A busy Sunday in the Dodgers’ minor league system was headlined by another big day from Easton Shelton, who kept punishing California League pitching for Ontario.
The Ontario first baseman launched a three-run home run and also added two walks and a single. Shelton now leads the Cal League with 32 home runs, which is tied for second-most among all minor leaguers and 15 more than any other player in the league.
Ontario wasn’t the only affiliate piling up offense. Second baseman Javier Herrera helped fuel a Tower Buzzers outburst against the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) with a three-run home run of his own. Herrera also walked twice, singled, and scored three times.
At Triple-A Oklahoma City, three runs in the second inning were enough to back Christian Romero and four relievers in a shutout win over the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s). Noah Miller delivered the first run with an RBI single, and Romero handled five scoreless innings while striking out five.
It was a much cleaner outing after he had allowed 13 runs in 13 1/3 innings across his previous three starts. Ronan Kopp finished it off with the final four outs, including two strikeouts, to earn the save.
Double-A Tulsa had a very different kind of afternoon. The Drillers scored the first six runs, but the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) answered with the next nineteen in a lopsided win.
Josue De Paula stayed hot anyway, homering for the third time in two days and reaching 20 home runs on the season. With 28 stolen bases as well, it’s De Paula’s first 20-20 season.
Weather made a mess of things for High-A Great Lakes. The Loons finished a suspended game on Sunday, then had their scheduled seven-inning game against the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) suspended because of wet grounds.
Great Lakes was already down 7-0 after an inning and a half in the resumed game, and the final ended up a seven-run loss after each team added five more runs on Sunday. Logan Wagner homered and doubled in that one.
In the nightcap, Fort Wayne led 6-2 after four innings when play was stopped, and it remains unclear whether that game will be completed.
There were also a few notable transaction updates. Triple-A pitcher River Ryan was traded to the Tigers in the Tarik Skubal deal and will stay on the injured list, now with Toledo in the International League.
Charlie Barnes returned for his third stint with the Dodgers this season, signing a minor league deal and recording two outs in relief for Oklahoma City on Sunday. At Double-A, outfielder Zyhir Hope was traded to the Tigers and is now with Erie in the Eastern League.
Pitcher Roque Gutierrez was activated after five days on the temporary inactive list and allowed seven runs while recording two outs.
In Other News...
Freddie Freeman's Cubs Exit Just Added To A Dangerous Dodgers Problem
Freddie Freeman gave the Dodgers another reminder of how much he means to their lineup before leaving Tuesdays game against the Cubs in the fifth inning. Freeman had stretched his hitting streak to 15 games and is batting .310 this season, but the inning ended with Kik Hernndez taking over at first base after Freeman exited the game.
The larger concern is what came before the substitution, because Freeman appeared to feel something in his wrist on an awkward check swing before coming out. For a Dodgers team leaning heavily on his steady production, even a brief scare there adds another layer of tension to an offense that can least afford to lose his bat for any length of time. [Read more 🡒]
Blake Snell Just Gave Dodgers Fans A New Rotation Concern
Blake Snells latest rehab outing did not give the Dodgers the clean step forward they were hoping to see. In his fourth minor league start for Triple-A Oklahoma City against the Salt Lake Bees, the left-hander worked 3 2/3 innings, threw 73 pitches and finished with three strikeouts, but the outing came with more traffic than the club likely wanted as he continued building back toward a full workload.
The bigger concern is the way the start unfolded early, with a front-foot landing issue helping set the tone for a night that included two home runs and four walks. Los Angeles had hoped for Snell to reach five innings, and when a rehab start falls short of that mark, it adds another layer of uncertainty to a rotation picture that can ill afford extra questions. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have An October Problem Behind The Plate
Dalton Rushings emergence had given the Dodgers another layer of depth behind the plate, but that picture changed quickly when the rookie catcher landed on the 10-day injured list. Los Angeles has already had to reinforce the position by bringing in Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt, a reminder that catcher is suddenly becoming one of the teams more fragile spots as the season wears on.
Manager Dave Roberts said Rushing will keep hitting, but his throwing work has been halted for the foreseeable future, which complicates any hope of getting him back into game action soon. With Will Smith also a factor in the injury mix, the Dodgers are now navigating a situation that could leave them sorting through catchers deeper into the fall than they expected. [Read more 🡒]