A couple of roster moves these last two days, as the Dodgers have patiently waited since Sunday just to play a game.
On Tuesday, Paco Rodriguez made his rightful return to LA, as infielder Carlos Truinfel's short stay expired. At Triple-A Albuquerque, Paco only pitched three innings without giving up a run and picking up a save in the process. Truinfel never got into a game.
It was a shock at the time when Paco got sent down, as someone needed to go to make room for Brian Wilson back on April 16. Well, the Wilson thing sure hasn't worked out, but he's not going anywhere for now. The Dodgers definitely needed another lefty to go with J.P. Howell, so I'm hoping Paco is here to stay.
Today, the Dodgers decided to end the Tim Federowicz experiment and ship him off to Triple-A. In his place will be veteran Miguel Olivo. If that name sounds somewhat familiar, it's because he's played 10 seasons in the Majors.
Without a doubt, this is the right call to make. Federowicz is just horrendous at the plate, hitting .109 in 13 games. What does that average look like? Try 5-for-46. Yes, five hits in 46 tries. That is absolutely abysmal. Since he's a career .203 hitter, the Dodgers had no reason to believe he'd turn things around anytime soon.
Olivo has been fantastic in Triple-A, hitting .390 with 4 homers and 18 RBIs in 13 games. He's pretty much an all-or-nothing type of hitter, as he has a 19/3 K/BB ratio. But at this point, the Dodgers will roll with it, as Fed and Drew Butera (who's hitting .190) have proven to be liabilities at the plate. Olivo is there to provide a spark, so let's see what he can do.
Showing posts with label Olivo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olivo. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
With A.J. gone 4-6 weeks, Dodgers have catching problems
No disrespect to Drew Butera and Tim Federowicz, but the thought of them starting behind the plate for the next month-and-a-half doesn't exactly get me excited.
In fact, it kind of makes me cringe.
A.J. Ellis is done for the next 4-6 weeks thanks to a torn meniscus in his left knee. Butera was already the backup catcher and got the start on Sunday. Federowicz has officially been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque today.
Look, it's not like Ellis is the starting catcher because of his awesome bat anyway. On the season he was 4-for-24, all singles. He has reached double digit homers the last couple of seasons as the full-time catcher (13 and 10), but has only hit .254 for his career.
On the contrary, he's the starting catcher because he calls a great game and can throw people out. Period. The hits are a bonus. He has gotten some timely hits, such as the game-winning home run that led to a victory over the Diamondbacks last September, clinching the NL West. So he has his moments.
Butera has an even 500 at-bats in his career, and is hitting a pathetic .180. He has virtually no power and doesn't get on base in any way. Federowicz has a much smaller sample size with 176 AB's, and is hitting .227. It's a little sad when you're a .227 hitter and that's considered better than some other guy.
Any way you slice it, the Dodgers should not expect their catchers to make a difference at the plate for April and most of May. These guys just cannot hit.
The Dodgers might want to consider doing one of two things. One, they can call up Miguel Olivo, who's only played in four game in Albuquerque, but is 7-for-15. He's the journeyman who's now with his seventh team in his career. Two, they can make a trade. I have no idea for whom, but I would hope he'd hit better than .227.
Who knows, maybe more consistent playing time will get someone like Butera or Federowicz going. We will all wait and see.
In fact, it kind of makes me cringe.
A.J. Ellis is done for the next 4-6 weeks thanks to a torn meniscus in his left knee. Butera was already the backup catcher and got the start on Sunday. Federowicz has officially been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque today.
Look, it's not like Ellis is the starting catcher because of his awesome bat anyway. On the season he was 4-for-24, all singles. He has reached double digit homers the last couple of seasons as the full-time catcher (13 and 10), but has only hit .254 for his career.
On the contrary, he's the starting catcher because he calls a great game and can throw people out. Period. The hits are a bonus. He has gotten some timely hits, such as the game-winning home run that led to a victory over the Diamondbacks last September, clinching the NL West. So he has his moments.
Butera has an even 500 at-bats in his career, and is hitting a pathetic .180. He has virtually no power and doesn't get on base in any way. Federowicz has a much smaller sample size with 176 AB's, and is hitting .227. It's a little sad when you're a .227 hitter and that's considered better than some other guy.
Any way you slice it, the Dodgers should not expect their catchers to make a difference at the plate for April and most of May. These guys just cannot hit.
The Dodgers might want to consider doing one of two things. One, they can call up Miguel Olivo, who's only played in four game in Albuquerque, but is 7-for-15. He's the journeyman who's now with his seventh team in his career. Two, they can make a trade. I have no idea for whom, but I would hope he'd hit better than .227.
Who knows, maybe more consistent playing time will get someone like Butera or Federowicz going. We will all wait and see.
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