10/13/16: Jansen, Kershaw power Dodgers to NLCS
LOS ANGELES >> Andrew Toles started the season in left field at Dodger Stadium instead of in Oklahoma City. He can probably thank Andre Ethiers herniated disc for that.
Toles also started the season batting leadoff for the Dodgers and he can probably thank Yasiel Puig for that.
The Dodgers main offseason acquisition, Logan Forsythe spent most of the Cactus League schedule batting leadoff. but dodgers manager dave roberts put Toles in the top spot of his first lineup this season, allowing him to move Forsythe to fifth.
We like Andrew in the batters box against right-handed pitchers, Roberts said of Toles, who stepped into the left-handed half of a left-field platoon when Ethier was sidelined by a back injury this spring. To get at-bats there with the speed element, the athletic ability there with Corey behind him.
And also the other component there is to have Logan somewhere in the middle to break it up. If you look at Adrian (Gonzalez) and Joc (Pederson) and Yasmani (Grandal), theres a lot of similarities with those guys (all three left-handed hitters). Its good to have a grinder type at-bat in there. It also sandwiches Adrian between two right-handed bats so I think strategically it helps us. It puts the onus on the opposing manager to make a decision. It makes our lineup pretty tough to navigate.
But Roberts acknowledged there would not have been the same need for Forsythe in the middle of the lineup if Puig hadnt had such a poor spring. The Dodgers right fielder hit .232 this spring and showed few signs of reversing the downward slide his offensive game has taken the past three seasons (leading to a month-long demotion to Triple-A last August).
I think thats fair, Roberts said of the domino effect Puigs poor spring had on his lineup construction. With Yasiel, were looking for him to be consistent and I think the at-bat quality needs to be consistent vs. left(-handed pitchers) and vs. right(-handed pitchers). I really didnt see that throughout the spring against right-handed pitching.
With Andrew against a right-handed pitcher, I like the at-bat quality and I like the same with Logan. I hope Yasiel makes it tough on me to hit him down. If he does that and he plays to what we all know he can and I know he expects that from himself then it could change the construction of the lineup.
With everyone in the Dodgers starting lineup getting a hit and scoring at least once in Mondays 14-3 win, Toles was 2 for 5 with a run scored and Puig was on base three times (two walks and a double).
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Roberts was supportive of Puig throughout most of the spring, dismissing the idea of a platoon in right field and praising Puig as an elite defender. But Puig spent time during the final week in Arizona doing extra work on his hitting (so much so one day that he was scratched from the lineup for the Cactus League game) and getting at-bats in minor-league camp games. Roberts tone began to change when asked about Puig.
Right now, I dont see him in the middle of the lineup, Roberts said when he dropped Puig to eighth in the order for the games in Anaheim. That can change with production but right now I dont see him in the middle of the order.
Puigs on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS have all dropped each of the past three seasons.
Big bucksFor the fourth consecutive season, the Dodgers opened the season with the highest payroll in baseball but that payroll is going down.
Depending on which formula is used (and how signing bonuses are spread out), the Dodgers season-opening payroll was between $225 million and $235 million (including approximately $50 million owed to players released or currently playing for other teams).
That represents the Dodgers lowest season-opening payroll since 2013.
Baezs road backReliever Pedro Baez opened the season on the disabled list because of a bone bruise in his right hand suffered early in spring training. He is currently in extended spring training but will be joining Triple-A Oklahoma City later this week after the OKC Dodgers open their season on Thursday.
Baez is expected to rehab with OKC and then join the Dodgers next week when he is eligible to come off the 10-day DL. The Dodgers are currently carrying two starting pitchers as long relievers (left-hander Alex Wood and right-hander Ross Stripling) but will likely reset their bullpen after the weekend series in Colorado.
Source: http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20170403/domino-effect-lands-andrew-toles-in-dodgers-leadoff-spot
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