Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and I\u2019m back. The wedding was beautiful. Thanks to all of you who wrote in with well wishes.<\/p>\n
Are you a true-blue fan? <\/p>\n
Get our Dodgers Dugout newsletter for insights, news and much more.<\/p>\n
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n The big news is that the Dodgers have continued to slump. Since starting the season 15-4, they have gone 11-14, including two four-game losing streaks. Why is this happening? Well, there\u2019s usually not one thing that causes team slumps. It\u2019s easy to blame Shohei Ohtani, since he isn\u2019t hitting at his normal spectacular level, but you can say that about other players too.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at some numbers. Let\u2019s see where the Dodgers rank among the 30 MLB teams in some categories. These numbers are through Wednesday:<\/p>\n Runs per game Batting average OB% Slugging% Grounded into double play Grounded into double play % Batting average with runners in scoring position Batting average with two out and RISP ERA Rotation ERA Bullpen ERA Nothing really stands out there. They are in the top 10 in almost every category. If you had to point at a troubling spot, it\u2019s double plays. They hit a lot of hard grounders right at fielders with runners on base. Is that just bad luck? Better scouting by opponents? Too soon to tell. <\/p>\n The team slump really began on April 28. They were 20-9 going into that game, 6-9 since then. Let\u2019s look at some individual numbers (through Wednesday) during that bad streak:<\/p>\n Kyle Tucker: .318\/.446\/.545, 7 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs Almost every player is hitting below their career averages in almost every category. It\u2019s a teamwide slump that has lasted two weeks. It\u2019s dragging the team numbers down, because remember above when I said they are in the top 10 in every category? Well, before the slump they were in the top five. If this continues, they will keep sliding down the rankings.<\/p>\n And while it\u2019s certainly not all Ohtani\u2019s fault, he is mired in a deep slump. The Dodgers gave him two days off from hitting Wednesday and Thursday (he pitched Wednesday).<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, with any hitter, when the quality of at-bat starts to go down consistently, I think that\u2019s a telling sign there needs to be a break,\u201d Dave Roberts told reporters. \u201cBecause you\u2019re just not able to \u2014 whether it\u2019s the mechanics, the mind \u2014 stay within your game plan, and then the chase starts to spike.\u201d<\/p>\n Dalton Rushing has crashed back to earth. Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez has lost all his power. The whole team, except for Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker, has lost power. Maybe they forgot to pay their Edison bill. They are on pace to hit 214 homers this season. Last season, they hit 244. The last time they hit fewer homers in a season was 2012, when they hit 121. And won 111 games.<\/p>\n Should we be worried about the Dodgers? Well, they\u2019ve gone through teamwide slumps in the past. If they are still hitting poorly when June begins, then be worried. And keep in mind, they are 26-18 and on pace to win 96 games this season. Last season they won 93 and were 29-15 after 44 games. In 2024, they won 98 games and were 29-15 after 44 games. And those seasons ended pretty well. The Dodgers are just getting their teamwide slump out of the way early this season.<\/p>\n Of course, I was tracking the team while gearing up for the wedding, and once I came back they have now won two in a row. Perhaps the slump is already over.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the team the Dodgers seem to have the most trouble with, the lowly Angels, are up next on the schedule. Last season, the Dodgers lost all six games against the Angels. If the Angels sweep them this weekend, maybe I\u2019ll start writing an Angels newsletter.<\/p>\n Ren\u00e9 C\u00e1rdenas dies<\/p>\n When I was a kid, the Dodgers\u2019 Spanish broadcast crew was always Jaime Jarr\u00edn and Ren\u00e9 C\u00e1rdenas. Unfortunately, one half of that duo, C\u00e1rdenas, is no longer with us as he died Sunday. He was 96.<\/p>\n C\u00e1rdenas started with the Dodgers in 1958 and was the No. 1 broadcast, with Jarr\u00edn the No. 2 man. C\u00e1rdenas left the team to broadcast elsewhere, then returned to the Dodgers for the 1982 season. <\/p>\n As colleague Ed Guzman writes in the C\u00e1rdenas obit:<\/a> By this point, Jarr\u00edn was firmly in place as the team\u2019s lead Spanish-language play-by-play announcer \u2014 particularly in the wake of Fernandomania<\/a> the season before, when Jarr\u00edn\u2019s profile was raised as Fernando Valenzuela\u2019s<\/a> interpreter during his media interviews.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was explained to him by our producer, \u2018You can\u2019t come back as the No. 1 announcer because Jaime is established, he has many years as the lead announcer and he is beloved by the community,\u2019\u201d Jarr\u00edn said Monday. \u201cRen\u00e9 said, \u2018I don\u2019t care, I\u2019ll come back as the No. 2 with Jaime. I just want to come back to the game of baseball.\u2019 He was determined to return to the Dodgers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was during that time that we established a close-knit friendship and we were well-received by the community as a broadcast duo.\u201d<\/p>\n C\u00e1rdenas worked with the Dodgers through the 1998 season and moved back to Houston.<\/p>\n Our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.<\/p>\n Jason Heyward is back <\/p>\n But not as a player. He has rejoined the team in the front office<\/a> as a special assistant to the general manager. \u201cI asked for an opportunity,\u201d Heyward said. \u201cI asked for an opportunity to learn. I have a goal of potentially one day being in the front office. But I understand there\u2019s a lot I have to learn on this side of things. It\u2019s great to be a player, it\u2019s great to have that experience. I think that will help me along the way. But at the same time, I knew it was important to learn to scout, how to evaluate players, learn the R&D, analytics, terminologies and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Heyward played for the Dodgers from 2023-24.<\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n Friday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 5-1, 2.42 ERA) at Angels (Jack Kochanowicz, 2-2, 3.97 ERA), 6:38 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KTTV, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, KLAA 830<\/p>\n Saturday: Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 0-1, 12.00 ERA) at Angels (Jose Soriano, 6-2, 1.66 ERA), 6:38 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KCOP 13, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, KLAA 830<\/p>\n Sunday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 1-3, 5.88 ERA) at Angels (TBA), 1:07 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KCOP 13, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, KLAA 830<\/p>\n All times Pacific<\/p>\n *-left-handed<\/p>\n In case you missed it<\/p>\n Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez \u2018little bit shocked\u2019 by reception in Albuquerque while on rehab assignment<\/a><\/p>\n Shohei Ohtani holds Giants scoreless, Dodgers\u2019 bats heat up to snap losing streak<\/a><\/p>\n Fan favorite Jason Heyward joins Dodgers as a special assistant with an eye on more<\/a><\/p>\n Shaikin: Mark Walter says the Dodgers can\u2019t win all the time. Even Magic Johnson agrees<\/a><\/p>\n Dodgers tout outfielder Alek Thomas\u2019 upside after acquiring him from the Diamondbacks<\/a><\/p>\n Ren\u00e9 C\u00e1rdenas, broadcasting pioneer who was Dodgers\u2019 first Spanish-language announcer, dies<\/a><\/p>\n And finally<\/p>\n One hour of Vin Scully telling stories. Watch and listen here<\/a>. <\/p>\n Until next time…<\/p>\n Have a comment or something you\u2019d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com<\/a>. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and I\u2019m back. 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4.93 (seventh in MLB)<\/p>\n
.263 (second)<\/p>\n
.342 (first)<\/p>\n
.433 (second)<\/p>\n
37 (tied for third)<\/p>\n
10.6% (eighth)<\/p>\n
.266 (ninth)<\/p>\n
.241 (11th)<\/p>\n
3.40 (third)<\/p>\n
3.28 (fourth)<\/p>\n
3.60 (10th)<\/p>\n
Freddie Freeman: .288\/.362\/.423, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs
Andy Pages: .283\/.333\/.528, 1 double, 4 homers, 10 RBIs
Will Smith: .270\/.333\/.324, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs
Alex Call, .267\/.368\/.400 (4 for 15)
Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez: .256\/.347\/.279, 1 double, 1 RBI
Alex Freeland: .250\/.344\/.357, 1 homer, 2 RBIs
Max Muncy: .214\/.313\/.405, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBIs
Hyeseong Kim: .200\/.243\/.286, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 RBI
Dalton Rushing, .167\/.200\/.167, 1 RBI
Santiago Espinal, .167\/.167\/.417 (2 for 12)
Mookie Betts, .154\/.154\/.385 (2 for 13)
Shohei Ohtani, .143\/.294\/.238, 1 double, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Miguel Rojas, .095\/.136\/.095 (2 for 21)<\/p>\n