The Dodgers came to camp believing the depth of their pitching staff would compensate for the lack of star power. They started camp with six proven major league starters and will begin the regular season with four. RHPs Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland went down early in camp. Both are expected back within the first month of the season, though. Garland might only miss one or two starts because of days off, and Padilla will be brought back from forearm surgery quicker as a relief pitcher. Combine those two injuries with the absence of reliever Ronald Belisario, whose agent doesn't expect him to enter this country all season due to visa problems in Venezuela, and the Dodgers suddenly had three holes to fill in what was supposed to be their strength.
ROTATION:
1. LHP Clayton Kershaw
2. RHP Chad Billingsley
3. LHP Ted Lilly
4. RHP Hiroki Kuroda
5. RHP John Ely
Kershaw is poised to join the upper echelon of starting pitchers in the majors. Billingsley is looking for his first season with six months of consistency. Lilly gives up a lot of home runs, but he keeps his team in most games. This could be Kuroda's final season in the United States.
The Dodgers don't need a fifth starter until April 12, the 11th game of the season. Ely is more likely than RHP Tim Redding to take injured RHP Jon Garland's place in the rotation. Ely could be a long reliever or get a start in the minors before making that start. The Dodgers hope Garland will only miss two starts.
BULLPEN:
RHP Jonathan Broxton (closer)
LHP Hong-Chih Kuo
RHP Matt Guerrier
LHP Kenley Jansen
RHP Blake Hawksworth
RHP Ramon Troncoco
RHP Mike MacDougal
Two bullpen spots opened up when RHP Ronald Belisario once again never showed up for training camp and RHP Vicente Padilla went down with an injury. Troncoso is likely to take Belisario's place in the bullpen. MacDougal had the early lead for the final spot out of a group that included RHPs Lance Cormier and Travis Schlichting and LHPs Ron Mahay and Scott Elbert. MacDougal has closing experience, but the issue with him has always been control.
Broxton begins the season as the closer, but after losing his job last year and losing the confidence of the fan base, each bad outing will be heavily scrutinized. New manager Don Mattingly vows to only use Broxton for three-out saves, and that will help. Mattingly also vows to not use the oft-injured Kuo on back-to-back days. That means if Broxton falters, Kuo is the first choice to fill-in, but Jansen or somebody else will be needed in the ninth inning at times.
LINEUP:
1. SS Rafael Furcal
2. 3B Casey Blake
3. RF Andre Ethier
4. CF Matt Kemp
5. 1B James Loney
6. 2B Juan Uribe
7. LF Jay Gibbons/Marcus Thames
8. C Rod Barajas
If Blake isn't available on Opening Day, which is possible, then Uribe moves to third base and Jamey Carroll starts at second base and hits second. The other option is Ivan De Jesus Jr. at second base. The Gibbons/Thames combo was originally thought to be a straight left-right platoon, so Gibbons would start Opening Day against Giants RHP Tim Lincecum. But a strong spring by Tony Gwynn Jr. gives Mattingly additional options.
When a lefty starts, Uribe will hit fifth and Loney sixth. When a righty starts, it's the other way. For all the question marks about third base and left field, however, the keys to this lineup are Ethier, Kemp and Loney. The "young core" is now the "core" of the lineup and needs to produce.
RESERVES:
C Dioner Navarro
INF Jamey Carroll
INF Aaron Miles
OF Tony Gwynn, Jr.
OF Marcus Thames/Jay Gibbons
Navarro needed a really bad spring, and A.J. Ellis needed a really good spring, for a change to occur at the backup catcher position. That didn't happen, although a team rarely goes through a season without needing a third catcher. Ellis has a minor league option remaining, so he's the odd man out. Miles was in competition with Juan Castro and Ivan De Jesus Jr. for the last infield spot. Miles is the favorite because he's a veteran who doesn't need to play every day. The Dodgers prefer their good prospects to keep developing in the minors, rather than sitting on the bench.
OF Xavier Paul is out of options, so the Dodgers could keep 11 pitchers and six outfielders to begin that spring. In that scenario, Paul makes the roster, and it buys time until the fifth starter is needed a couple of weeks into the season. Gwynn probably earned additional playing time with a strong camp, but his value will mostly be as a late-inning pinch runner and defensive replacement.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--3B Casey Blake (back tightness) left the March 12 game and had not returned to action through March 18. He was questionable for Opening Day.
--RHP Jon Garland (strained left oblique) was hurt March 9. He hopes to avoid opening the season on the disabled list, but it's doubtful that he'll be healed in time. Mid-April is a more realistic target.
--RHP Vicente Padilla (nerve problem in right forearm) underwent surgery Feb. 24. The team expects him to be able to return in late April.
