Dodgers to Roll Out Nearly a Real Starting Lineup Against Cubs Today

You know how you know that the longest spring training ever is starting to drag? The top headline on dodgers.com this morning was a story about how much progress Josh Wall has made over the years. Hey, I like Wall, and I think he’s got a big league future ahead of him. He’s also conservatively something like 11th on the bullpen depth chart.

Cubs
Dodgers
2B
Barney
2B
M.Ellis
3B
Lillibridge
RF
Ethier
RF
Schierholtz
CF
Kemp
C
Castillo
1B
Gonzalez
CF
Sappelt
LF
Hairston
SS
Valbuena
3B
Cruz
LF
McDonald
C
A.Ellis
1B
Nelson
SS
Amezaga
P
Rusin
P
Capuano

Today’s game, like tomorrow’s, will be webcast on dodgers.com, and it features Chris Capuano, (followed by Ronald Belisario, Kevin Gregg, Matt Guerrier, and Mark Lowe in some order) attempting to show some consistency after what’s been an up-and-down spring thus far. Zack Greinke is expected to play catch on Friday and potentially throw a bullpen next week; I still think he starts the season on the disabled list, as I said yesterday.

Otherwise, the Dodger lineup is more or less what we can expect to see on Opening Day, save for Alfredo Amezaga replacing Hanley Ramirez at shortstop while the Dominicans prepare to face the United States in the WBC tonight. I get that none of us are thrilled about the idea of Mark Ellis leading off, but I can’t muster up enough worry about a spring training lineup to really care. As long as it’s against lefty pitching — and today’s Chicago starter, Chris Rusin, is a southpaw — I can live with it, but again it’s only March 14. It is interesting that Andre Ethier is hitting second against lefty, however; I suppose Don Mattingly is just attempting to give him as many opportunities to prove himself as possible.

Lots of other news to get to today…

** Carl Crawford is actually in the lineup… just not this one. As Ken Gurnick reports, he’ll be getting some at-bats being the designated hitter in a scrimmage against Japan’s Mejii University today. I assume this means he has been traded to the Nippon Ham Fighters.

** Kenley Jansen claims there’s a 95% chance he’ll leave camp to join the Netherlands in the semifinals. How exactly it’s okay for him to do so despite offseason surgery while Javy Guerra was barred from playing for Mexico because of the same remains up in the air, though perhaps it’s on a team-by-team basis rather than a WBC rule. The Honkballers have now added Jansen and Texas super-prospect Jurickson Profar for the next round. Not a bad little pick-me-up, no?

espn_indians** Dustin Nosler reports that infielder Justin Sellers hobbled off the practice field with an apparent lower leg injury today, but there’s no indication yet on how serious it might be.

** Mercifully, Don Mattingly has confirmed that Yasiel Puig is not being considered for an Opening Day roster spot. We’ve all assumed that for a while, but it’s nice to finally hear it stated from team management.

** Do you care about the Cleveland Indians? No? Why, just because this is a Dodger blog? Okay, that’s fair, I suppose, but just in case: my latest Insider-only piece at ESPN is about how the team improved their run prevention without actually adding any better pitchers. If you know any Tribe fans, pass it along.

874 comments
EephusBlue
EephusBlue moderator like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

 "@Dodgers: "We went for the groceries." - Janet Marie Smith on the offseason upgrades to Dodger Stadium. Watch: http://t.co/JBaHQaerBn"

Disgruntled Goat
Disgruntled Goat moderator like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@EephusBlue i am excite. 

(VND)
(VND)

@Disgruntled Goat Does your elbow hurt?

Lobo
Lobo

@LA_Woman I just realized something: even if we don't actually want him, we could submit a huge posting fee to win the post, and then just never sign him so that no one else can get him either.  We officially have all the power in the who signs where in terms of posted Asian players.  If they sign somewhere, it's only because we deemed them not enough of a threat to justify stopping.

Dang88
Dang88

No Greinke news yet eh, interesting

EephusBlue
EephusBlue moderator

@Dang88 u were expecting something? What is there to expect?

Dang88
Dang88

@EephusBlue @Dang88 I always expect something, at least that he played catch usually twitter is all over everything

EephusBlue
EephusBlue moderator

@Dang88 @EephusBlue He is easing back into activity. there is nothing to report. When he actually throws from the mound then we will know something.

Capnsparrow
Capnsparrow like.author.displayName 1 Like

Today is the Ides of March which marks a two day before the drunken Irish holiday!

EephusBlue
EephusBlue moderator

@capnsparrow  Marine buddy of mine is in Vegas for a marine reunion this weekend. All coming on St. Paddys day. Gonna be nuts

Capnsparrow
Capnsparrow like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@EephusBlue @capnsparrow  I know an Irish roofing contractor who is actually a funny guy. He got a DUI in 1988 and he blew .32 the judge told him he should be dead of alcohol poisoning. But since hes still alive, How does he plea? He responded by saying, "Your honor I'm Irish" 

JackedNate
JackedNate like.author.displayName 1 Like

@EephusBlue @capnsparrow  I was in Vegas for the Ricky Hatton vs Pacqueo fight a few years ago; there was a marine convention or something and a Rugby Championship thing; the night before the fight all the english Rugby folks were getting rowdy singing the Hatton song and for love of country and all that; the night of the fight we ate the MGM and got going right after the fight; the Marines were all singing some song about England sucking and Hatton getting knocked out; the Rugby folk were sad pandas. The End