The Dodgers' offense, projected before the season to be one of the most dangerous in the National League, had yet to really kick into high gear through April 12. Although the Dodgers broke out for 11 runs on Saturday night at Arizona, they scored a total of 21 in the other six games on their season-opening trip, and manager Joe Torre already felt the need to tweak things slightly when he moved slumping OF Andre Ethier out of the cleanup spot and down to sixth, flipping him with 1B James Loney, who had been hot. And while OF Manny Ramirez had been decent, he hadn't yet been spectacular. Through the weekend, the club was still waiting for him to hit his first home run. The Dodgers probably don't have the overall pitching to overcome a lack of offense, so the hitters need to kick it into a higher gear fairly soon if the club hopes to get off to a fast start in the National League West.
PLAYER NEWS: --INF Blake DeWitt has yet to start a game and has come to the plate just seven times in the Dodgers' first seven games. Dodgers officials are beginning to grow concerned that the development of DeWitt, one of their prized prospects, is being hampered by playing part-time in the majors. If the Dodgers can clear a 40-man roster spot, possibly by trading OF Delwyn Young, they might purchase the contract of non-roster UT Juan Castro and send DeWitt to Class AAA for regular playing time.
--OF Matt Kemp has hit safely in all seven of the Dodgers' games this season, the only member of the club to do so. Kemp is batting .375 (9-for-24) overall, with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. He was out of the starting lineup for the first time on Sunday because manager Joe Torre wanted to get Juan Pierre a start, but Kemp entered defensively in the seventh inning and delivered a key, two-out, RBI double in the ninth.
--RHP Jonathan Broxton recorded his third save in as many chances this season, retiring the Diamondbacks in order in the ninth. In his three save opportunities, Broxton has pitched three perfect innings, with five strikeouts and only one ball hit out of the infield. He did give up a run, on a one-out triple and a sacrifice fly, in one inning of mop-up duty in Saturday night's 11-2 win over the Diamondbacks, when manager Joe Torre brought him in because he hadn't pitched in three days.
MEDICAL WATCH:
RHP Hiroki Kuroda (strained left oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list April 11. The Dodgers don't think the injury is serious.
RHP Claudio Vargas (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to April 6.
OF Delwyn Young (right elbow impingement) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Albuquerque on April 10.
RHP Jason Schmidt (right shoulder surgery) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He threw a game in extended spring training on April 8, and he was not yet close to starting a minor league rehab assignment.
ROTATION:
1. LHP Randy Wolf
2. RHP Chad Billingsley
3. LHP Clayton Kershaw
4. LHP Eric Stults
BULLPEN:
RHP Jonathan Broxton (closer)
LHP Hong-Chih Kuo
RHP Guillermo Mota
LHP Will Ohman
RHP Ronald Belisario
RHP Ramon Troncoso
RHP Cory Wade
RHP James McDonald
LINEUP:
1. SS Rafael Furcal
2. 2B Orlando Hudson
3. LF Manny Ramirez
4. RF Andre Ethier
5. C Russell Martin
6. 1B James Loney
7. CF Matt Kemp
8. 3B Casey Blake
RESERVES:
C Brad Ausmus
INF Blake DeWitt
INF Mark Loretta
INF Doug Mientkiewicz
OF Juan Pierre
