GLENDALE, Ariz. >> Of the 10 starting pitchers with major-league experience in camp this spring, Hyun-Jin Ryu probably has the most to prove in order to figure in the Dodgers’ plans for 2017.
“Obviously because I only pitched one game in the past two years, there are some question marks around my name — just like 2013 when I first got to the Dodgers,” the Korean left-hander said through his interpreter Sunday. “There’s definitely things that I need to prove to the organization in order to make it into the starting rotation.”
Proving he is healthy after shoulder surgery in 2015 and elbow surgery last year is Ryu’s first hurdle. He has been throwing off a mound since spending most of January training in Japan and threw approximately 25 pitches in a live batting practice session Sunday at Camelback Ranch.
Scott Kazmir also threw to minor-league hitters during Sunday’s workout — an early point on the spring calendar for such a test but an indication that both left-handers have questions to answer about their places in the Dodgers’ pitching hierarchy.
“Compared to last spring, I feel different,” Ryu said. “I think it’s fair to say I’m confident with my body and my health.”
Ryu’s confidence is evident when he says he will “definitely want to be in the starting rotation from Day One and … I have a lot of confidence I can make it.”
But Ryu admits there were times during the past two years when “I might have doubted myself.” One of those times was last July when he made his only start of the past two years — a 4 2/3-inning struggle against the San Diego Padres. Shortly after that, Ryu was shut down again with pain in his elbow which eventually required surgery.
The Dodgers’ No. 3 starter in 2013 and 2014, Ryu went 28-15 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He returns to a much different starting rotation after two years on the comeback trail. The Dodgers are now loaded with options young (Julio Urias, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, Brock Stewart) and old (Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy) behind an entrenched front three of Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda. The Dodgers don’t need Ryu (though they probably wouldn’t mind if he earned the $7 million they will be paying him this year) and, understandably, aren’t counting on him.
“Because I’m healthy now I don’t really think about it,” he said of the lost time of the past two years. “I try to be optimistic.”
Platoon arrangement
When Yasiel Puig returned from Triple-A last September, right field was no longer his. He split time in a platoon arrangement with left-handed hitting Josh Reddick over the final month of the season and in the postseason.
The Dodgers have enough outfielders to platoon at all three positions this year. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said he expects center fielder Joc Pederson to get more at-bats against left-handed pitchers this season. And Roberts is giving every indication that he does not see the need to find Puig a left-handed partner in right field.
“We all know Yasiel as a defender — if he’s out there, he can impact the game on the defensive side,” Roberts said. “Now you look at the at-bat quality vs. right- or left(-handed pitching), if it’s consistent then there should be no reason why he wouldn’t be out there every day or virtually every day.”
Making room
The Dodgers freed up a spot on their 40-man roster by trading left-hander Vidal Nuno to the Baltimore Orioles for minor-league right-hander Ryan Moseley.
The move clears room for them to make the signing of free agent outfielder Franklin Gutierrez official and add him to the roster in time for position players to report on Monday. Gutierrez actually agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Dodgers 10 days ago.
The outfielder made his first appearance at camp on Sunday and was greeted warmly by manager Dave Roberts. Roberts was an outfielder on the big-league team when Gutierrez was a top prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system 2002-04.
Nuno, 29, was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a November trade for catcher Carlos Ruiz and agreed to a $1.125 million contract with the Dodgers. His time in a Dodgers’ uniform, however, will be limited to this week’s first workouts in spring training. He was deemed expendable with Grant Dayton, Luis Avilan and Adam Liberatore competing to be left-handed options in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
In Moseley, the Dodgers acquire a 22-year-old right-hander who was drafted out of a Texas high school by the Tampa Bay Rays (and Andrew Friedman) in 2013 but opted to go to Texas Tech rather than sign. He was drafted in the eighth round by the Baltimore Orioles last year and made his pro debut with their rookie ball team last summer, going 0-1 with a 3.20 ERA in 12 relief appearances.
Also
Position players report to camp on Monday with the first full-squad workout scheduled for Tuesday. However, many of the position players have already made appearances at camp.
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