News on Abreu, Gwynn, Kennedy, and Sands

The Dodgers have seen a lot go down in the last couple of days with roster movement, so here's the lowdown.

Adam Kennedy has been activated from the 15-day DL, where he was on since July 26 with a strained groin.  In 70 games this year, Kennedy is hitting a blistering .250 with 8 doubles, a homer, and 15 RBIs.  To his credit, he actually was having a great July before going down with a .342 AVG.  Plus, he can play nearly every infield position, which is key late in games when it's substitution time.

Still, I'm pretty confused about why Sands is already going back down.  Here I was a few days ago going on and on about how he'll play more first base in addition to the outfield... and then he gets sent back down after one game!  Obviously he'll be back up when it's time for rosters to expand to 40 in September, but still, I didn't realize he was just keeping Kennedy's seat warm.

Speaking of biding time until September, a couple of veterans have accepted outright assignments to Triple-A Albuquerque: Bobby Abreu and Tony Gwynn.  Both became victims of new blood and declining numbers, and both are willing to stick it out for a few weeks before coming back.

I wasn't too surprised when Gwynn accepted his assignment, but I have to admit, I all but forgot about Abreu.  So when his name popped up as heading to the minors, I was really surprised.  I actually have to give these two guys a ton of credit for even going to the minors in the first place.  There's no way this would have happened if it were early in the season, and understandably so.  But with September on the horizon, it's worth a shot.

Kennedy added for bench depth

With Aaron Miles out of the picture, the Dodgers got to work replacing him on Thursday, signing Adam Kennedy to a one-year, $800,000 deal. He can earn up to an additional $150,000 based on plate appearances, which judging by Miles's playing time last year, is very possible.

The signing was necessary for a couple of reasons. One, he can play up to three infield positions (second and third, and a little bit of first). With Juan Uribe recovering from an injury-plagued, horrendous first season in LA, it's good to know someone else is there just in case. Second, he's a left-handed bat off the bench for pinch-hitting roles.

Kennedy has been in the bigs since breaking in with the Cardinals in 1999. He's best known for being with the Angels, as he was a big part of their postseason success in 2002, culminating with a ring. His three homers against the Twins in the ALCS helped pave the way.

He's also been described as a "good clubhouse presence." Though to be fair, I highly doubt anyone would actually say something like, "He's a cancer in the clubhouse, but we'll try it anyway." Still, I'll give Ned Colletti the benefit of the doubt.

It's going to be hard to replace what Jamey Carroll and Miles gave to the Dodgers last year, as they really came out of nowhere to give some great production. They've basically been replaced by Mark Ellis and Kennedy, two more veterans who are on their way down. Still, with payroll options very limited, it's about the best we can expect.

So, look for even more small ball in LA in 2012.