LOS ANGELES ― Left-hander Scott Alexander snagged the Dodgers’ final bullpen spot, the only outstanding question as the Dodgers prepare their Opening Day roster. The regular season begins Thursday in Denver against the Colorado Rockies.
Manager Dave Roberts called the choice “a very, very difficult decision.”
“We thought Dennis (Santana) had a great spring, really impressed with his progress, command, all that stuff,” he said. “It’s just more of a numbers game. We felt right now Scott has earned that roster spot.”
Alexander allowed 10 hits and four runs in 7-2/3 spring innings, a 4.70 earned-run average. He’ll join David Price and Victor Gonzalez as the only southpaws in the Dodgers’ eight-man bullpen. Handedness was a factor in the decision, Roberts said.
Alexander, 31, has a 3.18 ERA across 193 relief appearances in six MLB seasons, the last three with the Dodgers.
Santana has allowed nine hits in 8-1/3 innings this spring. He was scheduled to make his team-leading ninth appearance of spring training in Tuesday’s Freeway Series finale against the Angels.
The 25-year-old made a career-high 12 appearances out of the Dodgers’ bullpen last season, going 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA. He’ll be on the Dodgers’ taxi squad for the four-game series against the Rockies. So will catcher Keibert Ruiz, outfielder DJ Peters and reliever Garrett Cleavinger.
The Dodgers will carry 13 position players and 13 pitchers on their active roster for the season-opening series, including three starting pitchers who will begin the season in the bullpen: Price, Jimmy Nelson and Tony Gonsolin.
Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters Tuesday that his Opening Day roster will feature 12 position players and 14 pitchers.
THE MARATHON BEGINS
Every major league front office is contemplating how best to manage a pitching staff over 162 games in 2021 – 102 games longer than the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Only two teams, the Dodgers and Rockies, face the additional challenge of pitching at Coors Field to begin the season.
Baseball’s most hitter-friendly park frequently turns every nine-inning game into a relay race for pitchers. No Dodger pitcher has thrown more than 100 pitches in a start at Coors Field since 2018. What’s the expectation for Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer, Walker Buehler, and Julio Urías?
“I’m hesitant to put expectations or even limits on our guys,” Roberts said. “For us, the messaging is go as hard as you can as long as you can. We’ve got a lot of guys behind them. Obviously knowing it’s a good lineup, it’s a tough place to pitch historically, but we’ve just got to score more runs than they do. I feel confident with the guys we’re running out there.”
ALSO
A billboard erected by the Dodgers fan club Pantone 294 near Fenway Park thanking the Boston Red Sox for trading Mookie Betts caught the attention of one interested party: Mookie Betts. “I just laughed,” Betts said. “Obviously I didn’t have anything to do with that. It’s just funny.” … Betts declined to comment when asked if he has been vaccinated against COVID-19. “That whole vaccine is a personal decision. I’d like to just leave it in the clubhouse,” he said. … Former Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez signed with the expansion Guadalajara Mariachis of the Mexican League. Gonzalez, 39, hopes to play for Team Mexico in the upcoming Summer Olympics. … Former SportsNet LA reporter Alanna Rizzo is returning to MLB Network, where she will be a regular contributor on Christopher Russo’s “High Heat” show. Rizzo will provide news and commentary during the weekday show. Rizzo was an MLB Network reporter prior to joining the Dodgers’ regional sports network in 2014.
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