--RHP Jason Schmidt has been shut down again. Two weeks into his second minor-league rehabilitation assignment, Schmidt experienced discomfort in his right shoulder, which was surgically repaired 13 months ago. Schmidt will throw a side session in the next couple of days and will need at least two such sessions before his rehab resumes.
--RHP Jason Johnson, who had his contract purchased from Class AAA Las Vegas earlier in the day, was supposed to make his Dodgers debut as a starter on Tuesday night at Colorado. But the 10-year veteran, who pitched for the Seibu Lions last season, instead came out of the bullpen to start the third inning after Hiroki Kuroda got knocked around. Johnson gave up a leadoff triple to Chris Young, the first batter he had faced in the big leagues since Sept. 27, 2006, but otherwise settled in and gave the Dodgers three solid innings, allowing only a run-scoring groundout and three hits. --OF Matt Kemp, who went 2-for-6, extended his hitting streak to six games. He is batting .357 (10 for 28) during the streak. He also didn't strike out, ending a seven-game stretch in which had struck out at least once in every game and a total of 13 times.
--OF Andruw Jones left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with flu-like symptoms. Before he left, Jones started the second half much the way he ended the first, striking out in each of his two plate appearances. Jones is now hitting .162 with 61 strikeouts in 191 plate appearances, an average of once every 3.1 times he steps into the box.
--OF Andre Ethier went 2-for-6 with two doubles and has now reached base in 17 of his past 18 games beginning on June 27. Ethier is hitting .314 (22 for 70) during that stretch. He now has 23 doubles for the season, second on the club to James Loney's 25.
BY THE NUMBERS: 3 -- Hits with runners in scoring position for CF Andruw Jones at the All-Star break. He had 45 at-bats in such situations. Jones had 10 RBIs for the season, all but assuring that he will fail to drive in at least 90 runs for the first time since 1999, when he drove in 84. Jones was batting just .164 overall, and a strong case can be made that he is baseball's biggest free agent bust in 2008 after signing a two-year, $36.2 million contract in December.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I kind of had an inkling it was going to happen. That's Joe's man, and I understand that. I have given this organization three years, and I will continue to give it everything I have. I love the Dodgers, and I hope they get to the World Series." -- Dodgers hitting coach Mike Easler, after learning he would be returning to a minor league coaching job because longtime Joe Torre confidant Don Mattingly was taking over as hitting coach following the All-Star break.
