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The vast nothingness in the Dodgers lineup that is the catcher’s spot

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There’s a catch to this, but with the Dodgers these days, isn’t there always?

You have your list of what’s wrong with the Dodgers, I have mine, Ned Colletti has his, and who knows, Frank McCourt may even have one.

Nowhere near the top of any list is what’s going on, or not going on, at catcher, though it is certainly on the list.

And this is not to say Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro aren’t an improvement defensively over what Russell Martin was giving the Dodgers last season.

But they do have to hit a little, don’t they?

Both are in the deep end, and it’s not looking good. Both are slumping, and that’s following a fairly mediocre start.

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This month, offensively they’ve almost disappeared. Barajas is batting .167 (3 for 18) and Navarro .095 (2 for 21). As a combo unit they’re batting .128.

And if there’s such a thing as batting an empty .128, they’ve somehow managed to pull it off. Together, they have four RBI in June and a .154 slugging percentage.

That Navarro would be a mess at the plate comes as news to no one, except possibly Colletti, who signed him to a $1-million contract in the off-season. Navarro hit .218 in 2009 and .194 in 2010, so it’s not like his current .176 average is shocking.

Barajas, 35, is at least capable of adding some power, or was early in the season. He has seven home runs which, sadly, leave him second on the team. More sadly, five came in April. He hasn’t hit a home run since May 13. And his current numbers (.213, .251 on-base, .372 slugging) are all headed toward career lows.

Admittedly the alternatives are slim. Albuquerque’s A.J. Ellis has zero power, but at least hit .278 with the Dodgers last season. He is not, however, going to be part of their youth movement. He turned 30 last April.

And, sorry, that’s the catch. The Dodgers appear stuck with what they have, leaving one more giant hole in their lineup. On the list, and rising.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

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