouble. Let’s see what we have in three to four weeks.

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