Ely sent back down, Link is back up

After getting pounded in his last two starts, the Dodgers have officially sent John Ely back to Triple-A Albuquerque. In his place will be Jon Link, recalled for the fourth time already this season.

Ely has ridden a roller coaster of success and failure this year. He was 3-1 in May with a 2.18 ERA, and looked like quite the hidden gem in the Juan Pierre deal. The rest of the league sure caught up to him and fast, because his ERA has shot up over two runs since the start of June.

The biggest issue has been his command. On June 1 after his seventh start, his ERA was at 2.54 and he walked only eight hitters. In seven starts since then, his ERA is up to 4.63 and he's walked 17 hitters.

He's shown the ability to gave good control, so maybe he just needs some time to get that confidence back. It's not like the Dodgers have a whole bunch of starters they can turn to, so if he figures things out in the minors, he'll be back.

The Dodgers won't need a fifth starter until June 19 against the Giants, and the early favorite appears to be James McDonald (remember him?). In 13 starts this season in the minors, McDonald is 5-1 with a 4.45 ERA. Keep in mind that playing in Albuquerque inflates numbers, so it's not quite as bad as it may appear. He's struck out 63 in 62 2/3 innings, a very good stat.

Of course, there's also the possibility of acquiring a starter via trade. Stay tuned on that.

Haeger gets DFA'd, Link is back

Needing another fresh arm, the Dodgers have designated the struggling Charlie Haeger for assignment. Jon Link has been called up for the fourth time already this season.

Haeger's season started off beautifully, as he struck out 12 Marlins in a no-decision back on April 11. He certainly looked like the fifth starter the Dodgers were searching for. Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill, as he never posted another quality start again.

Link has a 4.15 ERA in four appearances. He last pitched June 7 against the Cardinals, going two scoreless innings. He'll be one of the last options out of the bullpen, but provides insurance.

Add Padilla to the DL with a sore forearm

Vicente Padilla is the latest Dodger to hit the 15-day DL. He has a sore right forearm, something that he first complained about back in Spring Training.

The beginning of the season was downright awful for Padilla, who was given the Opening Day start in Pittsburgh, then got bombed for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. His next start in Florida was terrible as well, but he's coming off of two pretty good starts.

His stuff has looked pretty good, so even when he was getting torched, I thought he'd be able to turn it around. His last two starts against the Giants and Reds have combined for 13 innings, six earned runs, and 15 strikeouts. So I thought he was figuring things out. Now this happens.

In his place is supposed to be Jon Link. Since he was just sent down to Triple-A, he hasn't fulfilled the required 10 days to come back up. But, if the Dodgers are given permission since he's replacing an injured player, he'll be the one.

The bigger question will be who makes Padilla's next scheduled start in New York on Tuesday. Jeff Weaver is also hurt, so perhaps Scott Elbert will get recalled. We shall see.

Russ Ortiz is designated for assignment

In move that anyone could see coming, the Dodgers have designated reliever Russ Ortiz for assignment on Sunday. In his place will be Jon Link, who was acquired as part of the Juan Pierre trade this winter.

I know I've done my fair share of Ortiz bashing, but I actually feel sorry for the guy. He had an excellent Spring Training, pitching 18 innings with a 2.50 ERA, striking out 15. With the injuries to Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario, he pretty much forced his way onto the team.

Unfortunately for everyone, he left his good pitches at Camelback Ranch, as he was miserable when the real games started. He gave up eight runs in seven innings, good for a 10.29 ERA.

The final nail in the coffin was this past Friday night against the Giants. After retiring the side in order in the eighth, he let four of six batters reach base, getting charged with four runs and turning a blowout into a close game. A similar situation occurred against the Marlins about a week ago.

There's a chance Ortiz could accept an assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque, so we'll see. I would highly doubt anybody would claim him off waivers.

As for Link, his stay appears to be short thanks to the impending returns of Kuo and Belisario. But, it's a move the Dodgers simply had to make to try and shake up an ineffective bullpen early in the season.