The 2025 season is officially underway. Have the Dodgers clinched the division yet?
Diamondbacks News
Burnes or Gallen on Opening Day? Lovullo: ‘I like that we have these problems’ by Manny Randhawa [Dbacks.com]
“I’m probably going to take tomorrow to think about it as thoroughly as possible,” Lovullo said, “and start to shift gears and let it be made known internally what my thought is.”
How tough of a call is it? With under two weeks until Opening Day, only one other team — the Guardians — hasn’t announced who will get the ball for the season opener.
Diamondbacks Eugenio Suarez talks spring training performance by Jose Romero [AZ Central]
D-backs Lovullo Gives Surprising Answer to Rotation Question by Jack Sommers [SI]
Lovullo spoke about the need expressed by his pitching coach Brian Kaplan to know the decisions as soon as possible.
“In talking to Kaplan early as this morning, he’s asking me what are we doing? Do we know? What do you know? And I’m like, well, you’re part of the decision, too. What do you think? Slow it down and help me out here a little bit.”
Kaplan’s feedback revolved around the practical side of preparing the pitchers. “I want to get them reps, if we know, let’s start to get them reps.” Kaplan told Lovullo. But the manager said he just didn’t know yet, and they’ve got to figure it out.
D-backs Dylan Ray Back on Track Following Spring Breakout Performance by Jack Sommers [SI]
Ray is a player to watch. Whether he remains a starter, or is ultimately converted to reliever, he has the stuff to get hitters out if he can remain healthy. We’ll continue to track his progress in our prospects coverage throughout the year.
NL West preview: What Diamondbacks rivals added, lost this offseason by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]
It would do wonders for the Diamondbacks to fare better against their NL West foes than they had a year ago, when Arizona went 28-24 against division opponents but 19-20 if you take out last-place Colorado.
Arizona’s schedule is a [bit] quirky in the sense its does not face an NL West opponent until the Dodgers come to town on May 8. In September, the D-backs have 12 divisional games, ending the season with three in San Diego.
Around the League
Ohtani ignites Dodgers, keys winning rally Tokyo series opener by Sonja Chen [MLB]
The “Unseen” Value the Dodgers Add With Their Spending by Charlie Goldsmith [FanGraphs]
“When they go out and acquire players, that makes other good players available,” said Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who has been a part of one of those deals with the Dodgers. “They’ve done a really good job of going out and getting good prospects.”
Dodgers Add Roki Sasaki to 40-Man Roster by Anthony Franco [MLB Trade Rumors]
Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove were placed on the 60-day injured list to create the necessary 40-man openings. Grove underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last week. Graterol is recovering from a labrum procedure in his own shoulder and will not be back until the second half of the season at the earliest.
Los Angeles placed an additional seven pitchers on the 15-day IL: Tony Gonsolin(back tightness), Edgardo Henriquez (left foot fracture), Kyle Hurt (rehabbing Tommy John surgery), Clayton Kershaw (rehabbing toe surgery), Michael Kopech(shoulder impingement), Evan Phillips (rehabbing rotator cuff strain), and Emmet Sheehan (rehabbing Tommy John surgery). With Gavin Stone and River Ryanlanding on the 60-day IL during Spring Training, the Dodgers have 11 pitchers beginning the season on the injured list. Each of Kershaw, Sheehan, Hurt and potentially Henriquez figure to land on the 60-day IL eventually.
All-Spring Breakout Teams 2025 by Joe Trezza, Brendan Samson [MLB]
3B: LuJames Groover (ARI No. 10) — 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 3B, RBI. Sidelined by a wrist injury from early April to July last season, Groover found his … groove … in September posting a 1.000 OPS with three homers in the final month of the season. Invited to big league Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, Groover carried the late season success straight into Spring Breakout. The former NC State standout went 2-for-3 in the contest, tallying a double, a triple, an RBI and two runs. The triple left Groover’s bat at 106.7 mph and was a mere few feet from clearing the wall.
Braves’ Spencer Strider strikes out 6 of 8 batters in spring debut by Buster Olney [ESPN]
Spencer Strider returned to the mound Monday for the first time in almost a calendar year and threw 2⅔ perfect innings for the Atlanta Braves in their spring training game against the Boston Red Sox, striking out six of the eight batters he faced.
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