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LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed infielder Adam
Kennedy(notes) to a one-year contract worth $800,000, bringing the Southern California
native back home where he won a World Series title in 2002 with the Anaheim
Angels.

General manager Ned Colletti said Thursday that Kennedy gives the Dodgers
infield depth and an experienced left-handed hitter. Kennedy can play first,
second and third base.

Kennedy hit .234 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs while playing three
infield positions and appearing in 114 games with Seattle last season.

The 35-year-old infielder played for the Angels from 2000-06. He was the AL
championship series MVP in 2002.

Kennedy is a career .272 hitter with 78 homers and 555 RBIs in 13 major
league seasons with St. Louis, the Angels, Oakland, Washington and Seattle. He
is from Riverside and lives in Orange County during the offseason.

That’s all for today.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed infielder Adam Kennedy to a one-year contract worth $800,000, bringing the Southern California native back home where he won a World Series title in 2002 with the Anaheim Angels.

General manager Ned Colletti said Thursday that Kennedy gives the Dodgers infield depth and an experienced left-handed hitter. Kennedy can play first, second and third base.

That’s all the news for today.

LOS ANGELES – Former Great Lakes Loon star Dee Gordon made Los Angeles Dodgers history Tuesday for something he did Friday.

A scoring change gave Gordon a steal of third in Friday’s game against the Angels, making Gordon the first Dodger in 83 years to second, third and home in the same inning.

Originally, Gordon was credited with taking third base on a throw to first.

Gordon, who played for the Loons in 2009, was sent back to Triple A Albuquerque on Monday.

mlb.com: Gordon added another historical footnote Tuesday, stealing two bases for Albuquerque, essentially giving him stolen bases in the Major Leagues and Minor Leagues on the same day.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Torii Hunter is thrilled to have spring training in his rearview mirror, and he can’t wait to help the Los Angeles Angels rebound from their first losing season since 2003.

Hunter went 3 for 3 with a homer and four RBIs, Howie Kendrick doubled home a run, and the Angels wrapped up their spring training schedule with a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday night.

“I’m glad it’s over with, man. There’s no more time to waste your hits,” Hunter said. “We had a nice long spring, we worked hard and we played pretty good together. Now the bell’s about to ring on Thursday and we’re just excited to get it going.”

The Angels scored 681 runs last season, 202 fewer than the club-record total in 2009, and their .248 team batting average was their lowest since 1992. As a result, they finished 80-82 and the Texas Rangers ended their run of three straight AL West titles.

“Our goal is to try to take it away from them, and I’m pretty optimistic about it,” Hunter said. “Last year was kind of like a slap in the face for everybody. What we went through last year was just not us.

“We struggled and we had injuries. We had six free agents and four of them were key guys, and the chemistry in the clubhouse was tinkered with a little bit. It just didn’t feel right. But this year in spring training, we felt like the camaraderie was there. Vernon Wells fit in right away, so I’m pretty positive going into the season.”

Hunter, who was 15 for 45 this spring with four homers and nine RBIs, had run-scoring singles his first two times up against Hiroki Kuroda and added a two-run homer against lefty Scott Elbert. Last season, the four-time All-Star batted .281 with 23 homers and 90 RBIs.

“If you look at my track record, every year at the end of the season my numbers have been the same. But I don’t look for numbers,” Hunter said. “I will never talk about numbers, man. All I care about is the World Series.”

Scott Kazmir pitched 4 1-3 innings and allowed three hits including a leadoff homer by Rod Barajas. The left-hander, whose season debut is scheduled for Sunday at Kansas City, was 1-2 with a 6.65 ERA in six starts this spring. Last Thursday, he gave eight hits and 10 runs — eight earned — against the Milwaukee Brewers in an 11-8 loss at Tempe, Ariz.

“It was a good tuneup. I felt good out there and threw all of my pitches,” Kazmir said. “I just stayed focused. There’s things that I’m trying to do to progress, and I feel like I’m on track. I felt like all of these starts were really little stepping stones.”

Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda gave up three runs and seven hits over four innings in a tuneup for his debut Sunday against San Francisco. The loss made him 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA in six spring starts.

The Halos completed a two-game sweep of their Freeway Series appetizer. The teams are scheduled for a three-game series June 24-26 at Dodger Stadium and three more July 1-3 at the Big A.

The Angels will open the season Thursday in Kansas City, and their home opener is April 8 against Toronto. New left fielder Vernon Wells will face the team he spent his first 12 big league seasons with before he was traded to the Angels on Jan. 21 for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera.

The Dodgers conclude their exhibition schedule Wednesday night against Seattle at Chavez Ravine before opening their first season under manager Don Mattingly with a nationally televised home game Thursday night against the World Series champion Giants.

“It’s a new year, that’s for sure,” Mattingly said. “To be honest, every club in baseball right now has got a good attitude and feels pretty good about their team and all that stuff. Last year is over and it was a learning experience for the whole team. We went home over the winter and came back with a new outlook. All signs and indications up to this point have shown that.”

Notes: Dodgers head trainer Stan Conte was not with the team, having spent Tuesday in San Francisco testifying in Barry Bonds’ perjury trial. The former Giants slugger is charged with lying to a grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs. Conte, the Giants’ head trainer during seven of his 15 years with them, gave detailed and damaging accounts of Bonds’ daily activities with his personal trainers, Greg Anderson and Harvey Shields — whom Conte had attempted to ban from the clubhouse.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Dodgers and Angels both were 80-82 last season, the first time the Southern California rivals finished with identical records since the Angels opened for business in 1961.

And both have much to atone for once things start for real Thursday.

Top prospect Mike Trout hit a tying RBI single in the ninth and Hank Conger delivered the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, helping the Angels beat the Dodgers 5-4 Monday night in the opener of the preseason Freeway Series and saddling Don Mattingly with a loss in his first game at Dodger Stadium as a big league manager.

Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton, looking for his first save this spring, was charged with a pair of unearned runs in the loss.

Matt Trumbo started the winning rally with a one-out single and Alexei Amarista followed with a potential game-ending double-play grounder toward the middle that went under DeJesus’ glove, putting runners at the corners. Mike Trout followed with a hit-and-run single that drove in Trumbo, and Conger flied out to center after a walk to Andrew Romine, scoring Amarista.

“These kids might be a little nervous out there, but in the last inning it was good to see them do the things they can do,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “There was a great at-bat by Mike Trout, Alexei Amarista made some things happen, and they kept playing baseball.”

Hisanori Takahashi got the win with an inning of two-hit relief and Ryan Brasier got the final two outs for the save. The left-hander has allowed just one earned run this spring in 13 innings.

“I like the fact that he has the confidence to throw any pitch in any count,” Conger said. “That’s what makes him so effective.”

Andre Ethier drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a first-inning double off Ervin Santana. Ethier is in the final season of a two-year, $15.25 million contract that will pay him 9.25 million this season. And the way he’s talking, the Dodgers might have a difficult time re-signing him next winter because of the uncertainty of the team’s payroll and subsequent ownership in the wake of owner Frank McCourt’s divorce from wife Jamie.

“This is my sixth one, and who knows? It might be my last one here with the Dodgers. You never know. A lot of signs are pointing that way, so we’ll have to see,” Ethier said. “Six years for a Dodger is a long time, in the era that we’re living in. So I’m going to cherish every moment I can, enjoy the season and try to make it my best one.”

Santana threw 52 of his 69 pitches for strikes in his sixth and final spring start, allowing two runs and three hits with five strikeouts. He finished his exhibition duties 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA, and will make his season debut is Saturday at Kansas City.

Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly threw 80 pitches, allowing two runs, four hits and five walks over four innings in his final spring tuneup for his regular-season debut on Saturday against the World Series champion Giants. He struck out four and finished his spring slate 1-1 with a 6.19 ERA in four starts.

Dodgers reserve outfielder Jay Gibbons will be seeing his fourth eye specialist Tuesday in an attempt to correct some blurred vision, which has limited him to 16 at-bats and four hits this spring.

Last December, about a month after the club re-signed him to a one-year contract for the major league minimum of $400,000 and a cost-of-living adjustment, Gibbons underwent PRK surgery on his left eye. He was told it was safer than Lasik surgery, which he had about seven years ago.

“I’m growing less optimistic by the minute,” said Gibbons, who will be fitted for new contact lenses that won’t keep popping out and moving around. “I’m better than 20-20 in each eye. The problem is that they’re not working together, which is throwing me off — balance-wise and depth-wise. So that’s what we’re dealing with. It was an overcorrection from my surgery in December. So I’m nearsighted on one eye and farsighted in the other. So essentially, my vision’s gotten worse after the surgery.”

Notes: Nothing is official yet, but Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley reportedly is close to signing a three-year, $30 million contract extension. He signed a one-year, $6.275-million contract in January, avoiding arbitration.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Don Mattingly is looking for progress more than victories early in spring training.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ new manager was happy to get both Sunday.

Mattingly got his first Cactus league victory with a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

“Everything looks pretty good right now,” said Mattingly, 1-1 in Cactus League play after working a 4-1 split-squad loss Saturday to the Angels. “We just want to stay on this path.”

The Dodgers kept the Angels from scoring a single run with some effective pitching and timely defense. It began with right-hander John Ely(notes), who started and picked up the victory with two innings of work. He gave up one hit and struck out three.

The Dodgers are looking for consistency from Ely, who was impressive early last season. From May 6 to June 1 in 2010, Ely was impressive in six starts. However, he struggled after that to a 4-10 record with a 5.49 ERA.

“He kept us in games early last season,” Mattingly said before Ely threw his first pitch. “But it seems like his command wasn’t nearly as good as it was early on. He has to show us he can be as consistent as he was early.”

Through two innings, at least, Mattingly saw the Ely he hopes to see throughout this season.

“He looked good,” Mattingly said. “He attacked, tossed strikes. He looked like he did early last year.”

Six pitchers picked up where Ely left off, allowing the Angels only three more hits and protecting an early lead.

The Dodgers’ bats went to work in the first inning. Center fielder Matt Kemp(notes) got things started in with a two-RBI single, scoring shortstop Rafael Furcal(notes) and third baseman Casey Blake(notes).

In the second, first baseman James Loney(notes) and left fielder Marcus Thames(notes) each singled. Then, Hector Gimenez(notes), a catcher getting in some work as a designated hitter, drove Loney home on a sacrifice fly.

In the fifth, it was Rod Barajas’(notes) turn. He added a fourth run to the Dodgers’ total by launching a homer off Angels lefty Trevor Reckling(notes) first pitch over the left-field fence and into a crowd of picnickers perched on a lawn overlooking the park.

In the eighth, there was some insurance. Veteran infielder Jamey Carroll(notes) walked, stole second and moved to third on a routine ground-out. Then, he scored on a Xavier Paul(notes) sacrifice.

“I thought we attacked the strike zone,” Mattingly said.

Notes: Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw(notes) is scheduled to start Monday against the Chicago White Sox, who will counter with right-hander Gavin Floyd(notes). … When the Dodgers opened camp on Feb. 16, Mattingly announced that Kershaw was his Opening Day starter on March 31 against the San Francisco Giants. … Angels LHP Dallas Braden(notes) is scheduled to start Monday against Oakland A’s right-hander Joel Pineiro(notes). … Mattingly knew that veteran INF Jamey Carroll is from his hometown, Evansville, Ind. But everything else about Carroll has surprised Mattingly. “Yeah, I was surprised at how good he is,” Mattingly said of Carroll, who last season hit .291 and led the Dodgers with a .379 on-base percentage.

There is the quick update of the day.

Read More: Joel Pineiro (P – ANA), Rod Barajas (C – LOS), Fernando Rodney (P – ANA), Scott Kazmir (P – ANA), Alberto Callaspo (3B – ANA), Rafael Furcal (SS – LOS), Clayton Kershaw (P – LOS), John Ely (P – LOS), Mike Trout (CF – ANA), Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers played their first home game of spring training today, beating the Angels 5-0 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. Rafael Furcal, playing his first game of the spring, had two hits in his two at-bats, stole a base, and scored a run. It was the first win of the spring for the Dodgers, who lost a pair of split squad games on Saturday.

Rod Barajas, who is expected to get the day off on Monday, along with several Dodger regulars, homered. John Ely started for the Dodgers, and struck out three in his two innings of work, allowing one hit. All in all, seven Dodgers pitchers combined to shutout the Angels, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out 11. However, the Angels played no regulars in the game, though pseudo regular Alberto Callaspo did start at designated hitter.

Scott Kazmir, the $12 million man who struggled last season and figures to be the Angels’ fifth starter this season, allowed five hits and three runs in his two innings of work. Fernando Rodney struck out two in his scoreless inning of work for the Angels. Angels’ top prospect Mike Trout singled in three at-bats for the Angels.

Legendary Dodgers Hall of Famer Duke Snider passed away early Sunday morning in Escondido, California. Snider was 84. The Dodgers host the White Sox on Monday, with Clayton Kershaw starting on the mound. The Angels host Oakland in Tempe on Monday, with Joel Pineiro getting the start.

For more news and information on today’s game, be sure to read True Blue LA and Halos Heaven.

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Mark Trumbo hit a two-run homer to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-1 win over a Los Angeles Dodgers split squad on Saturday in the Cactus League opener for both teams.

Trumbo’s homer to right-center field with two away in the fourth inning came off right-hander Rubby De La Rosa, the Dodgers’ second pitcher of the game.

Trumbo, who has hit 120 homers in six seasons in the Angels’ minor-league organization, hit 36 homers and drove in 122 runs with Triple-A Salt Lake in 2010. He had one hit in 15 trips to the plate with the Angels in 2010.

“The kid’s a strong kid,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s been swinging the bat well in camp and he got hold of one today.”

He could be the Angels’ starting first baseman should Kendry Morales’ recovery from a broken leg limit him to hitting duties only.

Angels starter Trevor Bell worked two innings, allowing a run on one hit. Garrett Richards and Eric Junge also worked two scoreless innings for the Angels.

“I think (Bell) feels he has the tools to pitch at a higher level,” Scioscia said. “You could see why we’re excited about Garrett Richards.”

Bell is hoping to make the Angels squad in some fashion. He pitched in 25 games with seven starts for the Angels in 2010, posting a 2-5 record with a 4.72 ERA.

Richards fanned two with a walk.

Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda allowed one hit in two innings with a strikeout. Kuroda, went 11-13 with a 3.39 ERA in 31 starts for the Dodgers in 2010.

Dodgers right-hander Lance Cormier, a non-roster invitee and a candidate for a starting spot, allowed two hits and a run (earned) in one inning (the fifth).

Matt Kemp, one of three possible starting position players in the Dodgers’ lineup, put the Dodgers on the board with his base running in the second.

After bouncing a single up the middle, Kemp stole second and took third on a bouncer to short. He then scored on Russell Mitchell’s shallow fly to center, barely beating Peter Bourjos’ throw to the plate.

Reggie Willits’ one-out single to center scored Peter Bourjos from second for the Angels’ third run in the fifth.

Chris Pettit added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

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Read More: Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers open their spring training schedule with two games today. They battle the Angels in Tempe, and the Giants in Scottsdale. Both games begin at 12:05 p.m. PST; the game against the Giants will be broadcast on 790 KABC radio, and be followed by the first DodgerTalk postgame show of the year, with Josh Suchon and Joe Block.

Here are today’s Dodgers lineups:

vs. Giants

Tony Gwynn Jr. CF
Jamey Carroll SS
James Loney 1B
Rod Barajas C
Marcus Thames DH
Xavier Paul LF
Gabe Kapler RF
Ivan DeJesus Jr. 2B
Aaron Miles 3B

Tim Redding, Carlos Monasterios, Oscar Villarreal, Jon Huber, and Wilkin De La Rosa are scheduled to pitch against the Giants. Jonathan Sanchez will start for San Francisco.

vs Angels

Jamie Hoffmann LF
Dioner Navarro C
Andre Ethier RF
Matt Kemp CF
Hector Gimenez DH
Russ Mitchell 3B
Jerry Sands 1B
Justin Sellers 2B
Juan Castro SS

Hiroki Kuroda, Rubby De La Rosa, then Scott Elbert, Lance Cormier, Roman Colon, and Luis Vasquez are scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers. Trevor Bell, Eric Junge, Michael Kohn, Matt Meyer, Anthony Ortega and Garrett Richards are scheduled to pitch for the Angels.

For more information on today’s games, be sure to read True Blue LA.

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Los Angeles Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt, embroiled in a messy divorce battle for over a year, has long maintained his desire to remain sole owner of the team, even after court proceedings that may have said otherwise. However, McCourt’s continued ownership may have hit a rather large glitch. MLB commissioner Bud Selig has reportedly rejected a proposed $200 million loan to McCourt by Fox, which would have been secured by the Dodgers’ television rights, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:

Selig made his decision several weeks ago. Since then, McCourt has continued to explore financing options that would enable him to satisfy the commissioner and manage a debt that, according to court records, exceeded $430 million as of November 2009.

Shaikin reported that the loan from Fox could have extended the Dodgers’ TV rights for up to four years, if McCourt defaulted on the loan, in essence giving the Dodgers a television contract with Fox for $50 million per season. The Dodgers’ current deal with Fox pays them an average of $37 million per season through 2013. Last month, Shaikin also reported that Fox advanced the Dodgers money on their current TV deal to help cover operating expenses.

The Dodgers’ payroll in 2011 is estimated to be roughly $111 million, which includes over $16 million in deferred salaries and buyouts. The Dodgers open their spring training schedule on Saturday, with a pair of split squad games, in Tempe against the Angels and in Scottsdale against the Giants.

For more Dodgers news and information, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Not much else going on in the MLB planet today.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt, embroiled in a messy divorce battle for over a year, has long maintained his desire to remain sole owner of the team, even after court proceedings that may have said otherwise. However, McCourt’s continued ownership may have hit a rather large glitch. MLB commissioner Bud Selig has reportedly rejected a proposed $200 million loan to McCourt by Fox, which would have been secured by the Dodgers’ television rights, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:

Selig made his decision several weeks ago. Since then, McCourt has continued to explore financing options that would enable him to satisfy the commissioner and manage a debt that, according to court records, exceeded $430 million as of November 2009.

Shaikin reported that the loan from Fox could have extended the Dodgers’ TV rights for up to four years, if McCourt defaulted on the loan, in essence giving the Dodgers a television contract with Fox for $50 million per season. The Dodgers’ current deal with Fox pays them an average of $37 million per season through 2013. Last month, Shaikin also reported that Fox advanced the Dodgers money on their current TV deal to help cover operating expenses.

The Dodgers’ payroll in 2011 is estimated to be roughly $111 million, which includes over $16 million in deferred salaries and buyouts. The Dodgers open their spring training schedule on Saturday, with a pair of split squad games, in Tempe against the Angels and in Scottsdale against the Giants.

For more Dodgers news and information, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Not much else going on in the MLB planet today.

Read More: Casey Blake (3B – LOS), Juan Uribe (2B – LOS), Juan Castro (3B – PHI), Jamey Carroll (2B – LOS), Rafael Furcal (SS – LOS), James Loney (1B – LOS), Aaron Miles (2B – LOS), John Lindsey (1B – LOS), Ivan DeJesus (SS – LOS), Justin Sellers (2B – LOS), Russ Mitchell (1B – LOS), Dee Gordon (SS – LOS), Los Angeles Dodgers

Spring training is underway and in full swing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who held their first full squad workout Tuesday at Camelback Ranch, their spring training home in Glendale, Arizona. The Dodgers open their spring training schedule on Saturday, with a pair of split squad games against both the Angels and Giants. Our 2011 spring training preview looks now at the Dodgers infield.

Starters

The Dodgers big offseason signing was giving $21 million over three years to Uribe, who has a career on-base percentage of .2998. That said, Uribe has been good in the last two seasons (.266/.318/.464 with 40 home runs as a Giant), and is an improvement over the Blake DeWitt / Ryan Theriot combo the Dodgers had at second base in 2010.

The Dodgers need Loney to rebound after two straight seasons with a sub-.400 slugging percentage, and they need the left side of the infield to be healthy (and productive), or else the below average Dodger offense could crater like it did in the second half of last season, when they averaged just 3.3 runs per contest after the All-Star break.

Bench

Roster Lock: Jamey Carroll

The Dodgers plan to rest Blake more often this season, at least once a week, and Carroll figures to get the bulk of that playing time. Carroll filled in ably when Furcal was hurt last season, starting 64 games at shortstop, and also started games at second base, third base, and left field. The Dodgers have versatility in that both Uribe and Carroll can play three positions.

Bench Battle: The Dodgers figure to have one bench spot up for grabs in the spring, and it will likely go to an infielder, as the club currently has five outfielders under contract for 2011. The front runners for the final bench spot are the weak hitting trio of Russ Mitchell, Juan Castro, and Aaron Miles, with the latter two the veteran favorites even though they enter spring as non-roster invitees to camp.

Also on 40-man roster: Ivan DeJesus, John Lindsey

Non-roster invitees: Dee Gordon, Justin Sellers

For more Dodgers spring training news and information, be sure to read True Blue LA.

That’s all the news for today.

With Michael Young and the Texas Rangers possibly headed for a divorce, the Los Angeles Times speculates that the Los Angeles Angels could make a run at him. And they could have some cross-town competition, as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ website reports the team also has interest in Young.

The move from third base to DH, coupled with the on-again, off-again trade talks between the Rangers and other franchises, has created a rift between Young and Texas. On Monday, Young admitted he has requested a trade.

With Michael Young and the Texas Rangers possibly headed for a divorce, different reports say the Angels and Dodgers could be among those pursuing him.

Young could fill the Angels’ void at third base, and the newspaper notes that the Angels are one of eight teams not on Young’s no-trade list. The team attempted to upgrade at the position by targeting free agent Adrian Beltre this offseason, but he eventually signed with the Rangers. Ironically, that signing forced Young from third base to DH and set this entire process in motion.

The potential roadblock in a Rangers-Angels deal is the $48 million owed to Young over the next three seasons. It is unclear whether the Angels can absorb that much salary after recently acquiring outfielder Vernon Wells (and the more than $80 million remaining on his contract). The Los Angeles Times notes it is unlikely the Rangers would agree to pay much of Young’s salary unless they got a package of talented players in return from him.

McNeal: Rangers have made mess of the Young situation

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ website reports the team has had preliminary talks with the Rangers about Young. However, the finances also could become an issue for the Dodgers, enough so that a source calls the chances of Young ending up with the team “a very long shot.”

The Colorado Rockies have been the team most often associated with Young, but The Denver Post reports Colorado would want Texas to pay about $20 million of the $48 million owed to Young. The Rockies would like Young to be their everyday second baseman.

In addition to the Angels, Dodgers and Rockies, the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres are reportedly the teams to which Young would accept a trade.

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