THE Dodgers could receive reinforcements on the World Series roster.
Left-handed Alex Vesiawho missed the National League Championship Series after suffering an intercostal injury in Game 5 of the NL Division Series, said he is “90 percent sure” he will be active for the Fall Classic, after completing bullpen sessions relievers over the past week and a live 15-pitch batting practice session on Wednesday.
“I’m very confident that with how I felt (Wednesday) night, I’ll be even better when I come out with some adrenaline in my body against the Yankees,” Vesia said.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas is also in line to be active for the World Series after missing the NLCS due to a nagging adductor injury, which had sidelined him since Game 3 of the NLDS.
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“Everything looks really good” directorDave Roberts said de Rojas. “I think there’s a very good chance he’ll be on the list.”
The Dodgers also dodged another bullet in the NLCS.
In Sunday’s Game 6, Evan Phillips was limited to just one inning of work — in a situation where it would have made sense for him to throw two — due to what he described as “arm fatigue » typical of pitchers at this end of the season. .
The problem arose after his previous outing in Game 4 in New York. “I just didn’t bounce back well after that game,” Phillips said. “It was pretty much the same thing the other night.”
However, Phillips said he was focused on his recovery this week and had “no concerns” about his availability for the World Series.
“The decision the other night,” he said, “just came down to making a smart decision to keep myself available.”
The other roster move the Dodgers were considering on the eve of Game 1: potentially activating right-handed reliever Brusdar Graterol, who Roberts said was headed in the right direction after a shoulder injury that cost him four months at start of the match. season, and resumed at the end of September.
Roberts said the fact that Graterol only threw seven times during the regular season will be “part of the calculus.” But, he added of a pitcher with a career postseason ERA of 1.64, “the other part is his postseason record, how good he’s been.”
“We’re going to have some tough conversations,” Roberts said of his sudden delay in the roster. “But on the pitching side, we’re in a pretty good spot right now.”
Remembering Fernando Valenzuela
Dodger Stadium was full of memories Thursday of the late star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died Tuesday at the age of 63.
At the front gate, the main entrance to Dodger Stadium was covered in flowers, draped in two Mexican flags and adorned with “34” balloons.
Inside the ballpark, a wreath of crosses hung next to Valenzuela’s retired number in the left field ring of honor, a plaque that was only placed last year when the team retired his number even though he was never in the Hall of Fame.
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Next Friday, there will be more commemorations honoring the World Series champion, the Rookie of the Year recipient and the Cy Young Award winner. The Dodgers announced that they would “Fernando 34” patches on the sleeves of their jersey. Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league will honor Valenzuela in other ways as well, including a moment of silence at Chavez Ravine before first pitch Friday.
“Fernando is an icon for us, and especially for the Latin community, players who had the opportunity to represent their country,” Rojas said. “What he did for the community and for everyone in Los Angeles, it was incredible. And we now have to live a little bit the same way he lived baseball, which is to give everything on the field, try to win a championship, and after we finish playing baseball, continue to be a good person. the land too.
Alex Verdugo returns
Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo hasn’t played at Dodger Stadium in five years. The Dodgers traded the outfielder to the Boston Red Sox as part of the five-player trade that brought Mookie Betts in Los Angeles.
Verdugo, who was then traded by the Red Sox to the Yankees last winter, said he was disappointed to leave Los Angeles.
“I was upset at the time,” he said, “for a few days.”
In some recent times, he said, he expected a warm welcome at Dodger Stadium this weekend. Other times, well, it’s not.
“It’s the World Series. They’re going to boo,” said Verdugo, originally drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of 2014. “I still love this place.”
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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
