With Opening Day 2025 now only 13 days away for the Dodgers, they have some difficult decisions to make in finalizing their 40-man and 26-man rosters. But they also have some easy decisions to make.
In their 5-3 win over the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Wednesday, a couple of those difficult decisions may have become a little easier and a couple of the easier ones more difficult.
Looming large for Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman is what to do with 27-year-old right-hander Landon Knack, who quite possibly pitched himself out of the Dodgers Opening Day starting rotation by allowing three runs on four hits (including two home runs in the bottom of the first inning) in his brief 2.0 innings of work on Wednesday. It was the third game (second start) of the Spring for the Johnson City, TN native and Dodgers second-round draft in 2020 out of East Tennessee State University.
Although Knack remains 0-0 this Spring, he owns a less-than-stellar 6.23 ERA, seventh-worst on the team among pitchers – starters or relievers – with at least 4.0 innings pitched.
Another difficult decision for Friedman involves Dodgers outfielder James Outman, who is 4-for-17 (.235) with one double, one triple, and two RBIs this Spring. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old Redwood City, CA native and Dodgers seventh-round draft pick in 2018 out of Cal State Sacramento has struck out nine times so far this Spring, this to go along with his two walks and one HBP in his 21 plate appearances. That said, and to make Friedman’s decision on Outman even more difficult, he has done a pretty good job as the Dodgers almost everyday center fielder this Spring.
Now for an easy decision for Friedman.
Among the most popular Dodgers in camp this Spring is 33-year-old utility infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández. Although the San Juan, Puerto Rico native and sixth-round draft pick in 2009 by the Houston Astros out of the American Military Academy in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico is only hitting .231 this Spring, he has a knack (no relation) for coming up with ridiculously clutch hits when one is absolutely needed … like Wednesday’s game against the Angels. Kiké went 2-for-3 with two doubles, driving two of the Dodgers five runs, including the eventual game-winner with his two-run double to right in the top of the sixth.
“I feel really good. I feel like I was in a good spot before, swinging at the right pitches and things like that,” Hernández told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame. “It was just a matter of getting on time and getting the timing down. Today I felt it was the first time that I was able to be on the fastball and still ride out the breaking ball to right-center, and then I was able to be on time and hit the fastball to right-center.
“So, good day overall and it’s always good to get results even if it’s Spring Training. But, yeah, I mean I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot and pretty close to being ready for the season,” added Kiké.
(SportsNet LA)
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