Taylor could be limited to more of a part-time role to begin 2023 with David Peralta, James Outman and Mookie Betts looking like the Dodgers' primary outfielders, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The left-handed bats of Peralta and Outman should have them seeing most of their chances against right-handed pitching, which likely leaves Taylor to start versus southpaws. Taylor certainly didn't help himself with a poor showing during spring training, as he hit .125 and struck out 23 times in 57 plate appearances, which tops his career-worst 35.2 percent strikeout rate from 2022. The veteran utility man should still see fairly regular at-bats between shortstop -- where Miguel Rojas is filling in with Gavin Lux (knee) out for the season -- and the outfield, but Taylor's fantasy utility could be limited unless he's able to make more consistent contact and carve out a larger role.
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Dodgers' Michael Busch: Hits second spring homer
Rotowire
Busch went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in a Cactus League contest against the Royals on Saturday.
Busch was optioned to minor-league camp nearly two weeks ago, but he's shown that he can hold his own against major-league pitching this spring. The 25-year-old has posted a .937 OPS over 36 plate appearances while driving in four runs. Busch will begin the campaign with Triple-A Oklahoma City but is likely to make his big-league debut at some point this season.
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Dodgers' Dustin May: Throws 94 pitches in final tune-up
Rotowire
May completed 5.2 innings in a Cactus League start against Kansas City on Saturday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and no walks while striking out four batters.
May's outing was the longest by a Dodgers pitcher this spring and puts him in line to handle a nearly full workload once the regular season begins. The right-hander was tagged by Bobby Witt Jr. for a three-run homer in the third inning but otherwise allowed just one run. May is scheduled to start Los Angeles' second game of the season Friday at home against Arizona.
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Dodgers' Steven Duggar: Moved to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Duggar was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Dodgers on Saturday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.
Duggar was signed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training by the Dodgers in December. The former San Francisco bench option comes up short in his bid to make the Opening Day roster, and he'll likely begin his 2023 campaign with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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Dodgers' Bradley Zimmer: Doesn't make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Zimmer was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Dodgers on Saturday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.
Zimmer was attempting to win one of the final bench spots for the Dodgers to open the season after signing as an NRI over the winter. The former top prospect hit .276/.400/.345 with a pair of stolen bases over 20 games in the Cactus League, but he'll likely begin the 2023 season as a starting outfielder for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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Dodgers' Dustin May: Starting second game for LA
Rotowire
May will make his first start of the regular season in the Dodgers' second game of the campaign, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
The Dodgers announced Friday that lefty Julio Urias will take the mound Opening Day, and the team prefers to follow him in the rotation with a right-hander rather than another southpaw. Consequently, May is scheduled to take the mound March 31 while Clayton Kershaw will start the team's third game April 1.
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Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Will start third game for LA
Rotowire
Kershaw will make his first start of the regular season in the Dodgers' third game of the campaign, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
The Dodgers announced Friday that southpaw Julio Urias will be their Opening Day starter, and manager Dave Roberts prefers to avoid having a lefty start on back-to-back days. That means Dustin May will slot in between Urias and Kershaw, the latter of whom lines up to face fellow veteran southpaw Madison Bumgarner and the Diamondbacks on April 1.
Pilarski hit 101 mph with his fastball in a Cactus League game against Colorado on Monday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Pilarski has never been on any sort of prospect radar -- he wasn't drafted out of college in 2021 and spent the past two years playing independent-league ball. The right-hander made massive gains with his velocity this winter, and the triple-digit heat he flashed against the Rockies helped him strike out the side in his inning of work. Pilarski has yet to pitch in the minor leagues and clearly has a ways to go in terms of development, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts suggested that the 24-year-old won't necessarily have to make a slow ascent through the system, saying, "If he keeps pitching [impressively], he's gonna be on the fast track."
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Dodgers' Andre Jackson: Wins final bullpen spot
Rotowire
Jackson will have a spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Jackson is positioned to operate in long relief out of the gate for Los Angeles, though that role could be a revolving door as the 2023 season plays out. The 26-year-old right-hander has tallied 10 strikeouts with a 1.17 ERA through 7.2 innings this spring in the Cactus League.
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Dodgers' Victor Gonzalez: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City by the Dodgers on Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Gonzalez is a bit of a surprise demotion to Triple-A, but his poor spring training (10.38 ERA, 1.85 WHIP) will see him open the year in Oklahoma City where he'll try and work things out. With Gonzalez now in the minors, Ardaya speculates that Andre Jackson now has a path to be the multi-inning relief option for the Dodgers to begin 2023.
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Dodgers' Ryan Pepiot: Claims final rotation spot
Rotowire
Pepiot has won the final spot in the Dodgers' starting rotation, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The 25-year-old right-hander might only hold that spot for a couple of turns as Tony Gonsolin works back from a left ankle sprain, but Pepiot should carry considerable fantasy streaming appeal for however long he's in the Dodgers' rotation. He posted a cool 3.47 ERA with 42 strikeouts over his first 36.1 major-league innings in 2022.
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Dodgers' Michael Grove: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Grove was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City by the Dodgers on Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Grove did not win the final spot in the Dodgers' rotation, and instead it will be Ryan Pepiot who will be the fifth starter for Los Angeles. Grove will begin the year back in the Pacific Coast League, and the 26-year-old could be an option if Pepiot falters or there's an injury to another member of the rotation.
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Dodgers' Blake Treinen: Cleared to start throwing program
Rotowire
Treinen (shoulder) has been cleared to begin a throwing program Monday.
He'll play catch for the first time since undergoing right shoulder surgery in November. Treinen is hoping to make it back at some point late this season, but he could very well be out until 2024.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Throws bullpen session Friday
Rotowire
Gonsolin (ankle) threw a bullpen session Friday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
It's the first time he's been on the bump since suffering a sprained left ankle back on March 6. Gonsolin could miss most, if not all, of April as the Dodgers take things slowly with his recovery, but he seems to be progressing well.
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Dodgers' Julio Urias: Officially starting Opening Day
Rotowire
Urias will be on the mound for Thursday's Opening Day matchup with the Diamondbacks, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
As expected, Urias will toe the rubber in the Dodgers' season opener in Arizona. The right-hander has seemingly supplanted Clayton Kershaw as the marquee starter in Los Angeles' rotation, and he'll look to try and match the remarkable 2.16 ERA and 0.96 WHIP he produced in 2022.
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Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Won't start Opening Day
Rotowire
Julio Urias is likely to be named the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, with Kershaw following him in the rotation for the second game of the season, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
For the decade leading into last season, Kershaw and Opening Day went hand-in-hand, as the future Hall of Famer started every season opener in which he wasn't injured from 2011 to 2021. However, Walker Buehler was chosen as the team's first starter last season, and Urias appears to be in line for that honor this year. Nonetheless, Kershaw is coming off an excellent campaign during which he started the All Star game for the first time and finished with a 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 137:23 K:BB over 126.1 innings. The southpaw is about as much of a guarantee to put up strong ratios as any pitcher in baseball, but injuries have slowed his ability to put up big counting stats late in his career.
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Dodgers' Devin Mann: Reassigned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Mann was reassigned Thursday to the minor-league side of Dodgers camp, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.
Mann got a lot of run in the Cactus League this spring and showed pretty well with a .775 OPS over 18 games, but he was never considered a likely candidate for the Opening Day roster. The 26-year-old will presumably return to Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin the 2023 campaign. He posted an .826 OPS with five home runs in 44 games at OKC to close out the 2022 campaign.
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Dodgers' Tyler Cyr: Reassigned to MiLB camp
Rotowire
Cyr was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Dodgers on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Cyr was solid in the majors last season with Oakland and Philadelphia, allowing four earned runs over 13.1 frames while striking out 16 batters. He got roughed up a bit during spring training and will head to Triple-A with a solid shot at getting called up mid-season.
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Dodgers' Jason Heyward: Confirmed for Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Thursday that Heyward will be on the Opening Day roster, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
The writing has been on the wall for much of the spring, and now it's official. Heyward offers very little offensive upside at this point in his career, but he can cover all three outfield spots for the Dodgers in what is certain to be a backup role.
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Dodgers' Jimmy Nelson: To open season on IL
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Nelson (elbow) will open the season on the injured list, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Nelson hasn't suffered any sort of setback, but the Dodgers want to give him more time to work fully into form after he missed the entire 2022 season following Tommy John surgery. It seems like he could be an option for the Los Angeles bullpen before the end of April.
