Dodgers Dugout: Today’s deal: Become a Dodger, get free Tommy John surgery

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. The lineup sure looks a lot better when Mookie Betts is in it.

In what has become the fashionable trend for pitchers wearing Dodger blue, it was announced this week that River Ryan will have Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2025 season.

He joins a lengthy list of Dodger pitchers who have had Tommy John surgery or other arm problems the last couple of seasons.

Let’s take a look:

Not returning until next season

Tony Gonsolin (Tommy John surgery)
Kyle Hurt (Tommy John surgery)
Dustin May (Tommy John surgery, torn esophagus)
Shohei Ohtani (as a pitcher, Tommy John surgery)
Emmet Sheehan (Tommy John surgery)

Possibly returning this season

Walker Buehler (Tommy John surgery, hip)
Bobby Miller (shoulder)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (rotator cuff)

Returned this season from injury

Clayton Kershaw (shoulder surgery)

Then, there are the non-arm injuries

Ryan Brasier (calf)
Connor Brogdon (foot)
Brusdar Graterol (hamstring, after missing most of season with a shoulder injury)
Blake Treinen (hip)

That’s a lot of pitcher injuries, and that doesn’t even include guys such as Michael Grove and Joe Kelly, who are pitching now but had arm/shoulder injuries.

Let’s take a look at the number of pitchers on the IL by team, through Wednesday:

Dodgers: 9
Boston: 9
Houston: 9
Milwaukee: 8
Pittsburgh: 8
Baltimore: 7
Chicago Cubs: 7
Chicago White Sox: 7
Minnesota: 7
Texas: 7
Angels: 6
Atlanta: 6
Colorado: 6
Miami: 6
NY Mets: 6
NY Yankees: 6
Cincinnati: 5
Cleveland: 5
Kansas City: 5
Oakland: 5
Detroit: 4
Philadelphia: 4
St. Louis: 4
San Francisco: 4
Washington: 4
Arizona: 3
San Diego: 3
Seattle: 3
Tampa Bay: 3
Toronto: 2

I guess the Dodgers feel they have to lead in everything. So what’s causing all those injuries? We went over three theories in the last newsletter, but the Dodgers are, finally, going to take a closer look.

General manager Brandon Gomes said the organization has launched a thorough review.

“We’re trying to figure out, is there an acute thing, is there an overarching issue to get at? Right now, I wish I had more answers, but we continue to dig. I think we’re seeing it across the industry, and we feel it more acutely when it happens to us, but I don’t think that this is all that unique.

“Are there any external studies from Major League Baseball? Should we do one? How do we best get at it, because it’s not a simple problem to solve, right? There are so many factors … like, what if we acquire somebody who gets hurt? What happened before then? Were they in our system the whole time? We just don’t know.�

Ohtani’s injury can’t be blamed on the Dodgers because it happened while he was with the Angels. Some of these pitchers started in other organizations, so perhaps they picked up some bad habits there. It’s too simple to blame it on the Dodger training staff, when there are probably myriad factors involved. Ryan put some of the blame on the pitch clock. Others have said the inability to use any sticky stuff to allow them to get a better grip on the ball to up their spin rate is at fault. Pitchers have said that the fact these guys go all out on every pitch is a factor.

It could be all of these factors combined. Or a couple of them. Or maybe the lack of sticky stuff hurts one pitcher, while the pitch clock hurts another. It’s going to be impossible to determine. Pitcher injuries are up everywhere. Anyone looking for a magic solution will have to look for a long, long time.

Another roster piece comes into focus

We talked last time about a potential postseason roster, and how the returning players will cause some members of the current roster to go away. My mistaken belief was that Amed Rosario would be in contention for the final spot. Bad belief.

When Mookie Betts was activated from the IL, Rosario was designated for assignment. Which brings up a question: Why trade for him in the first place? He played in only five games for the Dodgers. Very odd transaction.

If, as planned, Max Muncy and Tommy Edman come off the IL next week, who is next to go? Nick Ahmed? Kevin Kiermaier? Andy Pages? Jason Heyward? With Betts, back, and it looking like Will Smith is hitting again, plus the addition of Muncy and Edman, you could afford to keep a Gold Glove outfielder such as Kiermaier. Maybe you find a convenient injury for Heyward. Whatever happens, there has to be some nervous people in the Dodger clubhouse right now.

From the penthouse to...

Miguel Vargas is five for 43 since being traded to the Chicago White Sox. It must be tough to go from one of the best teams in baseball to the worst. The White Sox are on pace to finish the season 39-123.

Mickey Hatcher will answer your questions

A couple of times a year we do a feature where readers of this newsletter send in questions to Dodgers of the past. We’ve done “Ask Orel Hershiser�, “Ask Jerry Reuss�, “Ask Tom Niedenfuer�, “Ask Peter O’Malley�, “Ask Fred Claire� and “Ask Maury Wills� and “Ask Mike Scioscia� among others.

Mickey Hatcher, who Dodger fans of a certain age will remember for his excellent play in the 1988 World Series, is up next. Hatcher was one of the “Stuntmen� group of bench players on the 1988 team, hitting .293 in 88 games. After Kirk Gibson was injured during the National League Championship Series, Hatcher became the starting left fielder in the World Series, and he did great, hitting .368 with a double, two homers and five RBIs. He circled the bases after each homer as if he was trying to set a speed record. And he had hit only one home run during the season.

Hatcher was taken by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 1977 draft and was traded to Minnesota just before the 1981 season along with two minor leaguers for Ken Landreaux. He had six solid season with the Twins, who released him just before the 1987 season began. He was the first acquisition by Fred Claire, newly installed as Dodgers general manager, who signed him.

Hatcher has agreed to answer selected questions from Dodgers Dugout readers. So, start thinking and send them to me at [email protected]. The best and most-frequently asked questions will be chosen for him to answer in a future newsletter. You have until 11 p.m. Saturday to send a question. Please put “Ask Mickey Hatcherâ€� in the subject line of your email. And please include your first and last name and your city of residence. Thanks!

The last two weeks

How the Dodgers hitters and pitchers have fared the last two weeks (through Wednesday):

Mookie Betts, .429/.429/.643, 14 at-bats, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 5 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .347/.396/.714, 49 at-bats, 6 doubles, 4 homers, 11 RBIs, 4 walks, 15 K’s
Andy Pages, .333/.448/.625, 24 at-bats, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, 8 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .324/.359/.487, 37 at-bats, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 5 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .302/.347/.488, 43 at-bats, 5 doubles, 1 homer, 9 RBIs, 4 walks, 4 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .286/.318/.333, 21 at-bats, 1 double, 3 RBI, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Gavin Lux, .282/.349/.436, 39 at-bats, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 7 RBIs, 3 walks, 11 K’s
Amed Rosario, .273/.333/.364, 11 at-bats, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Nick Ahmed, .250/.250/.250, 20 at-bats, 1 RBI, 5 K’s
Kevin Kiermaier, .200/.273/.250, 20 at-bats, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 6 K’s
Will Smith, .194/.286/.355, 31 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBIs, 4 walks, 7 K’s
Jason Heyward, .185/.241/.259, 27 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 8 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .177/.232/.529, 51 at-bats, 1 double, 1 triple, 5 homers, 10 RBIs, 4 walks, 11 K’s
Cavan Biggio, .100/.250/.100, 10 at-bats, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 5 K’s
Austin Barnes, .067/.177/.067, 15 at-bats, 2 walks, 5 K’s
James Outman, 0 for 1, 1 walk
Team, .259/.321/.443, 29 doubles, 1 triple, 15 homers, 36 walks, 100 K’s, 5.33 runs per games

Pitching

Michael Kopech, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 7 K’s
Evan Phillips, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 9 K’s
Alex Vesia, 1-1, 0.00 ERA, 3.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 5 K’s
Kiké Hernández, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 hit
Clayton Kershaw, 1-2, 1.74 ERA, 10.1 IP, 8 hits, 2 walks, 11 K’s
River Ryan, 1.93 ERA, 9.1 IP, 9 hits, 3 walks, 8 K’s
Michael Grove, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Landon Knack, 2.25, 1 save, 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 K’s
Walker Buehler, 2.70 ERA, 3.1 IP, 3 hits, 4 walks, 3 K’s
Anthony Banda, 3.00 ERA, 1 save, 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 walk, 8 K’s
Daniel Hudson, 3.00 ERA, 2 saves, 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 walk, 8 K’s
Jack Flaherty, 2-0, 3.09 ERA, 11.2 IP, 14 hits, 2 walks, 17 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 1-0, 3.46 ERA, 13 IP, 10 hits, 1 walk, 13 K’s
Brent Honeywell, 0-1, 4.76 ERA, 5.2 IP, 8 hits, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Gavin Stone, 1-1, 5.93 ERA, 13.2 IP, 17 hits, 2 walks, 13 K’s
Joe Kelly, 12.27 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 K’s
Brusdar Graterol, 54.00 ERA, 0.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk

Team, 8-4, 3.28 ERA, 4 saves, 107 IP, 100 hits, 23 walks, 111 K’s

Batting with runners in scoring position

How Dodgers hitters have fared this season in that category (minimum 25 at-bats):

Mookie Betts, .368/.455/.632, 21 for 57, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 34 RBIs
Gavin Lux, .311/.370/.433, 28 for 90, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 31 RBIs
Will Smith, .295/.416/.419, 31 for 105, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 44 RBIs
Freddie Freeman, .292/,409/.458, 35 for 120, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 54 RBIs
Teoscar Hernández, .280/.381/.523, 37 for 132, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 56 RBIs
Miguel Rojas, .268/.333/.304, 15 for 56, 2 doubles, 18 RBIs
Austin Barnes, .241/.267/.310, 7 for 29, 2 doubles, 7 RBIs
Shohei Ohtani, .227/.346/.336, 25 for 110, 6 doubles, 2 homers, 38 RBIs
Andy Pages, .218/.294/.346, 17 for 78, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 25 RBIs
Max Muncy, .208/.283/.396, 10 for 48, 3 homers, 20 RBIs
Kiké Hernández, .206/.293/.302, 13 for 63, 6 doubles, 18 RBIs
Chris Taylor, .200/.408/.314, 1 double, 1 homer, 12 RBIs
Jason Heyward, .191/.213/.429, 8 for 42, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 18 RBIs
James Outman, .098/.140/.195, 4 for 41, 1 double, 1 homer, 7 RBIs
Team, .255/.347/.398

Inherited runners who scored

A look at how Dodger relievers have fared at stranding runners when they come in with men on base (minimum of four inherited runners). The league average is 33.2%, meaning that 33.2% of inherited runners have scored.

Anthony Banda (1 of 15 inherited runners have scored), 0.67%
Ryan Yarbrough (2 of 8), 25%
Blake Treinen (3 of 12), 25%
Michael Grove (2 of 8), 25%
Alex Vesia, (7 of 25), 28%
Evan Phillips, (5 of 17), 29.4%
Yohan Ramirez, (2 of 5), 40%
Daniel Hudson, (2 of 4), 50%
Joe Kelly, (8 of 14), 57.1%
Ryan Brasier, (7 of 7), 100%
Team, (41 of 127), 32.3%

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (TBD) at St. Louis (Miles Mikolas, 8-9, 5.30 ERA), 5:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Saturday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 9-6, 3.49 ERA) at St. Louis (Andre Pallante, 4-6, 4.21 ERA), 4:15 p.m., Fox, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Sunday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 1-2, 3.50 ERA) at St. Louis (Sonny Gray, 11-7, 3.93 ERA), 11:15 a.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Michael Kopech went from ‘dark times’ to possible closer for first-place Dodgers

River Ryan to have Tommy John surgery, becoming third Dodger to have procedure this year

Hernández: For Dodgers, every game is feeling like a postseason game

‘Massive operation.’ Inside the rise of Brandon Gomes, and Dodgers’ front-office evolution

New eyeglasses give Kiké Hernández a new outlook on hitting

And finally

Don Drysdale, Bill “Moose� Skowron, Tommy Davis, Ron Perranoski, Willie Davis and Frank Howard appear on “The Joey Bishop Show.� Watch and listen here.