Notes: Taylor is Dodgers’ Heart and Hustle Award recipient; Roberts ready for ‘energetic Dodger faithful’
by Rowan Kavner
Chris Taylor was named the Dodgers’ 2021 Heart and Hustle Award winner for his passion for the game of baseball and best embodying the values, spirit and traditions of the game.
The Heart and Hustle Award is the only award in Major League Baseball voted on by former players. Voting was conducted before the All-Star break.
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association formed 30 committees comprised of alumni players with established relationships with each team. One player from each team was chosen by the committees based on their passion, desire and work ethic on and off the field. The 30 preliminary winners were announced Tuesday by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.
The overall winner will be announced mid-November on MLB Network.
Taylor is posting career highs this year in on-base percentage (.379), slugging percentage (.501) and OPS (.880). He’s tied for the league lead with 78 runs and ranks second on the Dodgers in hits (103) and third in home runs (17). He was named National League Player of the Week on July 26 and slashed .333/.369/.619 during the month. Taylor enters Tuesday with a 1.008 OPS since the start of July.
Graterol returns, Uceta to IL
The Dodgers recalled right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol and placed right-handed pitcher Edwin Uceta on the injured list with a right back strain.
Graterol returns for his fourth stint with the big league club. He is 1–0 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in his third Major League season. The hard-throwing 22-year-old is 3–3 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.07 WHIP for his career.
Uceta tossed a scoreless inning Saturday in his 12th appearance of the year. He is 0–3 with a 7.64 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings this season.
Reks returns, Ramírez optioned
The Dodgers recalled outfielder Zach Reks and optioned right-handed pitcher Yefry Ramírez to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Reks was recalled for the third time in his career and is still looking for his first hit after 10 Major League at-bats. He is hitting .312/.409/.583 with 12 home runs in 53 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ramírez made his Dodger debut Sunday tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
Roberts readies for fans’ energy
Tuesday won’t be the first time the Dodgers and Astros have played each other since the 2017 World Series. But it will be the first time they face off with fans in attendance at Dodger Stadium since the sign-stealing scandal came to light.
Hours before Tuesday’s game, Dodger fans were already making themselves heard during batting practice.
“I expect a very energetic Dodger faithful contingent,” said manager Dave Roberts. “It’s exciting. I woke up this morning, couldn’t wait to get to the ballpark. It’s going to be sold out. You’re going to be hearing ‘Let’s Go Dodgers’ all night long and see Dodger jerseys all over the ballpark. Our guys are excited about it.”
Roberts encouraged fans to be as emotional as they wanted rooting for the Dodgers and said booing is a part of baseball and a part of teams going on the road. But he also encouraged safety.
“That’s the great thing about sports is it’s entertainment,” Roberts said. “Fans have been waiting. There’s a lot of pent-up frustration, anger, which, I understand it. Let’s just focus on the game, the field, the players and let’s just be safe. I can’t emphasize that enough.”
This week will mark the second meeting between the teams this year after splitting a two-game series in Houston on May 25–26. The Dodgers took three of four games from Houston last year, with two games apiece at each ballpark. No fans were in attendance then, so Roberts said he understands if this week’s series can provide some closure.
The Dodgers have seven players on their roster (six active) who took part in the 2017 World Series. The Astros have six players (four active).
“I wasn’t here, so I don’t have the same emotions that these guys have,” said Mookie Betts. “But I’m ready for war. I’m on the Dodgers, no matter what my emotions are. I’ve got to ride with my team. So, we’re ready.”
Quick Hits:
· Trea Turner is expected to fly to Los Angeles on Friday. Roberts said he’s not sure on the timetable for his return from the COVID-IL list.
· Betts will remain at second base on Tuesday with Cody Bellinger in right field and Chris Taylor in center field. Roberts said Betts “came up a little bit sore” after his last game while still dealing with hip irritation: “To keep him on the dirt allows for him to stay on the field.”
Notebook: Taylor is Dodgers’ Heart and Hustle Award recipient was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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