Stults packs his bags for Japan

The long-rumored deal to send Eric Stults to Japan has finally happened. Stults was sold to the Hiroshima Carp on Wednesday. He will report there next week.

Stults came into the spring with intentions on earning the fifth spot in the rotation. While he was one of the handful of guys given a look, he only pitched in 5 1/3 innings for a 5.06 ERA, striking out two.

These rumors of the Stults-Japan connection have gone on since last year. He was out of options coming into the spring, and once he saw he wasn't going to be a starter (eventually going to Charlie Haeger), he became much more interested in making the deal happen.

Stults has been starting here and there for the Dodgers since 2006. He finishes his Dodgers career with an 8-10 mark and 4.84 ERA. His highlight came in '08 when he posted a 3.49 ERA in seven starts.

Padilla will start the first spring training game

Vicente Padilla will get the call when the Dodgers start spring training action on March 5. Joe Torre stopped short of saying who will get the Opening Day nod in April.

What we do know, however, is that Padilla will be followed by Eric Stults, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuorda to start the spring.

The most interesting case is Stults, who's out of options. Simply put, if he doesn't make the team out of spring training, he most likely will end up elsewhere. So, it appears as if Torre is going to give him every chance to be the fifth starter.

The article mentions that a fifth starter won't be needed in the regular season until April 11, then the home opener is April 12. But, the real schedule says that home opener is April 13, so I'm guessing the article has a typo. Plus, with an off day after the first game April 5, the Opening Day starter can come back on normal rest in the fifth game on April 10.

So the bottom line is, I'm not sure when a fifth starter would be needed. The Dodgers have off days on two straight Monday's (April 12 and April 19), so according to my calculations, they can go with a four-man rotation until Saturday, April 24 in Washington, when a fifth starter would be needed.

Yes, it's confusing, and I could be wrong about all of this, but I'm taking educated guesses based on off-days. It's very possible a fifth starter could be used much earlier to give the other arms an extra day of rest.

Manny's back, so roster moves are made

With Manny Ramirez official back from his 50-game suspension, the Dodgers have juggled some spots on their roster. Here's the breakdown:

Back: Manny Ramirez

Sent to Triple-A: Eric Stults and A.J. Ellis

Designated for Assignment: Mitch Jones

Stults and Ellis will both be everyday starters while in Albuquerque. For Stults, he will have an eye towards regaining the fifth-starter spot, or he will be good trade bait for the upcoming trade deadline at the end of July.

Ellis will get regular work in preparation for a September callup. And with the way Russell Martin has been hitting (well, not hitting) this year, you never know if opportunity knocks for him.

As for Jones, he falls into that 10-day window in which he can be claimed by another club, traded, or released. If all of that fails, he can return to Albuquerque, where he has 21 homers.

What should be noted is that there will still be another move to be made once Friday comes. It has more to do with Claudio Vargas and if the Dodgers see him contributing with L.A. Also, Hong-Chih Kuo (remember him?) may be transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.

The scenarios are pretty confusing, so click on the link and read the article if you want to figure it all out.

Stults' sprained thumb will cost him a DL visit

The sore left thumb of Eric Stults has gone from bad to worse, and it will now land him a spot on the 15-day DL. In his place, the Dodgers have called up Double-A reliever Travis Schlichting.

After watching Stults' start on Saturday against the Cubs, it was obvious that his thumb was not doing himself or his team any favors. Like he said, it starts off fine, but as the game goes on and it stiffens up, it's pretty much useless. He's been an effective starter, so the rest will do him some good.

Schlichting is an unknown, but he's been great in the minors this year. In Chattanooga, he's given up only one earned run in 13 2/3 innings, good for an ERA of 0.66. Opponents are hitting .146 against him. Throw in 12 strikeouts, and that's some great stuff right there.

Keep in mind, Hiroki Kuroda will be brought off the DL Monday, so somebody has to go. I'm still under the assumption that it will be catcher A.J. Ellis, as that was the original plan. Unless something changes, that's what will happen.

Kuroda looks good to go for Monday

Hiroki Kuroda hasn't pitched since Opening Day in San Diego, sidelined with a strained left oblique. His two-month wait looks to have finally come to end, as Joe Torre announced today that he will be the starting pitcher Monday night against the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers are obviously playing very well, as they have been able to come up with key play after key play. But they need Kuroda to provide stability and give them solid innings. Aside from Chad Billingsley and Randy Wolf, the rest of the rotation has ranged from good one day to barely giving any innings the next.

With Kuroda back, the plan is to have Clayton Kershaw in the long relief role Monday in case Kuroda wears down, or is knocked around, early. If Kershaw isn't needed, he will likely start Thursday night's game. The strategy will keep Billingsley and Wolf on their regular five-day cycle.

Once Kuroda is back, then it will be a battle between Eric Stults and Eric Milton for the final spot. It should be Stults', but he is still a bit banged up with a sore left thumb. Milton looked good his last start in Colorado, so maybe it'll be him for the time being. It could go either way.

Don't expect Kuroda back soon

The strained left oblique will definitely keep Hiroki Kuroda out longer than his 15-day DL stint. After playing catch on Monday, he did not attempt to do so the next 2 days.

It's a blow for the Dodgers because he was their Opening Day starter, and they don't have a whole lot of depth for the rotation like they have had in years past. Well, I should say there's not as much reliable depth, because the jury is still out on guys like Eric Stults, James McDonald, and Jason Schmidt (remember him?).

If Stults is able to pitch well like he did last start and in spot starts last year, this should not be a big deal (he goes again tonight against the Giants). If he struggles, then it's a problem. McDonald got one start and was really all over the place, getting shelled against the Diamondbacks. He should get another start on Sunday against the Rockies, but who knows how long he'll last in that game.

As for Schmidt, he threw 73 pitches in 5 innings of an extended Spring Training game. Depending on how his body reacts that (and who knows how that'll be), he could be due for a Minor League rehab assignment soon. In other words, he won't provide any immediate help. Down the line is where they're aiming.

So really, a lot depends on if Stults can continue his solid starts. After watching how great Randy Wold, Chad Billingsley, and Clayton Kershaw were in their last starts, then Kuroda's loss isn't as glaring. If Stults can join that club, then Kuroda can take his time healing up.

Rotation tweaked a bit for this week

With Eric Stults pitching so well on Saturday in Arizona, he will be getting another start this week as Joe Torre has made a couple of changes to the rotation, mainly due to the day off on Tuesday.

Instead of having James McDonald go Thursday in the last game against the Giants, he will be pushed back to Sunday against the Rockies. Stults will get that Thursday start.

Torre says this was done because of the off day and has nothing to do with McDonald's shaky start on Friday. I think I believe about half of that, as Stults is clearly the better option right now. For whatever reason, he handles starting much better than relieving. Plus, McDonald will be used out of the bullpen this week, which is more his strength. It could work out.

In the long run, Stults has a chance to get that 5th starter job, moving McDonald to the 'pen for good. That would mean a guy like Blake DeWitt or Ramon Troncoso would have to get optioned, but so be it. Having McDonald in the 'pen makes their depth a whole lot better, so Stults' start on Thursday will be big for everyone.

Kruoda lands on the DL with strained oblique

Citing more precautionary purposes, Hiroki Kuroda was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique muscle, retroactive to Tuesday. He'll be eligible to be activated on April 22.

The Dodgers are saying that this is just to be careful, obviously being really early in the year. Kuroda wanted to start, but wasn't allowed to. After pitching well on Monday in a victory over the Padres, he felt tightness after his bullpen session on Wednesday.

With the Dodgers already facing a lack of depth as far as options in the rotation, this is thankfully not supposed to be a big deal. Still, even missing one start from the Opening Day starter is an issue. If all goes well, he wants to throw in 4-5 days. I hope that's the case.

With Jason Schmidt DL'd and not ready to start even if he wasn't, Eric Stults is on his was back to LA to make today's start. Ok, he's heading to Arizona, but you get the point. He was 2-3 last year, but with a very respectable 3.49 ERA. The Dodgers can really use at least 6 innings from him tonight to give the bullpen a blow.

Callups and returns for September

The start of September means it's roster expansion time, and here's what the Dodgers have cooking:

Callups:

• Eric Stults, left-handed pitcher
  
• James McDonald, right-handed pitcher
• Jason Repko (remember him?), outfielder

Back from the DL:

• Andruw Jones, outfielder and overall letdown
• Delwyn Young, outfielder
  
• Scott Proctor, right-handed reliever

3 more pitchers gives the Dodgers more depth out of their bullpen, where guys like Hong-Chih Kuo and Chan Ho Park have been overworked lately. Scott Elbert is already up, and he will be relied upon as well.

I've long since given up on Jones, mostly because he's a joke who has turned out to be the biggest free agent bust this season, and possibly in a long time. Young can provide a good bat late in games when they need some pop. Who knows what to expect from Repko, but if he truly is healthy, he'll give the team good energy.

Penny and Wade the newest DL members

The Disabled List continues to welcome new patients this week.

This time, it's a starter and a reliever that make an appearance. Brad Penny only lasted 2 starts in his comeback before shoulder tendinitis sidelined him. Cory Wade has only pitched once since August 5 because of his own sore shoulder.

Penny got through a start in San Francisco, somehow only giving up 1 run in 5 innings for the win. That was probably a mirage, as his velocity was noticeably down, and was generally considered lucky to have put up such good stats.

Unfortunately for him, that was as good as it would get, as the Philadelphia Phillies rocked him for 6 runs in 3 innings. It was obvious that he's still not right, and that is indeed the case. I'm not sure where the Dodgers go from here with him. They're getting great starts from their other starters, so they shouldn't feel the need to force somebody out if he says he's ready to go. This will be an interesting story to follow if he gets healthy.

Wade has been a really good surprise this season. He wasn't even an original member of their roster to start the season. With an ERA of 2.56 in 52.2 IP, his absence will be felt. His injury is nothing serious, rather it seems as if it's more of a precaution to give him rest. He can come back August 24.

To replace both men, lefty starter Eric Stults and righty reliever Tanyon Sturtze have been called up. Stults went 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA earlier this year, and Sturtze has 5 saves at Triple-A Las Vegas this year. Both are experienced Major League players that can give good innings.

Stults sent back down to Triple-A

One man's arrival is another man's dismissal.

Eric Stults was the odd man out when Clayton Kershaw was recalled, as he was sent back down to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room. It was a bit of an unexpected move, but with so many relievers being used these last 2 games in Colorado, it makes sense.

Joe Torre indicated that the main goal of Stults will be for him to regain his aggressiveness, and not nibble away at the strike zone. Looking at the stats, you can see what Torre is talking about. He won his first 2 games quite easily, going 6 in Cincinnati and a complete game shutout of the White Sox.

After that, it was up and down. He started walking about 3 guys a game, and was clearly getting hit around more. Still, he only has a 3.18 ERA, even with his poor start in Colorado. If he goes back to trusting his stuff, the results show that he can be very good.

Of course, he's probably just a little angry that he was sent down for Kershaw, who was pounded even worse in his start yesterday. But, having solid, lefty starters is not easy to come by, so don't forget his name. He'll be a factor again at some point.

Penny and Kuroda banged up

The news just gets better all the time for the Dodgers.

Brad Penny was placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation in the bursa sac and mild tendinitis in his right shoulder. Joe Torre says he will be out no more than 2 weeks, so the injury is not at all serious. With the way he's been pitching this year (atrocious, for those of you not in the know), some R&R is not a bad thing at all.

Hiroki Kuroda is also feeling some aches and pains, as he will miss today's start (Wednesday) in Cincinnati. He claims to have felt discomfort in his right shoulder all season long, yet only recently disclosed this to Torre. That's not too surprising to hear since he's been way up and down lately. Bombed one day, terrific the next, then bombed again. Overall, he's been solid, so I hope he's fine.

With the injuries, a good amount of shuffling has been done with the rotation. Eric Stults got the call up from Triple-A Las Vegas and will start on Thursday against the Reds. Derek Lowe goes today, and Clayton Kershaw will go on Friday at home against the Cleveland Indians.

If Kuroda is unable to return for his next start, then I would think either Chan Ho Park or Hong-Chih Kuo will get a spot start. My money would be on Park because Kuo is locked in at being a long reliever.