Dodgers middle reliever Blake Hawksworth won't be ready by opener

Not all the news on the first day catchers and pitchers were officially required to report was of the good variety. LIke spring could ever go that way. Usually, though, it waits until the first practice.

However, Manager Don Mattingly told reporters in Phoenix on Tuesday that right-handed reliever Blake Hawksworth would not be ready by opening day after undergoing a second surgery to clean up an infection that resulted from the first operation.

Hawksworth had what was considered a minor procedure last month to clean scar tissue and shave down a bone spur in his throwing elbow.

Hawksworth was a mostly effective middle reliever for the Dodgers last season, going 2-5 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in a career-high 49 games.

Mattingly said Hawksworth is two or three weeks behind schedule.

His loss opens up a spot on an otherwise jammed roster, and could prove to be good news for right-handers Josh Lindblom and non-roster invitee Jamey Wright. The Dodgers are still hoping to discover a useful second left-hander for the bullpen from a host of candidates this spring.

Mattingly also told reporters he would continue to bat Matt Kemp third in the lineup, as he did late last year, and try to protect him with either Andre Ethier or Juan Rivera batting in the cleanup spot.

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Dodgers community caravan scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday

Andre Ethier, James Loney and Dee Gordon will be among the players participating in the Dodgers’ annual community caravan Tuesday and Wednesday.

Newcomers Adam Kennedy and Jerry Hairston Jr. will be part of the community outreach effort, as will former players such as Fernando Valenzuela and Tommy Davis.

One stop on the two-day tour will be open to the public: lunch on Tuesday at a South Los Angeles location that will be revealed at the Dodgers’ Twitter account (@Dodgers) at 12:30 p.m. that day. The lunch will from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

On the caravan that day will be current players Gordon, Kennedy, Tony Gwynn Jr., Kenley Jansen, Josh Lindblom and Ramon Troncoso; former players Davis, Shawn Green, Al Ferrara and Dennis Powell; and broadcaster Eric Collins.

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Can the Dodgers find a second lefty for the bullpen?

A closed shop, right? Barring injury, the Dodgers’ 25-man roster  seems almost boringly set.

Yet a month before the start of spring training, it’s possible there could be one opening. Anyway, the Dodgers at least have to consider adding a second left-hander to their bullpen.

At the moment, Scott Elbert is their only lefty reliever. Elbert delivered his breakout season last year (2.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP). Most teams, however, prefer having two lefties in their pen. And it’s here where things get dicey.

The Dodgers have no obvious second left-handed candidate. And if they were to uncover one, then promising right-hander Josh Lindblom (2.73, 1.04) might be pushed out. Unless Blake Hawksworth’s minor elbow surgery proves a bigger challenge than anticipated.

Really, it's OK: Dodgers re-sign reliever Mike MacDougal

The Dodgers have re-signed reliever Mike MacDougal to a one-year deal for $650,000 with an option for 2013, and don’t go and get your I-just-sucked-a-lemon face on.

MacDougal proved a very useful, mostly reliable setup man in 2011. And that rare Dodgers veteran who remained healthy all season.

The popular refrain about MacDougal from last season is how horribly deceptive his 2.04 ERA was because he was truly so abysmal in preventing inherited runners from scoring. Which isn’t completely true, at least in terms of inherited runners.

Which is not to say it was sterling, but neither was it as horrific as memory tries to serve. MacDougal allowed 33.3% of his inherited runners to score, slightly above the 30.0% league average.

Few relievers, however, inherited more runners – 51, sixth highest in the National League – so when 17 came home, it still seemed like a lot. On the season with runners in scoring position, batters hit just .157 against MacDougal.

And since the Dodgers’ bullpen is loaded with youth – Kenley Jansen, Javy Guerra, Scott Elbert, Josh Lindblom – they could use another veteran along with Matt Guerrier and Blake Hawksworth.

MacDougal was a non-roster invitee last season, so anything positive the team received from him was something of a bonus. He came relatively cheaply at $500,000.

Having somewhat rebuilt his career, he no doubt was looking for a bump. The club opiton for next season is $2.35 million with a $350,000 buyout, meaning his one-year deal will really earn him $1 million next season, which sadly seems the norm these days. It at least beats the two-year deals being thrown around this winter. And right now it's hard to believe the Dodgers would pick up the option at that price.

MacDougal is mostly a middle-innings eater, who despite that glossy ERA still had a fairly fat 1.46 WHIP. He’ll turn 35 in two months and his best days clearly are behind him, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a role for him in 2012. Sure beats Ramon Troncosco.

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Photo: Dodgers reliever Mike MacDougal is congratulated by catcher Dioner Navarro after a victory over the White Sox in an interleague game last season. Credit: Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press

Daily Dodger in review: Josh Lindblom shows his promise

Ah, yes, the winter meetings over and still a couple left …

JOSH LINDBLOM, 24, reliever

Final 2011 stats: 1-0, 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings, no home runs in 29 2/3 innings.

Contract status: Under team control.

The good: A couple springs ago, Lindblom was a mini-sensation, a promising young starter standing 6 foot 4. He never got untracked at triple-A Albuquerque, was converted back to a reliever and then started last season down at double-A Chattanooga, where his career again started moving forward.

He was called up three times last season and was effective in each. He gave up an earned run in only eight of his 27 games. Throws hard and seems to have a strong desire to succeed.

During his three stints at Chattanooga, he had 17 saves, a 2.13 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

The bad: On Sept. 11 in San Francisco, he threw six pitches, but allowed a hit, a walk and a pair of runs. It was the only time in 27 games he allowed more than one run in a game.

What’s next: Unless GM Ned Colletti goes all veteran-reliever-happy in the next couple of months, appears to have a spot on the 2012 roster.

The take: Throwing 29 2/3 innings isn’t exactly a major body of work to make grand determinations, but the former second-round 2008 pick showed only promise last season. Maybe not screaming, "This guy has to be our future closer" promise, but enough to remain in their plans for next season. And enough to leave the door open on all possibilities.

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For Dodgers, the kids were a lot better than all right

There’s youth served and youth force fed.

Sometimes the play of a kid is just so exciting it demands that he be called up. And sometimes, bodies are just falling everywhere and a team has little choice but to reach into its system, give ’em a push and let go of the bicycle.

Outside of the play of their big two –- Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp -– the most encouraging aspect to the Dodgers’ improved performance over the final two months was the play of their kids. Lots and lots of kids, and almost every one responded. And most at a level the team had little right to anticipate.

None were really in their plans for 2011. Position players Jerry Sands and Dee Gordon and right-hander Rubby De La Rosa were scheduled to be September call-ups. The rest were still deep in the development stage.

Then injuries hit the Dodgers unusually hard, though it wasn’t exactly totally unexpected given the age of their roster. Down went Casey Blake, Jon Garland, Jay Gibbons, Dioner Navarro, Vicente Padilla (all before opening day), Hector Jimenez (remember him?), Rafael Furcal, Hong-Chih Kuo, Marcus Thames, Jonathan Broxton, Blake Hawksworth, Kenley Jansen, Rod Barajas, Juan Uribe and Andre Ethier. Some made repeat visits to the disabled list. Some never came back.

All of which created opportunity. At least the Dodgers were willing to give the kids a chance, rather than signing or trading for some tired journeyman. They get points for that. And the Dodgers were delighted with how most responded:

-- Jerry Sands: The lone power prospect, he struggled during his first call up in (.200 average, .622 on-base plus slugging percentage) but was a different hitter in September (.342, .908). He hit in 15 of his last 16 games (.407, 1.063). Could start next season back in triple-A or in the starting lineup.

-- Dee Gordon: There are still real concerns about his defense, but he figures to be their starting shortstop next season. The final month of the season, he hit in 21 of 26 games (.372) and stole 12 bases. There will be growing pains, but an exciting talent.

-- Justin Sellers: Struggled at the plate (.203), but can play three infield positions and is a heady player. If Jamey Carroll doesn’t return, option as a utility infielder.

-- Javy Guerra: The surprise of the season. Guerra only figured to be up a couple weeks while Hawksworth was on the DL, but he was pitching so well he stuck and by early July had become the Dodgers’ unexpected closer. Saved 21 games in 23 opportunities.

-- Kenley Jansen: You’d pay to see him pitch. After he came back from a sore shoulder, he was almost unhittable. In his last 31 games, had a 0.55 ERA. Set an MLB record of 16.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

-- Josh Lindblom: The former second-round draft pick seems to have found himself as a reliever. Had a 2.73 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 27 games.

-- Rubby De La Rosa: The hard-throwing right-hander was looking like a rotation find for years to come, before injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He could return next summer, though initially as a reliever.

-- Scott Elbert: Not a rookie, but after a frustrating few seasons finally appeared comfortable as the left-handed reliever (2.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP).

-- Nathan Eovaldi: Another called up largely out of desperation, but in six starts had a 3.09 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Penciled in as a starter.

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Photo: Dee Gordon, next year's starting shortstop, has been a pleasant surprise. Credit: Christian Peterson/Getty.

Not so much fun this time: Giants end Dodgers' win streak, 8-5

Hangovers can be killers.

All that rare buzz at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday generated by the Clayton Kershaw-Tim Lincecum showdown evaporated Wednesday into a slow, uninspiring 8-5 loss to the Giants before an announced crowd of 32,334.

The carryover effect was lacking from the get-go, the Giants jumping on Dana Eveland for three runs in the first and never relinquishing the lead.

The loss ended the Dodgers’ four-game winning streak and dropped them back to the .500 mark (77-77), with seven games to go. Kershaw’s victory Tuesday had lifted them over .500 for the first time since April 29.

But momentum was a no-show Wednesday. About the only excitement the Dodgers offered came from the usual source, Matt Kemp hitting a rain-maker, three-run homer in the fourth that briefly brought the Dodgers to within 5-4.

Dodgers cool off in 8-1 loss to Giants

What, you thought the good-feel times were going to last forever?

The Dodgers reverted to more familiar form Sunday afternoon, falling, 8-1, to the Giants to snap their four-game winning streak.

Still, they return home off a most successful 10-game trip, going 7-3. Of course, they were hoping for 8-2 and a sweep of the Giants, but that never really appeared likely Sunday.

Hiroki Kuroda started, and if he hardly struggled as he had in his four-homer game in his last start, he definitely did struggle.

Kuroda went 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs, eight hits and a walk. In his last four starts, Kuroda (11-16) has a 5.70 ERA.

The game got out of hand when the Giants scored five times in the sixth, the Dodgers aiding the cause with five walks (two intentional).

The Dodgers bullpen, which has been lights-out of late, buckled and the frustrated Giants were more than happy to finally take advantage.

Hong-Chih Kuo walked the first two batters in the sixth, and Andres Torres sacrificed the runners up. That sent the call to Josh Lindblom, who intentionally walked Cody Ross.

That backfired when Jeff Keppinger doubled in two runs. The Dodgers then turned to left-hander Scott Elbert, who, after striking out Carlos Beltran, intentionally walked Pablo Sandoval to load the bases.

Which, in keeping with the inning’s theme, also backfired when Elbert walked Aubrey Huff to force in Ross. Mark DeRosa singled to score two more, and it was a rout.

The struggling Giants managed 11 hits, six of which were doubles (three by Sandoval).

The Dodgers dropped back under .500 (72-73). They had won 15 of 18 before Sunday.

At least the Dodgers had this highlight defensive play from Juan Rivera.

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Photo: Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, shown in his last outing. Credit: Greg Fiume / Getty Images

Dodgers offense suddenly listless in 7-2 loss to Nationals

Meanwhile, back to your regular Dodgers season …

That offensive machine that had suddenly –- and quite unexpectedly -– become the Dodgers, has reverted back to more familiar form.

With Hiroki Kuroda giving up a career-high four home runs and a series of Washington pitchers handcuffing the Dodgers, the Nationals easily downed the Dodgers, 7-2, on Monday afternoon.

The Dodgers had won 11 of their last 12 games and six in a row before losing to Atlanta on Sunday. During that 12-game stretch, they had averaged 6.25 runs a game.

But after consecutive doubles by Jamey Carroll and Matt Kemp against John Lannan produced a run in the first inning, the Dodgers' offense pretty much closed shop.

And with Kuroda giving up three home runs in the first inning alone -– he had never previously given up three homers in an entire game –- it was a bad time for their offense to wither.

The Dodgers had struggled to score for Kuroda (11-15) most of the season, but in his last four starts during their offensive surge had produced 32 runs. Maybe he got used to it, but that offense wasn’t going to make an appearance on a gray day in the nation's capital.

Ian Desmond led off the bottom of the first innings with a home run. Michael Morse followed a Ryan Zimmerman single with a two-run homer. Former Dodger Jayson Werth followed with another homer.

It was 4-1, and with the Dodgers unable to generate any real scoring threats until the ninth inning, the game was essentially over.

Kuroda then settled down until Morse, who has one of the ugliest batting stances in baseball, led off the bottom of the sixth another home run. He has 26 on the season.

Kuroda went six innings on the day, giving up five runs on eight hits. Conversely, he did not walk a batter and struck out a season-high nine.

Rookie Josh Lindblom gave up one run in the seventh inning on a Desmond single and Rick Ankiel double. Betrayed by some sloppy fielding, Ramon Troncoso surrendered one unearned run in the eighth. Aaron Miles let a ball through his legs for an error and Dee Gordon simply dropped a soft liner for what would have been a double play, before Wilson Ramos knocked in a run with a single.

The Dodgers ended the game they way they started it, adding a final run in the ninth inning on back-to-back doubles by A.J. Ellis and Justin Sellers.

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Photo: Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda reacts after giving up one of three home runs to the Washington Nationals in the first inning Sunday at Nationals Park.Credit: Evan Habeeb / US Presswire

Kenley Jansen activated as Josh Lindblom returns to minors

One month after he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat, Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen (pictured at left) is headed back to the majors.

Following their 9-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, the Dodgers announced they were reinstating Jansen from the disabled list and optioning Josh Lindblom back to double-A Chattanooga.

Jansen made two perfect rehab appearances with Class A Rancho Cucamonga this week, a few days after he was taken off blood thinners.

In two innings at Rancho Cucamonga, Jansen struck out four and did not allow a hit.

Jansen gave the Dodgers a scare on July 26 when, after a seven-pitch save, he complained his heart was fluttering. He was taken to a local hospital where his heart was shocked back into its proper rhythm.

He was placed on blood thinners to avoid the possibility of blood clots. He was able to pitch on the side in an effort to keep his arm strong the past month, but because he was on the blood thinners, was not allowed to face batters.

Jansen is 1-1 with two saves and a 3.65 earned-run average. He has 61 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched, and is unscored upon in his last 14 outings.

Lindblom was 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA in 16 games but had only 13 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. Lindblom can be called  up when rosters are expanded Sept. 1.

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Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire