DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS/AROUND MLB Thread

hmmm...

Guerrero takes ground balls at Shortstop
by Tyler Monroy | Dodgers Nation — 10 minutes ago

Alex Guerrero has been quite the star for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season despite only starting three games.

Heading into play Saturday, Guerrero is hitting .474/.450/1.211 with four home runs, two of them as a pinch-hitter, and 12 RBIs. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that he has struck out only one time in 20 at-bats. The issue is where the infielder should start.

Manager Don Mattingly recently explained why he will not immediately anoint Guerrero the starting third baseman over Justin Turner or Juan Uribe. While the reason is unknown, there could very easily be nothing to it, J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News reports Guerrero took grounders at shortstop:

Guerrero played shortstop in Cuba before signing with the Dodgers, who envisioned him taking over at second base, and now see him as a third baseman/left fielder utility man. When considering Jimmy Rollins’ age and the fact that he’s scuttling at the plate, the Dodgers could be preparing a backup option to provide the veteran shortstop with ample days off.

Moreover, with as much depth and flexibility as the Dodgers have throughout their roster, they lack a true alternative to Rollins. Justin Turner is capable of playing the position, but he’s better suited at first, second and third base.

However, Guerrero’s limited time at shortstop would suggest him seeing time there likely won’t be seen in the immediate future. Including time spent last season in the Minors, Guerrero has played just seven games at shortstop since joining the Dodgers.​

 

pretty sure the players association forbids it

 

this should make @KOUFAX0000 happy...

Chad Billingsley roughed up in 3rd rehab start
by Corey Seidman | CSN Philly — 6 hours ago

Chad Billingsley struggled Saturday night in his third rehab start at Triple A Lehigh Valley, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings.

Billingsley, 30, is still expected to make another rehab start before joining the Phillies’ rotation. The Phils have used Sean O’Sullivan and Dustin McGowan in the spot that Billingsley should eventually occupy.

“Right now is kind of like my spring training,” Billingsley said after exiting. “Just making sure I’m going out there, getting the feel for pitches and getting my arm healthy.

“I threw 78 pitches. Next time out, the plan is to stretch it out to 90-95 pitches and just keep extending it."

Billingsley allowed three runs and two homers in 3 1/3 innings in his first rehab start, but was much better in his second, tossing five scoreless innings. His pitch counts were 58 and 73, respectively.

“I had a really good feel for my curveball today,” he said. “My changeup and two-seamer were a little bit flat and weren’t moving the way I wanted to, but you’re going to have days like that.

“My rhythm wasn’t quite there, but my arm felt good.”

The veteran right-hander is still building arm strength. Elbow surgeries in 2013 and 2014 limited him to two starts in ’13 and none in ’14. The Phillies signed Billingsley to a low-risk, incentive-laden deal in late January.

An eight-year veteran, Billingsley was once a workhorse for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He averaged 194 innings from 2008 to 2011, posting a 3.73 ERA and striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. The Phillies are hoping he can eat some innings this summer in what is a thin rotation after Cole Hamels.

"I’m not really worried about results right now," Billingsley said. "Just going out there every fifth day and staying healthy is how I’m looking at it. It’s been two years since I’ve been out on the mound on a consistent basis.”​