The Dodgers opened up a can, and in immediate fashion Thursday afternoon on a postcard type of day underneath the Arizona Sun. Mookie Betts walked to start the game/Spring Training off, Chris Taylor singled, James Outman got hit by a pitch, then Teo hit a ground rule double.

And, that’s when the lid to the can came completely off. 

New acquisitions, Chris Owings and Kevin Padlo hit bombs, Andy Pages showed that he’s healthy by hitting a sharp single, and when the dust cleared, the Dodgers had built a snowman in the warm Arizona sun, and right on top of the Padres.

Gavin Stone looked good in his one inning, Michael Grove kicked off the rust to go scoreless, Alex Vesia gave up a home run, and prospects Ricky Vanasco, Kevin Gowdy and John Rooney looked great out of the pen. 

Game Action

(click the pictures to watch the players in action)

Gavin Stone had a very successful 1st Inning to kick things off, and featured some East/West movement early, then a lot of tumble with the K for the 1st out. His 4 Seam to the top of the zone got an easy Flyball, then he worked the bottom of the zone as well, and his changeup landed for last out.

That performance, and all of the sequences, was Gavin Stone to a tee! 

Stone is looking to have a bounce back year at the MLB level after making some great adjustments last year with AAA OKC. His last performance was his best of the year in the PCL playoffs, and, he has bulked up, so he’s carrying a lot of momentum into 2024.

Another aspect of Gavin Stone is that he’s been counted out before, at least to an extent. He’s been told he was too small, didn’t throw hard enough and the like. All of that is just Fuel to his Fire, and this bounce back will be no different. 

I’ll be shocked if 2024 isn’t a very good year for the Lake City, Arkansas native.

Kevin Padlo absolutely destroyed his first home run of 2024! If you’re not familiar with that name, it’s because he is new to the organization, and came to the Dodgers via free agency. 

Padlo has 78 career at bats at the Major League level, so he is the exact type of pick up the Dodgers love, Major League experience on a Minor League contract.

Padlo is from Murietta California, which is in between LA and San Diego, so becoming a Dodger is a homecoming of sorts for the 27 year old. 

He was originally a 5th round draft pick of the Rockies, and has spent parts of 6 seasons in the MLB with Tampa Bay, Seattle and the Angels. 

Padlo has played some 3rd base, 1st base and DH, and with the roster as loaded as it is, that defensive versatility is something that any player that is on the fringe is going to have to have to be given a 26 man spot.

Michael Grove certainly wasn’t perfect in his one inning of work, but, he did get through it scoreless & you’ll always take that. Grove is still tyrin’ to find the feel of his slider. which is key, because that pitch was the one that he threw the most towards the end of last year.

Grove did make a couple of really nice pitches to end his inning, so, all in all, it was a good way to start for the Wheeling West Virginia native.

Grove added a cutter last year that helped him against lefties, and was very good down the stretch coming out of the bullpen, so he too carries momentum into this season. 

As we all know, though, the roster is loaded, so Grove is training to be a starter, but ready to pivot to any role the club needs him. 

Dodgers fans got to see the Fastball-Slider-Curveball mix of Ricky Vanasco, with good arm side run. We’ve been tellin’ Dodgers fans about this guy for a while, so what did ya’ think?

If he’s given a chance, a real chance, Dodgers fans are gonna love this guy. He’s very good!

Vanasco came to the Dodgers from the Rangers after they had DFA’d him, and was a starting pitcher in their system. They had placed him on their 40 man roster, so that shows how highly they thought of his potential. But, Vanasco just didn’t make the strides they were hoping for, so, they DFA’d him, and that’s when the Dodgers snatched him up. 

The Dodgers sent him to the complex for some adjustments, the main being moving him to the pen, and he took off running when he got to Tulsa and outran Forrest Gump all the way through a AAA promotion. 

Vanasco posted a 1.52 ERA with Tulsa, then didn’t give up a run with AAA OKC in 5 appearances. He also allowed just 1 run in his last 25 outings combined between AA Tulsa and AAA OKC, so, NO ONE is carrying more momentum into Spring Training than Ricky Vanasco.

It was a sight for Sore Eyes to see Andy Pages swing the bat, because he looked healthy and ready to go after suffering a shoulder injury in his first game in AAA last year. That shoulder injury ended his season, which was very disappointing because he, quite possibly, could have ETA’d in 2023 had he stayed healthy.

Pages gets the ball in the air, that much is for sure. In fact, he’s been known to hit twice as many fly balls as he does ground balls, and, he pulls the ball a lot, which is a great power combination because when you hit a lot of pull side fly balls, that typically leads to a lot of home runs.

And…If you’ve ever seen him throw a baseball, you know that he has a bazooka for a right arm! Atta boy Andy!

I know Gavin Lux wants to hit more Home Runs, BUT, I really hope his line drive single up the middle is the type of hitter he becomes this year. If he hits lots of line drives, gets lots of base hits, gets on base, gets over, he will be getting in a lot considering whose behind him in the lineup. Atta Baby Gavin!

Lux was set to be the starting short stop last year before tearing his ACL. He has since been cleared 100% physically, but that’s just part of the battle. 

Many times, with ACL reconstructions, the hardest part is just trusting it from a mental perspective. That first big cut, or sudden or violent movement is one that is a big hurdle to cross, so we’ll have to wait and see when that happens with Lux.

Many Dodgers fans are worried about his defense, and specifically his arm. But, he was considered the #1 Short Stop prospect coming out of 2019 for a reason, and that is that he has the potential to be very good. 

Also, his offense should be good enough to where, if he’s just average defensively, something of which he can very much do, then he will be a well above average player. Dodgers fans need to get behind this guy, support him and embrace the fact that, it is 100% in the best interest of this organization if he takes this job and runs with it, because finding short stops that are cheap and controllable is very hard to do.

Dodgers fans got their first look at the newly acquired SS Trey Sweeney, who came over in the deal that sent Jorbit Vivas and Victor Gonzalez to the Yanks. Sweeney has a very sweet, flat planed swing that generates a lot of hard ground balls and line drives. 

He’s a taller short stop, at 6’2, but, as you saw with him running down the line, he has some foot speed. Side to side movements look good in all of the videos I have seen on him playing defense, but, that’s a very limited sample size, so I’m really looking forward to seeing more of him.

If you’re surprised Austin Gauthier walked, then let that be the one and only time. Last year he was in the rare air of having a WRC+ over 150, and more walks than strikeouts. Austin Brubaker has noted, players that do that, just once, have reached the MLB at a 75% clip.

Drew Avans deserves every single bloop hit, lucky bounce fortunate break that the Baseball gods can dish. This dude has just grinded, he’s tough, and he’s earned a shot. Let’s go Drew! Control what you can control and Make it Happen!

Avans has spent parts of the last 3 years in AAA OKC, and has been very good. In fact, in 2021 he had a 53 game on base streak, which is the longest in the PCL in the last 4 years, and he also stole 40 bases. If anyone has deserved a chance at the MLB level, it is Drew Avans.

When things go right, no one is more impressive than Jose Ramos. Good to see him double on a breaking ball and get to open up the wheels. This guy has every tool, arm, speed, power, hit tool, and is looking to put it all together in ’24.

Heck Yeah Kody Hoese! Great way to get the season started with an RBI double. Elite defensive player with offensive upside that he’s hoping to tap into in 2024. It’s been a long road for him, time to pay it off!

Dodgers fans got to see the tall/funky leg kick & all the knees & elbows in Kevin Gowdy’s delivery. Gowdy came to the Dodgers last year from the Rangers & made huge strides. The Dodgers moved him to a 2 seam to add movement to his FB that has approached 100 mph. Lots to like about this guy!

Dodgers fans got to see the “cross fire” & sweep of John Rooney & how tough it is on lefties. It was great to see him get his chance cause that’s all he needs. Rooney is a 27 year old former starter that has 22 innings worth of pickoffs. Dodgers Daily has Mad respect for this dude and are hoping that the Dodgers do right by this guy, and give him his chance, because he’s earned it!

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