Daily Clips

July 25, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017

DODGERS.COM Bellinger's blast in 8th saves the day for LA- Rhett Bollinger and Ken Gurnick LA optimistic about Kershaw; timetable TBD- Ken Gurnick Bellinger gets curtain call amid MVP chants- Joshua Thornton Paredes, 30, gets the win in big league debut- Ken Gurnick Top 100 Prospects: A melting pot of mashers- Ken Gurnick Maeda returns to LA rotation to face Twins- Joshua Thornton Bartolo Colon pitched against Cody Bellinger 17 years after facing Cody's dad, Clay- Andrew Mearns LA adds Paredes, Ravin, options Thompson- Joshua Thornton Monday's best: Acuna does it all for Gwinnett- Mike Rosenbaum LA TIMES Bellinger homer gives 30-year-old rookie win in MLB debut- Bill Shaikin With Kershaw on the shelf, it's time for Dodgers management to make a bold move- Bill Plashcke Dodgers' Dave Roberts: “Every team in baseball would want Yu Darvish"- Bill Shaikin Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw may be out 4 to 6 weeks- Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Cody Bellinger’s eighth-inning home run lifts Dodgers to 6-4 victory over Twins- Bill Plunkett ESPN Rangers ready to move ace Yu Darvish in 'right deal'– Jerry Crasnick Bellinger three-run homer leads Dodgers past Twins, 6-4- Associated Press TRUE BLUE LA Leo Crawford pitches 8 strong innings for win– Craig Minami Cody Bellinger’s big blast lifts the Dodgers over the Twins- Ryan Walton Dodgers make a flurry of roster moves before the opener- Ryan Walton Dodgers set to face Bartolo Colon and the Twins- Ryan Walton Dodgers Week 16: Upsetting the apple cart- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Bellinger makes Dodgers’ game No. 100 a special No. 1 for Paredes- Rowan Kavner Lower back strain, but no disk issue, for Kershaw- Rowan Kavner Kershaw, McCarthy to DL; Ryu reinstated among handful of moves- Rowan Kavner CBS SPORTS Back injury will reportedly sideline Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw for 4-6 weeks- Mike Axisa WASHINGTON POST Dodgers will be fine without Clayton Kershaw for four to six weeks, but they’ll need him in October- Dave Sheinin Clayton Kershaw’s injury shouldn’t derail the Dodgers’ World Series aspirations- Neil Greenberg NBC LA Dodgers' Season Flashes Before Their Eyes as Clayton Kershaw Exits Game With Back Injury, LA Wins in Extras – Michael Duarte

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017

DODGERS.COM Bellinger's blast in 8th saves the day for LA By Rhett Bollinger and Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Monday night showed they haven't forgotten how to win after a Clayton Kershaw injury, as rookie Cody Bellinger slugged a clutch three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6-4 comeback victory in their Interleague series opener at Dodger Stadium. Bellinger's one-out homer to center off Taylor Rogers was his 28th, tying Jose Abreu for second-most after 80 MLB games (Rudy York had 30 from 1934-37). The win extended the Dodgers' MLB record of winning 47 consecutive games in which they led at any point. The Dodgers' 69 wins in the first 100 games are the second-most in the National League since 1969 (Cincinnati had 70 in '70). This was the Dodgers' 26th comeback win and sixth when they trail after seven innings. "These numbers -- when we have a lead, we win. When we're behind, we don't quit, we find a way to win and play to the last out," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "As long as there's outs on the board, we believe we can win. It was a team win." Edward Paredes, a 30-year-old reliever making his MLB debut after 12 Minor League seasons, was credited with the victory after turning in a 1-2-3 eighth. Kenley Jansen, who blew his first save of the year Sunday, pitched around a ninth-inning walk to secure his 25th save. Getting a lift the day their ace went on the disabled list indefinitely with another back injury, the Dodgers strung back-to-back homers by Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson, a triple by Yasiel Puig and a tiebreaking RBI single by Chris Taylor in a three-run fifth inning off Twins 44-year-old starter Bartolo Colon. "I don't think we were worried about a hangover," Roberts said. "Obviously, we feel for Kersh and he's down, but there's nothing we can do. We have to get him back, which we will, but we had to win a ballgame, which we did. I didn't expect a hangover and there wasn't." Hyun-Jin Ryu came off the disabled list for the start for the Dodgers and allowed two runs on RBI doubles by Eddie Rosario and Jason Castro in five innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Rosario homered and doubled twice to drive in three runs on the night. "It was a good ballgame except for the ending," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We pitched well enough, we had some really good at-bats. Taylor Rogers has been great all year and leads the American League in holds, but you hate to see that happen on an 0-2 pitch. It's a tough loss when we played as well as we did."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Seager cuts down Grossman: With two outs in the fourth, Castro laced a line drive down the left-field line, easily scoring Rosario, whose RBI double put the Twins on the board. Robbie Grossman tried to score from first, getting waved in by third-base coach Gene Glynn, but he was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from Taylor and shortstop Corey Seager. Grossman, who performed a hook slide, believed he beat the tag with his left hand, and the play was challenged by the Twins, but the call was confirmed by review. "It was a close call at home," Molitor said. "If they would've called him safe, they probably couldn't have turned it the other way." #Puigyourgoldglove: After he sped to a triple and scored a go-ahead run in the top of the fifth inning, Puig ran down Brian Dozier's bid for extra bases on the right-field warning track to prevent the Twins from taking the lead in the top of the sixth. QUOTABLE "We saw it early. There's no panic. He hits right-handed pitching, left-handed pitching. He doesn't scare off in the moment." -- Roberts, on Bellinger SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Twins fell to .500 for the first time since April 28, when they were 11-11. They had won nine straight games when in danger of falling back to .500. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Jose Berrios (9-3, 3.50 ERA) is set to start for the Twins in the second game of the series against the Dodgers on Tuesday at 9:10 p.m. CT. Berrios is coming off a solid start, limiting the Yankees to one run over 6 2/3 innings. Dodgers: Kenta Maeda starts Tuesday night's 7:10 p.m. PT game against the Twins. Maeda is subbing for Brandon McCarthy, who was placed on the disabled list with a finger blister. Maeda has been the floater in what was a six-man rotation before injuries to McCarthy and Kershaw. LA optimistic about Kershaw; timetable TBD By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts painted the most optimistic picture possible of the back injury that put ace Clayton Kershaw on the 10-day disabled list on Monday. Roberts said scans revealed Kershaw has a lower back strain, not a recurrence of the disk herniation that sidelined him for 2 1/2 months last year. Roberts also hedged on a reported return of four to six weeks, saying any timetable would be "unfair to Clayton," but added that a return this year "is a very safe bet." "A timetable has kind of been put out there, but we don't know," said Roberts. "With Clayton and his desire and medicine, anything can happen. We're very reluctant to put any type of timetable on it. It's unfair to Clayton as far as speculating and trying to project."

After a pregame conference with Kershaw, the club medical staff and front office, Roberts said it was too soon to know how long Kershaw will be sidelined. "Over the course of the next week we'll see how he feels and how the body reacts to medication," Roberts said. "As everything takes, we'll know more. Right now, he's on a slow program." Roberts said he wasn't sure whether Kershaw's turn in the rotation initially would be filled with a bullpen effort led by long reliever Brock Stewart, who took batting practice with the starting pitchers on Monday, or a Minor League callup. Roberts delicately handled a question about acquiring a replacement via trade, while front-office executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi were not available for comment. "Every team in baseball would want Yu Darvish. That's easy," Roberts said. "I just can't speculate. It's a fact we'd be better with him, as would 29 other teams. If it happens or not, we're going to keep winning baseball games." Closer Kenley Jansen was asked if he thought a rumored acquisition of the Texas right-hander was a good idea, considering the circumstances. "That's not my job to do that," Jansen said. "Why not? I would say why not, but that's not my job. We have a great team." Last year, Kershaw was injured in late June. The club quickly acquired right-handed starter Bud Norris and a month later added left-handed starter Rich Hill. And unlike last year, the Dodgers don't have a Julio Urias ready to step in. Urias is out for a year after shoulder surgery. Walker Buehler, the next great Minor League hope, is not nearly as advanced as Urias was a year ago. Buehler, 22, is ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect. and the No. 13 prospect in all of baseball. While Roberts was guarded with details on Kershaw's condition, he stressed that this injury is different than last year's and that the decision for Kershaw to forego surgery last year "was the right one." It would be hard to look at Kershaw's body of work this year and argue. Kershaw leads baseball in wins (15), ERA (2.04), innings (141 1/3) and hasn't lost since May 1. Similarly, Kershaw was 11-1 with a 1.57 ERA going into a June 26 start last year when he was injured. Again, the original working assumption for Kershaw's return was four to six weeks, but he had a setback during the rehab and was out until a Sept. 9 start in Miami, when he allowed two runs in three innings. He opened the game against Atlanta on Sunday with an eight-pitch first inning. He said he felt great until warming up for the second, pitching through discomfort to finish the inning. But anyone with a bad back knows how unpredictable, and debilitating, they are. Kershaw only needs to look around the clubhouse, where Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez are serving extended periods on the DL with herniated disks. When Kershaw was injured last year, the Dodgers trailed by eight games. When he returned, they had a four-game lead. This time, the Dodgers are up by 10 1/2 games.

"Knowing the way we responded and the way we played in his absence makes it a little bit easier pill to swallow, I guess, but you don't want him not taking the ball every fifth day," said Justin Turner. "But we've talked about the depth the front office has created and how guys step up. That's what we expect to do." Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB) The consensus No. 1 pitcher in fantasy, Kershaw (2.04 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 10.7 K/9 rate) will leave a major void in lineups during his time on the DL. Without a waiver-wire option who can approach the left-hander's outstanding production, owners should analyze their league standings before choosing a replacement. Those who need to make up ground in the strikeout department should see if Charlie Morton, Trevor Bauer or Trevor Cahill are available, while owners who are protecting their ratios should opt for a reliever like Archie Bradley, Brad Hand or Pat Neshek. Bellinger gets curtain call amid MVP chants By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger yelled, frustrated moments after he fouled a 78-mph curveball from Twins lefty Taylor Rogers down the right-field line, upset that he missed a chance at a home run. "It was a good pitch to hit and I pulled off it," Bellinger said after the Dodgers' 6-4 win on Monday. "I was kind of mad at myself." What made Bellinger more furious are the hours he's spent with teammate Justin Turner every day before games working on elevating curveballs and making solid contact. Rogers made the mistake of serving Bellinger with another curveball, and this time Bellinger didn't miss, depositing Taylor's offering 403 feet to center for a game-sealing homer in the eighth. Bellinger is accustomed to coming through in the clutch in pressure situations, with 17 of his 28 home runs coming in the seventh inning or later. Monday was also the third time Bellinger gave the Dodgers a lead with an eighth-inning homer. "There's no panic," manager Dave Roberts said. "He hits right-handed pitching, left-handed pitching. He doesn't scare off in the moment. It seems like every night he seems to do something. This team -- whether it's Cody or anybody else -- when we need the big hit it seems like somebody always comes through." The 22-year-old tied White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu for second most homers through their first 80 career games, trailing Rudy York, who hit 30 in 80 games spread over four seasons from 1934-37. Bellinger's latest homer was met with cheers, as usual, but this time demanded a curtain call as the 47,754 at Dodger Stadium rained down "MVP" chants. "I didn't hear it at the time," Bellinger said. "Kikè [Hernandez] told me to go, I was kind of confused. I heard it after that, though, so it was pretty cool."

To Roberts, it's a little early to think about postseason awards. "I know he's having a heck of a year," Roberts said. "I can't look at the comparables to potential candidates, we have a long way to go. But each night, again, he's doing some good things." Paredes, 30, gets the win in big league debut By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Edward Paredes has been a Minor League lifer, so when Triple-A pitching coach Matt Herges told him Sunday night that he had been called up to the Major Leagues for the first time, how did Paredes react? "I didn't believe it," he said. "I asked, 'Are you sure?'" Not only did the 30-year-old Paredes become a Dodger on Monday, he made his Major League debut with a 1-2-3 eighth inning and, thanks to Cody Bellinger's dramatic three-run homer, earned his first Major League victory in the Dodgers' 6-4 win over the Twins. Paredes is the first Dodgers left-handed reliever to win his MLB debut since Pete Richert April 12, 1962. "First of all I want to thank God. It's been 11 long years to get to this point," said Paredes. "I want to thank my family, my wife. I'm glad I have the opportunity to show the world what I can do. I'm proud of myself. Sometimes you put obstacles in front of you and the best you can do you can do what you set out to do." The Dodgers took Paredes in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings. He had just signed with the Detroit Tigers while he was having an impressive Winter League season for Escogido in his native Dominican Republic. He got the call Sunday after the Dodgers spent their bullpen cleaning up eight innings after Clayton Kershaw's two-inning start. "It's a great story," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "With our club there are so many great stories." Paredes had a 0.00 ERA in six appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City after being promoted July 7 from Double-A Tulsa, where he was 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 24 games. He pitched in four games during Spring Training for the Dodgers and had a real rough go, allowing eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings for a 43.20 ERA. Bellinger (with 28 home runs) and Paredes couldn't be more different as rookies, but the former was happy for the latter. "Awesome, he's had a long road in the Minors," Bellinger said. "Faced him last year in Double-A, got me out almost every time, I swear to God. I'm glad he's up here and glad he got the win."

Top 100 Prospects: A melting pot of mashers By Jonathan Mayo A year ago at this time, Alex Bregman of the Astros had ascended to the top spot on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list. He had just been called up to the big leagues, and he graduated off the list before the season was over. Fast forward to the official re-rank of the Top 100 in 2017. This time, it's a familiar face in the top spot: Yoan Moncada. But much like Bregman in '16, the fact that Moncada is holding on to the No. 1 slot in the Top 100 is overshadowed a bit by having been called up to the White Sox for the first time. One has to think he's going to follow a Bregman-esque path and play his way off of this list before the year is over. Moncada, who began the year as the No. 2 prospect and took over at No. 1 when Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi graduated, tops a list with many changes, risers and fallers, and new faces. Behind Moncada in the top 10 of the new list are just three holdovers from the preseason list: The Mets' Amed Rosario (2), Gleyber Torres (3) of the Yankees and the Nationals' Victor Robles (5). One theme at the very top is youth. At age 22, Moncada is the elder statesman. Rosario is 21 and the next eight are 20 or younger. There are a pair of teenagers now in the top 10: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays and Ronald Acuna of the Braves. 1. Yoan Moncada, 2B, White Sox 2. Amed Rosario, SS, Mets 3. Gleyber Torres, INF, Yankees 4. Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox 5. Victor Robles, OF, Nationals 6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays 7. Eloy Jimenez, OF, White Sox 8. Ronald Acuna, OF, Braves 9. Brendan Rodgers, SS/2B, Rockies 10. Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros The list is also very, as they say in the industry, "hitterish." The top 11 on the new list are all position players. That hasn't happened in the history of MLB.com lists. Nor has it occurred going through old Baseball America lists from before MLB.com did rankings, dating back to 1990. If you detect an international flavor at the top as well, you're not wrong. The top 8 on this midseason Top 100 were all international signees: five from the Dominican Republic, two from Venezuela and one from Cuba. The first U.S.-born draftees are at Nos. 9 and 10, with Brendan Rodgers and Kyle Tucker not only representing Florida high school bats, but also being top five picks from the 2015 Draft. Again going back to 1990, nothing close to that has happened. Back in 1997, BA ranked Andruw Jones and Vladimir Guerrero in the top two spots, the only time two international prospects have sat in those positions before this re-rank.

There's so much more to peruse on this list and on all of the team Top 30 Prospects lists and Top 10 by positions lists, all freshly re-ranked. In addition, 2017 draftees and signees from the 2017-18 international signing period appear on our rankings for the first time. Top farm systems We've been using our Prospect Points system for some time now, not as a true guide of which organizations have the best overall farm systems (keep an eye out for a new Top 10 farm system rankings soon), but to give a sense of who has the potential to have the most impact talent. Assign 100 points to the No. 1 prospect (Moncada), 99 to the No. 2 (Rosario) and so on down the line to one point for the No. 100 prospect (Tigers pitcher Beau Burrows). The Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox lead all organizations, each with 527 Prospect Points. The Braves have nine Top 100 players, more than any other team, while the White Sox have eight. The Rays (296) come in behind the leaders, with seven prospects in the Top 100. The Padres (276), Astros (268) and Dodgers (268) round out the top six. The Padres are also next with six representatives in the Top 100, tied with the Dodgers, Phillies and Yankees. The Astros, Reds and Brewers have five prospects each. There are three teams (the Royals, Angels and Marlins) who don't have a prospect in the Top 100. On the move There are some serious risers on this revamped Top 100, starting in that top 10 with Acuna, who's risen levels in the Braves system almost as rapidly as he's climbed this list. The center fielder who represented the Braves in the Futures Game this year has gone from the Class A Advanced Florida State League up to Triple-A this season, all at age 19. He wasn't on the preseason version of this list, though he was a very early addition, and is now all the way up at No. 8. In terms of others debuting on this list, meaning they weren't on the preseason Top 100, following Acuna are: 30. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays (+71) 42. Juan Soto, OF, Nationals (+59) 46. Franklin Perez, RHP, Astros (+55) 52. Sixto Sanchez, RHP, Phillies (+49) 53. Jack Flaherty, RHP, Cardinals (+48) There were some big leaps among those who did appear on that preseason list as well. The top 5 leaps: 13. Walker Buehler, RHP, Dodgers (+80) 43. Cal Quantrill, RHP, Padres (+54) 50. Chance Sisco, C, Orioles (+49) 40. Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros (+44) 38. Mike Soroka, RHP, Braves (+40) A total of 19 players on the preseason list who are still eligible prospects did not make the cut for this new Top 100. Recently traded Tyler O'Neill was No. 36 on the list at the start of the season and narrowly missed the Top 100 this time around. Braxton Garrett (No. 43) of the Marlins, the Yankees' Jorge Mateo

(47), the Astros' David Paulino (54) and Yohander Mendez (56) of the Rangers round out the five highest-ranked players to fall off the list. The five biggest fallers still on the Top 100 are: 99. Jose De Leon, RHP, Rays (-66) 64. J.P. Crawford, SS, Phillies (-57) 61. Lucas Giolito, RHP, White Sox (-49) 70. Corey Ray, OF, Brewers (-40) 62. Anderson Espinoza, RHP, Padres (-37) The graduates A number of players, starting with the No. 1 prospect on the preseason list (Benintendi), have graduated off the list. MLBPipeline uses rookie status as the determining factor, so if a prospect surpasses 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or more than 45 days on the active Major League roster during the 25-player limit period, he comes off. To date, 17 members of the preseason Top 100 have graduated: Andrew Benintendi, Dansby Swanson, Tyler Glasnow, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge highlight the graduates from the top 100 prospects list 1. Andrew Benintendi, OF, Red Sox 4. Dansby Swanson, SS, Braves 9. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates 13. Cody Bellinger, OF/1B, Dodgers 20. Francis Martes, RHP, Astros 22. Bradley Zimmer, OF, Indians 23. Manuel Margot, OF, Padres 27. Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates 28. Ian Happ, OF/2B, Cubs 30. Josh Hader, LHP, Brewers 42. Hunter Renfroe, OF, Padres 44. Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Rockies 45. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees 66. Amir Garrett, LHP, Reds 73. German Marquez, RHP, Rockies 87. Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds 90. Raimel Tapia, OF, Rockies Feeling the Draft Trying to get a sense of where the most recent Draft class figures into the midseason Top 100 is always a challenge. In this year's edition, we've added 11 from the 2017 Draft's first round: 21. Hunter Greene, RHP, Reds (No. 2 overall pick) 23. Brendan McKay, 1B, Rays (No. 4 overall pick) 29. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Padres (No. 3) 31. Royce Lewis, OF, Twins (No. 1)

35. Kyle Wright, RHP, Braves (No. 5) 75. Pavin Smith, 1B, D-backs (No. 7) 78. Alex Faedo, RHP, Tigers (No. 18) 86. Jeren Kendall, OF, Dodgers (No. 23) 87. J.B. Bukauskus, RHP, Astros (No. 15) 88. Shane Baz, RHP, Pirates (No. 12) 97. Keston Hiura, 2B/OF, Brewers (No. 9) Inside position With the run of hitters at the top of the list, it's not too surprising to learn position players had the overall edge on the Top 100, with 56 making it, compared to 44 pitchers. Breaking down specifically, right-handed pitchers, as usual, led the way with 35. There are nine lefties on the list and, using primary positions, outfielders lead the way among hitters with 24. They are followed by shortstops, with 11 representatives. There are six second basemen, six third basemen, five first basemen and four catchers. Maeda returns to LA rotation to face Twins By Joshua Thornton With right-hander Brandon McCarthy on the 10-day disabled list because of finger blister issues, righty Kenta Maeda will start for the Dodgers against the Twins and Jose Berrios on Tuesday. Maeda has been solid for the Dodgers in his last 13 games, going 7-2 with one save, posting a 3.09 ERA while holding batters to a .227 average and striking out 61 against just 17 walks. Berrios, who will be making his first career start against the Dodgers, is 2-2 in his last five outings, logging a 5.26 ERA. Berrios has shined when tested with runners on base, allowing one of the 10 lowest rates of "productive contact" (barrels, solid contact and/or flares and burners) among qualified starting pitchers on batted balls hit with runners in scoring position this season (min. 25 batted balls). Things to know about this game • Maeda, as a starter, has held opponents to a .219 batting average on the first pitch of at-bats this season, which ranks sixth of 122 qualified starting pitchers in the Majors. • Berrios has recorded 29 of his 47 strikeouts (61.7 percent) with his curveball vs. right-handed batters this season. • In three Interleague starts this season, Maeda has gone 3-0 with a 1.06 ERA and has held opponents to a .217 average.

Bartolo Colon pitched against Cody Bellinger 17 years after facing Cody's dad, Clay By Andrew Mearns Bartolo Colon has been a presence in baseball since 1997. Distinguished careers have started and ended, all while the burly right-hander kept pitching. The amusing byproduct of spending 20 years in the Majors, however, is that the next generation is now around to face Colon. For example, take Cody Bellinger. On Monday night at Dodger Stadium, Colon took the mound for the Twins and faced the up-and-coming star in the second inning. He triumphed by inducing a fly ball to left field: Hey, if Colon can get Aaron Judge out, then he has the ability to retire Bellinger, too, even at age 44. Colon retired him again in his second at-bat on a fly ball to right field. He departed with a no-decision after five innings of three-run ball, though Bellinger had the last laugh, as his three-run homer in the eighth led the Dodgers to a 6-4 win. It wasn't the first time Colon battled a Bellinger, either. Back on Sept. 18, 2000, he spun an absolute gem against the Yankees, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finishing with a sterling 13 strikeouts in a one-hit shutout. One of the unlucky Yankees to face him that night was Clay Bellinger, who went 0-for-2 against Colon, just as his son fared 17 years later. Two other father/son combinations have faced Colon -- Prince and Cecil Fielder, and Eric Young Jr. and Sr. Both Twins manager Paul Molitor and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had experience at the plate against Colon, as well. These facts are a true testament to Colon's impressive longevity. Give yourself a hand, Bart. LA adds Paredes, Ravin, options Thompson By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES --- The Dodgers on Monday recalled right-handed reliever Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City, selected the contract of OKC lefty Edward Paredes, activated lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu from the 10-day disabled list, optioned Trayce Thompson to OKC and placed pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Brandon McCarthy on the DL. Ravin, 29, joins the Dodgers for the third time. He struck out two in two innings vs. the Reds on June 17 in his lone appearance this season. He is 3-0 with two saves and a 4.66 ERA in the Minors this year. Paredes has never appeared in the Major Leagues. The 30-year-old went a combined 1-2 with one save and a 2.23 ERA in 30 games between OKC and Double-A Tulsa. Ryu got Monday's start against the Twins, after missing 17 games because of a left foot contusion. Kershaw is sidelined with a lower back strain, while McCarthy continues to deal with finger blisters on his throwing hand.

Manager Dave Roberts did not have a timetable for Kershaw's return but said the team and the medical staff will meet with the ace to discuss scenarios. The southpaw missed 10 weeks last season dealing with a herniated disk, but Roberts feels confident Kershaw will be back this season. The Dodgers also did not have a timetable for McCarthy's return. McCarthy had a recurrence of the blister injury during a start against the Cardinals on June 1, when he exited after four innings. The injury popped up again against the Braves on Thursday. "We've managed it," Roberts said about McCarthy's blister. "We've drained it after each of the last three, four, five starts to try to nip it. I think that it was a decision we made and feel good about. So when he's ready to come back when the blister's right, he'll be back inserted." Monday's best: Acuna does it all for Gwinnett By Mike Rosenbaum In many ways, Monday belonged to Ronald Acuna. Acuna made the largest jump of any player in MLB Pipeline's freshly revamped Top 100 Prospects list, going from No. 86 all the way up to No. 8, as well as from No. 7 to No. 1 on the Braves' new Top 30 list. On the field, the 19-year-old outfielder celebrated his new ranking by going 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs to lead Triple-A Gwinnett in a 9-3 win over Lehigh Valley. It was his fifth four-hit game this season, and his first at the Triple-A level. With the big performance, Acuna broke out of a mini-slump that had seen him hit just .154 (4-for-26) with two extra-base hits over his previous eight games for the G-Braves. Acuna started the scoring for Gwinnett with an RBI single in the first inning, plating fellow Top 100 prospect Ozzie Albies (No. 19), who had doubled to lead off the game. He tallied another single in his next trip to the plate and then flew out in the fourth inning before going deep in the sixth, when he drove the ball over the wall in right-center field for his third Triple-A homer. In Acuna's final at-bat, he used his speed to leg out an infield single for his fourth hit. Acuna has been unstoppable in his first fully healthy campaign, as Monday's multihit performance lifted his slash line to .310/.364/.512. The home run, meanwhile, was his 15th this season in 97 games across three levels, and, overall, he's accrued 41 extra-base hits and 34 steals. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Monday • No. 29 overall prospect MacKenzie Gore (Padres' No. 1) struck out six of the nine batters he faced, while allowing one hit over 2 2/3 innings in Rookie-level Arizona League action. It was the second career start for the 2017 No. 3 overall Draft pick, who tossed two scoreless innings of one-hit ball in his professional debut on July 17.

• No. 41 overall prospect Dominic Smith (Mets' No. 2) stayed hot for Triple-A Las Vegas, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over Memphis. The homer was the 15th this season for the 22-year-old first baseman, while the three-hit performance improved his average to .337 through 100 games. • No. 52 overall prospect Sixto Sanchez (Phillies' No. 2) went the distance in a rain-shortened shutout for Class A Lakewood. Behind a fastball that hit 102 mph in the outing, the 18-year-old right-hander allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five over five innings before the skies opened up. He's been outstanding in his first full season, posting a 2.64 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and a 59-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61 1/3 innings (12 starts). What's more, he's held opposing hitters to a .199 clip while allowing just one home run. • No. 59 overall prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres' No. 4) was at it again on Monday as he connected on a solo homer, stole a base and scored a pair of runs in a 2-for-4 performance for Class A Fort Wayne. The 18-year-old shortstop is slashing .272/.369/.504 in his full-season debut, with 17 home runs and 22 steals in 95 games. • No. 86 overall prospect Jeren Kendall (Dodgers' No. 5) went 3-for-5 and fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle in Rookie-level Ogden's win against Helena. Kendall's home run, a three-run shot in the fifth inning, was the first of his career, as was his double, while the three-hit effort gives the 2017 first-rounder (No. 23 overall) a .455 average through his first five games as a professional. • Making his second rehab start in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, No. 99 overall prospect Jose De Leon (Rays' No. 7) recorded eight of his 12 outs via the strikeout, while allowing one hit and one walk over four scoreless innings. He's worked seven scoreless frames between the two outings, the first of which saw the 24-year-old righty toss three perfect frames. • A's No. 9 prospect Grant Holmes completed seven innings for the third time in his last five starts for Double-A Midland. The 21-year-old right-hander did not allow a run in the performance, as he scattered three hits and struck out five while generating another nine outs on the ground and throwing 54 of his 84 pitches for strikes. He owns a 4.54 ERA this season, with 107 strikeouts in 109 innings (22 appearances, 17 starts). • Though known more for his defensive prowess, A's No. 10 prospect Nick Allen flashed some power in the Rookie-level Arizona League as he connected on his first pro homer, a leadoff shot to open the game. It was his only hit in four at-bats. The 18-year-old shortstop was thought to be a tough sign heading into the Draft -- or at least until the A's selected him in the third round and offered him $2 million, more than double slot value for the No. 81 overall pick. • Indians' No. 21 prospect Logan Ice was perfect at the plate for Class A Lake County, going 4-for-4 with solo homer and two RBIs as the Captains edged Clinton, 8-6. It was the first career four-hit performance and eighth home run this season for the 22-year-old catcher, whom the Indians selected with the No. 72 overall pick in the 2016 Draft. • Padres' No. 12 prospect Franchy Cordero connected on a pair of home runs in a 4-for-6 performance to help power the Triple-A El Paso past Omaha, 14-6. He finished with four RBIs and three runs scored. Despite his scuffles over several stints with the Padres this season, the 22-year-old outfielder continues to put up strong numbers in Triple-A, with a .321 average and 12 home runs in 58 games.

• Padres' No. 13 prospect Enyel De Los Santos fired seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out eight, to improve to 8-4 in 18 starts for Double-A San Antonio. The 21-year-old right-hander has allowed three or fewer earned runs in eight straight starts, during which he's gone 5-1 with a 2.51 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. • Reds' No. 24 prospect Jose Siri extended his hitting streak to 30 games with a 2-for-4 showing for Class A Dayton. He's one of three players in Midwest League history to record a streak of that length. He also swiped a bag in the contest, his 29th in 40 attempts this season. Overall, the 22-year-old outfielder is hitting .293/.337/.517 with 40 extra-base hits, including 16 home runs.

LA TIMES

Bellinger homer gives 30-year-old rookie win in MLB debut By Bill Shaikin The chants were not sustained, but they were loud, and they were joyous. “M-V-P,” the Dodger Stadium crowd chanted. On the day the Dodgers put the last player to win a most-valuable-player award for them on the disabled list, the kid who rescued their summer did it again. On the first day of life without Clayton Kershaw, rookie Cody Bellinger put the Dodgers on his shoulders. With the Dodgers five outs from a defeat, Bellinger hit his 28th home run, a three-run shot that powered the team to a 6-4 victory Monday over the Minnesota Twins. The crowd chanted for a curtain call. Bellinger obliged, with a nudge from Enrique Hernandez. “They don’t do that very often in L.A.,” Hernandez said. And does it really make sense that a 22-year-old who started the season in the minor leagues should be in the MVP conversation? “It doesn’t make sense to me why they don’t talk about it more often,” Hernandez said. “People talk about how the MVP should come from a winning team. We’re a winning team, and he’s been our X factor.” And, really, Bellinger might not have even had the best story on this night. The winning pitcher was Edward Paredes, making his major league debut at 30, in his 12th professional season. Paredes posed for pictures at his locker afterward, holding a game ball and wearing a wide smile. He said he heard the announcement that it was his debut. “Other than that, I didn’t hear anything,” he said through an interpreter. With Kershaw on the shelf, it's time for Dodgers management to make a bold move

Paredes played in the independent Atlantic League for three years, a fact that belies the national label that the Dodgers’ success is all about the money. The Dodgers acquired Paredes in December, in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The price? $24,000. It is difficult to imagine that the Dodgers could lose Kershaw and still not list starting pitching as their greatest need on the eve of the trade deadline, but it might well be true. Manager Dave Roberts told The Times last week that he had no preference as to whether the Dodgers should trade for a starter or a setup man, but he did have one request. “Wipeout lefty,” Roberts said. The Dodgers had nursed Hyun-Jun Ryu through five innings, and they had taken a 3-2 lead. The Twins had left-handed batters lined up for the sixth, so the Dodgers turned to left-hander Grant Dayton. The first left-handed batter, Eddie Rosario, hit a home run, tying the score 3-3. The second left-handed batter doubled. That made the eighth inning one of the most intriguing. Paredes, a left-hander, said he did not believe it when his minor league pitching coach told him he was getting called up. “Now I have the opportunity to show the world what I can do,” he said. Paredes retired three batters in order. He got the victory when Bellinger, who has worked with Justin Turner on recognizing and hitting breaking balls, got a hanging breaking ball from Taylor Rogers and crushed it, one pitch after getting a hanging breaking ball from Rogers, pulling it foul and showing frustration. “Fortunately for us,” Roberts said, “he threw the same pitch.” With Kershaw on the shelf, it's time for Dodgers management to make a bold move By Bill Plaschke With his best player hurting and the future of this special season teetering, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts initially claimed Monday that he was not going to lobby management to make a move to prop up Clayton Kershaw’s aching back. “I can’t put the pressure on, I’m not going to put the pressure on,’’ he said. But, then, boy, did he put the pressure on. I had posed a question about a possible trade. The question did not include the name of a certain Texas Rangers pitcher who could be on the market before Monday’s trade deadline. Yet Robert brought up the name himself. “Every team in baseball would like Yu Darvish,’’ he said during his pregame news conference. “Whether it happens or not, I just can’t speculate. It’s a fact we would be better with him, as would 29 other teams. If it happens or not, we’re still going to keep winning baseball games.’’

Roberts couldn’t have been any more clear if he had stuck his head out of the Dodger Stadium dugout, stared up into fifth-floor office windows and shouted, “Help!’ He wants it to happen. He wants something to happen. The feisty leader who epitomizes the Dodgers hustle and work ethic is unabashedly hoping that Kershaw’s strained back will lead baseball boss Andrew Friedman to acquire more pitching. I’m with him. I’m with the idea that, after this hard-charging group of players has spent four months carving out what could be the greatest season in Los Angeles Dodgers history, management needs to finish the job. They can’t let Kershaw’s back blow this. They can’t count on his return carrying this. They can’t believe that their team’s marvelous depth is deep enough for this. They’re going to have to be willing to dig deep into their crop of minor-league prospects to fix this, and it’s going to hurt, but it won’t be nearly as painful as watching an October crushed under the weight of a potentially unsteady star. When Kershaw walked off the Dodger Stadium mound Sunday, the future of their joyous season dramatically changed. Their brilliant blueprint blew up. The magic paused. The nausea hit. “Any time when something happens to Kersh, you’re going to feel sick in your stomach, that’s how I feel, I guarantee all the other people feel the same thing too,’’ said reliever Kenley Jansen. Even though the team can roll through the rest of the regular season and easily win the division without Kershaw — they pretty much did that last year — everything now changes for the playoffs. This is Kershaw’s second back injury in two years, and it is happening later than last season, which could very likely allow him fewer September recovery starts. Even if he is strong enough to go into the playoffs as their ace, the Dodgers need to account for the fact that he could be a very different kind of ace. This won’t be a guy who can easily be asked to pitch on three days’ rest in October as in past years. And this is not a guy who can be expected to average 105 pitches in each start as he did in his first two starts in the division series against the Washington Nationals last year. Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw may be out 4 to 6 weeks Kershaw will need more help in the rotation, thus all the talk about acquiring Darvish, the Rangers’ rental ace. The Rangers are still in the American League wild-card race and may decide to keep him. It might be hard to find another one like him. But Friedman has the money and brainpower and prospects to make it happen. Kershaw also will need a stronger arm in the bullpen, a left-hander who can shorten the game for him and others while setting up Jansen. This is a clearer fix. There are several options available, from the Baltimore Orioles’ Zach Britton to the Detroit Tigers’ Justin Wilson to the San Diego Padres’ Brad Hand. Yes, that’s two arms as insurance for one. But that arm is the best pitcher on the planet, and it will take a lot to compensate for even the slightest diminishing of the Dodgers cornerstone.

“You see Kersh walking out, and he’s pitching today, and you know guaranteed it’s 100% a win,’’ said Jansen, whose team is 19-2 in games in which Kershaw pitches. “Every time you go out there you feel like it’s 100% win even though it might not be. To lose a guy like that is awful.’’ Dodgers fans surely agree, but they are predictably taking sides on how to fix this. Some think the team would be foolishly shortsighted to part with valued prospects such as outfielder Alex Verdugo, pitcher Walker Buehler, second baseman Willie Calhoun and pitcher Yadier Alvarez. After all, if the Dodgers did this sort of thing in recent years, they might have traded away Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger. Others feel the Dodgers are finally at the stage where they need to push their chips to the middle of the table and go for it. They point to the Chicago Cubs, who traded three prospects last season for Aroldis Champan, then watched Chapman help them win a championship. “If not now, when?’’ Cubs’ baseball President Theo Epstein said last season after the trade in an infamous quote that symbolized a mission. I’m with Roberts. I’m with Epstein. If not now, when? It has been 29 years since the Dodgers’ last World Series appearance, and it has never before felt so real, so close, yet suddenly so fragile. Nearly every player on the roster is having some sort of dream season, but you wonder how long those dreams can last. Kershaw could be a free agent after next season. Rich Hill is 37. Jansen will be 30 soon. Justin Turner will be 33 next year. Several players are having career years. The bullpen works. Yasiel Puig fits. It’s all so right, but for how long? To waste this season for fear of messing up the future would just be wrong. For every Seager, there is a Julio Urias, a greatly protected prospect whose future is now uncertain. For every Bellinger, there is a Jose De Leon or Jharel Cotton, the last two great prospects traded by Friedman and Zaidi. De Leon suffers from shoulder issues and has pitched in one game this season for the Tampa Bay Rays. Cotton has pitched in 14 games for the Oakland Athletics with a 5.17 ERA and disabling blisters. While Jansen acknowledged it would be a nice ‘’luxury’’ to pick up a player like Darvish, he said, “We know we have a great team, we believe in this team, we can do the job to win the World Series with no changes.’’ That could be true. But do the Dodgers really want to keep climbing on Clayton Kershaw’s back to find out?

Dodgers' Dave Roberts: “Every team in baseball would want Yu Darvish" By Bill Shaikin On the first day of an indefinite number of days without Clayton Kershaw, the manager of the Dodgers volunteered the name of a pitcher the team might do well to acquire. Kershaw is expected to sit out four to six weeks because of what the team called a lower-back strain, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Dodgers did not release an official timetable for Kershaw’s rehabilitation, and team executives do not plan to discuss the issue publicly until Tuesday. Three players largely dodged questions about whether the Dodgers front office needed to trade for reinforcements. But manager Dave Roberts, the man designated to speak for the organization, did not. Roberts was asked whether he would pressure the front office to add a player. The question did not name a player, but his answer did. “I can’t put the pressure on,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to put the pressure on. “Every team in baseball would want Yu Darvish. That’s easy. Whether it happens or not, I just can’t speculate. It’s a fact we would be better with him, as would 29 other teams. If it happens or not, we’re still going to keep winning baseball games.” The Dodgers are interested in acquiring Darvish, who could be the best starter on the trade market. The Texas Rangers have yet to commit to trading him and, if they do, they reportedly would want two of the Dodgers’ top four prospects. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said “it’s not my job” to say how the front office should respond to Kershaw’s injury and directed questions to Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers president of baseball operations, and general manager Farhan Zaidi. Neither executive was available to speak Monday, team spokesman Joe Jareck said. “Everybody wants to drive, one day, a Ferrari. Why not, if you get a guy like Yu Darvish?” Jansen said. “But it’s not our decision. We believe in this team. We know we’ve got a great team that can do the job and win a World Series.” Still, Jansen said, he felt uncomfortable when he learned of Kershaw’s condition. “Anytime when something happens to Kersh, you’re going to feel sick in your stomach,” Jansen said. “That’s how I feel. I guarantee all the other people feel the same thing too.” Kershaw sat out 10 weeks last season because of a herniated disk in his lower back. Roberts said he is confident Kershaw would return this season because a scan had confirmed this year’s injury does not involve the disk, which the manager said “was our biggest concern.” If Kershaw were to sit out six weeks, he would return in the first week of September. If he were to sit out 10 weeks, the regular season would be over, making it unlikely Kershaw could have any effect in the postseason, if he could build up his arm to pitch at all.

“You look at the calendar, and you’re talking about a strain, I think that him making an impact on our club this year is a very safe bet,” Roberts said. “Hopefully, by the time he comes back, we still have a chance to get to where we want to get to,” catcher Yasmani Grandal said. “We’ll see what happens this year. Obviously, we’ve put ourselves in a really good spot. The Dodgers were eight games out of first place in the National League West when Kershaw was injured last year. They had an eight-game lead when they clinched the division Sept. 25, and they have a 10 1/2-game lead entering play Monday. “Knowing the way we responded and the way we played last year in his absence makes it a little bit easier pill to swallow, I guess,” third baseman Justin Turner said, “but you don’t ever not want him to take the ball every fifth day.” The Dodgers officially put Kershaw and Brandon McCarthy (blister) on the disabled list Monday and optioned outfielder Trayce Thompson to triple-A Oklahoma City. They activated pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu to start Monday and called up relievers Edward Paredes and Josh Ravin from Oklahoma City. Reliever Brock Stewart took batting practice with the starters Monday; he could take what would have been Kershaw’s next turn. Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw may be out 4 to 6 weeks By Andy McCullough The initial prognosis for Clayton Kershaw’s time on the disabled list is four to six weeks, according to people familiar with the situation. The Dodgers have not determined a definitive timetable for his return. The team is expected to provide more information before Monday’s game against Minnesota. Kershaw exited Sunday’s game against Atlanta with tightness in his lower back. He was expected to undergo further testing in the evening. Kershaw missed 10 weeks in 2016 with a herniated disk. Fox Sports first reported the initial prognosis. Kershaw (15-2, 2.04 earned-run average) would be on track to return by the end of August or early September. He had not missed a start this season before the injury.

OC REGISTER

Cody Bellinger’s eighth-inning home run lifts Dodgers to 6-4 victory over Twins By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES — If Sunday wasn’t indication enough, Monday made it clear. Life will go on for the Dodgers without Clayton Kershaw.

Since losing their ace to a back injury early in Sunday’s game, the Dodgers rallied to claim a dramatic victory for the second consecutive game. They needed 10 innings to reclaim a lost lead to beat the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon. They just needed Cody Bellinger on Monday. His three-run home run in the eighth inning brought them from behind and gave the Dodgers a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The win was the Dodgers’ 69th in their first 100 games this season. Only three teams since the 1969 expansion – only one in the National League (the 1970 Cincinnati Reds) – have won more. “One day at a time,” Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said of the ace-less life ahead. “That’s what’s so great about this team. We just keep competing. That’s all that we have to think about. Don’t give away any pitches. Don’t give away any at-bats.” It almost looked like Bellinger had given away his chance to be a hero in the pivotal eighth-inning at-bat. With the Dodgers trailing 4-3, Chris Taylor and Justin Turner set the stage for Bellinger with singles off Twins reliever Taylor Rogers. “We saw it early – there’s no panic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Bellinger. “He hits good pitching – left-handed, right-handed – and he doesn’t scare off in the moment.” The left-handed Rogers threw Bellinger three curveballs. Bellinger swung and missed the first one. He crushed the second one, sending it high – and foul – down the right-field line. Bellinger reacted quickly, spinning away from home plate in frustration. “Rogers is a really good pitcher, a left-on-left guy,” Roberts said. “He hung a breaker and Cody felt that was a pitch he should have handled and kept it in play. He got out in front of it a little too much. “Fortunately for us, he threw the same pitch.” Rogers went to the well again and Bellinger was on his third curveball. This time, he stayed in the middle of the field – where there are no troublesome poles, only a wall. Bellinger drove the 0-and-2 curveball out to straightaway center field. “I just tried to put a good swing on it,” Bellinger said. “In that situation, I was just looking for a single. It probably didn’t look like that on the other swing. But we were only down one (run). I was just thinking single.” Bellinger faces a long future of facing lefty specialists in the major leagues. One he remembers facing in Double-A last season benefitted from his heroics Monday. Bellinger’s home run made a winner of Edward Paredes in his major-league debut. The journeyman reliever spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues with four organizations before making his major-league debut with a scoreless top of the eighth against the Twins. “It’s been a long 11 years,” Paredes said through an interpreter before thanking God and family. “It was quite a surprise (when he got the call about finally being promoted).”

Paredes was one of three pitchers added to the Dodgers roster Monday as Kershaw and Brandon McCarthy went on the DL. Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu came off the injured list and turned in what has become the frequent template for a non-Kershaw start this season – five innings and two runs allowed. It was the 45th time in 100 games this season that a Dodgers starter lasted five innings or fewer. And it was the 71st time their starting pitcher allowed two earned runs or fewer. Ryu left with a 3-2 lead after the Dodgers realized just how little Twins right-hander Bartolo Colon has left at age 44. Making his second start for the Twins after being released by the Braves, Colon held the Dodgers scoreless through four innings, throwing 47 pitches in that time. Five of them registered as changeups (between 80 and 82 mph). The rest were fastballs, though none traveled more than 91 mph. That’s the entire Colon repertoire at this point and the Dodgers caught on in the fifth inning. Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson hit back-to-back home runs and Yasiel Puig followed with a triple. Taylor drove him in with a two-out RBI single. The lead didn’t last. Grant Dayton replaced Ryu in the sixth inning and retired just one of the four batters he faced. Eddie Rosario tied the game with a solo home run. Only an outstanding running catch by Puig on Brian Dozier’s bases-loaded drive to the right field corner prevented further damage. Instead, Josh Fields did the damage in the seventh inning. He hit Miguel Sano with a pitch. Two batters later, Rosario was a problem for the Dodgers again. He hit a sinking line drive to left field that bounced high over Taylor’s head for an RBI double. That gave the Twins a 4-3 lead heading into the eighth inning. But the Dodgers have now scored 107 runs in the eighth inning of games or later. “These numbers – when we have a lead, we win games. And when we’re behind, we don’t quit,” Roberts said. “We find a way to win and play to the last out. As long as there’s outs on the board, we don’t quit.”

ESPN Rangers ready to move ace Yu Darvish in 'right deal' By Jerry Crasnick The Texas Rangers are ready to move ace pitcher Yu Darvish. All it will take is someone to meet their asking price. Sources told ESPN that Rangers general manager Jon Daniels began calling potential suitors Monday and telling them the team is open to trading Darvish for the "right deal." If no team offers a return package to the Rangers' liking, Daniels has informed clubs that Texas will hold on to Darvish and continue to make a push in the American League wild-card race.

The latest development appears to be the Rangers' most declarative statement yet on Darvish, who instantly becomes the prize catch of the trade deadline. After 4 p.m. ET next Monday, trades become considerably more challenging to complete because players must first clear waivers. Yu Darvish is 6-8 with a 3.44 ERA in 21 starts this year and ranks fourth in the American League with 143 strikeouts. Duane Burleson/Getty Images Darvish, 30, is a four-time All-Star over five seasons with the Rangers. He's 6-8 with a 3.44 ERA in 21 starts this year and ranks fourth in the American League in strikeouts (143), seventh in WHIP (1.12) and ninth in wins above replacement (2.5). Darvish is scheduled to oppose Jose Urena of the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in his final start before the deadline. The Rangers' postseason prospects improved slightly with a weekend sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, leading to speculation that Daniels was learning toward keeping Darvish at the deadline. But after a 4-0 loss to the Marlins on Monday, the Rangers are 48-51 and tied with the Baltimore Orioles for seventh in the wild-card race, 3½ games behind the Kansas City Royals. FanGraphs gives them a 16.5 percent chance to make the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Dodgers, Astros, Yankees, Cubs and several other contenders have dispatched scouts to watch Darvish in his recent outings. It's unclear at this point whether Clayton Kershaw's expected absence for four to six weeks with a back injury has made the Dodgers more motivated to acquire a front-line starter. The Washington Nationals are also dealing with some uncertainty in their rotation after Stephen Strasburg left his latest start after two innings because of forearm stiffness. Darvish will be eligible for free agency in November. So a trade partner would have to decide if it's willing to part with an elite prospect -- or prospects -- to potentially only have Darvish in its rotation for August, September and the postseason. Oakland's Sonny Gray, the other top starter on the market, is under team control until after the 2019 season. But some potential suitors are concerned about Gray's recent injury history. Gray threw only 117 innings in 2016 because of forearm issues and began this season on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle. Bellinger three-run homer leads Dodgers past Twins, 6-4 By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- They are two rookies on very different career paths, but Cody Bellinger and Edward Paredes worked together beautifully Monday night to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. With the Dodgers down by a run in the eighth, it was Bellinger -- cool as ever for someone who started the season as a 21 year old -- who eased into the pressure moment and delivered the big blow, a three-run homer on an 0-2 pitch.

"We saw it early -- there's no panic," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He doesn't scare off in the moment. It seems like he does something every night." The homer made a winner of Paredes, who is a rookie of a very different sort. Parades was making his major league debut at age 30 after 12 seasons in the minors. He threw a clean eighth inning to earn the win. "It's been a long road for him," Roberts said. "And for him to finally make his major league debut at Dodger Stadium with a win, I know he and his family are thrilled. The guys were excited." Taylor Rogers (5-2) gave up singles to Chris Taylor and Justin Turner before Bellinger launched his 28th home run of the season, second in the National League behind Miami's Giancarlo Stanton's 32. "It's the big leagues, a hitter like that, you make a mistake, that is what happens," Rogers said. "I thought it was off the end (off the bat) a little bit, to be honest." Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to earn his 25th save in the Dodgers' first game since losing ace Clayton Kershaw for an undetermined time with a back injury. Bartolo Colon, 44, made his second start for the Twins and threw four scoreless innings until running into trouble in the fifth. The Dodgers also got back-to-back solo home runs from Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson, a triple from Yasiel Puig and a run-scoring single from Chris Taylor, one of his three hits. "Once the fifth inning came, that's when I ran out of gas," Colon said. "I couldn't have a feel for anything." PUIG DEFENSE The Twins had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth when Brian Dozier drilled a ball into the right-field corner. Puig initially looked like he could not get to the ball but put on a burst of speed to make a tremendous catch just before the fence. "He makes a two-out, bases-loaded catch," Roberts said. "That's three runs right there." ROSARIO GETS OFFENSIVE Minnesota left-fielder Eddie Rosario had a big offensive night, driving in three runs with a solo homer and two doubles, the latter which gave the Twins a 4-3 lead. And was left feeling down. "I feel bad," Rosario said. "I have a good game, but I don't care right now. I want to win the game, that's it for me." RYU RETURNS

Hyun-Jin Ryu had not pitched since June 28, out for almost a month with a bruised foot. He did not throw any rehab games before returning to start Monday, instead just throwing a couple of simulated games. Still, he went five innings Monday, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He threw pitches. "I thought he threw the ball great," Roberts said. TRAINER'S ROOM Twins: Right-handed reliever Justin Haley, who hasn't pitched for the Twins since going on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, cleared waivers. The Rule 5 pick was returned to the Red Sox. . Third baseman Miguel Sano was hit on the hand by a pitch in the seventh but remained in the game. Dodgers: Two-thirds of their rotation, left-hander Kershaw (strained lower back) and right-hander Brandon McCarthy (blister), were placed on the 10-day disabled list. The Dodgers would not put a timetable on the return of Kershaw, who strained the back pitching Sunday. UP NEXT Twins: Right-hander Jose Berrios (9-3, 3.50 ERA) is scheduled to make his 14th start of the season but first career start against the Dodgers on Tuesday. Has eight quality starts. Dodgers: Right-hander Kenta Maeda (8-4, 4.23), who has bounced in and out of the rotation the past two months, is scheduled to make his 16 start. He needs to be a mainstay with Kershaw and McCarthy down. He has never faced the Twins but is 3-0 with a 1.06 ERA this season in three interleague starts.

TRUE BLUE LA Leo Crawford pitches 8 strong innings for win By Craig Minami Wins for Tulsa, Great Lakes, Ogden, AZL Dodgers and DSL Dodgers1, Rancho Cucamonga was shutout and DSL Dodgers2 was rained out. Player of the day Leo Crawford has had some good and not so good outings for the Loons but on Monday, he pitched a great game. He went eight innings, allowed a run and struck out six to collect the win. Triple-A Oklahoma City Oklahoma City was off on Monday. They return home to begin a series against the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers beat the Springfield Cardinals 6-4 with Dennis Santana making his Texas League debut. Santana got the win after pitching five innings and giving up two runs, four hits and two walks. He also struck out six. Darien Tubbs had three hits, Matt Beaty hit his 11th home run and had two RBI. Errol Robinson and Peter O’Brien each had two hits. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes returned home and were shutdown and lost 3-0 to the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies). Michael Boyle, Sven Schueller and Dean Kremer each pitched three innings for the Quakes, Boyle gave up a run and took the loss. Kremer gave up two runs in the eighth. The Quakes only had three hits, DJ Peters, Omar Estevez and Johan Mieses collected them but got them in different innings. The Quakes struck out 12 times and they were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons won 2-1 over the Quad Cities River Bandits (Diamondbacks). Leo Crawford pitched a season-high eight innings for the win and Andre Scrubb recorded his first save. Crawford gave up a run, four hits and one walk. He also struck out six. In the first inning, Gavin Lux successfully stole third and a bad throw allowed him to score the first run. Quad Cities tied the game in the bottom of the first. A pair of 2017 draftees worked to score the winning run in the second inning. Catcher Connor Wong singled to lead off the inning and with one out, Zach Reks doubled in Wong. Rookie-Pioneer Ogden The Raptors were led by first round pick Jeren Kendell as they won 5-1 over the Helena Brewers. In the fifth inning, leading 1-0, the Raptors got the first two on and then Kendell hit a three-run homer to make it 4-0. Later Luis Paz hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. Kendell went 3-for-5 as he fell a triple short of a cycle. Patrick Duester struck out four and got the win. Rookie-AZL Dodgers AZL Dodgers defeated the AZL Padres2 6-1 on Monday. Four pitchers drafted in 2017 plus another who had pitched in the Dominican Summer League prior to coming to the AZL combined for the win. Riley Ottesen, Riley Richert, Marshall Kasowski and Mark Washington pitched the first eight innings, with Washington going two innings for the win. Luis Pasen, who had pitched for DSL Dodgers teams in 2016 and 2017, pitched the last two innings and struck out five. Preston Grand Pre tripled in two runs in the AZL Dodgers four-run seventh inning.

Transactions Triple-A: Los Angeles purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Edward Paredes from Oklahoma City; Los Angeles optioned outfielder Trayce Thompson to Oklahoma City; Los Angeles recalled right-handed pitcher Josh Ravin from Oklahoma City. Double-A: Tulsa sent outfielder Kyle Garlick on a rehab assignment to AZL Dodgers. Rookie: Shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena was sent to AZL Dodgers for a rehab assignment. Monday’s Scores Tulsa 6 , Springfield 4 Lancaster 3, Rancho Cucamonga 0 Great Lakes 2, Quad Cities 1 Ogden 5, Helena 1 AZL Dodgers 6, AZL Padres2 1 DSL Dodgers1 4, DSL Athletics 1 DSL Dodgers1 3, DSL Athletics 0 Tuesday’s Schedule 4:30 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Josh Sborz) at Springfield (Austin Gomber) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Scott Barlow) vs. Reno Aces [Diamondbacks] (Braden Shipley) 6:05 p.m.: Ogden (Gregorio Sequera) at Helena (Karsen Lindell) 7:00 p.m.: AZL Dodgers vs. AZL Brewers 7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Devin Smeltzer) vs. Lancaster (TBD) Cody Bellinger’s big blast lifts the Dodgers over the Twins By Ryan Walton Cody Bellinger carried his bat all the way down the first base line after he connected with an 0-2 pitch. That signature move could only mean that Bellinger hammered the ball out to dead center for a three-run homer to lift the Dodgers to a 6-4 win over the Twins. Bellinger’s 28th home run of the season provided the Dodgers with their 34th win in the last 40 games. The win was a special one for Edward Paredes who turns 31 in September. Paredes pitched a perfect eighth inning in his major league debut to earn his first victory after nine years in the minor leagues.

Hyun-jin Ryu lasted five innings in his first start since June 28 but had a hard time finishing off batters when he got to two strikes. The Twins took advantage with two outs in the fourth with two walks that sandwiched an Eddie Rosario RBI-double. Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the inning when Jason Castro clubbed a double down the left field line. The inning might have continued if not for the relay to the plate to get Robbie Grossman to end the inning. It was uphill battle all night for the Dodgers in what would end up being a back-and-forth affair. 44-year-old Bartolo Colon was stingy in the early going, holding the Dodgers scoreless through four innings. The Dodgers finally broke through in the fifth when Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson homered back-to-back off Bartolo Colon. Yasiel Puig followed with a triple and would later score on a Chris Taylor single. Rosario would continue his assault on Dodger pitching to get the Twins back in the lead with a solo homer in the sixth and another RBI-double — misplayed by Taylor — in the seventh. After the Dodgers took the lead, Jansen locked it down in the ninth for win number 69 in game 100 for the year. Up next The Twins will send Jose Berrios (9-3, 3.50) to the mound to square off with Kenta Maeda (8-4, 4.23). Monday particulars Home runs: Yasmani Grandal (14), Joc Pederson (10), Cody Bellinger (28), Eddie Rosario (11) WP - Edward Paredes (1-0): 1 IP LP - Taylor Rogers (5-2): 1 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 3 strikeouts SV - Kenley Jansen (25): 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout Dodgers make a flurry of roster moves before the opener By Ryan Walton The Dodgers made several changes to the active roster Monday, activating Hyun-jin Ryu and recalling relievers Josh Ravin and Edward Paredes. To make room, Clayton Kershaw and Brandon McCarthy were sent to the 10-day disabled list while Trayce Thompson was optioned. It’s not clear how long Kershaw or McCarthy will stay on the DL but McCarthy figures to be back shortly with a minor blister issue. The news earlier in the day had Kershaw missing at least four to six weeks. The team wouldn’t say that was the case and manager Dave Roberts said there would be more news to come after the front office met with team doctor, Robert Watkins.

Day-to-day certainly sounds much better than Kershaw being out for weeks at a time. There is no official timetable as of yet and Kershaw has been stubborn in the past about there being one at all. The two relievers being called upon makes the most sense in the world since the Dodgers don't need a fifth starter for over a week, not to mention two candidates — Ross Stripling and Brock Stewart — are already with the team. Ravin has 45 strikeouts against 13 walks in 29.0 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City to go along with a 4.66 ERA. Paredes has been effective this season with a 2.23 ERA in 30 games. Thompson has struggled all season long at the plate and was hitting just .116 (5-for-43) with the big club. Chris Taylor leads off again for the Dodgers and he has been their hottest hitter in July. In his last 18 games, Taylor is hitting a scorching .425 with 12 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. The Twins hottest hitter is Eddie Rosario who is 21-for-61 (.344) in July with eight doubles. The always dangerous Miguel Sano also lurks in the middle of the lineup with 23 homers and a .528 SLG. Dodgers set to face Bartolo Colon and the Twins By Ryan Walton The Dodgers will continue their 10-game homestand Monday when they welcome the Twins for a three-game set at Dodger Stadium. Even after the split with the Braves over the weekend, the Dodgers have still won 33 of their last 39 games and hold a commanding 10.5-game lead over the Rockies in the NL West. The Twins are one of seven teams above the .500 mark in the American League, keeping pace with the mediocrity that has bad teams thinking they can make the playoffs. At 49-48, the Twins are only one game out of the second wild card spot and just 2.5-games back of the Indians in the AL Central. The Twins rank near the bottom of the major leagues in ERA for both starters (4.92) and relievers (4.77) and it figures to not get any better Monday with Bartolo Colon (2-9, 8.19) on the mound. The 44-year-old is having thoughts of retirement after he has surrendered at least five runs in less than six innings in half of his 14 starts in 2017. The Dodgers will activate Hyun-jin Ryu to make his first start since June 28 when he took a ball off his left foot on a comebacker. The lefty started to settle in before landing on the disabled list, going 2-1 with a 3.64 ERA, walking only eight while striking out 36 in his previous eight games (seven starts). Interleague play has been a success so far for the Dodgers in 2017. The club has won nine of 12 games, including four of five at home.

Dodgers Week 16: Upsetting the apple cart By Eric Stephen The Dodgers’ magic carpet ride got quite bumpy last week. The club lost consecutive games for the first time in over a month, saw Kenley Jansen blow his first save of the year, and then saw the ace get hurt on Sunday. The club did win four of six games during the week, and here are the details. Batter of the week Chris Taylor has been on fire all July, but especially so since the All-Star break. Last week he was 13-for-24 (.542) with six extra-base hits. Pitcher of the week Clayton Kershaw pitched nine scoreless innings, but the week will be more remembered for him leaving Sunday with lower back tightness after just two innings. Week 16 results Record: 4-2 27 runs scored (4.50 per game) 25 runs allowed (4.17 per game) .535 pythagorean record Year to date Record: 68-31 506 runs scored (5.11 per game) 332 runs allowed (3.35 per game) .684 pythagorean record (68-31) Transactions Thursday: Relief pitcher Grant Dayton was activated off the disabled list, and Sergio Romo was designated for assignment. Saturday: Romo was traded with cash to the Rays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Game results Tuesday: Dodgers 1, White Sox 0 Wednesday: Dodgers 9, White Sox 1 (8) Thursday: Braves 6, Dodgers 3 Friday: Braves 12, Dodgers 3 Saturday: Dodgers 6, Braves 2

Sunday: Dodgers 5, Braves 4 (10) The week ahead The Dodgers run the Chili Davis gauntlet, continuing their homestand with three games against the Twins then, after a Thursday off day, three weekend games against the Giants. The rotation is very much in flux and the full week is an educated guess.

DODGER INSIDER

Bellinger makes Dodgers’ game No. 100 a special No. 1 for Paredes By Rowan Kavner It was only a year ago Cody Bellinger played against 30-year-old Edward Paredes in Double-A. Now, the former is an All-Star rookie, helping the latter to his first Major League win in his first Major League game. “With our club, there’s so many great stories,” said manager Dave Roberts. It’s hard to beat the story of Paredes, who played in his first Triple-A game in 2007. His first Major League game wouldn’t come for another decade, taking the ball in the eighth inning Sunday night in the Dodgers’ 100th game of the 2017 season. The 47,754 fans at Dodger Stadium greeted him with applause, but Paredes was too zoned in to notice. “I only heard when the announcer said I was making my Major League debut,” Paredes said through a translator. “Other than that, I didn’t hear anything.” When Paredes was told the news by his pitching coach he’d be heading to the big leagues, he didn’t believe it. His contract was purchased Monday among a plethora of moves, and it came as a surprise even to him. “It’s been 11 long years to get to this point,” Paredes said. He made the most of it. Paredes entered with the Dodgers trailing, 4–3, and proceeded to toss a perfect frame, with some help defensively from his corner infielders. One of them, Bellinger, remembered the pitcher he was playing behind well. “He got me out almost every time, swear to God,” Bellinger said. In six Double-A at-bats against Paredes in 2016, Bellinger went hitless with a walk. Bellinger after his go-ahead eighth inning home run. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Fast forward only a year, and they’re playing together in the Major Leagues, with Bellinger’s defensive play at first base and subsequent three-run, go-ahead home run in the bottom half of the inning putting Paredes in line to earn his first career win in his first career game. Bellinger nearly pulled a home run to right field earlier in the at-bat, and he was mad at himself for pulling off the same type of curveball he’d worked with Justin Turner on before the game. “Luckily, got another pitch to hit,” Bellinger said. He made Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers pay on an 0–2 pitch, sending his 28th home run of the year out to center field. With that hit, 13 of his 28 homers have come in the eighth inning or later. “He doesn’t scare off in the moment,” Roberts said. The hit the Dodgers up for their 26th comeback win of the year, as Paredes waited nervously to see if his first career win would hold up. Kenley Jansen ensured that would happen, closing out the game with his 25th save of the year. “It’s a great story,” Roberts said. “It’s been a long road for him.” Notes: · Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 2. It was the seventh time the Dodgers have gone back-to-back this year. · Chris Taylor went 3-for-4, vaulting into the top 15 in the Majors among qualified hitters in batting average (.318) and on-base percentage (.387) with his sixth multi-hit game in his last seven games and his 11th multi-hit game of the month. He’s now hitting .444/.459/.736 in July. · Hyun-Jin Ryu returned from the disabled list (foot) and allowed two runs in five innings. It’s the fourth straight start he’s thrown between 5–6 innings and allowed exactly two runs. · Don’t forget this play: Yasiel Puig, who entered with a top five UZR among National League outfielders (7.4) per FanGraphs, saved a potential extra-base hit with the bases loaded and two outs crashing into the wall in a 3–3 game in the sixth inning. · The Dodgers’ 69 wins in their first 100 games are the second most in the National League since 1969, trailing only the 1970 Reds’ mark of 70–30. · According to Elias, the Dodgers have won 47 straight games when leading at any point, the longest streak in Major League history.

Lower back strain, but no disk issue, for Kershaw By Rowan Kavner The pain the Dodgers felt Sunday watching their ace walk off the mound with back tightness was only mitigated by the lack of pain Clayton Kershaw felt down his leg. That suggested maybe this scenario differed from the herniated disk Kershaw dealt with in 2016, which caused him to go on the disabled list for six weeks from late June to early September, and further testing cemented that belief. Manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw’s disk was “intact” and “looks good,” and the ace is instead dealing with a lower back strain. While Roberts was reluctant to offer a specific timetable for return, the Dodger manager is confident Kershaw will be back on the mound before season’s end. “If you look at the calendar and you’re talking about a strain, him making an impact on our club this year is a very safe bet,” said Roberts, who added that, relative to the scan from last year, Kershaw’s in a much better spot. For now, Kershaw will be monitored day to day to see how he responds to medication and rest. “A timetable has kind of been put out there,” said Roberts, referring to the multiple reports listing the timetable for Kershaw’s injury at 4–6 weeks. “But we don’t know.” What Roberts does know is Kershaw will be back sometime this year. In the meantime, the Dodgers have built a sizable cushion for themselves with the best record in baseball (68–31), 10 ½ games ahead of the second-place Rockies as they get set to begin their series against the Twins. Justin Turner’s hope is that by September Kershaw will be ready to return in preparation for the playoffs. Last year, upon being activated Sept. 9, Kershaw proceeded to accumulate an 0.86 ERA in four September starts. “It’s a different circumstance,” Turner said. “Last year, I think we were down 10 games at the time. This year, we’re up 10. I think knowing the way we responded and the way we played last year in his absence makes it a little bit easier pill to swallow, I guess. But, like I said, you don’t ever want to not have him take the ball every fifth day.” Turner complimented the depth the Dodgers have, and they’ll need to tap into that with Kershaw out. They’re also now dealing with Brandon McCarthy (blister) on the DL. Roberts said the Dodgers haven’t decided on a fifth starter yet in their absence, but they could make it a combo bullpen day, look into the system to call someone up or potentially use Brock Stewart. That’s a decision that will be made in the coming days. “If you look at our ball club, we all feel for Clayton,” Roberts said. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing, obviously. Any time any of your players goes down by way of injury, yeah, it’s upsetting. But you look at our group and what’s in place, we’re going to keep winning baseball games.”

Roberts said Kershaw is disappointed and frustrated, knowing the work he put in to heal his back and be healthy throughout 2017. Kenley Jansen said it’s now about picking Kershaw up, just as the Dodgers did last year. “Any time something happens with Kersh, you’re going to feel sick to your stomach. That’s how I feel,” Jansen said. “You don’t want nothing to happen with him. Hopefully, he gets back healthy quick.” Kershaw, McCarthy to DL; Ryu reinstated among handful of moves By Rowan Kavner 07/24 Twins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. PT: Chris Taylor LF Corey Seager SS Justin Turner 3B Cody Bellinger 1B Logan Forsythe 2B Yasmani Grandal C Joc Pederson CF Yasiel Puig RF Hyun-Jin Ryu P LOS ANGELES — Both Clayton Kershaw (back) and Brandon McCarthy (blister) officially went to the 10-day disabled list Monday, as manager Dave Roberts said would happen after Kershaw left his start Sunday. Those were just a couple of a handful of Dodger moves, which also included the following: · LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list (foot) · OF Trayce Thompson was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City · RHP Josh Ravin was recalled from Oklahoma City · LHP Edward Paredes had his contract selected from Oklahoma City Roberts said Kershaw is dealing with a lower back strain, and while there’s no definitive timeline for his return, the good news is the scans revealed no issue with the disk in his back which kept him out last year. Because of that, Roberts is confident Kershaw will be pitching again for the Dodgers this year. Some reports have said Kershaw will miss 4–6 weeks, but for now, the Dodgers are taking it day by day. “Get it right. Get it rested,” Roberts said. “We know he’ll be back to help us some time this year, and hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.” The Dodgers also decided to put McCarthy on the DL to take care of a blister that’s been on his throwing hand for a while. McCarthy said it’s something he’s dealt with since the spring, and some starts have felt better than others.

Roberts also said he’s not sure when McCarthy’s return will be. “It’s just one of those things, we’ve managed it, we’ve drained it after each of the last three, four, five starts,” Roberts said. “To try to nip it, it was a decision we made and feel good about.” Ryu has been on the DL since July 4 with a left foot contusion, which occurred on a come-backer to the mound against Anaheim, but he has returned in time to make the start Monday as the Twins arrive at Dodger Stadium for the first time since 2005. The two teams have only played six games total Dodger Stadium, including three games in 1965 World Series. Ryu has never faced the Twins before. For Paredes, it’s the 30-year-old’s first career appearance on a Major League roster after posting a 2.23 ERA in 30 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa this year. In six games with Oklahoma City, he’s 1–0 while throwing 8 1/3 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts. This is Ravin’s third stint with the Dodgers this season, though he’s only made one appearance for the Dodgers this year, allowing one hit and striking out two in two scoreless innings. He has a 3–0 record with two saves and a 4.66 ERA in 24 games with Oklahoma City this year.

CBS SPORTS Back injury will reportedly sideline Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw for 4-6 weeks By Mike Axisa Although the Dodgers managed to beat the Braves on Sunday (LAD 5, ATL 4), it was a bad day for them overall. Staff ace Clayton Kershaw had to leave the game after two innings with lower back stiffness. He missed two months with back trouble last season, remember. The initial prognosis reportedly says the current back injury is expected to sideline Kershaw for 4-6 weeks, though he still has to see another doctor before the Dodgers know his timetable for certain. The Dodgers currently have baseball's best record at 68-31, which gives them a comfortable 10 1/2 game lead in the NL West. They're in position to give Kershaw as much time as he needs to get healthy. The Dodgers are focused on October now, not the regular season. Here, via SportsLine, is how much Kershaw missing five starts over the next 23 games projects to hurt the Dodgers: Amazingly, even with Kershaw sidelined the next 4-6 weeks, the Dodgers are still projected to continue playing at a 105-win pace. The rest of the roster is that good, and their organization is that deep with replacements in the minors. Kershaw, 29, is 15-2 so far this season, and he leads all of baseball in ERA (2.04), ERA+ (205), and innings (141 1/3). Last season he threw 149 innings with a 1.49 ERA (237 ERA+) around the back problems, then went on to make four starts and one relief appearance in the postseason.

The six-week timetable suggests Kershaw could return in early September, which would give him a full month to get stretched all the way back out to 100-plus pitches, plus shake off any rust. It also gives Kershaw and the Dodgers some breathing room in case it takes a little longer than expected to get 100 percent healthy. The Dodgers were reportedly looking for rotation depth at the trade deadline even before Kershaw's injury. With their staff ace sidelined, they figured to get a little more serious about looking for help despite that huge division lead.

WASHINGTON POST Dodgers will be fine without Clayton Kershaw for four to six weeks, but they’ll need him in October By Dave Sheinin The loss of ace Clayton Kershaw for a month or six weeks — the estimated time frame put forth on Monday in regards to the great lefty’s latest back injury — won’t torpedo the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2017 season. Their lead in the National League West, 10½ games over Colorado, is probably safe, as is their eight-game cushion over the Washington Nationals for the NL’s top seed. And you could even make a case that a well-rested Kershaw entering the postseason with 170 innings or so on his 2017 odometer — about how many he would have if he makes it back for four or five starts in September — is better for the Dodgers’ postseason hopes than a Kershaw sitting on 230-plus innings heading into the playoffs, as he did in 2013 and 2015. But the Dodgers are now deep enough into their season, and Kershaw is now deep enough into his career (10 years and 1,900 innings), that news (first reported by Fox Sports’s Ken Rosenthal) of another lengthy absence cannot simply be brushed off as carrying no significance whatsoever. Of immediate concern is the timeline for Kershaw’s return. If he’s back in only four weeks, that’s late-August, plenty of time for him to ramp his stamina back up and presumably be back to his old self by the start of the postseason. But if we’re talking about the outer edges of that estimate, six weeks, suddenly it’s a week or more into September. And if Kershaw — who was leading the NL in wins (15), ERA (2.04), innings (141 1/3) and ERA+ (205) at the time of his injury — has even the slightest setback, well, the Dodgers don’t even want to consider that. But part of a general manager’s job is to prepare for unforeseen developments, even catastrophic ones, and the fact Kershaw’s injury occurred a week before the July 31 trade deadline — as opposed to, say, a week after it — is good news for Dodgers boss Andrew Friedman. He has the leeway, if he wishes, to deal from the Dodgers’ deep farm system to acquire another front-line starter, such as Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers. The Dodgers were believed to be considering a high-end rotation addition even before Kershaw’s injury on Sunday. Though Alex Wood has been brilliant, and Hyun-Jin Ryu is due back from a foot injury in the coming days, they are without Julio Urias (shoulder) for the rest of the season, and Brandon McCarthy (blister) for the time being, reducing their rotation depth.

As for Kershaw’s long-term prognosis, as you may recall, last year he was sidelined with a herniated disc for what turned out to be 2½ months. He returned on Sept. 9, made five regular-season starts then helped pitch the Dodgers into the NLCS, where he turned in one great start and one mediocre start in a series loss to the Cubs. A second straight summer interrupted by a back injury is a disturbing trend for a pitcher who will be turning 30 before next Opening Day. Whether the new injury is totally unrelated to last year’s, or if this is the new normal for the consensus best pitcher on the planet, back injuries are notoriously tricky for athletes. Anyone who loves baseball, with the possible exception of the batters who must face him, hopes to see Kershaw back on a mound by the end of next month and pitching for the Dodgers this October, and gracing the game deep into the next decade. And Monday’s news alone is not reason enough to doubt either one. But the Dodgers’ short-term prognosis for Kershaw’s return, and Kershaw’s own long-term continued health, both rely on best-case scenarios going forward. And neither, at this point, can be considered sure things. Clayton Kershaw’s injury shouldn’t derail the Dodgers’ World Series aspirations By Neil Greenberg Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will likely miss the next four to six weeks of the regular season based on an initial diagnosis of his injured back. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday there is no timetable yet for his star’s return but was optimistic that “[Kershaw] will be back to help us at some time this year.” It’s never good to lose a starter such as Kershaw, but the Dodgers will be okay. They have the best record in the National League (68-31, tied for the fourth-most wins through 100 games since 1961) and through Monday were on pace to win 107 games, per FanGraphs. And yes, they are 19-2 when Kershaw starts, including 15 wins in a row, but the team deserves a lot of the credit in those wins. The Dodgers are outscoring opponents by 176 runs, a slight second in the majors this season to the Houston Astros, who boast a run differential of 178. In Kershaw’s starts, the Dodgers have provided 5.41 runs per nine innings in support, the 14th most in the NL this season among pitchers qualifying for the ERA title. That, combined with Kershaw’s major league-low 2.04 ERA, is enough to win a vast majority of his starts. But most pitchers in the NL would win a majority of their starts with that much run support. We can estimate a pitcher’s won-loss record using runs scored and allowed, also known as the Pythagorean win expectation, by the following formula: Using Kershaw’s regular-season numbers, we would expect a pitcher with a 2.04 ERA getting 5.41 runs of support to win 87.6 percent of his games, which equates to a record of 15-2 over 17 decisions, exactly

what Kershaw posted before his injury. The average NL starter with a 4.46 ERA would be expected to win 59.5 percent of his starts, or go 10-7, making Kershaw worth five wins over an average pitcher. But we are entering August, leaving Kershaw and the rest of the Dodgers starters with between 10 and 12 starts each for the rest of the season. If we go with the notion the Dodgers will give the rest of their starters the same run support as Kershaw — not far-fetched considering they provide 5.5 runs in support per nine innings to their starters — here are the won-loss records we can expect over 10 starts for a healthy Kershaw, an average starter on the Dodgers (3.75 ERA) and an average starter in the NL: Clayton Kershaw: 7-3 Average starter on the Dodgers: 5-5 Average starter in the NL: 5-5 That’s a two-win difference over the rest of the season for a team projected to win 106 games, 16 more than the Arizona Diamondbacks who are second in the NL West. It’s also possible the Dodgers decide to upgrade their pitching staff at the trade deadline. According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Dodgers were interested in Rangers ace Yu Darvish before Kershaw’s back injury and also have interest in Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com spoke to one major league general manager who thinks the Dodgers might land 27-year-old Sonny Gray from the Oakland Athletics. Of the three, only Darvish, with his 3.44 ERA, would be worth more than an average NL starter after accounting for Dodgers Stadium, winning 6 of 10 starts over the rest of the season. Verlander (4.50 ERA) and Gray (3.66 ERA) would each be expected to go 5-5. The loss of a starter, especially a seven-time all-star, three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 2014 National League Most Valuable Player, is a blow to any franchise, but the Dodgers aren’t in jeopardy of missing the playoffs by any means and should still be considered the favorite to win the 2017 World Series.

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Cody Bellinger's Game-Winning Home Run Keeps The Magic Going as Dodgers Rally Past Twins By Michael Duarte The oldest guy started it, and the youngest ended it. Los Angeles knocked around 44-year-old Bartolo Colon and Cody Bellinger hit a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth as the Dodgers came from behind for the 26th time this season to defeat the Minnesota Twins, 6-4, on Monday night at Chavez Ravine. Colon was making his second start for the Twins after he was released last month by the Atlanta Braves. Before the game, Colon mentioned to reporters that he might consider retiring depending on how his outing against the Dodgers went.

"I might have put some thought into it, it is what it is, but I will be pitching next year because I made a promise," Colon said about retirement. What was the promise you might ask? "I made a promise to my mom, that before she left this world, that I would pitch until I'm 45." Things started smoothly for the Dominican known as "Big Sexy," as he recorded four scoreless innings before getting beat around in the bottom of the fifth. Trailing 2-0, the Dodgers tied the game with back-to-back home runs by Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson off Colon. The back-to-back jacks were the seventh time the Dodgers have hit consecutive home runs this season, and the first since Corey Seager and Justin Turner went deep on July 1, in San Diego. Three batters later, Chris Taylor knocked in the go-ahead run with an RBI single, giving him his eighth multi-hit game in his last 10 appearances. The lead would be short-lived as Eddie Rosario continued to he a thorn in the Boys in Blue side. Rosario hit his 11th home run of the season, a no-doubt shot off Grant Dayton to left field that tied the game at 3-3. "I tried to hit it with good contact and go opposite field," Rosario said of the game-tying home run. "That’s everything.” One inning later, it was Rosario again who knocked in the go-ahead run as the Twins came from behind to take the lead. Rosario finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. "I feel bad," Rosario said after the loss. "I have a good game, but I don’t care right now. I want to win the game, that’s it for me." The Dodgers MLB record of 46 consecutive victories when taking a lead was in jeopardy with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but the Boy Wonder struck again, saving the day and the streak for Los Angeles. "He doesn't scare off in the moment," Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts said of his 22-year-old rookie. "He seems to to something every night. The whole team, really. When we need a big hit, somebody always comes through." Bellinger launched his team-leading 28th home run of the season to straightaway center field off left-hander Taylor Rogers for a three-run bomb that gave Los Angeles a 6-4 lead. "Everyday before the game, I've been working on hitting curveballs, elevating them," Bellinger said of the pitch he sent into orbit for the go-ahead home run. "I just tried to put a good swing on it, and luckily it went out."

One pitch before the home run, Bellinger sliced a 330-foot foul ball down the right field line and was visibly frustrated he had missed an opportunity. Thankfully, another one came on the next pitch. "Cody felt that was a pitch he should have handled, but he got in front of it too much," added Roberts. "Fortunately for us, he [Rogers] threw the game pitch." The "Belly Blast," as he likes to call it, was also Bellinger's third go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later this season, the second most in MLB behind Salvador Perez (5). "You have a little extra adrenaline because the game means a little more," Bellinger said of how he's been able to hit so many home runs in clutch situations this year. "I like the pressure situations. Sometimes there's more pressure on the pitcher, and they make more mistakes." After the home run, the crowd gave Bellinger a standing ovation and started chating, "MVP! MVP! MVP!" until the rookie came out of the dugout for a curtain call. "I didn't hear the chants at first, Kiké [Hernandez] had to tell me to go out [for a curtain call]," said Bellinger of the MVP chants. "I definitely heard it after I came out. It's pretty cool." One day after he blew his first save of the season, Kenley Jansen closed the door in the ninth for his 25th save, extending the Dodgers record to 47 consecutive games won when leading at any point. "They played the 'let's help the closer game' today," joked Jansen about having to warm up quickly to come in the game after Bellinger gave the Dodgers the lead and made it a save situation. "It was great. We're all having so much fun." Los Angeles has won 34 of their last 40 games, the best 40-game stretch since the Brooklyn Superbas in 1899. The game was also the 100th of the season for the Boys in Blue, and they reached the century mark with a record of 69-31, the second best record in the divisional era since the Cincinnati Reds went 70-30 in 1970. How's That For a Debut? After 11 long years in pro ball, including nine in the minor leagues, left-hander Edward Paredes earned the win in his MLB debut at the age of 30 when he pitched a scoreless eighth inning. "It's been 11 long years to get to this point. When they first told me, I didn't believe it. I asked them 'are you sure?'" Paredes said through a translator of the moment he found out he would be entering the game in a high-pressure situation to make his MLB debut. "In all seriousness, when they first announced my name [on the PA system] and said I was making my Major League debut, I didn't hear anything after that. It just goes to show, you can do whatever you set your mind to." He became the first Dodger pitcher to make his MLB debut after the age of 30 since Japanese import, Hiroki Kuroda did it in 2008.

"It's a great story and a long road for him," said Roberts. "To finally make his Major League debut in a Dodger uniform, everyone was thrilled." World Series Rematch: The Twins and Dodgers met in the 1965 World Series, which Los Angeles won in seven games. Ryu Back: Before the game, left-hander, Hyun-Jin Ryu was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list. The big Korean southpaw did not factor in the decision, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Up Next: Jose Berrios starts for the Twins on Tuesday night opposite Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10PM PST.