LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Los Angeles Dodgers have declined 2012 club options
on infielder Casey Blake(notes) and pitcher Jon Garland(notes), both of whom had season-ending
surgeries.

Blake had a $6 million option. The 38-year-old third baseman had arthritis
in his spine that resulted in a pinched nerve, which limited him to 63 games in
which he hit .252 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. He was on the disabled list
three times.

Blake had neck surgery last month and was expected to be sidelined two to
three months.

Garland, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal, was projected to be the
fifth starter before he strained his left side in spring training. He was later
sidelined by a shoulder injury. The 32-year-old righty made just nine starts,
going 1-5 with a 4.33 ERA.

The team also outrighted infielder-outfielder Eugenio Velez(notes) to Triple-A
Albuquerque.

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LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Los Angeles Dodgers have declined 2012 club options
on infielder Casey Blake(notes) and pitcher Jon Garland(notes), both of whom had season-ending
surgeries.

Blake had a $6 million option. The 38-year-old third baseman had arthritis
in his spine that resulted in a pinched nerve, which limited him to 63 games in
which he hit .252 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. He was on the disabled list
three times.

Blake had neck surgery last month and was expected to be sidelined two to
three months.

Garland, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal, was projected to be the
fifth starter before he strained his left side in spring training. He was later
sidelined by a shoulder injury. The 32-year-old righty made just nine starts,
going 1-5 with a 4.33 ERA.

The team also outrighted infielder-outfielder Eugenio Velez(notes) to Triple-A
Albuquerque.

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Gotta run!.

There is the quick update of the day.

DENVER – The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned rookie outfielder Jerry Sands to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled left-handed hitting outfielder Trent Oeltjen.

Sands has struggled lately, collecting just three hits, all singles, in his last 35 at-bats. He didn’t figure to get sufficient playing time with Marcus Thames back from the disabled list. Manager Don Mattingly said playing everyday for the Isotopes will allow Sands to work out the kinks in his game.

Sands was hitting .200 with two homers, 10 doubles and 17 RBIs in 125 at-bats for the Dodgers.

Oeltjen batted .339 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs at Albuquerque, where he had a .429 on-base percentage and a .483 slugging percentage.

That’s all the news for today.

There is the quick update of the day.

Read More: Vicente Padilla (P – LOS), Jon Garland (P – LOS), Jamey Carroll (2B – LOS), Rafael Furcal (SS – LOS), Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers at Cincinnati Reds, Jun 3, 2011 4:10 PM PDT

The 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers are getting hurt at an alarming rate. Rafael Furcal is the latest to get bitten by the injury bug, as he left Friday’s game after just two innings. Furcal injured his left side while making a force play in the bottom of the second inning, then was replaced in the top of the third inning by pinch hitter Jamey Carroll, who remained in the game at shortstop. The Dodgers list Furcal as day-to-day, though the club is no stranger to the disabled list this season.

Furcal already lost significant time this season, missing 37 games with a broken thumb. Since his return, Furcal has nine hits in 40 at-bats in 10 games, though eight of those hits came in the four games prior to tonight. Furcal isn’t the only injury the Dodgers are dealing with.

Vicente Padilla was supposed to be activated off the disabled list before tonight’s game, but no move was made before the game. The corresponding move is expected to be starter Jon garland to the disabled list, which would be the 17th different DL trip for the Dodgers this season. However, either Padilla isn’t quite ready or the Dodgers aren’t sure Garland will miss two or three starts. Or we could see a move after the game.

The Dodgers lead the Reds 1-0 in the fifth inning at Great American Ballpark.

For more news and information about the Dodgers, or on tonight’s game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.

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

SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after he broke his left thumb while sliding into third base on a steal during a 6-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

The Dodgers made the move Tuesday, when Furcal headed back to Los Angeles to be examined by a hand specialist. Los Angeles recalled rookie infielder Ivan De Jesus from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill Furcal’s roster spot. De Jesus went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts while starting the year with the Dodgers, then was optioned to the minors April 5 when third baseman Casey Blake came off the disabled list.

Furcal’s injury — on his non-throwing hand — wasn’t immediately known because he stayed in the game for two more innings until Aaron Miles pinch-hit for him in the seventh. He revealed that the thumb was broken after he had postgame X-rays.

“It’s bad. It’s broken,” Furcal, who had already been nursing a sore left wrist, said late Monday. “I knew as soon as the play happened. I got up and I didn’t feel it.”

Furcal, picked for his second All-Star team last season despite battling injuries, is hitting .192 with two RBI in seven games.

In 2010, he had 34 multihit outings while playing in only 97 games — including seven straight multihit games from June 26-July 3. He batted .300 for the third time in five seasons and Los Angeles went 31-17 when he scored at least one run and 13-2 when he scored two or more.

The 33-year-old has had his share of hard luck with injuries.

After a healthy 2009, he had two stints on the DL last year, with a strained left hamstring and a lower back strain. Furcal missed 125 games in 2008 with a lower-back injury and opened the ’07 season on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

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

SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after he broke his left thumb while sliding into third base on a steal during a 6-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

The Dodgers made the move Tuesday, when Furcal headed back to Los Angeles to be examined by a hand specialist. Los Angeles recalled rookie infielder Ivan De Jesus from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill Furcal’s roster spot. De Jesus went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts while starting the year with the Dodgers, then was optioned to the minors April 5 when third baseman Casey Blake came off the disabled list.

Furcal’s injury — on his non-throwing hand — wasn’t immediately known because he stayed in the game for two more innings until Aaron Miles pinch-hit for him in the seventh. He revealed that the thumb was broken after he had postgame X-rays.

“It’s bad. It’s broken,” Furcal, who had already been nursing a sore left wrist, said late Monday. “I knew as soon as the play happened. I got up and I didn’t feel it.”

Furcal, picked for his second All-Star team last season despite battling injuries, is hitting .192 with two RBI in seven games.

In 2010, he had 34 multihit outings while playing in only 97 games — including seven straight multihit games from June 26-July 3. He batted .300 for the third time in five seasons and Los Angeles went 31-17 when he scored at least one run and 13-2 when he scored two or more.

The 33-year-old has had his share of hard luck with injuries.

After a healthy 2009, he had two stints on the DL last year, with a strained left hamstring and a lower back strain. Furcal missed 125 games in 2008 with a lower-back injury and opened the ’07 season on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

Leave your comments on the news below.

SAN FRANCISCO – Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after he broke his left thumb while sliding into third base on a steal during a 6-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

The Dodgers made the move Tuesday, when Furcal headed back to Los Angeles to be examined by a hand specialist. Los Angeles recalled rookie infielder Ivan De Jesus from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill Furcal’s roster spot. De Jesus went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts while starting the year with the Dodgers, then was optioned to the minors April 5 when third baseman Casey Blake came off the disabled list.

Furcal’s injury — on his non-throwing hand — wasn’t immediately known because he stayed in the game for two more innings until Aaron Miles pinch-hit for him in the seventh. He revealed that the thumb was broken after he had postgame X-rays.

“It’s bad. It’s broken,” Furcal, who had already been nursing a sore left wrist, said late Monday. “I knew as soon as the play happened. I got up and I didn’t feel it.”

Furcal, picked for his second All-Star team last season despite battling injuries, is hitting .192 with two RBIs in seven games.

In 2010, he had 34 multihit outings while playing in only 97 games — including seven straight multihit games from June 26-July 3. He batted .300 for the third time in five seasons and Los Angeles went 31-17 when he scored at least one run and 13-2 when he scored two or more.

The 33-year-old has had his share of hard luck with injuries.

After a healthy 2009, he had two stints on the DL last year, with a strained left hamstring and a lower back strain. Furcal missed 125 games in 2008 with a lower-back injury and opened the ’07 season on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

Gotta run!.

It was far from the usual game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, as the longtime rivals came together to address something bigger than baseball.

Clayton Kershaw shut down the Giants with his big-breaking curveball, Rod Barajas homered and the Dodgers beat San Francisco 6-1 on Monday night when players from both teams denounced violence between their hard-core supporters.

Kershaw (2-1) struck out seven, walked two and gave up six hits in 6 2-3 innings, and he hasn’t allowed a run over his last 23 2-3 innings against the Giants. That includes seven scoreless innings on opening day and a complete game last Sept. 14 at AT&T Park.

But the Dodgers lost shortstop Rafael Furcal to a broken left thumb that likely will land him on the disabled list Tuesday.

This game was dedicated to longtime Giants fan Bryan Stow, who was severely beaten by two men in Los Angeles gear outside Dodger Stadium after the teams’ March 31 season opener. Stow, 42, is at a Los Angeles hospital in critical condition and in a medically induced coma.

“Tonight was an emotional night with the Stow family and everybody’s thoughts (with them),” Kershaw said. “It was a special night with both teams having a common goal in mind. I thought the fans were awesome.”

Elsewhere in the NL it was: Cincinnati 3 San Diego 2; St. Louis 8 Arizona 2; Chicago 5 Houston 4; and Colorado 7 New York 6.

At San Francisco, players from both teams came to the mound together to address fans before the game. Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt and Dodgers second baseman Jamey Carroll took turns providing a joint message to the sellout crowd of 40,870: This rivalry must stay on the field, without violence and hatred.

“This game is not about violence, it’s about having fun,” Dodgers centre-fielder Matt Kemp said after the game.

The Giants heightened security at AT&T Park in the wake of what happened — as is standard practice when the Dodgers come to town anyway.

“I thought the fans were awesome,” Kershaw said.

Andre Ethier had a pair of run-scoring singles and Kemp also added an RBI single in the Dodgers’ four-run fifth against Madison Bumgarner (0-2), started by Barajas’ drive to left-centre for his second homer of the year.

Pat Burrell broke up Los Angeles’ shutout bid with a solo homer against Mike MacDougal leading off the ninth that hit the left-field foul pole.

After a jam-packed weekend of World Series celebrations, the Giants presented former infielder Juan Uribe with his championship ring before the game. Then, the tone became far more serious.

Carroll delivered his message then had three hits in the Dodgers’ third win in four tries against the reigning champions. Carroll also had three hits Saturday at San Diego after producing four three-hit games all of last season.

Los Angeles’ top three hitters went a combined 6 for 11 with a walk over the first seven innings.

The first seven batters reached base against Bumgarner in the fifth. Furcal was hurt after being called safe on a close play at third base by Todd Tichenor, a call-up umpire from the minor leagues. It was Furcal’s first stolen base but the injury wasn’t clear because he stayed in the game for two more defensive innings before Aaron Miles pinch-hit in the seventh. The Dodgers made two outs on the bases in the fifth.

“It was me not being able to put guys away, get them out,” Bumgarner said of the fifth. “It was a frustrating game. A lot of things didn’t go my way.”

Aubrey Huff had two hits for the Giants, who were coming off their first series victory of 2011 against St. Louis over the weekend. San Francisco lost two of three to open the season at Dodger Stadium, both by one run. The Giants have been held to one or fewer runs in four of their six losses.

“We need a better game plan for him. He’s tough, no doubt about it,” Burrell said of Kershaw. “He’s one of the tougher guys out there.”

Bumgarner, the 21-year-old lefty who shut out the Texas Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series as a rookie, was tagged for five runs on eight hits in five innings.

Last season, he went 6-3 with a 1.91 ERA in 10 outings away from the Giants’ waterfront ballpark last season and 1-3 with a 4.60 ERA in eight starts at home.

The Dodgers won five championships since coming to California in 1958 before the Giants got their first in San Francisco last fall.

The last time these two rivals met with the Giants as champion was so long ago that the game featured Hall of Famer Willie Mays homering off Carl Erskine at Ebbets Field in New York’s 7-5 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers on Sept. 18, 1955.

Los Angeles third baseman Casey Blake, who started the season on the disabled list with a back injury, was out of the lineup for the second straight game after a Saturday collision with San Diego baserunner Chase Headley. Blake has soreness in his upper left thigh that worsened over night into Monday.

At San Diego, Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer and Jonny Gomes added a solo shot, and Cincinnati spoiled the season debut of Padres ace Mat Latos.

—

At Phoenix, Kyle McClellan got his first major-league win as a starter and drove in two runs with a pair of hits.

—

At Houston, Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney and Marlon Byrd combined for seven hits, five runs and three RBIs.

—

At New York, Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs, and Carlos Gonzalez also had three RBIs.

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By Eric Stephen – Editor

Read More: Lance Cormier (P – LOS), Scott Elbert (P – LOS), Los Angeles Dodgers

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Mar 27, 2011 - Opening day rosters don’t need to be finalized until Thursday, but the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 25-man roster is pretty much set. The Dodgers will open with four players on the disabled list — catcher Dioner Navarro (strained oblique), third baseman Casey Blake (back injury), and pitchers Jon Garland (oblique strain) and Vicente Padilla (arm surgery) — though all four are expected back at various points in April.

The Dodgers have two off days in the first week of the season, and they won’t use a fifth starter. Tim Redding appears to have beaten John Ely for the fifth starter spot, as manager Don Mattingly said he was lining up Redding to start April 10, the final game of a three-game series in San Diego against the Padres. However, Redding will begin the season in the minor leagues before having his contract purchased for that start on April 10.

As for the opening day roster, the final bullpen spot looks like it’s between Scott Elbert and non-roster invitee Lance Cormier, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

Meanwhile, the final bullpen spot will apparently go to left-hander Scott Elbert, with one caveat. Lance Cormier, the only other contender after Ramon Troncoso was optioned to Minor League camp Sunday morning, was asked to accept a Minor League assignment, but he said he told the club he would not.

Cormier has an out in his contract starting Sunday, but he said he was not yet a free agent and that “the ball is in their court.”

On Friday, True Blue LA took a guess at the opening day roster, and it appears that, barring a setback, this will be the final 25 on Thursday night as the Dodgers open at home against the San Francisco Giants:

• Starting Pitchers (4): Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda
• Relief Pitchers (7): Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Matt Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, Blake Hawksworth, Scott Elbert, Mike MacDougal*
• Catchers (2): Rod Barajas, Hector Gimenez
• Infielders (6): James Loney, Jamey Carroll, Rafael Furcal, Juan Uribe, Aaron Miles*, Ivan DeJesus
• Outfielders (6): Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Marcus Thames, Jay Gibbons, Tony Gwynn Jr., Xavier Paul

*Non-roster invitees

DeJesus will stay around, primarily playing second base, until Blake is activated from the disabled list. Uribe will open the season at third base, and move to second once Blake returns. The Dodgers will have to make another roster move on April 10 to accommodate either Redding or Ely to start.

As of the end of their game on Sunday, the Dodgers still technically have 36 players in big league camp, so several cuts will be made over the next few days.

For more Dodgers news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.

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

By Eric Stephen – Editor

Read More: Dioner Navarro (C – LOS), Hector Gimenez (C – LOS), A.J. Ellis (C – LOS), Los Angeles Dodgers

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Mar 25, 2011 - The Los Angeles Dodgers will likely add catcher Dioner Navarro to the growing list of players who will start the season on the disabled list. Navarro was a scratch to Thursday’s lineup when he felt a pain in his right side during morning batting practice. He underwent an MRI exam yesterday, and today the results showed that Navarro has a strained oblique. It is essentially the same injury as Jon Garland, and Navarro is expected to miss “weeks, not days,” per the team.

Navarro will likely join third baseman Casey Blake and pitchers Vicente Padilla and Garland on the disabled list when the season opens next Thursday at Dodger Stadium against the Giants. However, all four players are expected to be back at some point in April.

Navarro’s injury opens the door for Hector Gimenez to make the team as the backup catcher. Gimenez, who is out of options, has also played first base and left field this spring, and the Dodgers like his bat as an option off the bench. Gimenez had a breakout season in 2010, hitting .305/.384/.533, but he was a 27-year old in Double A. The other option is A.J. Ellis, who is the better defensive catcher but also has an option remaining, which will affect the decision.

The Dodgers play two games today, with the first one in Tucson against the Diamondbacks in a game to raise money for the victims of the January 8 Tucson shooting. Tim Redding, vying for Garland’s fifth starter spot with tonight’s starter John Ely, will start in Tucson, and be followed on the mound by 2010 Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year Rubby De La Rosa. Here are today’s lineups:

Dodgers

Gwynn CF
Carroll SS
Ethier RF
Gibbons LF
Loney 1B
Miles 2B
Ellis C
Sellers 3B
Redding P

Diamondbacks

Roberts 3B
Parra LF
Upton RF
Young CF
Miranda 1B
Ransom 2B
Owings SS
Blanco C
Galarraga P

For more Dodgers news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.

Thanks for reading! .

(03-10) 10:49 PST Glendale, Ariz. (AP) –

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jon Garland is expected to miss at least a month after straining his left side during a spring training game.

“The medical staff told me 30 to 35 days,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday.

Garland hurt himself throwing a pitch Wednesday against Seattle and an MRI exam revealed a strained oblique muscle.

Garland was projected to be the fifth starter in the Dodgers’ rotation. John Ely and Tim Redding are the top candidates to move into Garland’s spot while the right-hander is on the disabled list.

“If there’s a little bit of a silver lining, there’s still three weeks in camp,” Colletti said. “He might miss a turn or two. We’ll fill from within.”

The Dodgers were already minus pitcher Vicente Padilla. He might have moved into the starting rotation, but rehabilitation from elbow surgery is expected to sideline him until late April or early May.

Garland, 14-12 for San Diego last year and the Padres’ opening-day starter, has no history of oblique injuries, Colletti said. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year, $5 million contract.

“But you have to be careful,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I’ve had it. For the first seven, eight days, you don’t want to turn the wrong way in bed, or cough or do anything that might affect it.”

The right-handed Ely made 18 starts as a Dodgers rookie last year. He went 4-10 with 5.49 ERA. In spring training, he has pitched six scoreless innings.

Redding, also a right-hander, saw his last major league duty in 2009 with the New York Mets. He finished last season in Korea.

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Updated Mar 10, 2011 3:29 PM ET

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jon Garland is expected to miss at least a month after straining his left side during a spring training game.

”The medical staff told me 30 to 35 days,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday.

Garland hurt himself throwing a pitch Wednesday against Seattle and an MRI exam revealed a strained oblique muscle.

Garland was projected to be the fifth starter in the Dodgers’ rotation. John Ely and Tim Redding are the top candidates to move into Garland’s spot while the right-hander is on the disabled list.

”If there’s a little bit of a silver lining, there’s still three weeks in camp,” Colletti said. ”He might miss a turn or two. We’ll fill from within.”

The Dodgers were already minus pitcher Vicente Padilla. He might have moved into the starting rotation, but rehabilitation from elbow surgery is expected to sideline him until late April or early May.

Garland, 14-12 for San Diego last year and the Padres’ opening-day starter, has no history of oblique injuries, Colletti said. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year, $5 million contract.

”But you have to be careful,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. ”I’ve had it. For the first seven, eight days, you don’t want to turn the wrong way in bed, or cough or do anything that might affect it.”

The right-handed Ely made 18 starts as a Dodgers rookie last year. He went 4-10 with 5.49 ERA. In spring training, he has pitched six scoreless innings.

Redding, also a right-hander, saw his last major league duty in 2009 with the New York Mets. He finished last season in Korea.

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