We’re four days into Summer training camp, and there’s been a glut of news around the league surrounding the effects of COVID-19 on the players either with testing positive or opting out of playing the 2020 season for reasons concerning their health or the health of there loved ones. And the Dodgers are no exception to such news.
- A group of players haven’t shown up to camp for reasons unknown. Abiding by the agreement made by the MLBPA and MLB, the names went undisclosed. Although a couple of those names leaked out, there was no official confirmation, which leads to the belief that if the players have tested positive for the coronavirus, they didn’t permit to reveal their names.
- After months of contemplation, David Price has opted out of playing the 2020 season.
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It’s not clear who will replace him in the rotation, but at the moment but the default option expects to be Ross Stripling with Jimmy Nelson, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin being other practical choices on the team to fill the rotation.
- When asked if there are expectations other players opt-out of the season, “I don’t,” Andrew Friedman said, “but things are fluid…we’re just taking everything one day at a time right now.”
- Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the league is expected to announce the regular season schedule on Monday. The Dodgers will face the Giants in Los Angeles on the 23rd of this month as one of two games to inaugurate the 2020 season on national television.
- There are close to 10 players training at USC to follow health and safety protocols reducing the number of players in one location.
- The Dodgers reportedly made another addition to their 60 man pool.
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- Newly signed Dodger AJ Ramos may join the club as soon as Sunday. Ramos is a former all-star closer for the Miami Marlins. He’s been recovering from a shoulder injury since late May of 2018. He’s now fully healthy and just wants a chance to prove he’s good enough to compete in the big show. With the absence of David Price, a 40 man spot is now open for Ramos to fill.
- Dave Roberts said he’ll open the season with a five man rotation. He also mentioned the DH role will be utilized by multiple players depending on matchups.
- The Dodgers will begin playing intrasquad games next week, but pitchers will face batters for multiple innings of work in the coming days. Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, and Ross Stripling are three expected to be a part of the live bullpen sessions.
- Walker Buehler has been building himself up and will face batters next week. He says the process of building up for the season takes longer with him.
Oskar is a writer for Dodgers-Lowdown. Follow him on Twitter @2Rawsko94. Graphic credit: Alberto Amezola, Jr.