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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Let’s hope the Dodgers don’t have to face the Angels in the postseason.

Last week, the Dodgers designated longtime backup catcher Austin Barnes for assignment to make room for Dalton Rushing. The other shoe dropped Sunday when the Dodgers released Chris Taylor to make way for a returning Tommy Edman.

Taylor is a longtime fan favorite whose last good season at the plate was 2021. After that season, he signed a four-year, $60-million contract. He also had elbow surgery that offseason, and was never the same after that. Still good-to-great defensively, but on offense, well, the numbers speak for themselves:

2022: .221/.304/.373, 89 OPS+
2023: .237/.326/.420, 102 OPS+
2024: .202/.290/.300, 72 OPS+
2025: .200/.200/.257, 29 OPS+

Taylor had only 35 at-bats spread over 28 games this season. When Hyeseong Kim came up from the minors and played so well, there was no reason to keep Taylor when Edman came off the IL. It would have been really hard to justify sending Kim down.

But, showing that it’s possible for two conflicting thoughts to be true at the same time, while it was the best thing for the Dodgers to release him, it’s still hard to see him go.

“This has been a very emotional week for all of us,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters before Sunday’s game. “Barnsey and CT have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both guys have left an indelible mark on our culture and where we’re at at this point. So the decisions were incredibly difficult. The conversations were tough. But with where we are, the division race, the composition of roster, everything. We felt like this was in the Dodgers’ best interest in terms of how to win as many games and put us in a position to best win the World Series this year.”

Taylor, who went to Virginia, was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. He reached the majors in 2014 with the Mariners and was considered a disappointment at the time after hitting only .240/.296/.296 in 86 games with the Mariners. The Dodgers acquired him on June 19, 2016 for one-time top prospect Zach Lee. Not much attention was given to the deal, and the attention it was given was for the Dodgers giving up on Lee.

A few years later, Jerry DiPoto, who was GM of the Mariners for the trade, called it the worst deal he ever made.

Taylor hit .207 in limited playing time with the Dodgers over the rest of the 2016 season, before the Dodgers, or Taylor, or both, unlocked something offensively. He hit .288/.354/.496 with 34 doubles, 21 homers, 72 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2017 while playing five different positions and was a key player on the team that reached the World Series before losing to the Houston Astros*. Taylor hit two homers during the NLCS and one during the World Series. He was named co-MVP of the NLCS with Justin Turner. Little-known fact: He didn’t make the team out of spring training. He was brought up for the minors on April 19, 2017 when Logan Forsythe suffered a broken toe when hit by a pitch. How would Dodger, and Chris Taylor’s, fortunes have changed if Forsythe wasn’t hit by that pitch?

in 2018 he hit .254/.331/.444, with 35 doubles and 17 homers, .262/.333/.462 with 29 doubles and 12 homers in 2019 and .270/.366/.476 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He made his first and only All-Star team in 2021. And then the wheels started falling off.

Here’s a guy who has been with the team since 2016, and what do we know about him? Not much. He never sought the spotlight, just did his job every day to the best of his abilities.

“He is the consummate pro, the way he did a trust fall when he got here,” Friedman said. “He came in hungry and wanting to get better, and dove in with our hitting guys, with our position coaches. … He was a huge part of so much success that we’ve enjoyed. Can’t say enough about the human, the worker, the teammate, the player.”

If you dig a little deeper about Taylor, you discover he quietly helped families who were hurt by the devastating wildfires earlier this year. His CT3 Foundation raised millions of dollars for organization in L.A. and his hometown Virginia Beach, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Variety Boys and Girls Club, The Friendship Foundation, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters, and Roc Solid Foundation.

He was just shy of reaching 10 seasons in the majors. Once a player reaches 10 years of service, they are eligible for up to $265,000 per year if they wait until age 62 to activate their pension. Seasons are counted as 172 days on the 26-man roster, so if you are bounced up and down from the minors, only your time in the majors counts. That’s how Taylor can be listed as “12 seasons” in the majors on most stat sites, but really be shy of 10 seasons. He needed to be on the Dodgers until early August to make it. If some other team signs him, then his time there will also count toward his 10 seasons. Taylor is at 9.037 seasons. He has also been paid almost $74 million in his career, so he should be fine. He just beats me out by about…. $73,500,000. Austin Barnes was at 8.098 seasons of service. He has been paid $18 million in his career.

Taylor’s first career home run was a grand slam with the Dodgers. His 100th career home run was a grand slam with the Dodgers, making him the only player in history whose first and 100th home runs were grand slams.

He appeared in 80 postseason games with L.A., hitting .247/.351/.441 with 13 doubles, nine homers and 26 RBIs. The most important homer may have been his walk-off homer in the 2021 wild-card game against St. Louis. You can watch that here.

Taylor was a part of two World Series winning teams. There aren’t a lot of players who can say that. It seems likely some other team will pick him up and see if he can recapture some of his old magic. We wish him well and thank him for some great memories.

*-The Astros cheated during that season and postseason.

First outing

Clayton Kershaw had his first outing of the season Saturday and the results were…. mixed. He gave up three runs in the first inning and looked bad. Then he settled a bit before seeming to tire. His line: Four innings pitched, five hits, five runs, three walks, two strikeouts.

We can draw no conclusions from this. We couldn’t if he had thrown five hitless innings. It’s going to take a couple more starts to figure out just how Kershaw is.

“I love getting back out there. It’s a special thing to get to go back and pitch at Dodger Stadium,” Kershaw told reporters after Saturday’s game. “Obviously, I wanted to pitch better. I need to pitch better going forward. But I think there’s some glimpses of some of my stuff being there, which is good. The problem tonight was just command.”

Dave Roberts on Kershaw to reporters after the game: “The stuff overall, I was impressed with. The velocity was more than it’s been in quite some time. At times the slider was good. At times the curveball was good. He mixed in a lot of change-ups, which was good. The command just wasn’t consistent. He got to a lot of two-strike counts and couldn’t put hitters away, where typically that’s his hallmark.”

Pete Rose poll

We asked readers of our Sports Report and Dodgers Dugout newsletters, “Should Pete Rose and Joe Jackson be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?” After 19,803 responses

Pete Rose
Yes, 46.6%
No, 53.4%

Joe Jackson
Yes, 55.4%
No, 44.6%

All-time leaders

The Dodgers’ all-time leaders in batting average with two out and runners in scoring position, minimum 150 at-bats.

Franchise
1. Howie Schultz, .345
2. Freddie Freeman, .343
3. Billy Herman, .333
4. Del Bissonette, .332
5. Jack Fournier, .332
6. Mickey Owen, .330
7. Jake Daubert, .328
8. Corey Seager, .327
9. Augie Galan, .326
10. Dixie Walker, .325

Los Angeles only
1. Freddie Freeman, .343
2. Corey Seager, .327
3. Mike Piazza, .318
4. Mookie Betts, .317
5. Lou Johnson, .313
6. Paul Lo Duca, .311
7. Jeff Kent, .304
8. Steve Garvey, .295
9. Ron Fairly, .293
10. Adrián González, .287

Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you’d like to see Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

These names seem familiar

A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats.

Batters

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .258/.331/.458, 178 plate appearances, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 28 RBIs, 123 OPS+

Michael Busch, Cubs: .255/.355/.463, 172 PA’s, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 25 RBIs, 131 OPS+

Jason Heyward, Padres, .177/.227/.278, 89 PA’s, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 42 OPS+

Gavin Lux, Reds: .291/.379/.399, 169 PA’s, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 19 RBIs, 113 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .281/.367/.418, 170 PA’s, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 125 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers, .130/.259/.243, 136 PA’s, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 47 OPS+

Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .280/.327/.363, 168 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 97 OPS+

Corey Seager, Rangers: .300/.346/.520, 107 PA’s, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 148 OPS+, on the IL

Justin Turner, Cubs: .169/.291/.185, 79 PA’s, 1 double, 9 RBIs, 40 OPS+

Trea Turner, Phillies: .294/.352/.378, 196 PA’s, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, 104 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .245/.328/.4219, 180 PA’s, 10 doubles, 6 homers, 21 RBIs, 114 OPS+

Alex Verdugo, Braves: .264/.322/.340, 115 PA’s, 8 doubles, 9 RBIs, 85 OPS+

Pitching

Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-1, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 32 hits, 9 walks, 29 K’s, 98 ERA+, on the IL

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 2-5, 4.44 ERA, 46.2 IP, 42 hits, 15 walks, 56 K’s, 90 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-2, 5.40 ERA, 8 saves, 13.1 IP, 15 hits, 3 walks, 12 K’s, 80 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors

Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K’s, 52 ERA+, in the minors

Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 2-5, 3.93 ERA, 50.1 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 45 K’s, 101 ERA+

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 1-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 21 hits, 10 walks, 20 K’s, 107 ERA+

Is there a player you’d like to see listed here? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

Up next

Monday: Arizona (Brandon Pfaadt, 6-3, 3.73 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-1, 5.89 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: Arizona (Ryne Nelson, 1-1, 5.13 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-3, 2.12 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Arizona (Corbin Burnes, 3-1, 2.56 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 1-4, 4.43 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers release Chris Taylor, parting ways with another veteran

‘A lot of gratitude and gratefulness to get back.’ Clayton Kershaw reflects on 2025 return

And finally

Chris Taylor hits a walk-off homer to win the 2021 wild-card game. Watch and listen here. Chris Taylor makes an incredible catch to preserve a 2018 NLCS Game 7 lead over Milwaukee. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

More than a trillion dollars worth of investments were pledged during the US president’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week.

The US is preparing to lift decades-long sanctions on Syria, and could be close to a nuclear deal with Iran.

Previous US presidents might have been expected to make a stop in Egypt, Jordan or Israel.

But notably Trump’s deal-making tour did not include those countries.

So, are the Gulf nations now in sync with the US on some of the biggest challenges in the region?

And is Trump re-shaping the Middle East or is it the Gulf states that will dictate future US foreign policy?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Giorgio Cafiero – CEO at Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy

Hassan Barari – Professor of international affairs at Qatar University

Alon Pinkas – Former ambassador and consul general of Israel in New York and a columnist at the Independent

Indonesia, as the world’s largest archipelagic state, holds a highly strategic geographic position, located between two continents and two oceans. This location makes Indonesia a crucial maritime hub in the Indo-Pacific region. In the era of Prabowo Subianto’s administration that began in 2024, Indonesia’s foreign policy has garnered significant attention, given the increasingly complex and multipolar global dynamics. This article aims to analyze how Indonesia, under Prabowo’s leadership, positions itself between its regional commitment to ASEAN and engagement with new global power alignments such as the Indo-Pacific.

1. Indonesia’s Geopolitical Context in the New Global Era
The current global order is undergoing a significant transformation. Tensions between the United States and China are one of the primary drivers of this shift. Amid global geopolitical polarization, the Indo-Pacific region has received heightened attention from various global actors. Indonesia, as a major democracy in Southeast Asia and a G20 member, holds a unique position.

In this context, Indonesia is expected to play a more active role in maintaining regional stability. The Prabowo administration faces significant challenges in upholding the principles of a free and active foreign policy while also safeguarding national interests closely tied to economic, defense, and domestic stability. Therefore, Indonesia’s geopolitical strategy today is shaped not only by bilateral relations but also by its ability to engage in multilateral frameworks and international forums.

2. Indonesia’s Role in ASEAN during the Prabowo Era
ASEAN remains a central pillar of Indonesia’s foreign policy. As a founding and leading member of ASEAN, Indonesia bears both a moral and political responsibility to maintain the cohesion of this regional organization. In the Prabowo era, Indonesia’s approach to ASEAN appears pragmatic yet still committed to regional collective values.

The Prabowo administration has demonstrated its commitment to ASEAN by participating in high-level meetings and voicing regional concerns, such as the peaceful resolution of the Myanmar crisis and the development of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. However, with increasing external pressures from powers like the United States and China influencing ASEAN dynamics, Indonesia must enhance its regional diplomatic capacity to keep ASEAN relevant and unified.

Another challenge within ASEAN is the growing divergence of interests among member states. Prabowo faces the task of maintaining Indonesia’s leadership in ASEAN without appearing dominant. A collective diplomatic approach and strengthened intra-ASEAN cooperation, especially in defense and food security, are key to preserving regional solidarity.

3. Emerging Global Powers and the Challenge of Neutrality
With the growing influence of emerging global powers such as China, Russia, and India, as well as the rise of cooperation blocs like BRICS, Indonesia faces a foreign policy dilemma. On one hand, Indonesia maintains strong economic ties with China, particularly in infrastructure and trade. On the other hand, Indonesia also maintains robust relations with Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, especially on issues of democracy, human rights, and regional security.

Prabowo, with his military background and experience in defense, is expected to balance these global relationships effectively. One of Prabowo’s strengths lies in his ability to establish strategic communication with various international actors. Indonesia’s active neutrality must be manifested through flexible diplomacy that is not merely symbolic but also substantive in safeguarding national interests.

Amid competition among major powers, Indonesia can play the role of a mediator or ‘bridge builder’ that facilitates dialogue and cooperation across blocs. This capability would strengthen Indonesia’s position as a respected middle power on the global stage.

4. Indonesia’s Strategic Opportunities
Indonesia has numerous strategic opportunities to seize in the new global era. As a maritime nation, Indonesia possesses vast potential in maritime security, international trade, and global logistics. The Prabowo administration must strengthen maritime infrastructure, enhance naval military capacity, and develop strategic port areas as part of its foreign policy agenda.

Initiatives such as the “Global Maritime Fulcrum” can be revived with a more pragmatic and realistic approach, focusing on improving regional connectivity and engaging in economic forums like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Additionally, Indonesia has the opportunity to expand its economic diplomacy. The Prabowo administration can synergize foreign policy with trade policy to attract foreign investment and expand export markets. In the defense sector, Indonesia can also strengthen cooperation with strategic partners for military technology development and increased domestic production capacity.

Conclusion
The Prabowo Subianto administration faces considerable challenges in navigating an increasingly complex global geopolitical map. Amid ongoing shifts in global power dynamics, Indonesia must maintain a balance between its involvement in emerging global power structures and its commitment to ASEAN. Flexible, strategic, and interest-based diplomacy is essential to the success of Indonesia’s foreign policy.

As the largest democracy in Southeast Asia and an emerging economy, Indonesia holds significant potential to play a more prominent role in the global order. Prabowo must ensure that every foreign policy decision aligns with the nation’s long-term interests, preserves regional stability, and enhances Indonesia’s position as a strategic actor in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Donald Trump isn’t visiting Israel during his Middle East tour because he knows Netanyahu is bluffing and has nothing to offer him, says Israeli political analyst Akiva Eldar. He believes Trump’s snub marks the end of an era in US-Israel relations. #AJOPINION

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A belated Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there.

Sometimes it appears a dark cloud is constantly following a player, sort of like Joe Btfsplk or is just hapless where nothing ever seems to go right, like Charlie Brown. or there’s just doom and gloom whenever they are around, like Eeyore.

The first time I remember it is during the 1988 season, when it seemed for a couple of months that this would happen in every at-bat by Jeff Hamilton: fastball down the middle, taken for strike one; fastball down the middle, takes for strike two; curveball in the dirt, swung on and missed, strike three.

This season, that player for the Dodgers is Michael Conforto.

We haven’t talked much about Conforto, so let’s do a little background on him.

Conforto was born March 1, 1993 in Seattle. He was a star at Oregon State and was taken by the New York Mets in the first round (10th overall pick) of the 2014 draft. He reached the majors quickly, appearing in 56 games with the Mets in 2015. The Mets lost in the World Series that season, but Conforto became only the third player to play in the Little League World Series, College World Series and Major League World Series (the other two: Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek). His breakthrough season was 2017, when he hit .279/.384/.555 with 20 doubles and 27 homers in 444 plate appearances and made the All-Star team. His power numbers began to dip a bit, but were still solid (28 homers in 638 plate appearances in 2018, 33 in 648 plate appearances in 2019), but he was a solid major leaguer. Let’s take a look at his OPS+ each season:

2015: 130
2016: 95
2017: 148
2018: 122
2019: 127
2020: 154
2021: 100
2023: 100
2024: 116

You’ll notice 2022 is not represented. Before the 2021 season, Conforto turned down a $100-million contract extension. That turned out not to be wise. Conforto had an off year by his standards, hitting .232/.344/.384 with 14 homers in 479 plate apperances. He became a free agent after the season and signed with… no one. His agent, Scott Boras, said Conforto injured his shoulder while working out in January, 2022, had surgery and would not play at all that year.

In January 2023, Conforto signed a two-year, $36-million deal with the Giants. He hit .239/.334/.384 in 2023 with 14 doubles and 15 homers in 470 plate appearances and .237/.309/.450 last season with 27 doubles and 20 homers in 488 plate appearances. The Dodgers signed him for one-year, $17-million, and he started off well. After his first six games, he was hitting .368 with four doubles and a homer. Then, the roof caved in.

From April 4-May 9, Conforto was eight for 93, good for an .086 batting average. And he struck out 34 times. Because he also walked 15 times in that span, he scored 12 runs, which may be a record for a guy who went eight for 93.

Last week, Conforto talked to our Jack Harris and said, “This game will kick you down. It will kick you when you’re down. It can be cruel. So sometimes, you just have to lean on what you know you are as a player, and all the support you have around you … and keep going straight ahead, keep working. … I think we’re right on the edge of getting things back. There’s just been a few of them where, you hit it [well], you look up and there’s somebody there. It just seems to happen more when you’re not going right.”

Dave Roberts: “It’s still easy to bet on him because the head is still there, the work is still there. “He’s just got to keep taking good at-bats, and they’ll fall. A guy that’s been around for so long, I think he can handle this five weeks of adversity.”

The luxury of the Dodgers having such a good team is they can afford to give someone like Conforto a longer chance than most other teams could. James Outman could have taken some playing time from him, but Outman is one for 15 since returning from the minors, while Kiké Hernández and Chris Taylor haven’t exactly been candidates for the Silver Slugger this year either. Conforto has three hits in his last six at-bats. Not a sign that the slump is over, but a step in the right direction.

The Dodgers play the long game, which can be frustrating for fans. The Dodgers are very patient with players and have been for quite a while now. It should come as no surprise that they will give Conforto ample time to rediscover his offense. They have the best record in baseball and can afford to be patient.

By the way, Conforto’s mother, is Tracie Ruiz Conforto, who won gold medal in the solo and duet synchronized swimming event at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Good news…

Clayton Kershaw made what is hoped to be his final rehab start, pitching four innings while giving up two runs, two hits, two walks and striking out two for triple-A Oklahoma City. If all goes well, he will come off the IL and start against the Angels on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Tyler Glasnow has started playing catch again as he tries to return from shoulder inflammation.

… Bad news

Blake Snell was supposed to start throwing again Sunday, but did not because of discomfort in his pitching shoulder. Glasnow and Snell will be checked by doctors on Monday, but this isn’t a good sign for Snell.

Ouch!

Just imagine being a Rockies fan. They haven’t made the postseason since 2018 (when they were swept in the first round) and haven’t won a postseason game since 2009. They lost to the Padres on Saturday, 21-0. And Sunday they fired their manager, Bud Black, before they beat the Padres 9-3. That “improved” their record to 7-33, before they lost Monday to drop to 7-34, which means they are on pace to finish 28-134, which I’m guessing would not be a good enough record to sneak into the postseason as a wild-card team. Their GM, Bill Schmidt, blames a lot of it on injuries. But it can’t be too fun to be a fan of the Rockies lately.

Also, just as a reminder that the Dodgers aren’t the only team that struggles at times, the Padres bullpen has given up 29 runs in its last 16 innings, including six runs in the ninth inning at home against the Angels on Monday.

All-time leaders

The Dodgers’ all-time leaders in OPS+, minimum 1,000 plate appearances

Franchise
1. Dan Brouthers, 172
2. Gary Sheffield, 160
2. Mike Piazza, 160
4. Freddie Freeman, 157
4. Jack Fournier, 157
6. Reggie Smith, 152
7. Pedro Guerrero, 149
8. Lefty O’Doul, 145
9. Babe Herman, 144
9. Hanley Ramirez, 144
9. Jim Wynn, 144

Los Angeles only
1. Gary Sheffield, 160
1. Mike Piazza, 160
3. Freddie Freeman, 157
4. Reggie Smith, 152
5. Pedro Guerrero, 149
6 Hanley Ramirez, 144
6. Jim Wynn, 144
8. Mookie Betts, 143
9. Duke Snider, 136
10. Justin Turner, 133

Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you’d like to see Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

These names seem familiar

A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats.

Batters

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .221/.293/.382, 150 plate appearances, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 homers, 20 RBIs, 91 OPS+

Michael Busch, Cubs: .262/.360/.500, 150 PA’s, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 24 RBIs, 142 OPS+

Jason Heyward, Padres, .181/.225/.292, 81 PA’s, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 45 OPS+

Gavin Lux, Reds: .282/.377/.389, 151 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 18 RBIs, 111 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .274/.370/.395, 147 PA’s, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 16 RBIs, 121 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers, .130/.237/.230, 115 PA’s, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 37 OPS+

Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .292/.343/.377, 140 PA’s. 5 doubles, 2 homers, 14 RBIs, 106 OPS+

Corey Seager, Rangers: .300/.346/.520, 107 PA’s, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 148 OPS+

Justin Turner, Cubs: .155/.271/.155, 70 PA’s, 7 RBIs, 26 OPS+

Trea Turner, Phillies: .310/.371/.394, 170 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 homer, 14 RBIs, 118 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .215/.312/.319, 154 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 homer, 12 RBIs, 83 OPS+

Alex Verdugo, Braves: .241/.300/.325, 38 PA’s, 7 doubles, 7 RBIs, 76 OPS+

Pitching

Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-1, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 32 hits, 9 walks, 29 K’s, 96 ERA+, on the IL

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 1-5, 4.61 ERA, 41 IP, 37 hits, 14 walks, 35 K’s, 85 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 7 saves, 10 IP, 12 hits, 2 walks, 9 K’s, 80 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors on a rehab assignment

Kenta Maeda, Tigers: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K’s, 52 ERA+, released by Tigers

Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 2-4, 3.86 ERA, 44.1 IP, 42 hits, 16 walks, 38 K’s, 104 ERA+

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 0-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 21 hits, 10 walks, 20 K’s, 107 ERA+

Is there a player you’d like to see listed here? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

Up next

Tuesday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-0, 4.61 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 4-3, 1.80 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Athletics (TBD) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.72 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

How Freddie Freeman unleashed a hot streak at the plate with a single off Paul Skenes

Dodgers continue ‘to bet on’ Michael Conforto, but can he break unthinkable early slump?

Shaikin: Agent Nez Balelo ‘wouldn’t do anything different’ with Shohei Ohtani’s $700-million deal

Hernández: Shohei Ohtani pitching this season initially felt like a luxury. Now it’s a necessity

Are the Dodgers in a glass-half-full situation or glass-half-empty? | Dodgers Debate

And finally

From 1929, all-time Dodgers great Dazzy Vance talks pitching. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

SAN DIEGO — Taylor Ward hit a grand slam to cap a six-run ninth inning, and the Angels beat the San Diego Padres 9-5 on Monday night.

The Angels rallied against Robert Suarez, who had converted 18 consecutive save opportunities — including 15 this season. Alek Jacob replaced Suarez and struck out Jorge Soler before Ward delivered.

Suarez (0-1) yielded a one-out single before walking four straight batters, forcing in two runs. The right-hander gave up just one run in his first 18 appearances this year.

Zach Neto hit a two-run homer for the Angels in the third. But San Diego scored three runs in the bottom half.

Jackson Merrill hit an RBI single, and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi committed a throwing error on Xander Bogaerts’ comebacker, bringing home two more runs. Gavin Sheets then singled to left but Matthew Lugo threw Bogaerts out at home.

San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the fifth with his 10th homer, and a Bogaerts sacrifice fly made it 5-3 in the eighth.

Kikuchi gave up four runs — two earned — and seven hits in six innings. Brock Burke (4-0) pitched the eighth, and Kenley Jansen fanned two in a scoreless ninth.

King struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. He was charged with three runs — two earned — and four hits.

It was San Diego’s first home game this month after a 6-3 trip.

Key moment

Ward drove a 2-2 pitch deep to left for his fifth career grand slam.

Key stat

Suarez had never walked more than two in a game and had just four in his first 17 2/3 innings.

Up next

José Soriano (2-4, 4.00 ERA) starts Tuesday for the Angels against Dylan Cease (1-2, 4.91 ERA).