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. Monday's 11-run outburst against San Francisco was definitely a step in the right direction.
PLAYER NEWS: --RHP Hiroki Kuroda, who started and won the Dodgers' season opener but went on the 15-day disabled list four days later with a mild strain of his left oblique, underwent a second MRI exam that showed improvement. But Kuroda still has no chance of returning as soon as he becomes eligible on Wednesday. Club officials are hopeful he can start playing catch by Saturday, but he still will need at least two bullpen sessions and one minor league rehabilitation start before being activated.
--SS Rafael Furcal led off a game with a home run for the 24th time in his career. Half of those have come during his four seasons with the Dodgers. That puts him second in franchise history, behind Davey Lopes, who blasted 28 leadoff homers while with the Dodgers.
--CF Matt Kemp hit an RBI triple in the second inning and has now hit safely in all 10 of the Dodgers' games this season. Kemp went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored two runs. More important, he has shown tremendous strides as a hitter this season, and manager Joe Torre has repeatedly pointed out that Kemp is more open to the approach Torre and hitting coach Don Mattingly tried so hard last year to get him to adopt at the plate.
MEDICAL WATCH:
INF Doug Mientkiewicz (dislocated right shoulder) left the April 16 game after awkwardly sliding into second base. He's likely headed for the disabled list.
RHP Hiroki Kuroda (strained left oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list April 11. He will need to make a rehab start before rejoining the Dodgers.
RHP Claudio Vargas (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to April 6.
RHP Jason Schmidt (right shoulder surgery) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He threw in extended spring training on April 8 and April 13, and he will pitch there at least once more before starting a minor league rehab assignment.
ROTATION:
LHP Randy Wolf
RHP Chad Billingsley
LHP Clayton Kershaw
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
CATCHERS:
Russell Martin
Brad Ausmus
INFIELDERS:
1B James Loney
2B Orlando Hudson
SS Rafael Furcal
3B Casey Blake
INF Juan Castro
INF Mark Loretta
INF Doug Mientkiewicz
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Manny Ramirez
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
OF Juan Pierre
