Dodgers place Rubby De La Rosa on DL with sprained elbow [Update]

Well, there is a certain consistency to the Dodgers’ crumbling season.

One day after their would-be pitching wunderkind, Rubby De La Rosa, was roughed up in an 103-pitch, four-inning effort Sunday against Arizona, the Dodgers placed him on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation.

[Update: The results of an MRI exam showed a sprained right elbow ligament. The Times' Dylan Hernandez reports De La Rosa could be done for the season, and surgery is a possibility.]

In a mostly frustrating season for the bankrupt Dodgers, they had gambled and called up De La Rosa from double-A Chattanooga at the end of May.

And their 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year mostly delivered.

De La Rosa, 22, was 4-4 with a 3.49 ERA going into Sunday’s game. He was hitting up to 100 mph on the radar gun and had a competitive demeanor on the mound that belied his youth.

Sometimes the kids aren't all right; Dodgers fall 6-3 to Arizona

Ah, kids, what are you gonna do?

Some days they’re just so wondrous, just so full of possibilities, the cheeks ache from grinning. Other days, frustration abounds, the future so uncertain, the stomach left in knots.

It’s all part of the growing process and there’s only so much you can do before they have to be sent on their merry way, hoping all that planning pays off.

The Dodgers started their top pitching prospect for the 10th time this season, and if Rubby De La Rosa’s results have been mostly encouraging, Sunday’s effort was not one of them.

De La Rosa threw a whopping 103 pitches in his four innings, giving up back-to-back home runs, as the Diamondbacks downed the Dodgers, 6-3, before an announced crowd of 43,938.

De La Rosa (4-5) surrendered home runs to Ryan Roberts and Gerardo Parra in the second inning, and the Dodgers never recovered. Parra, who came into the game with five homers on the season, added a second one against reliever Hong-Chih Kuo.

The Diamondbacks threatened in every inning against De La Rosa, whose control was never really there. They added one more against him in the fourth on a walk, stolen base and RBI single by Collin Cowgill -- the first of his career.

The return of Andre Ethier power hitter in Dodgers' 8-5 victory

And on a gorgeous Monday evening, there was an Andre Ethier sighting.

That would be two-time All-Star Andre Ethier, not the right-fielder who had been struggling since the break.

Ethier, who was batting .152 (3 for 35) without one RBI since the All-Star break, crushed a two-run homer in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie.

With rookie Rubby De La Rosa allowing only three hits in his six innings, and with the Dodgers surviving a rough ninth inning, they went on to win 8-5 for their third consecutive victory before an announced crowd of 28,860.

De La Rosa (4-4) allowed only three hits, all singles, in his six innings. The three hits came consecutively with two outs in the third, Dexter Fowler’s basehit scoring the Colorado run.

Giants wave goodbye to Dodgers, beating them for sixth consecutive time

At least the Giants are showing some versatility in beating the snot out of the Dodgers every night. They beat the Dodgers with old guys and recycled guys, and on Tuesday, the greenest of guys.

On this night, the Giants turned to rookie first baseman Brandon Belt, who earlier in the day had been with the triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.

No matter, he looked plenty polished against the Dodgers, hitting a homer for the game’s first run, and then after the Dodgers had actually rallied from two down, a double to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh.

That left the Giants with a 5-3 victory, something they’re getting plenty used to against the Dodgers. It was their sixth consecutive defeat of the Dodgers. Last time they’ve managed that was 1969. And that Dodgers’ team finished 85-77.

Tuesday marked the Dodgers’ fourth consecutive loss overall and left them a season-high 14½ games behind the Giants in the National League West.

Can you say sellers?

Why the Dodgers should not be sellers at the trading deadline

Very strange situation.

Six games to determine whether the Dodgers become sellers or buyers at the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. Odd in itself, an entire season’s perspective able to go either way because of a handful of games in July.

Making it stranger is the repercussions of either scenario not appearing all that significant.

If the Dodgers sweep through Arizona and San Francisco to become buyers, just what are they supposed to buy? I mean, with the team in bankruptcy court and all. It’s not like they’re going to add a significant player (read: contract).

And if they decide to become sellers, just exactly what to they have of interest to dangle?

The name most mentioned is Hiroki Kuroda, who would be a swell addition to a contending team in need of a good starter. Only Kuroda has a no-trade clause in his contract and I can’t see him approving a trade unless it’s to a glamour franchise like the Yankees or Red Sox. Why would he? He seems to like it here and there’s always the possibility of him returning for another season.

Other vets don’t look too enticing. Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal are having a disabled list contest. Juan Uribe and Ted Lilly are too expensive. Jamey Carroll, Aaron Miles and Rod Barajas are not going to bring much or save much.

The Dodgers should be willing to deal James Loney, but despite his turnaround, his run production isn’t going to have teams lining up with intriguing prospects.

They’re not going to deal young stars Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, but probably would have to listen if teams came hard after Andre Ethier. He’s making $9.5 million this season, with one more year of arbitration before he can become a free agent. Still, it would have to be an impressive offer. The Dodgers already have one outfield position they can’t fill.

Their major prospects -- Rubby De La Rosa, Dee Gordon, Jerry Sands -- are so few it makes no sense to deal them.

So the only thing they would likely accomplish by becoming sellers at the trading deadline is to dump salary. Everybody excited about saving Frank McCourt some extra cash?

General Manager Ned Colletti said he’s undecided whether to become buyer or seller and will used the month’s final days to make his determination. Any other year, and this is a fairly big deal. This year, not so much.

Ownership is in limbo and the franchise is without direction. If MLB wins temporary team control July 20, the Dodgers might have more funds available to acquire someone, but still hard to fathom it taking a sub-.500 team further into debt.

The team is adrift with no one at the helm. It’s a sad, wasted season and selling off a veteran or two ultimately does little but help McCourt. Very strange.

RELATED:

Ownership situation is team's biggest second-half story

Kirk Gibson's passion spills over to his Diamondback players

Players union, Stowe family part of unsecured creditors' panel in bankrupty case

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw (right) seems untouchable in trade talks, but All-Star outfielder Andre Ethier might be a different story. Credit: Denis Poroy / Reuters

Dodgers are almost no-hit but beat Padres, 1-0

When the Dodgers finally hit, they made it count.

No-hit by the San Diego Padres through eight innings, the Dodgers broke through in the ninth to claim a 1-0 victory at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

Juan Uribe broke up the no-hitter with a two-out double against Luke Gregorson in the ninth inning and Dioner Navarro drove Uribe in with a single to right-center.

The Dodgers' pitchers were as dominant -- or their hitters were as inept -- as the Padres', as they held San Diego to one hit.

Padres starter Aaron Harang, who had been sidelined since June 9 because of a bruised foot, returned from the disabled list to discover he was suddenly unhittable. Literally.

But Harang was at 95 pitches at the end of the sixth inning, prompting Padres Manager Bud Black to send left-hander Josh Spence to the mound the next inning.

Chad Qualls and Mike Adams helped keep the Dodgers hitless until the ninth inning, when Gregorson took the mound.

Dodgers starter Rubby De La Rosa was almost equally dominant, holding the Padres to one hit and four walks in six innings. De La Rosa struck out eight, a career high.

RELATED:

Dodgers-Padres box score

Andre Ethier selected as All-Star replacement

Letters: Frank McCourt not the right stuff for Dodgers

-- Dylan Hernandez

Photo: Dodgers catcher Dioner Navarro reacts after watching his game-winning hit land in right-center field on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire

Jon Garland to undergo surgery; done for the season

Jon Garland won't pitch again this season.

The Dodgers' fifth starter is scheduled to undergo a season-ending shoulder operation next week. Trainer Stan Conte said Garland's recovery is expected to take six months.

"The fact that he couldn't progress in his throwing program gave us no choice," Conte said.

Garland was 1-5 with a 4.33 earned-run average in nine starts. He last pitched on June 1.

The Dodgers knew that they were taking a risk when they signed Garland over the winter, which is why his contract was guaranteed for only one season at $5 million. The deal includes a team option for next year, which the team is expected to decline.

Garland's injury opened the door for hard-throwing rookie Rubby De La Rosa, who has given up four runs in 14 innings over his last two starts.

ALSO:

Kemp will take part in All-Star home run derby

Dodgers send Dee Gordon to triple A

-- Dylan Hernandez

Photo: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Jon Garland. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

Rubby De La Rosa gem doesn't shine bright enough in 1-0 loss to Twins

It didn’t seem that big of a deal. Certainly not game-changing stuff.

The Minnesota Twins’ Ben Revere led off the bottom of the first with a triple against Rubby De La Rosa and scored when the second batter, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, bounced back to the mound.

Minnesota’s first two batters, one run. And as it turned out, game over.

De La Rosa never allowed another run, but it was still one more than Scott Baker surrendered in his 7 1/3 innings.

De La Rosa and Baker were locked in an outstanding pitchers’ duel Wednesday afternoon, with Baker and the Twins coming out the 1-0 winners off that innocent-looking first-inning run.

Oh, to have a little of that offense from Monday, when the Dodgers beat the Twins 15-0.

Dodgers drop fifth consecutive game; Rod Barajas leaves game with sprained ankle

The Dodgers lost again.

And in other news, the Pacific is wet.

The losing continued Saturday, which looked remarkably like the past five days, which further pulled them into their sinkhole of a season.

The lifeless Dodgers were pushed around for the second consecutive night by the worst team in baseball, the Houston Astros mauling them for a 7-0 victory before a crowd that was announced at 37,124 but might have been half that.

It marked their fifth consecutive loss, matching their season high (low?) and dropped them to 31-41 on the season. It’s the first time they’ve been 10 games under .500 this year.

Making matters worse, catcher Rod Barajas left the game in the fifth inning with a sprained right ankle he injured chasing a wild pitch. Barajas is hitting just .220 but is second on the team with eight home runs. And backup catcher Dioner Navarro is hitting .158.

The Astros had lost 11 of their last 13 before venturing into that haven for visiting teams, Dodger Stadium, the previous night. The Dodgers are 15-21 at home this season.

Say it ain't so: Now even starting pitching is letting Dodgers down

No, not that. Not the last vestige of team respectability. The one thing that is supposed to be a Dodgers’ strength.

So sorry, right now, it’s true. In addition to their woeful hitting and cover-the-eyes bullpen, now the Dodgers must add -- lousy starting pitching.

Coming next: Dodger Stadium swallowed by earthquake!

There are only so many struggling elements to the game that one team can squeeze into a season, though the Dodgers keep trying to add to their unattractive resume.

From the very beginning of the season, starting pitching was the one area in which the Dodgers had confidence. Their rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly and Jon Garland was expected to give them a chance to win every night.

Early on, they were pretty much as solid as advertised. Since June rolled around, though, they have been going in the wrong direction. And not coincidentally, so has the team.