The offensive emptiness that is the Dodgers 2012 bench

Look real hard and you can find it. It’s there, just not exactly under the spotlight. Maybe not in hiding, though you could make the argument that the Dodgers will try it.

It is the Dodgers’ bench, such as it. And as it is, it’s wholly unimpressive.

Presenting your 2012 Dodgers in reserve: catcher Matt Treanor, infielders Jerry Hairston Jr. and Adam Kennedy, and outfielders Tony Gwynn Jr. and Jerry Sands.

There’s some versatility and some nice defensive elements, but offensively there just isn’t much there. The power hitter is Sands, he of the 194 career at-bats? The left-handed bats are Gwynn and Kennedy?

This is all as currently scheduled, of course. And these things almost never go as scheduled. Which would explain why the Dodgers started last season with Xavier Paul, Hector Gimenez and Ivan DeJesus Jr. on the roster.

General manager Ned Colletti said he thinks this year’s bench can be superior to last season’s, before quickly asking which Dodgers’ bench he should reference.

"Unfortunately our bench ended up playing," Colletti said. "The bench was really the second bench."

Which is why the 2012 edition is so scary. Chances are, some of them are going to have to play more than expected. And this is what manager Don Mattingly will have to choose from based on last season’s numbers:

Player                         Avg.                OBP                 SLG

Treanor                      .214                .338                .291

Hairston                     .270                .344                .383

Kennedy                     .234                .277                .355

Gwynn                        .256                .308                .353

Sands                         .253                .338                .389

And as a group, it’s not like it’s a bunch of kids approaching their prime. Kennedy is 36, and Treanor will be in March and Hairston in May.

Plus you have to remember the Dodgers’ regular everyday lineup is already going to have its risks. Rookie shortstop Dee Gordon batted .304 last season but in only 224 at-bats, so we’ve yet to see if pitchers adjust to the slight Gordon. And A.J. Ellis is going to be the main catcher, and has a career .262 average with zippo power in 206 career at-bats.

There’s not a strong pinch-hitter in the group, either. Career averages as pinch-hitters: Treanor .200, Hairston .174, Kennedy .223, Gwynn .288, Sands .000 (only four at-bats). There's not really a reserve shortstop.

Last year the Dodgers wanted to start the season with a bench of Dioner Navarro, Jamey Carroll, Aaron Miles, Tony Gwynn Jr., Marcus Thames/Jay Gibbons. Navarro and Thames were busts, and Gibbons couldn’t overcome vision issues. Yet they still might prove a better group.

The Dodgers 25-man roster is basically set. If everyone makes it through spring healthy, there are no position openings.

 ``If it goes the way it’s planned, the team has some flexibility to it but not a whole lot,’’ Colletti said.

On days when Juan Rivera or James Loney don't start, the bench will get a boost but it could use plenty more. It could have used a Coco Crisp, but Colletti denied an interest in the outfielder before he re-signed with the A’s.

``Never had a conversation,’’ Colletti said.

Colletti is operating under budget constraints unworthy of a team playing in the second-largest market in the country, but such are the times when your team is in bankruptcy court.

And such is the bench.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodger Stadium. Credit: Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times.

Meet the new Dodgers, same as the old Dodgers?

Hope you really, really believe in that Dodgers team that finished the 2011 season on a nice roll.

Because the more I think about, the more I expect it to return largely unchanged.

That wouldn’t be much of a stretch given the bankrupt Dodgers’ ever-uncertain ownership situation. Hard to spend a significant amount of money when you don’t have much and it's not clear who can spend it.

But the more closely you look at a lengthy interview that General Manager Ned Colletti gave to ESPN's Jim Bowden, the more it looks like you’d best get out the 2012 welcome mat for the 2011 Dodgers.

Yeah, he wants to add an impact bat. So do about 29 other teams. Yet despite how much sense it makes, no one really expects the team in the second-largest market in the country to make a serious run at either Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols. After that, a serious drop-off. Hey, he could always sign Carlos Beltran. He’s an ex-Giant and everything!

Not signing a free agent leaves trading for a big bat, and the Dodgers have precious little to offer in return. Unless, you know, you want to unload this Clayton Kershaw kid.

So the odds are exceedingly poor that a bat of significance will be brought in, and then there are Colletti’s comments to Bowden where he pretty much has everyone coming back from 2010 save for catcher Rod Barajas.

Which means you’d best get ready for this sales pitch: The Dodgers will significantly upgrade their lineup simply by adding a healthy Juan Uribe and Andre Ethier to it.

Ooooh, when do pitchers and catchers report again?

Assuming health for Uribe (sports hernia surgery) and Ethier (minor knee surgery), and the return of James Loney at first, the Dodgers’ lineup holes would be at second, left and catcher.

And Colletti flat out said, "Behind the plate, we'll probably let Tim Federowicz and A.J. Ellis handle the duties." He also said: "We need to figure out left field as well, but we're leaning towards Jerry Sands, especially after the way he finished this season with us." At second base he noted that Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles were free agents and said: "Right now we have the two young players in [Justin] Sellers and Ivan DeJesus that we might let compete for that job next year."

Believe that last one if you feel so inclined, but the Dodgers GM –- as he needs to –- clearly has his Plan B in place if he's unable to acquire a big bat.

The same ol' even extends to the rotation, where Colletti at least sounds hopeful that Hiroki Kuroda will re-sign, citing the fact that Kuroda bought a home here and his children go to school here. That would leave a familiar rotation of Kershaw, Kuroda, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly and Nathan Eovaldi.

The bullpen evolved into a young strength, though Colletti would like to add another veteran.

Sounds remarkably like your 2011 Dodgers. The Dodgers were 25-10 in the last five-plus weeks of the season. That's encouraging, but the season is six months long. Keeping that group mostly intact places a lot of hope on a team that excelled for five weeks.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Juan Rivera, who might be returning to play left field, is congratulated by first baseman James Loney after bringing in Andre Ethier, left, and Matt Kemp with a three-run home run against the Phillies on Aug. 10 at Dodger Stadium. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Dodgers need to do right by Jamey Carroll and trade him

Jamey Carroll is 37 years old and has had two career playoff at-bats. He’s been a marvelous find for the Dodgers the last two years. He’s played hard, played all over the field, filled in for injured players and led by example.

He’s done everything they’ve asked while suffering through two of the Dodgers' most difficult seasons ever. All for the bargain price of $3.85 million.

Now it’s time to do something for him.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweeted the Dodgers have placed Carroll on waivers. At this time of the year, hardly a surprise. Teams place tons of players on waivers before the Wednesday trade deadline. If they clear, then they’re in position to work a trade.

But there is a strong likelihood Carroll will be claimed by a contender. Then the Dodgers would have 48 hours to either work out a trade or withdraw him from waivers.

Work the deal. Get what you can, even if it's precious little.

Carroll deserves the opportunity to play for a contender, to make a real postseason contribution. At his age, he may not get another chance. The Milwaukee Brewers had reportedly talked to the Dodgers about Carroll prior to the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.

The Dodgers’ season is now about the future. They need to get a longer look at infielder Justin Sellers. Shortstop Dee Gordon will return soon, and the Dodgers will want to see Sellers play second. They need to call Ivan De Jesus Jr.  back up when rosters expand Thursday.

At this point, they have no real need for Carroll. His contract is up at the end of the season. And if they wanted him back next season, they could sign him the same as any other team. They could also try to return infielder Aaron Miles, who’s almost three years younger.

Until James Loney’s recent streak, Carroll has been third on the Dodgers in hits this season. Not bad for a guy who was originally signed to share time and mentor Blake DeWitt at second. The model of consistency, he hit .291 last season and is hitting .291 this season.

Now it’s time to give Carroll a shot at more than those two hitless playoff at-bats he received with the Rockies in 2007. He’s earned it.

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Photo: Jamey Carroll. Credit: Jeff Hanisch / U.S. Presswire.

Feeling for the hitless wonder that is Eugenio Velez

I feel for Eugenio Velez.

I know, not a popular sentiment. It’s so much more fun to laugh at his 0-for-25 start as a Dodger. EugeniO-for-whatever. In truth, I snicker too, though not without a tinge of guilt.

It’s not his fault he’s in this situation. In most any other organization –- that would be one that hasn’t been decimated by injuries all season -– he doesn’t get a sniff with the major league club.

But the Dodgers are so depleted that he remains in the majors. Anyway, in their minds, he’s more valuable than calling up Ivan De Jesus Jr. If that logic escapes you, don’t blame him.

Here are a couple of surprising notes about Velez, at least considering his current state: 1) He actually had 160 career major league hits with the Giants; 2) He was triple-A Albuquerque’s leading hitter (.339) when called up.

Aaron Miles, this season's surprise, makes good all over

Our continuing search to always find something positive to say about the Dodgers now takes us to Aaron Miles.

Yeah! See, it isn’t all bad.

Miles is this season’s unexpected Dodgers surprise, one of the pleasant variety. He’s come fairly out of nowhere to become a valuable part of this year’s team.

There wasn’t much attention paid when the Dodgers signed Miles in the offseason as a non-roster invitee. They already had one versatile diminutive infielder in Jamey Carroll. Yawns abounded. Miles seemed insurance headed for triple-A.

But in the spring, Miles hit .321 with a .528 slugging percentage. When Casey Blake started the season on the disabled list, Miles had made the team. It figured a brief stay.

Except he’s never left. Starting infielders Rafael Furcal, Juan Uribe and Blake all took turns on the disabled list. Ivan De Jesus Jr. did not develop. Juan Castro hit like Juan Castro.

And Miles, 34, delivered. All over the field and all over the lineup.

For Dodgers, youth is served, then served again

Interpret it as you will -- they have no other choice, they’ve given up on the season, it’s their best move to win now -- but the Dodgers have gotten remarkably younger as the season has unfolded.

Six players already have made major-league debuts this season: Jerry Sands, Ivan de Jesus Jr., Javy Guerra, Rubby De La Rosa, Josh Lindblom and Dee Gordon. All but De Jesus remain on the roster.

Fifteen current Dodgers are under 30. At the moment, two rookies are semi-regular starters (Sands and Gordon) and another is in the rotation (De La Rosa).

The Dodgers are trying to crawl back into the race with five rookies on their roster. Tough road ahead.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Yikes, Dodgers go young: Call up Dee Gordon, keep Jerry Sands as Jay Gibbons, Juan Castro designated for assignment

Even as the Dodgers activated two players older than 30 Monday, they managed to get younger with a series of stunning moves.

Suddenly, this is not the same Dodgers organization you’ve known the last two seasons. Kids were everywhere.

On Monday the Dodgers elected to keep rookie outfielder Jerry Sands and designate veteran Jay Gibbons for assignment, while calling up shortstop prospect Dee Gordon and also designating veteran infielder Juan Castro.

Busy on the roster front, as expected they also activated infielder Juan Uribe, outfielder Marcus Thames and reliever Blake Hawksworth.

Then they optioned infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr.and right-hander John Ely back to triple-A.

If you were screaming for the Dodgers to go with youth, Monday was your big day.

Gordon has been one of their top prospects for the last couple of years. The rail-thin infielder has zero power but is lightning fast. At triple-A Albuquerque, he was batting .315 with 22 steals in 25 attempts. His glove work, however has been suspect.

Still, the Dodgers did not bring Gordon up to sit him. With Rafael Furcal again on the disabled list, he figures to see his share of starting time at shortstop. Monday against the Phillies, however, they continued to start Jamey Carroll at short and Aaron Miles at second.

Uribe was back in the lineup at second, Thames in left (and batting third) and Sands in right for Andre Ethier against the left-handed Cliff Lee.

The Dodgers had agonized over whether to return Sands to Albuquerque. Sands has not been the sensation some hoped for but has shown promise (.210 average, two homers, 17 RBI, 10 doubles in 119 at-bats) and now figures to get a prolonged chance to stick.

After a comeback year at Albuquerque in 2010, Gibbons, 34, struggled with vision problems this year. He was hitting .255 with one homer and five RBI in 55 at-bats.

Castro, who turns 39 later this month, had two hits in 14 at-bats and was an emergency fill-in. He was reliable with the glove and a classy guy to have in the clubhouse, but this may end his career.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers rookie Jerry Sands in congratulated by third baseman Casey Blake after throwing out a Cubs baserunner earlier this season. Credit: Charles Cherney / Associated Press

Rafael Furcal, Jon Garland officially placed on the disabled list

Rafael Furcal and Jon Garland were officially placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday. Furcal suffered a strained side muscle in the Dodgers' 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. Garland has shoulder inflammation.

The Dodgers summoned infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. and pitcher John Ely from triple-A Albuquerque to take their places on the active roster.

Not counting minor-league rehabilitation assignments, nine of the 25 players on the Dodgers' active roster have played for Triple-A Albuquerque or Double-A Chattanooga this season.

The Dodgers now have 10 players on the disabled list.

-- Dylan Hernandez in Cincinnati

Photo: Dodgers players Rafael Furcal, left, and Jon Garland. Credit: Associated Press and Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire

Dodgers call up Juan Castro, send Ivan DeJesus to triple-A

Juan Castro is back, and I’m going way out on a limb here to declare it’s not because of his bat.

As a hitter, Castro is -- well, not really sure how to sum that up. Not good, doesn’t quite do the trick.

He has a reliable glove, however, and can play shortstop, second and third. And since Don Mattingly couldn’t find a way to play Ivan DeJesus Jr., DeJesus was returned to triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Castro.

"Ivan needs to play," Mattingly said. "It’s not going to do him any good to play once every five, six days. He needs to play.

"Juan gives us a guy who can play short, who can play third, who can play second. Until we can get [Rafael Furcal] back and get ourselves kind of back to full strength, Juan gives you that shortstop that you’re comfortable with. He’s kind of the right guy for what we need."

What they need is a utility infielder, since the two guys who were signed to fill that role -- Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles -- are mostly starting with injuries to Casey Blake and Furcal.

"It’s a good feeling when somebody wants you, and somebody likes you," Castro said. "I’m just happy to be back here."

Back, as in this his fourth stint with the Dodgers. It's the sixth time they've called him up overall. The Dodgers' fascination with Castro goes back to 1991 when he first signed as a free agent and Clayton Kershaw was 3 years old. Castro turns 39 next month.

"I look young," he said.

Cubs cure all that ails Dodgers offense; Ethier extends streak in 5-2 win

If only the Dodgers could play the Chicago Cubs every day. They would go from offensively inept to Murderers' Row meets Big Red Machine.

It’s not as if the Dodgers piled up the hits Monday night, but they made them count, made them add up to a 5-2 victory in front of 30,239, as Andre Ethier extended his career-high hitting streak to 28 games.

In the last 10 games, the Dodgers have played the Cubs four times. In those 10 games, they scored 32 runs. In the other six, they scored 16.

With Clayton Kershaw throwing seven effective innings, Vicente Padilla pitching a perfect eighth and Jonathan Broxton picking up a clean seventh save, the Dodgers made their little offensive outburst hold up.

Kershaw gave up a run in the first inning on three one-out hits, but the Dodgers regained the lead for good with two runs in the second against left-hander James Russell.

Matt Kemp singled and scored on a double off the right-field wall by Juan Uribe. With two outs, Ivan De Jesus Jr. picked up his first career run batted in when he singled down the right-field line, right in front of his father, Cubs coach Ivan De Jesus.

The Dodgers chased Russell with three runs in the fifth inning. With runners at first and second, rookie Jerry Sands doubled to right-center field, driving in both runners.

Sands is hitting only .196, but he’s making his hits count. Of his nine hits, six have been doubles.