[h1]Dodgers' Andruw Jones gives first base a try[/h1]
Normally a center fielder, he plays first base for triple-A Las Vegas to give sore right knee a break. Dodgers Manager Joe Torre doesn't rule out possibility that Jones might play first in the majors.
By Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 25, 2008
PHILADELPHIA --
Andruw Jones had played 1,835 games in the major leagues and another 324 games in the minor leagues without ever playing first base.
Until Saturday night, that is. Jones, on a rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Las Vegas, played first base -- at his request.
The Dodgers invested $36 million in Jones as a center fielder. Yet the club management and training staff approved his request, deciding the risk of injury at an unfamiliar position did not warrant holding him out of the lineup.
"That's what we obviously balanced," General Manager
Ned Colletti said Sunday. "His knee wasn't feeling as good as he wanted, but he didn't want to sit out another day."
Jones, on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his left knee, arrived in Las Vegas nine days ago and played three games before stepping into a hole in the outfield and irritating his surgically repaired right knee.
Las Vegas could not use the designated hitter Saturday, in a game between National League affiliates, so Jones persuaded club officials to let him return to the lineup at first base, saying his movements would be limited there and that he had played the position on occasion in spring training with the Atlanta Braves.
Jones had two hits and stole a base, playing six innings at first base before leaving for a defensive replacement.
He did not play Sunday, in what Colletti said was a previously scheduled day off. Colletti said the position Jones would play today had not been decided.
Manager
Joe Torre downplayed -- but did not rule out -- the notion that Jones could see any playing time at first base when he returns to the Dodgers.
And at bat . . .
Jones is batting .385 in four games at Las Vegas, with two home runs and two strikeouts in 13 at-bats. He hit .161 in 74 games with the Dodgers, with three home runs and 74 strikeouts.
The Dodgers have assigned roving hitting instructor
Jeff Pentland to Las Vegas, specifically to work with Jones.
"He and Pentland have been working on a lot of different things. We'll see if he can translate it to the big leagues when the time comes," Colletti said. "The reports have been positive before, so we'll have to see."
Winter ball
Dodgers coach
Mariano Duncan, who has not managed at any level, said he will manage the La Romana club in the Dominican Republic this winter. He said he is not yet sure whether he wants to manage in the majors.
"I want to see if I like it," he said.
Infielder
Angel Berroa and pitcher
Ramon Troncoso of the Dodgers are expected to play for La Romana this winter, Duncan said.
Short hops
Closer
Takashi Saito is expected to pitch off a mound this weekend, for the first time since suffering a sprained elbow ligament six weeks ago; Torre said another setback for Saito could mean surgery. "It's something he would have to take a hard look at," Torre said. . . .
Scott Proctor and
Jason Schmidt each are scheduled to pitch twice this week at Las Vegas. . . . Torre said he did not anticipate any player acquisitions by the Aug. 31 deadline for postseason eligibility. . . .
Blake DeWitt, the Dodgers' opening-day third baseman, went five for five Sunday as the Las Vegas second baseman. DeWitt has 11 hits in his last 19 at-bats.
Mailbag: Should Broxton close?
Beat reporter Ken Gurnick answers Dodgers fans' questions
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
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Jonathan Broxton has 10 saves for the Dodgers this season. (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
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Is Jonathan Broxton cut out to be the successor to Takashi Saito as Dodgers closer?
-- Ron P., Cerritos, Calif.
If not Broxton, then who? Broxton is getting the acid test with Saito out. Last year, Broxton collapsed in September with a 6.75 ERA, and he was only being asked to set up. Barring a miraculous comeback by Saito, the job is Broxton's to lose for the rest of this season. He's the only healthy Dodgers reliever that can throw 100 mph. After blowing Sunday's save, he's converted nine of his first 11 save opportunities since Saito went down.
There doesn't seem to be a better option. Hong-Chih Kuo is the most likely alternative, but he has an elbow history that makes him an unlikely choice. Yhency Brazoban once was the closer, but he can't stay healthy. Brad Penny is an intriguing possibility, but his health is uncertain as well. Derek Lowe has done it with Boston, but he's needed to start. Two Minor Leaguers from the most recent Draft to watch for the future are second-round pick Josh Lindblom and 11th-rounder Nathan Eovaldi. Lindblom has been starting for Great Lakes since signing. Left-hander Brent Leach has been closing at Jacksonville, but without an overpowering pitch could also become a situational lefty.
With Nomar Garciaparra eligible for free agency, is it possible that the Dodgers would want to re-sign him as a clutch pinch-hitter, keeping him off the field and keeping him healthy?
-- Aaron A., Nipomo, Calif.
On the Dodgers part? Sure. On Garciaparra's part? Almost impossible. Garciaparra has been an everyday player since his rookie season. He's earned more than $75 million in the game. You would be asking him to take about a 90 percent pay cut to be a pinch-hitter and accept a job sitting around when he believes that he's shown he can still play the infield on a daily basis. If you mean more of a utility role, where he could play all over the infield, get 300-plus at-bats and be paid accordingly, that's a role for which many feel Garciaparra would be ideally suited.
Who figures on being the Dodgers' September callups?
-- Ted M., Willow Street, Pa.
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Have a question about the Dodgers?
E-mail your query to MLB.com Dodgers beat reporter Ken Gurnick for possible inclusion in a future mailbag column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content.
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Probably James McDonald, Blake DeWitt, Chin-lung Hu and Jason Repko. They'll also need a third catcher and it could be Lucas May, who is on the 40-man roster, or A.J. Ellis, who is not. One player they wanted to call up, but who is not on the 40-man roster, is left-handed pitcher Scott Elbert. Anyone expecting the Dodgers to call up a boatload of young players just to see them in a Major League uniform will be very disappointed. The current Dodgers management utilizes every loophole in the book to work around the 40-man roster limit and retain a surplus of players, most often by placing injured players on the 60-day disabled list, where they don't count against the 40-man roster. Current Dodgers on that list are Tony Abreu, Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal, Gary Bennett, Scott Proctor and Brazoban. To activate any of them, a corresponding player must be taken off the 40-man roster.
It seems like opposing teams are stealing bases against the Dodgers at an alarming rate. Is that true?
-- Ted R., Chatsworth, Calif.
Very true. It hasn't been pretty, as Dodgers catchers are erasing basestealers at a dreadful rate of 15.9 percent on the season, which is on target to be the worst for the franchise since 1996 (14.9 percent) when Mike Piazza was the catcher. With Gold Glove catcher Russell Martin getting the bulk of the action, much of it rests on him. He has thrown out runners at a 15.5 percent clip -- last in the league and barely half of his 29.3 percent last year. It's a wonder clubs aren't running more on the Dodgers to exploit the situation.
Who are the surviving members of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers?
Bill H., Macungie, Pa.
Duke Snider, Don Zimmer, George Shuba, Bob Borkowski, Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine, Billy Loes, Ed Roebuck, Roger Craig, Sandy Koufax and Tom Lasorda.
