Dodgers send down Jerry Sands, call up Trent Oeltjen

So, about the Dodgers' amazing youth movement ...

Yeah, well, one step forward. It seems, however, that Jerry Sands was deemed to have taken one step too many backward, and, really, that's tough to argue.

Since his second -- and most recent -- home run May 24, he has three hits in 35 at-bats, all singles.

He is struggling, which is to be expected for a rookie in his first time up. And, as they say, he needs regular playing time. That is something he is not likely to see now that right-handed batting Marcus Thames is off the disabled list.

So before their game Thursday at Colorado, the Dodgers optioned Sands to triple-A Albuquerque and recalled left-handed hitting outfielder Trent Oeltjen.

It's not as though this is some permanent move for Sands, nor he was a major bust. Still, he was not exactly the phenom Dodgers fans were hoping for either. He heads back down hitting .200 with two home runs and 17 runs batted in in 125 at-bats, and with a .294 on-base percentage and a .328 slugging percentage.

He did have 10 doubles, which was third best on the club, so it's not as though he was never driving the ball.

Still, he clearly could benefit from some extra Carnauba. He will play regularly at Albuquerque, work on those things he now knows need attention and return a more confident player, and most certainly this season.

This also, of course, means the Dodgers are going to give Thames a real shot at playing and earning the faith they put in him when he was signed in the off-season.

Then, he was supposed to be paired in a platoon in left field with Jay Gibbons, who was designated for assignment Monday. Now, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Oeltjen (.339, eight home runs, 34 RBIs, .429 on-base percentage, .583 slugging percentage) will be the left-handed complements to Thames. And you have to wonder how long his rope is.

To make room for Oeltjen on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers outrighted right-hander Luis Vasquez, 25, from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

The Dodgers remain plenty youthful and Sands is a huge part of their future. His make-up, his approach and his ability remain untarnished. For the moment, though, this feels like the right move.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Labeldude]

Mark my words, this will begin Sands yo-yoing for the next couple years, he will never "sieze the opportunity" and he'll end up getting traded for a worthless PVL or let go so he can join the rest that have or are playing for Pittsburgh. Why is it that rookies can't struggle, yet they'll let the Sweeney's and the Anderson's of the world stink up the joint?
.
Faith in Thames? Give me a break. He shouldn't even be on a ML roster. Neddy just can't admit failure. Thames will make about as much impact on the line-up as a Yugo would on a semi.
.
Totally dysfunctional owner, GM, manager...

[16blows]

Sands going down? Perhaps apropos, even inevitable... but, in exchange for trent oeltjen?

[ THE trent oeltjen? ]

"he (sands) has three hits in 35 at-bats, all singles."

- such 'production' seems to keep slappy 'e' in MLB... go figure.

[JimH]

Re Labeldude

Dysfunctional is right. And totally clueless. Until we get a new owner and GM, we will continue to be treated to either the feeble over the hill or never were veteran crap that Neddy and Dondo are so enamored of. Its OK for Loweeney, Badajass, Uribum, and Nobatro to stink up the joint in the mean time. Geez!!!

[alanw19]

When he comes back up, he'll make the decision for the front office. I hope it is not in a meaningless Sept., but sooner, like two weeks from now maybe.

Make no mistake, the team playing tonight is not better with this move.

But Sands has to start hitting. And in that realm, he's no different than all but less than a handful of others currently. Thames should be in the running to be next for assignment.

[Labeldude]

Agreed Alan. And on a better team, I send Sands down for more seasoning, no question. But when you have Thames, Gwynn, and now Oeltjen and his "competition", I'd stay with the prospect that projects upside and let him take his lumps until something clearly better comes along. Think we can all agree that Thames is worthless. Gywnn on the otherhand is a luxury that only a very good team can afford to carry - a 5th [defensive] OFer/PR. IMO, this team doesn't remotely fit that catagory. And Oeltjen's just a body.

[mti312]

Jerry Sands sent down huh? That means Thames will be the everyday LF because Sands need to play everyday.
I remember the same thing happened to Konerko and Jayson Werth when they played for the Dodgers minor league. Young players who's numbers were not as good as their minor league's. they were sent down and eventually went to another team.
Another player comes to mind. Colorado's Tulowitzki. He played everyday and did not hit well at first.
I say go with the youngsters. Flash Jr, DLR, and Sands. And forget about this season. Get them used to the majors.

[skyharbor]

How deftly the Dodger dancers transition from the Hokey Pokey to the Desperation Mambo. I can name this tune in 3 pitches.

[MIKE]

another sad day in Dodger Land

[alanw19]

label

Right there with you. I too wouldn't mind if he stayed up. The big club is my concern, and Sands is a future fixture in LF or 1B. Long as he hits MLB pitching sooner rather than later. Sooner meaning one week, two weeks, not September. All-Star break return at the latest.

I won't try to figure out our front office - that's wasted brain cells. But if the spin is they are trying to be able to say they gave Thames a chance, whatever - he's 6-for-42.

Include Miles and we've got 5 players with 49 hits or more. Next most? 34. We're 63 games in. They're either hurt, been hurt, or can't hit. Or all. And of those 5, only 1 has not been platooned in some shape or fashion in the last two weeks.

While team .252 is no great average, its got to be one of the weakest - and I don't intened to mean power numbers - that ever was .252. I have no idea how much fixing Pentland is having to do to what donnie did - I just hope he gets it fixed, Donnie becomes a whale of a leader of this motley crew thrown at him, and we win some ballgames.

Bring the bats, beat the Rockies.

[OldBrooklynFan]

Probably right, Sands will be better off playing regularly for the Isotopes. We await his return.

[Labeldude]

I'm finding Pentland to be just as clueless as Donnie as a "hitting" coach. 2-3 years ago it was all about running up the opposing starters pitch count. Don't hear a word about that anymore. Then again, that started while Donnie was on hiatus as a coach. Was about the only thing Joe did that seemed to have some merit. Its obvious though our hitters have no idea of what they're trying to do with RISP. Everything BUT drive them in from what I've seen. And the so-called veterans are worse than the youngsters.

[HI Dodger Fan]

16blows, the only problem with your analogy of Sands to Andre is that Andre, in his last 41 PA's, is 13-33, with 4 2B's, 8 BB's, only 3K's, 7 RBI's and 8 runs. That's a .394/.512/.515 line and light-year's better than Sands' .086/.135/.086 line over the same approximate period.

But, as for this move, is Oeltjen any better than Gibbons? Probably not. Why didn't Ned just send Sands down on Monday? What was so earth-shattering about last night's 0-4 that sealed Sands' demotion? Now, Frank has to pay Gibbons' contract and Oeltjen's now-ML contract. I'll keep saying this every time he does these stupid things... Ned is an idiot.

And why not promote Trayvon Robinson? He's more of a prospect than Oeltjen and hitting with more power. He and Gordon are best friends. They'd be able to support each other.

And Labeldude, don't worry, even Kemp had to be sent down after a few months the first time he was called up. If Sands is anything like Kemp, he'll come back and hit his way into this lineup. He'll only yo-yo back and forth if he doesn't hit. But, I get your point. Thames is still on this roster and he's stunk it up probably even worse than Sands.

[Wes]

River Thames is a better option than Sands?!!!! C'mon Ned Clampett...get real!!!! You compound your mistakes by insisting they continue to play.
Wasn't Vanderbilt from F Troop Gibbons enough of a mistake? Wait, you still have Dioner Party Navarro and Rod Barato at catcher as further reminders of your KMart shopping binge.

The problem is they don't want to give the kids a chance because you want to create the illusion that the team is still competing for the playoffs so the fans won't completely bail. All Ned's decisions are based on plugging the holes with bondo. When will they have a London night in the left field bleachers to promote River Thames?!!!! C'mon McDork get your PR and marketing whizzes on this one!!!! Bobble heads for everybody that shows up...

[tede51]

First there was Pedro, then Konerko, then Werth. All these players were not good enough for the Dodgers ? Really? And now who are we left with, Thames, and Gwynn Jr. ? And now you send down our only hope for the future, Sands. Sand sits a game, then plays a game, then sits down again. How do you expect him to get better? Just leave the poor guy in the line up every day let him sink or swim. Management does no have a clue what they should doing. They call this call a youth movement? Something is really wrong here, we need a whole new management team and a new owner. This is such a big joke. Boycott anything that makes McCourt money. He must be gone ASAP. If he is aloud to keep this team, we all will have to become Angel fans, sad but true.

[16blows]

@hi

"16blows"

- yes, what is it now?

"Andre, in his last 41 PA's, is 13-33, with 4 2B's, 8 BB's, only 3K's, 7 RBI's and 8 runs."

- ok . . . for a leadoff hitter.

For a #3?

Number 2.

Q: Any home runs? Triples? Stolen bases?

A: No, nu, huh uh.

'Defense'?

Gesundheit.

His looked major league 'embarrassing' last night... looks ready to become a full-time AL DL - a leadoff slappy, all considered.

sands 2 hrs, 3 steals & multiple outfield assists seem heroic in comparison - and in far fewer at bats, slappy. As such, nominate jerr as a worthy MVP / Triple Crown candidate too.

[K]

What in the Sam Hill is this useless love affair with senior citizens?? OK, so Jerry Sands wasn't hitting. He's a ROOKIE, for cryin' out loud. He isn't going to get any better at hitting ML pitchers if all he sees is AAA pitchers. Give him left field and let him develop. Jeez...

[realistic_dodger_fan]

Wow you guys dont even understand the situation.....Sands needed more seasoning before he was called up..He wasnt ready...Play him everyday at AAA.Let him get the seasoning he needs let him get his confidence back and bring him up again. He played on 68 games at AA last year and 10 at AAA this year before that he was playing in A ball. He has major potential and is the future he wasnt ready when he came up.

[TrueBlue]

Sands reminds me of Konerko. Don't le him go because he has power hitter potential. He just needs a little more time in AAA then I think this guy will become a Konerko. But knowing the Dodgers are in survival mode we just need to try to stay in 3rd. Its sad how three years ago we saw this coming. McCourt did not spend the money for type A players. Next year with new mgnt.

[tede51]

1971 Steve Garvey his rookie year he had 225 at bats and hit a .225 Avg.
Garvey had 93 at bats for the 2 years before 1971, so he was still called a rookie. A player is a rookie if he has under 130 at bats.

1969 Bill Russell his rookie year he had 212 at bats and hit a .226 Avg.
Russell had 0 at bats before 1969.

1973 Ron Cey his rookie year had 507 at bats and hit a .245 Avg.
Cey had 47 at bats for the 2 years before 1973.

Why can't the Dodgers just let Jerry Sands play everyday so he can learn how to hit major league pitching like we let players do in the past?

[tede51]

Tony Gwynn Jr., 94 at bats hitting .217, a whole 4 RBI

T Thames, 42 at bats hitting .143, a whole 4 RBI

Jerry Sands, 125 at bats hitting .200, 17 RBI

Way to go Ned ! You are really helping this team build for the future..

[kevin davis]

So, Sands is sent down and now Trend O. is brought up? How long until he is sent down for another guy to get his major league apprenticeship? Having read these comments, I concur that this year is lost, Donny is trying to "tread water" until the end of the year, and expect a HUGE house cleaning with many current veteran players gone. My suggestions for moves:
gone-
Blake,
Furcal
Navarro
Barajas
Gwynn
Thames
Broxton
Quo(and most of the relief corps for that matter)
Padilla
Kuroda
Loney(package him in a deal for someone with more hitting ability)
Miles
Anyone left? Oh, Ned Colletti and Frank McCourt. Get rid of them as well.

[LA42]

So ,the right handed batter that can't hit right handed pitchers is back.These type of hitters are usually in little league.And these type of little leaguers usually don't make their high school team.But,this right handed batter that can't hit right handed pitchers, is playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He also played for the NY Yankees.Shouldn't he at least be playing in the minor leagues? Single A.

[AA]

SO Ned gives away Xavier Paul, then releases Gibbons to play Sands every day...then demotes Sands to play Thames? To be honest Thames is the worst of the bunch. Should have just given Paul a real shot to play LF every day. Major blunder.

[McCourt blows]

Oltjen or whatever his name is? Like who cares anyway? Just another no cost failure that no other team would play. Then again no other team has an owner that only cares about himself and could care less about the team and if they win or not, only if they are profitable.

[Jon]

Honestly I'm glad most of your aren't the GM either as you have no clue....

[Joe Chorneau]

I remember Matt Kemp getting sent down a number of times. I remember him getting frustrated too, but look at him now. No rookie on the Dodger roster is a Willie Mays or a Hank Aaron. They'll all have to be given time to develop and that means innings, whether it's in Triple A, Double A or the Show, so Jerry Sands take a bow, for now.

[William]

Sending down Sands and replacing him with Oeltjen is like trading in a Pinto for an Edsel. It is climbing on a merry-go-round horse and expecting to go forward instead of in circles.

[BlueinAZ]

Well, I agree completely with 16blows. They should have kept Sands and immediately DFA'd Ethier. Unconditional release.

[NorCal Dodger]

Why don't they just send all the rookies back down with Sands, and then have Scully broadcast the Isotopes games? Get MLB to blackout the Dodgers until McCourt sells the team.

Then the guys who "need to play every day" get to play every day and we get to watch more players we actually care about every day.

I guess the only problem with that is that we wouldn't get to see Kemp, Kershaw, and a few others like Carroll who are making the most of their talents this year and would get claimed on waivers even if they wanted to go down to join the fun.

[SandsThruTheHourGl'ashley']

Sands is nothing more than a AAA player, & is merely the latest in a lonnnnnnng line of supposedly minor-league "stars," who flop woefully when promoted to the "duds"........

Alas!!!.....Sands is the "2nd-coming" -- of Billy Ashley!!!!