Welcome to the Blue, Will Smith!

Another top prospect has joined the Dodgers roster. As you know, Austin Barnes was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain, so the Dodgers called up one of their top catching prospects, Will Smith -- the Prince of Louisville, KY (his birthplace). Per a Dodgers Press release:

Smith, 24, will have his contract selected for the first time in professional career and his next appearance will be his Major League debut. The backstop played in 38 games for Oklahoma City, batting .290 (40-for-138) with eight homers and 28 RBI. Smith was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville. In four minor league seasons in the Dodger organization, he has a combined to hit .244 (231-for-948) with 43 homers and 154 RBI.

2019 Topps Now - #287 - Justin Turner's Five Hit Sunday

Once again I've missed another Dodgers' 2019 Topps Now card that was released over a weekend. This time it's of Dodger third baseman Justin Turner and it celebrates his stellar day at the plate on Sunday against San Diego. Unfortunately, it's too late to order. Per Jake Crouse at MLB.com:

With a single down the right-field line in the ninth inning Sunday, Justin Turner recorded a five-hit game for the first time in his 11-year career. 

Including a walk in the seventh, he also recorded a new career high by reaching base six times, which is a bigger deal given his approach at the plate.

Blog Kiosk: 5/28/2019 - Dodgers Links - MVP! MVP! MVP!

First, I wanted to acknowledge a patch that ballplayers wore for the first time yesterday, for Memorial Day. It is a remembrance poppy that has been used since 1921 to commemorate military personnel who have died in war and was first adopted by the American Legion. See it on the right, via UniWatch.

As for Cody Bellinger (featured in the pic above), he is unbelievable. Cody was a driving force behind this weekends sweep of the Pirates and their Memorial Day win yesterday afternoon. He is slashing .278/.381/.722/1.103 with two home runs, five runs scored and five RBI over the past four games. On top of that, he is looking like a Gold Glover every day. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

“Words are tough to come by,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I don’t know if they give out Gold Gloves in May, but it’s hard to see it play out any other way.” 

Roberts said there’s only one comp to what Bellinger can do to impact a game and he used the name – Mike Trout – with trepidation. 

“You’re talking about slug, average, on base, first-to-third, stolen bases, catching the baseball, outfield assists, all that stuff,” said Roberts. “To do what he can do, to check all those boxes. You’ve got to be careful when you’re talking about Mike Trout. That’s longevity, too. For a two-month span, that’s kind of what you’re talking about.”

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019 at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from Memorial Day. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1957 the NL officially approves of the move of the Dodgers and Giants to the West Coast, provided both clubs make their request before October 1 and move at the same time. This effectively allowed both clubs to start negotiating with potential host cities. In 1962 Don Newcombe signs a contract to play for the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League. In 2001 Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca has a big day. He goes 6-for-6 to lead the Dodgers during an 11-10 win over the Rockies. He records five singles, a three-run home run and four RBI. In 2011 a small fire in a nearby storage area in the Reserve seats at Dodger Stadium forces the evacuation of fans of that section during a game between the Dodgers and Marlins. The fire is controlled quickly and they do not need to evacuate the entire stadium.
• Happy Birthday, Rafael Landestoy, Kirk Gibson & Cory Wade!