Reporting day accompanied by reports on Kershaw, Uriás, Romo, outfield and more
By Cary Osborne
We get right to it on the day Dodger pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training in Camelback Ranch.
Clayton Kershaw should pitch at least 200 innings. Julio Uriás won’t. Sergio Romo is officially a Dodger. Trayce Thompson is not on schedule to compete at the same level as his fellow outfielders when the entire team reports to camp. And nobody is making decisions about what the Opening Day outfield or starting rotation will look like right now.
Heck, Roberts had an opportunity to name Kershaw his Opening Day starter and didn’t — yet.
There are no lingering effects from Kershaw’s mild disc herniation in his lower back from last year. Kershaw missed nearly 2 1/2 months of big league action because of the injury. He threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and told True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen that he is focused on answering the bell every fifth day.
“This year, I want to make every start,” Kershaw told Stephen. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to make that next start. I’ll worry about the next years when I need to. If it costs me somewhere down the road, it does. But I’m here to make every start this year. I feel like that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Roberts said he expects the full Kershaw in 2017 and doesn’t anticipate a lighter workload for the Dodgers’ ace while he’s on the mound. However, the medical staff will help him better manage his workload on days off.
Roberts said he also anticipates Uriás competing like all the other starters in camp. However, there will be some extra care come the regular season. The 20-year-old pitched 127 2/3 innings between the minor leagues, the Major League regular season and postseason last year. His previous professional high was 87 2/3 innings in 2014.
“He’s not at the point of his development where he’s going to make 32, 33 starts and throw 200-plus innings,” Friedman said. “So exactly how we manage that and when is what we’ve spent some time talking about this winter, and we’ll continue to talk about it throughout the spring.
“We don’t really have a set innings number. It’s so individualized,” Friedman added. “But I feel confident saying the jump up to 200-plus and being strong throughout October is not viable for 2017. So the question is to how best manage it.”
As for Romo, it was reported by various outlets nearly two weeks ago that the Dodgers and the veteran reliever had reached an agreement. But the Dodgers made the announcement Wednesday and placed Yimi Garcia, who had Tommy John surgery on October 25, on the 60-day disabled list.
Roberts and Friedman said Romo isn’t necessarily the setup man for Kenley Jansen, and that all parties see a lot of flexibility in his usage. So he could be used in multiple roles.
“He obviously has a lot of October experience, a lot experience late in games, in pennant races,” Friedman said on why the Dodgers went after Romo. “He was someone who right vs. right was something attractive to us. And from our standpoint, he’s one of the best right on right guys out there.”
Right-handers had a .674 OPS against Romo last year and have a career .538 OPS against him.
The word on Hyun-Jin Ryu, recovering from September 28 elbow surgery, continues to be positive.
“All the reports have been extremely good,” Friedman said. “What that means, we’ll see. But he’s done everything he can this offseason to come into camp and reclaim his spot. We’re all excited to lay eyes on him.”
Thompson’s recovery from two small fractures in his lower back is ongoing. He is swinging a bat and running, but Roberts said he is “obviously a little behind.”
As for the rest of the outfield, who will play where and how much they will play, Roberts said there’s no reason to make a decision on February 15.
“To paint us in a corner right now it just doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t benefit anyone,” Roberts said.
