Dodgers make important pitching moves before Padres clash
The post Dodgers make important pitching moves before Padres clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (40-27) own a top-three MLB payroll and boast one of the most lethal top-halves to a lineup in recent history, which are obviously contributing factors to their success, but where president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman really shows his skills is in the low-key transactions he makes. The top-notch executive frequently identifies struggling veterans or forgotten talents who can flourish in LA.
Advertisement
Friedman's instincts are especially critical now, as the team tries to survive a perennially pervasive injury bug and piece together a competent pitching staff. He just made a key decision that could impact the Dodgers' bullpen in the short term. Los Angeles is recalling Matt Sauer and designating fellow right-hander Jose Urena for assignment, per the team's X account.
Dodgers always seem to make it work
Considering the team has more than a dozen pitchers on the IL, two-time World Series-winning manager Dave Roberts is in need of relievers who can log valuable innings. Ideally, Sauer can fill such a role for now. He posted a 3.05 ERA, 13 strikeouts and a 0.919 WHIP in 20 2/3 innings of work in his first stint with the club earlier this season.
The 2017 second-round draft pick (New York Yankees) tossed four-plus innings in three of his seven outings — one was a start — showing that he can pitch in bulk when necessary. That attribute is vital to a squad that is currently employing openers every so often.
Advertisement
Sauer is expected to hit the mound quickly following his big-league return. He will likely work behind opener Lou Trivino in Tuesday night's road game versus the San Diego Padres (37-28), per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
Unfortunately, Urena is possibly headed back to the open market. The veteran righty caught on with the Dodgers after both the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays DFA'd him earlier this year. He has been fairly solid in his last few appearances and gave LA three innings of one-run ball during his brief tenure with the organization. With luck, the 33-year-old can stick with a team for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
However, it is possible Jose Urena chooses not to elect free agency, knowing there is always a decent chance the Dodgers will need reinforcements at a moment's notice. Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts will continue to try different things in order to combat the ongoing injury woes, in the hopes that one of their call-ups breaks out and becomes an important member of the team.
LA battles its detested foe in Petco Park, starting at 9:40 p.m. ET.
Related: Dodgers' Freddie Freeman making adjustment to increase home run potential
Related: Shohei Ohtani could join Dodgers' rotation before All-Star break
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
20 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Hard work and 35,000 practice shots pay off for Clarkson defenseman Haley Winn entering PWHL draft
As accustomed as Matt Desrosiers was to seeing defenseman Haley Winn take one attempt after another at the RapidShot machine inside Clarkson's training facility during her freshman season four years ago, the Golden Knights coach was stunned upon learning the final tally. How does 35,000 shots sound? 'We actually had people from RapidShot grab us at the coaches' convention and tell us they hadn't seen anything like it,' Desrosiers said. 'And that's not including the pucks she went on the ice and shot extra, too. She's just the most dedicated athlete we've been fortunate enough to have.'
CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of NBA Finals, per multiple reports
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during Sunday night's Game 7 of the NBA Finals, according to multiple reports. The news – first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania – builds on what Haliburton's father told ESPN's broadcast during the game, which was that the point guard had suffered an Achilles injury. CNN has reached out to the Pacers for comment. Haliburton's injury was a brutal moment. Starting the game with three 3-pointers, Haliburton was talking trash to the Oklahoma City crowd, bouncing around like a ball of energy and looked ready to put his team on his back in the biggest game of his life. But with about five minutes to go in the first quarter, he made a quick move and planted his right foot onto the court. In slow-motion replays that were eventually shown repeatedly throughout the broadcast, the snap of his Achilles tendon was clearly visible, and he crumpled to the floor. Haliburton immediately looked distraught, pounding the court and appearing to yell, 'No!' repeatedly. Adding to the pain of the moment was the fact that Haliburton had said after a dominant Indiana win in Game 6 that he wasn't going to let an injury stop him from playing and that he knew the risks – but wanted to play on the biggest stage. 'I want to be on the floor, and if I have the ability to, if I can – like I said, if I can walk, I want to be out there,' Haliburton said after Game 6. 'I just want to be out there with my brothers to compete. Yeah, those guys have my back, and I feel like I have theirs at the same time. You know, that was important for me.' The look on Haliburton's face as he was treated on the floor said it all. Much as when Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals, he appeared to know his night – and potentially all of the 2025-2026 season – was done. He was helped off the court with a towel covering his head. For a time, his team rallied without their star. The Thunder and their fans at Paycom Center actually appeared to be the ones most affected by the injury as the eventual champions looked flat and listless for much of the second quarter while the Pacers played inspired ball. 'You just hate to see it in sports in general, but in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I couldn't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It's not fair. But competition isn't fair sometimes,' said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder star who would be named the Finals MVP. But after the halftime break, the adrenaline wore off for Indiana and the Thunder returned to their normal, world-beating selves. A massive third quarter sparked a romp to victory for OKC as the Pacers could only be left wondering what might have been if Haliburton had been out on the floor. It was clear how much the game took out of the Pacers as they came off the floor following the game. Haliburton was shown on crutches, hugging his teammates as they came off the floor. Multiple Pacers were in tears as the emotions poured out. 'We needed Ty out there. He's been good for us all year, and for him to go down in the beginning of the game like that, it like it sucked the soul out of us,' Pacers forward Obi Toppin said. Said Indiana star forward Pascal Siakam: 'He did some incredible things, like this whole playoff run and this year, and yeah, like I'm just super proud of him. Obviously, it hurts because we couldn't get it done, and I wanted it so bad for him just because I know that he gave us everything, you know, everything he had. It just hurts that he couldn't see it through with us.' Haliburton was the key to the Pacers' impressive playoff run, hitting big shots over and over as Indiana looked undeniable at points. He produced one of the signature moments of the playoffs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals as he led the Pacers on a massive comeback in the final minutes against the New York Knicks, eventually hitting a tying shot as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime – and mimicked Reggie Miller's famous 'choke' celebration on the Madison Square Garden floor. Indiana eventually won that game in overtime. In the Finals, he recreated those heroics by helping to engineer a comeback win over the Thunder on the road in Game 1. He hit a mid-range jumper with 0.3 seconds to go in the game to give Indiana its only lead, stealing the series opener on the road. After being named the most overrated player in the league by his peers earlier in the season, Haliburton seemed to be on a mission to prove all the doubters wrong in the playoffs. He also hit game-winning shots to beat the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the earlier rounds. 'I can't imagine how he's feeling. He's having an amazing run to even get to this point, and for it to end like that, it's heartbreaking,' Pacers center Myles Turner said. Haliburton now faces a long layoff that tosses the Eastern Conference next year into uncertainty. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard and Boston Celtics lynchpin Jason Tatum also suffered the same injury during these playoffs, and it's unknown how their teams will react to the long-term injuries.
Newsweek
23 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Former Cy Young Candidate Teased As Potential Trade Chip This Season
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Cleveland Guardians are in a bit of a tough spot this season. After surging to the American League Championship Series last season, the Guardians are just over .500 and 8 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central this year. It doesn't look like Cleveland has the firepower to compete for a World Series this season, so there's a chance it could become sellers if it falls below .500. Thomas Harrigan of recently suggested the Guardians could look to trade their All-Star and former Cy Young candidate closer, Emmanuel Clase, ahead of the trade deadline. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians high fives his teammates after defeating the Athletics 4-2 at Sutter Health Park on June 21, 2025 in Sacramento, California. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians high fives his teammates after defeating the Athletics 4-2 at Sutter Health Park on June 21, 2025 in Sacramento, California."Coming off an American League Championship Series appearance in 2024, the Guardians have not looked right all season. Although they opened with a 23-15 record, their -8 run differential in that span hinted that something might be off, and that's proven to be the case," Harrigan wrote. "On the year, Cleveland's offense has MLB's sixth-lowest scoring average (3.77 runs per game), and its pitching hasn't been good enough to compensate. In other words, a pivot into seller mode at the Deadline wouldn't come as a surprise. "Given their lack of enticing options on expiring deals, it would behoove the Guardians to gauge the trade value of their All-Star closer, Clase, who has rebounded from a rocky start to 2025." Trading Clase doesn't make much sense unless the Guardians are open to rebuilding. The star closer has multiple more years of very affordable team control on his contract due to a few club options left. This would also drive his trade value up astronomically. If the Guardians are open to a bit of a rebuild, they could trade Clase to a contender while looking to net multiple top 100 prospects in return. If they can find a deal that changes the outlook of their franchise, it wouldn't be the most shocking outcome to see them deal away their star closer. More MLB: MLB Writer Urges Braves To Reunite With $15 Million Veteran Pitcher
