In an effort to spark a lifeless offense, the Dodgers have called up outfielder Jerry Sands and designated Xavier Paul for assignment. Sands could play in left field for an ailing Marcus Thames, or slide over to first to spell an ineffective James Loney.
Wherever he plays, it's a good move by the Dodgers. Rather than just sitting back and hoping guys like Loney will step up, Don Mattingly can now give someone else a chance to make some noise. And make no mistake about it, Sands has been on fire in Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He's hitting .400 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and a 1.297 OPS.
Last season, he was named the organization's player of the year by hitting 35 homers between Single-A and Double-A. Mattingly already has him in the lineup for Monday night's game against the Braves.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing what this kid can do. It's not like the offense can get much worse, so why not put him in there? It would be a welcome sight for Dodger fans if he can have a big game sometime soon. If he struggles early, then it will be interesting to see how long Ned Colletti and others will stick with him. Either way, this is the right move to make.
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Hamstring woes will force Manny to DL
All signs are indicating that Manny Ramirez will indeed be placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring. He hasn't played since being removed from Tuesday's game.
Once again, Xavier Paul looks to be the likely replacement. He was playing in Friday night's Triple-A game for Albuquerque when he was taken out. He's hitting a blistering .348 there.
Manny was hitting a red-hot .366 in June with four homers and 14 RBIs. Obviously, his injury hurts the offense. He looked like he was finally starting to settle in and become a major threat again after a dismal May.
But there could be a silver lining to all of this. If Paul can take advantage of his playing time and show the energy that he has in the past, maybe he'll stay in L.A. for good. More importantly, maybe Garret Anderson won't. Anderson continues to do nothing with a .183 average.
At least I can hope.
Once again, Xavier Paul looks to be the likely replacement. He was playing in Friday night's Triple-A game for Albuquerque when he was taken out. He's hitting a blistering .348 there.
Manny was hitting a red-hot .366 in June with four homers and 14 RBIs. Obviously, his injury hurts the offense. He looked like he was finally starting to settle in and become a major threat again after a dismal May.
But there could be a silver lining to all of this. If Paul can take advantage of his playing time and show the energy that he has in the past, maybe he'll stay in L.A. for good. More importantly, maybe Garret Anderson won't. Anderson continues to do nothing with a .183 average.
At least I can hope.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Broken pinkie sends Ethier to the DL
The hottest hitter in all of baseball has finally met his match - his right pinkie.
Andre Ethier has been placed on the 15-day DL with a broken pinkie. The injury was originally sustained while swinging a bat in practice on Saturday. There's really not much of a story behind it other than he swung, it broke, and that's it.
With the Dodgers winning now, I'm sure this was more of a precautionary measure than anything. Had this occurred a couple of weeks ago when they were struggling, maybe he'd gut it out. In the long run, it's the smart thing to do to be careful.
In case you didn't know, he was leading the National League in the Triple Crown categories. He's hitting .393 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs. In the month of May, he's hitting an insane .490.
In his place will be Xavier Paul, who is someone that should make Dodger fans smile. Paul didn't put up gaudy numbers in nine games, hitting .276 with one RBI. But, he plays very hard and is someone you can easily get behind.
Should Paul play well again, I have to wonder if that will spell the end of the Garret Anderson experiment. Anderson is hitting a paltry .136 (8-for-59), and it's obvious the pinch-hitting thing just isn't working out. Maybe the Dodgers will pull the plug if they like what they see from Paul again.
Andre Ethier has been placed on the 15-day DL with a broken pinkie. The injury was originally sustained while swinging a bat in practice on Saturday. There's really not much of a story behind it other than he swung, it broke, and that's it.
With the Dodgers winning now, I'm sure this was more of a precautionary measure than anything. Had this occurred a couple of weeks ago when they were struggling, maybe he'd gut it out. In the long run, it's the smart thing to do to be careful.
In case you didn't know, he was leading the National League in the Triple Crown categories. He's hitting .393 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs. In the month of May, he's hitting an insane .490.
In his place will be Xavier Paul, who is someone that should make Dodger fans smile. Paul didn't put up gaudy numbers in nine games, hitting .276 with one RBI. But, he plays very hard and is someone you can easily get behind.
Should Paul play well again, I have to wonder if that will spell the end of the Garret Anderson experiment. Anderson is hitting a paltry .136 (8-for-59), and it's obvious the pinch-hitting thing just isn't working out. Maybe the Dodgers will pull the plug if they like what they see from Paul again.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
With returning veterans, Ely and Paul optioned
After helping the Dodgers win a couple games recently, John Ely and Xavier Paul received some tough, but not too unexpected news: both are being sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque. Jeff Weaver and Manny Ramirez came off the 15-day DL to replace them.
Ely was great on Thursday against the Brewers. He lasted 6 2/3 innings and gave up only a single run. A blown save in the ninth by Jonathan Broxton prevented him from getting his first big league win. The outing was especially impressive considering the Brew Crew just slapped around Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley the previous two nights. With the way the rotation has been going, look for him to be back at some point.
As for Paul, he seemed to take the news pretty hard. The Dodgers are 5-1 when he starts, and 4-0 when he leads off. But, he's still the odd man out. My guess is the decision came down to him or Garret Anderson. Anderson is hitting .133 in 45 at-bats playing part-time. But, this early in the season, the Dodgers simply weren't going to give up on him for the younger Paul.
Ely was great on Thursday against the Brewers. He lasted 6 2/3 innings and gave up only a single run. A blown save in the ninth by Jonathan Broxton prevented him from getting his first big league win. The outing was especially impressive considering the Brew Crew just slapped around Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley the previous two nights. With the way the rotation has been going, look for him to be back at some point.
As for Paul, he seemed to take the news pretty hard. The Dodgers are 5-1 when he starts, and 4-0 when he leads off. But, he's still the odd man out. My guess is the decision came down to him or Garret Anderson. Anderson is hitting .133 in 45 at-bats playing part-time. But, this early in the season, the Dodgers simply weren't going to give up on him for the younger Paul.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Strained calf lands Manny on the DL
Manny Ramirez has re-aggravated his strained right calf, an injury originally suffered in Pittsburgh the first week of the season. Rather than taking a few days off and hoping for the best, the Dodgers have placed him on the 15-day DL.
The decision looks to be all Manny's, as he's the one that told club officials that he needed more time to heal. It might seem like a strange request (this is Manny Ramirez we're talking about), but he's only been on the DL three times in 17 years. That's pretty amazing if you think about it.
If this were a younger version of Manny, I highly doubt a DL trip would be needed. But, he'll be 38 in about a month, and he's in the league without the designated hitter. Add it all up, and it's easy to see why he wants the extra time to get rest and get healthy.
In his place with be slugger Xavier Paul, who was tearing up Triple-A Albuquerque with a .361 average, three home runs, and nine RBIs in 15 games. For him, it's another audition to get the starting role next to Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier next year when Manny is gone. Numbers like those show great potential.
The decision looks to be all Manny's, as he's the one that told club officials that he needed more time to heal. It might seem like a strange request (this is Manny Ramirez we're talking about), but he's only been on the DL three times in 17 years. That's pretty amazing if you think about it.
If this were a younger version of Manny, I highly doubt a DL trip would be needed. But, he'll be 38 in about a month, and he's in the league without the designated hitter. Add it all up, and it's easy to see why he wants the extra time to get rest and get healthy.
In his place with be slugger Xavier Paul, who was tearing up Triple-A Albuquerque with a .361 average, three home runs, and nine RBIs in 15 games. For him, it's another audition to get the starting role next to Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier next year when Manny is gone. Numbers like those show great potential.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
DeWitt gets the nod over Paul
Blake DeWitt is back in LA after being recalled to replace the injured Doug Mientkiewicz. There was internal debate about promoting outfielder Xavier Paul, who's hitting .571 at Triple-A, but DeWitt gets the call.
I'm sure Paul's time will come at some point. Heck, if you hit for an average like that, even early on in the season, you're doing something right. I can only imagine a year or 2 down the line when Manny Ramirez is no longer around, this is a name you should be aware of. He seems like the real deal.
DeWitt was just sent down on Monday with the idea of getting him more playing time in Las Vegas. Well... so much for that. But, Mientkiewicz was a primary left-handed bat off the bench, appearing in 7 games and going 2-5 with 2 RBI. DeWitt's been there before, so he should be given his chance to hit in some key, late inning situations.
I'm sure Paul's time will come at some point. Heck, if you hit for an average like that, even early on in the season, you're doing something right. I can only imagine a year or 2 down the line when Manny Ramirez is no longer around, this is a name you should be aware of. He seems like the real deal.
DeWitt was just sent down on Monday with the idea of getting him more playing time in Las Vegas. Well... so much for that. But, Mientkiewicz was a primary left-handed bat off the bench, appearing in 7 games and going 2-5 with 2 RBI. DeWitt's been there before, so he should be given his chance to hit in some key, late inning situations.
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