Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Pitchers & Catchers Workout #4

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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(Warning!  Pic via @LKRBOI on twitter)

A CASE OF THE MONDAYS: Today marked the fourth day of workouts for pitchers and catchers at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Position players report on Wednesday, with the first full-squad workout of 2015 scheduled for Thursday.

• David Aardsma, Brett Anderson, J.P. Howell, Paco Rodriguez, Pedro Baez, Mike Bolsinger, Yimi Garcia, Julio Urias, Zach Lee, Chris Anderson and Chris Reed all threw their second “official” bullpens of the spring.
• A couple more position players reported to camp early for voluntary workouts, including Andre Ethier and Jimmy Rollins.

(Dustin McGowan, pic via Jon SooHoo)

NEWEST DODGER: Today, the Dodgers announced the signing of free-agent right-handed pitcher Dustin McGowan to a one-year contract and placed right-handed pitcher Brandon Beachy on the 60-day disabled list (recovery from right elbow surgery). McGowan, who will wear No. 27, has a 25-27 career record with a 4.57 ERA in 158 games (68 starts) in seven big league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005-08, 2011, 2013-14. In 90 career relief appearances, McGowan has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.79 ERA and limited opposing hitters to a .224 batting average. The 32-year-old made a career-high 53 appearances (eight starts) for the Blue Jays last year, going 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA and his first-career save. McGowan started the campaign as a member of Toronto’s starting rotation and went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA (22 ER/39.0 IP) in eight starts, before being added to the bullpen, where he was a solid contributor with a 3.35 ERA (16 ER/43.0 IP), a 1.16 WHIP and a .215 opponents’ batting average in 45 appearances.

(Orel Hershiser and David Aardsma, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

GOING FAST: The Dodgers announced two more Cactus League sellouts today, for March 13 (7:05 p.m. vs. Cincinnati) and March 14 (1:05 p.m. vs. Cleveland). The club had previously announced a sellout for the March 27 game vs. San Francisco. Tickets for both the Dodgers’ and White Sox’ Spring Training games at Camelback Ranch-Glendale are on sale now and record attendance is expected at the park this season. The Dodgers’ home Spring Training game schedule features a total of 15 games and tickets can be purchased online at Dodgers.com/Spring or via the phone by calling 800-905-3315. Single-game tickets are available for purchase at the Camelback Ranch-Glendale ticket office now and ticket office hours are 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. MT from Monday-Saturday. On game days, the ticket office remains open for 30 minutes following the conclusion of play. Single-game tickets start at just $9 and parking is always free at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

A BULLDOG BEHIND THE MIC: The Dodgers would like to welcome the 1988 Cy Young Award winner and current club broadcaster Orel Hershiser to Camelback Ranch! Hershiser will be in town for the next few days shooting short interviews for SportsNet LA’s “Connected With” series with Dodger players and coaches, before returning next month to call games on the network. SportsNet LA will broadcast 31 Dodger Spring Training games, including the team’s three Freeway Series exhibition games against the Angels. The first live Spring Training telecast will be the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener against the White Sox on Wednesday, March 4 at 12:05 p.m. PT.

IN OTHER NEWS: Congratulations to Zaidi on winning the Dodger front office Oscar pool by correctly predicting 20 of 24 category winners in last night’s award ceremony…in a heated game of golf match play yesterday, the duo of Tim Wallach and Steve Yeager defeated Rick Honeycutt and Jose Vizcaino at The 500 Club in Glendale.

(Puig being Puig, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

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Scorpions Invade Camelback Ranch - They Stay on White Sox Side

Those are some nasty looking creatures, eh?

Over the weekend Camelback Ranch, home of both the Dodgers and White Sox, faced an invasion of a different kind.  As reported by ESPN Chicago reporter Doug Padilla, the White Sox training complex was littered with scorpions.  Photo above via Padilla on twitter.

Strangely, they appear to not have migrated over to the Dodger side of the facility.  Maybe someone skimped on pest control for the Sox side. 

This incident does have me thinking, though.  With the band AC/DC already scheduled to play a concert in September at Dodger Stadium this year, maybe they should look at booking the Scorpions too.  Heck, maybe an announcement like that is on the way and this incident was an elaborate way to get the word out.  Or maybe Arizona is just covered with these little menaces.

BTW, from what I understand these are giant desert hairy scorpions, whose bite is unpleasant but not particularly venomous.  On the other hand, if they found Arizona bark scorpions I'd be running for the hills. 

Hat Tip: Michael Clair at Cut4:

Pic at very top via Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago on twitter:

UPDATE:  I apparently spoke too soon.  The Scorpions are migrating towards the Dodgers side of Camelback Ranch.  On Tuesday, February 24th Jon Chapper in the the Dodgers PR department got stung by a giant desert hairy scorpion on the arm.  It was hiding in his jacket sleeve, per Alanna Rizzo on twitter.

Scorpion that stung Dodgers official Jon Chapper. pic.twitter.com/of9Y2mdo8e
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) February 24, 2015

Chapper is going to make it.  He was touch and go. We're so thankful! #Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/iBema0IttR
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) February 24, 2015

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Welcome to the Blue, Dustin McGowan!

I think it's fair to say that the Dodger off-season is all about taking measured risk by pursuing highly talented players who are currently undervalued due to recent injury past.  I guess they view their ability to take these kind of risk a competitive advantage over less monied clubs.  And you know what, they are right. 

Over the past several months the Dodgers have signed Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Brandon Beachy - all talented, but surrounded by risk.  This morning we get word that the Dodgers have signed another recovering pitcher.  They have just signed right-handed pitcher (and likely to be a reliever) Dustin McGowan to a one-year contract.  Per a Dodger press release:

McGowan, who will wear No. 27, has a 25-27 career record with a 4.57 ERA in 158 games (68 starts) in seven big league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005-08, 2011, 2013-14. In 90 career relief appearances, McGowan has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.79 ERA, nearly a run better than as a starter (4.78), and limited opposing hitters to a .224 batting average. Overall, he has struck out nearly twice as many as he's walked during the course of his career, fanning 392 and walking 199 in 482.1 innings, and been particularly successful against right-handed hitters, against whom he's posted a .235/.300/.334 career slashline.

The 32-year-old made a career-high 53 appearances (eight starts) for the Blue Jays last year, going 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA and his first-career save. McGowan started the campaign as a member of Toronto's starting rotation and went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA (22 ER/39.0 IP) in eight starts, before being added to the bullpen, where he was a solid contributor with a 3.35 ERA (16 ER/43.0 IP), a 1.16 WHIP and a .215 opponents' batting average in 45 appearances. While McGowan struggled at Rogers Centre, he went 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA (12 ER/46.2 IP) in 28 games (four starts) on the road, where he limited opponents to a .173 batting average (28-for-162).

In case you didn't catch it, McGowan will be wearing Matt Kemp's old number.  Also, the recently signed Brandon Beachy has been, as expected, placed on the 60-day DL.  As for McGowan's injury history here is what Ken Gurnick at MLB.com tells us:

He's had Tommy John surgery, three shoulder operations (rotator cuff and labrum), knee surgery, plantar fasciitis, an oblique injury and Type 1 diabetes, but he's battled back and still throws hard.

In celebration of McGowan's arrival to the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I photoshopped a photo of him wearing a vintage Brooklyn Dodger cap and the 1964 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are the career stats for Dustin McGowan, via Baseball-Reference:

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Blog Kiosk: 2/23/2015 - Dodger Links - Urias, Hatcher and the Hilarious Brett Anderson

The often introspective Zack Greinke ponders the meaning of it all, or maybe he's wondering if fish really do sleep.  I know I wondered about that after reading Brett Anderson tweet from yesterday.  See that below.  BTW, the above photo is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers.  Go here to check out a bunch of great photos by him from yesterday.

Today, @BMcCarthy32 and I googled if fish sleep...so there's your inside look at what happens during spring training.
— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson_30) February 22, 2015

Below are some more links to check out:

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Julio Urias takes next step in development."

"I'll categorize it like this: they are going to take the gloves off a little bit. I don't know the exact number of innings, the number of pitches, but it sounds like he's growing up," Mattingly said. "That's part of the player development side."

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Peralta behind schedule due to right-shoulder discomfort."

"The doctor took a look and everything's fine," said Peralta, who did not have an MRI. "I'm not worried. I should be OK."

• Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "The Dodgers’ history in Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list."
• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Hatcher up for challenge as Dodgers substitute closer."

“I’m just going to be ready when they call my name no matter when it is, get ready to take the ball and get three outs before they score,” Hatcher said. “The ninth inning, it is what it is. I guess you have a title if you’re the closer but to me it’s just doing your job.”

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Ali Solis leaves Dodgers camp over contractural issue."
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Chris Heisey joins a crowded outfield."
  

  “We’ll have a chance to look at him all through camp. The combination of guys and who ends up being here, that’s all up in the air,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s definitely an interesting guy from the way he swings the bat and we have great reports about his makeup and everything else.”

• Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Nicasio embracing new life as reliever."

"I pitched better in relief," said Nicasio. "I like it. I concentrate on just the fastball and slider and can be aggressive, because I know I don't have to pitch six or seven innings or 100 pitches."

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