WEBVTT - Dodger Talk (9-10-26) 0:00:00.310 --> 0:00:03.670 Dodger Talk is brought to you by LA County Public Works. 0:00:03.990 --> 0:00:06.150 Champions Recycle Beverage Containers. 0:00:06.510 --> 0:00:07.230 Make the play. 0:00:07.490 --> 0:00:12.240 Recycle today. And by Children's Hospital LA. From colds to cancer, 0:00:12.539 --> 0:00:16.700 we got this. To get in on the show, call 866-987-2570. 0:00:17.860 --> 0:00:20.480 And be sure to follow Dodger Talk wherever you get 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:25.060 your podcasts. And now your host, here's Tim Cates. 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:27.140 Ah, we meet again. 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:32.500 Off Night Dodger Talk on this Thursday night, September the 10th. 0:00:33.020 --> 0:00:34.040 Thanks for being with us. 0:00:34.100 --> 0:00:36.320 Tim Cates with you here for the next hour on 0:00:36.380 --> 0:00:37.880 AM570 LA Sports. 0:00:37.940 --> 0:00:42.059 Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, wherever you may be. 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:44.800 Thank you for taking us along for the ride, wherever 0:00:44.820 --> 0:00:47.279 you're at. Let's talk a little Dodgers baseball on this 0:00:47.340 --> 0:00:55.290 Thursday night. 866-987-2570 is the telephone number. 866- 9-8-7-2-5-70 is 0:00:55.570 --> 0:00:58.350 the number. Of course, you got it programmed into your phone. 0:00:58.410 --> 0:01:00.590 If you're listening on the iHeartRadio app, I want you 0:01:00.610 --> 0:01:02.450 to be a part of the show as well. Even 0:01:02.510 --> 0:01:06.150 if you're outside of the Southern California area, Dodger fans 0:01:06.209 --> 0:01:09.690 all across the world enjoy what this Dodgers team is doing. 0:01:09.709 --> 0:01:11.730 89-57 on this season. 0:01:11.750 --> 0:01:16.089 The Dodgers winners of seven in a row. Yeah, the 0:01:16.130 --> 0:01:19.250 Dodgers flying high right now as they are atop the 0:01:19.370 --> 0:01:22.369 NL West. Their magic number to clinch the division is six. 0:01:22.950 --> 0:01:27.540 And as we speak, well, the Dodgers are trailing only 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.539 the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. One 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:32.000 and a half games back of the Brewers in the 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:35.080 National League. They are now, what, three and a half 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:37.910 games up on the Atlanta Braves, who won. So they 0:01:37.930 --> 0:01:40.550 picked up a half game. So the Dodgers now, if 0:01:40.590 --> 0:01:42.450 I do my math correctly, three and a half games 0:01:43.170 --> 0:01:46.330 up on the Atlanta Braves for the top. Two spots 0:01:46.410 --> 0:01:49.430 there in the National League. And that is big because 0:01:49.450 --> 0:01:51.510 of the wild card and what it means. But a 0:01:51.610 --> 0:01:53.790 lot to get to as the Dodgers are on the road. 0:01:53.850 --> 0:01:58.270 They headed to Miami last night after the 14-1 win 0:01:58.350 --> 0:02:00.880 over the Cincinnati Reds. And they had a day off 0:02:00.940 --> 0:02:04.160 tomorrow in South Florida. And they'll start a three-game series 0:02:04.220 --> 0:02:07.100 against the Marlins beginning tomorrow. Our coverage will begin with 0:02:07.140 --> 0:02:09.620 Morongo Casino Dodgers on deck at 3 p.m. First pitch 0:02:09.700 --> 0:02:13.100 at 410. as Blake Snell is scheduled to get the start. 0:02:13.220 --> 0:02:15.750 And then it's off to Cincinnati for four more games 0:02:15.810 --> 0:02:19.150 against the Reds, a Reds team that was pretty awful 0:02:19.530 --> 0:02:22.210 the last three nights out of Dodger Stadium. as the 0:02:22.250 --> 0:02:25.870 Dodgers got the three-game sweep. The Dodgers go 7-2 on 0:02:25.910 --> 0:02:29.080 this latest homestand. Yeah, the Dodgers started 0-2 in the 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:31.720 month of September with those back-to-back losses to the St. 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:32.520 Louis Cardinals. 0:02:32.580 --> 0:02:35.120 Sky was falling into the world. Dodgers aren't going to 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:37.640 be a contender for a three-peat. That was the cry. 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:41.130 But then the Dodgers rattled off seven straight wins to 0:02:41.230 --> 0:02:43.540 finish off the homestand. And to go to 89-57, they 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:44.079 are 32 games over. 0:02:44.060 --> 0:02:44.120 500. 0:02:44.100 --> 0:02:46.000 I couldn't believe that. I had to do the math again. 0:02:46.020 --> 0:02:46.430 I'm like, 89-57? 0:02:46.400 --> 0:03:01.290 32 games over. 500? It's remarkable. 0:03:01.310 --> 0:03:05.730 I mean, you look around baseball at teams like the 0:03:05.850 --> 0:03:08.489 Arizona Diamondbacks, who are nine games over. 0:03:08.370 --> 0:03:08.610 500. 0:03:08.610 --> 0:03:11.240 That's pretty respectable. That's kind of where you should be. 0:03:11.260 --> 0:03:14.710 You know, the Chicago Cubs are 15 games over. 0:03:14.580 --> 0:03:14.840 500. 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:17.640 That's darn good at 81. And 66. 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:21.960 I mean, the Atlanta Braves right now, 25 games over 500. 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:25.880 That's pretty impressive. The Dodgers are 32 games over 500. 0:03:25.860 --> 0:03:29.160 I mean, I remember the days of the 90s and 0:03:29.180 --> 0:03:36.250 the early 2000s. Well, certainly the Frank McCourt era of 0:03:36.290 --> 0:03:39.410 Dodger baseball or the Dodgers would win a division or 0:03:39.530 --> 0:03:41.910 get to the postseason, but not go very far and, 0:03:42.250 --> 0:03:43.870 you know, be a 500 team or five games over 0:03:43.870 --> 0:03:45.490 500 or maybe 18 games over 500. But man, to 0:03:45.570 --> 0:03:47.410 see where this team is at right now, 32 games 0:03:47.490 --> 0:03:49.630 over 500 with three weeks to go in this season. 0:03:55.760 --> 0:03:57.000 Is pretty darn special. 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:58.840 And to think of what they did last night, scoring 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:01.640 14 runs on 14 hits with no Freddie Freeman and 0:04:01.720 --> 0:04:04.160 no Shohei Otani. And that's something we got to get to. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:08.430 The Dodgers getting healthy down the stretch. It is so 0:04:08.530 --> 0:04:12.670 important for this Dodgers team to get right before we 0:04:12.710 --> 0:04:16.430 flip the calendar to October. Now, in doing so, the 0:04:16.470 --> 0:04:19.489 Dodgers haven't skipped a beat as far as winning baseball games. 0:04:19.950 --> 0:04:23.630 Sitting to Freddie Freeman, sitting to Mookie Betts, Shohei Otani 0:04:24.010 --> 0:04:27.200 missing five of the last six games, Shohei Otani now 0:04:27.260 --> 0:04:30.540 going on the injured list. The Dodgers haven't skipped a beat. 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:34.540 You take a superstar player off... another team, and that 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:38.240 lineup looks dramatically different. You take one or two superstars, 0:04:38.500 --> 0:04:40.960 top hitters, out of a lineup, and that lineup is 0:04:41.020 --> 0:04:43.060 most likely not going to produce. You're going to lose 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:45.740 a lot of the offensive production, and you're not going 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:47.729 to see a lot of runs being scored from that team, 0:04:47.810 --> 0:04:51.150 whoever it may be. You take a Freddie Freeman, then 0:04:51.170 --> 0:04:53.090 you take a Freddie Freeman and Shohei Otani out of 0:04:53.110 --> 0:04:55.170 the lineup like the Dodgers had last night, and a 0:04:55.290 --> 0:04:57.970 team already missing Andy Pahez, and they scored 14 runs. 0:04:59.450 --> 0:05:02.350 on 14 hits with eight extra base hits, including four 0:05:02.410 --> 0:05:06.130 home runs last night by four different Dodgers. The depth 0:05:06.170 --> 0:05:09.070 of this team is something special. And it's built like 0:05:09.130 --> 0:05:12.590 this because they're the champions and they've got this much 0:05:12.650 --> 0:05:15.339 talent and they've added to it. But with that being said, 0:05:15.700 --> 0:05:20.420 they can weather these injuries. Other teams around baseball, and 0:05:20.460 --> 0:05:23.410 I'll even put Everybody else in the major leagues, even 0:05:23.450 --> 0:05:26.210 the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in baseball, 0:05:26.570 --> 0:05:28.630 even a team like the Atlanta Braves, even a team 0:05:28.650 --> 0:05:30.729 like the Tampa Bay Rays, who are the best team 0:05:30.750 --> 0:05:32.789 in the American League, or the New York Yankees, or 0:05:32.810 --> 0:05:35.570 the Boston Red Sox. No other team in baseball can 0:05:35.650 --> 0:05:38.880 weather the injury storm like the Dodgers have this year, 0:05:38.940 --> 0:05:42.220 from starting pitching to the position players to the heart 0:05:42.240 --> 0:05:45.300 of the lineup and Shohei Otani now on the injured list. 0:05:45.700 --> 0:05:47.860 And with Shohei going on the injured list, that has 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:50.839 opened the door. And I'll be quite frank and honest 0:05:50.860 --> 0:05:56.680 with you. I was shocked that Josue DiPaola was the 0:05:56.880 --> 0:06:01.400 one that got the call-up from AA Tulsa. And I 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:03.860 was shocked for a couple of reasons, and maybe you 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:09.380 were too. To me, James Tibbs III, Ryan Ward, who 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.290 we've already seen at the big league level, would be 0:06:12.370 --> 0:06:18.110 two options in AAA, a little closer to the major leagues. 0:06:18.170 --> 0:06:20.650 And again, Ryan Ward already with a little bit of 0:06:20.710 --> 0:06:25.290 major league experience. Could have been that call-up. Left-handed bat, 0:06:25.610 --> 0:06:28.990 power hitters, either knocking on the door to the major 0:06:29.010 --> 0:06:32.100 leagues or, in Ryan Ward's case, a couple of games 0:06:32.250 --> 0:06:35.380 at the major league level already underneath your belt. Those, 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:39.720 to me, I thought were the two front-running picks, one 0:06:39.740 --> 0:06:42.060 of them to get called up with Shohei Otani going 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:46.500 on the endless. I was shocked to see 21-year-old outfielder 0:06:46.820 --> 0:06:50.690 Josue DiPaola be the one promoted straight to the major 0:06:50.750 --> 0:06:52.060 leagues from AA. 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:56.640 The Dodgers, they just don't do that. 0:06:57.339 --> 0:07:02.020 Andrew Freeman has never done it as president of baseball 0:07:02.100 --> 0:07:05.830 operations of the Dodgers. He has never promoted a position 0:07:05.890 --> 0:07:11.470 player directly to the major leagues from AA. With Otani 0:07:11.510 --> 0:07:13.950 now injured, we are now going to see one of 0:07:13.970 --> 0:07:19.600 the most talked about and most exciting minor league prospects 0:07:20.300 --> 0:07:23.420 that the Dodgers have had. He still needs to be 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:28.100 added to the 40-man roster. We'll see what corresponding move 0:07:28.140 --> 0:07:31.500 happens there. But for those who don't know Josue de Paula, 0:07:31.500 --> 0:07:35.420 21 years old, born in Brooklyn, during COVID went down 0:07:35.460 --> 0:07:39.140 the Dominican Republic. The Dodgers signed him as an international player. 0:07:39.980 --> 0:07:45.290 He is considered top 10 prospect in all baseball. I mean, 0:07:45.330 --> 0:07:46.210 this is a 21-year-old who. 0:07:47.980 --> 0:07:51.580 Two years ago, was in Rancho Cucamonga with the Quakes 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:55.770 before the Ontario Tower buzzers were around. Last year, spent 0:07:55.850 --> 0:07:57.990 most of the season, I think, in Great Lakes with 0:07:58.010 --> 0:08:04.710 the Loons. Double-A Tulsa. This year, stayed there. and produced 0:08:04.710 --> 0:08:10.920 940 OPS, 31 stolen bases over 124 games, 303 batting average, 0:08:10.940 --> 0:08:16.240 nearly 300, excuse me, nearly 300, nearly 30 home runs. Yeah, 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:21.560 27 to be exact for AA Tulsa. Josue de Paula 0:08:22.020 --> 0:08:27.950 is a star in the making. He's got just a 0:08:28.010 --> 0:08:31.450 ton of talent. He's a guy who can play the outfield. 0:08:32.110 --> 0:08:35.360 He's getting better defensively. And he's a guy that can 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.460 certainly swing the bat. We've seen him play in the 0:08:37.980 --> 0:08:41.320 minor league all-star game, the futures game during all-star weekend, 0:08:41.340 --> 0:08:43.900 the last two Midsummer Classics, and last year in Atlanta, 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:46.800 hit a home run to win it for the National 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:52.819 League's future stars. Josue Napala is a guy we've been 0:08:52.860 --> 0:08:56.890 talking about for two years. I mean, some say he's 0:08:56.910 --> 0:09:03.170 the best pure hitter the Dodgers have had in over 0:09:03.210 --> 0:09:09.010 a decade since Corey Seager. And defensively, he's played in left, 0:09:09.050 --> 0:09:13.550 he's played in right. Wasn't a great defensive outfielder the 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.640 last year and a half, but has gotten tremendously better 0:09:16.700 --> 0:09:18.980 this year. Ron Reneke is one of the names you 0:09:19.000 --> 0:09:21.420 hear has worked with him in spring training as a 0:09:21.460 --> 0:09:25.670 roving instructor. Jason Hayward is now a special advisor. for 0:09:25.690 --> 0:09:29.690 the Dodgers, has spent time most recently in Tulsa, video 0:09:29.750 --> 0:09:32.890 of him helping them out, outfield drills before a game, 0:09:33.730 --> 0:09:37.150 has been talking about him and his mental approach to 0:09:37.190 --> 0:09:40.730 the game. And according to a recent interview with The Athletic, 0:09:40.770 --> 0:09:46.330 Jason Hayward raved about, just absolutely raved about, Josue DePaulo said, quote, 0:09:46.350 --> 0:09:48.449 it's definitely something that's fun to watch, his swing and 0:09:48.510 --> 0:09:52.570 overall approach. So we're going to see it firsthand. Josue 0:09:52.590 --> 0:09:57.350 DiPaola being called up from AAA Tulsa. Yeah, I want 0:09:57.370 --> 0:10:00.790 to say AAA. From AA Tulsa. And he'll make his 0:10:00.929 --> 0:10:05.400 major league debut tomorrow with the Dodgers. And Dave Roberts 0:10:05.420 --> 0:10:08.140 said he'll be as the designated hitter. Now we'll see 0:10:08.179 --> 0:10:12.110 him as a outfielder as well in the lineup. whether 0:10:12.150 --> 0:10:15.290 it's left field starting for Teoscar Hernandez or in right field, 0:10:15.330 --> 0:10:17.690 maybe giving Kyle Tucker a day off, or maybe Kyle 0:10:17.730 --> 0:10:21.210 Tucker goes to the designated hitter spot and Josue DePaula 0:10:21.490 --> 0:10:24.840 takes over in right field. However they line it up, 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:27.540 Josue DePaula is going to be in the lineup pretty 0:10:27.580 --> 0:10:29.640 much every day while he is called up. 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:30.720 Why? 0:10:31.740 --> 0:10:33.260 Isn't he just a guy to get called up and 0:10:33.300 --> 0:10:36.300 be a body? Isn't he just being brought up to 0:10:36.340 --> 0:10:37.780 be there in case they need. 0:10:37.980 --> 0:10:39.520 Another left-handed bat off the bench? 0:10:39.860 --> 0:10:39.980 No. 0:10:40.870 --> 0:10:41.890 No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:46.560 At this point of the season, Dodger fans, a prospect 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:51.060 like Josue DiPaola gets called up for one of two reasons. 0:10:51.340 --> 0:10:53.380 And I said this last night on Dodger Talk after 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:57.709 the 14-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. This time of year, 0:10:58.179 --> 0:11:01.230 a top prospect in a team's organization, a top 10 0:11:01.230 --> 0:11:04.110 prospect in all of baseball like Josue DiPaola, gets called 0:11:04.170 --> 0:11:04.520 up for a. 0:11:06.550 --> 0:11:10.360 Your team is really bad and he's your future. Why 0:11:10.420 --> 0:11:12.370 not bring him up now so your fans can get 0:11:12.510 --> 0:11:15.240 eyes on him and you can start selling the future 0:11:15.820 --> 0:11:20.970 with this player. Telling your fans, ha, see this young 21-year-old? 0:11:21.490 --> 0:11:22.530 He's the future. 0:11:22.950 --> 0:11:25.390 Get your eyes on him. Get your ears on him. 0:11:25.710 --> 0:11:28.750 Listen to him swing a bat. This is our future 0:11:28.850 --> 0:11:31.030 right here. We're giving you a glimpse so you can 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:34.660 come back next year and see this young outfielder. That's 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:38.319 reason A or reason 1 you bring a top prospect 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:40.300 up at this point of the season. But that's not 0:11:40.340 --> 0:11:44.059 the case for the Dodgers. It's reason number 2. They 0:11:44.100 --> 0:11:48.800 bring him up to play out of necessity and to 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:51.400 get him in the lineup every single day to be 0:11:51.440 --> 0:11:54.720 a part of a championship run. And that's why they 0:11:54.740 --> 0:11:56.679 brought him up. He is not here to sit the bench. 0:11:56.990 --> 0:12:00.829 He is not coming up to sit next to Teoscar 0:12:00.870 --> 0:12:04.610 Hernandez or Freddie Freeman and pick their brain. He's not 0:12:04.690 --> 0:12:07.470 coming up to have his locker right next to Mookie 0:12:07.530 --> 0:12:11.960 Betts so he could just observe and soak in and 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:16.969 listen to how being a major leaguer is or what 0:12:16.990 --> 0:12:19.500 the process is all about or how you act as 0:12:19.510 --> 0:12:23.860 a major leaguer that's that's not why he's here this 0:12:23.940 --> 0:12:27.859 isn't a learn in september so you're back in the 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:31.940 spring to be a full-time major leaguer he is here 0:12:32.300 --> 0:12:34.980 to be in the lineup every single day But the 0:12:35.020 --> 0:12:37.380 great thing is you're bringing a Josue DiPaola not to 0:12:37.420 --> 0:12:39.620 be the savior, not to be the guy you put 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:41.380 on a pedestal and say, look at our brand new 0:12:41.420 --> 0:12:42.100 shiny toy. 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:46.250 He is our future. All eyes on him. No, no, no, no. 0:12:46.620 --> 0:12:49.689 You bring him up because he can contribute to a 0:12:49.730 --> 0:12:51.910 team going for a three-peat. And you can put him 0:12:51.929 --> 0:12:55.490 into a lineup every single day to contribute, whether it's 0:12:55.530 --> 0:12:59.470 a DH or as an outfielder, whether he's hitting sixth 0:12:59.809 --> 0:13:01.890 or he's hitting ninth in the lineup. 0:13:03.170 --> 0:13:03.449 That. 0:13:04.570 --> 0:13:06.590 is why you bring them up. And the good thing 0:13:06.710 --> 0:13:09.189 is this brand new shiny toy that a lot of 0:13:09.250 --> 0:13:12.750 other teams around baseball would put up on a pedestal 0:13:13.010 --> 0:13:14.790 and say, look at this. 0:13:14.890 --> 0:13:15.350 Look at this. 0:13:15.610 --> 0:13:18.230 This is what we got. This is our future. And 0:13:18.270 --> 0:13:20.130 raise them up like the Lion King and say, look 0:13:20.150 --> 0:13:23.650 at this. Bright, young athlete we got coming up and 0:13:23.690 --> 0:13:27.090 this is the future of our team. All they got 0:13:27.110 --> 0:13:29.690 to do is plug in Josue DiPaola. No pressure on 0:13:29.710 --> 0:13:31.830 the young man. Now, certainly he's going to feel it 0:13:31.870 --> 0:13:34.189 because he's at the big league level and Gosh, the 0:13:34.230 --> 0:13:37.230 moment he's been waiting for for 21 years. But there's 0:13:37.250 --> 0:13:38.910 no pressure on him to go out and go four 0:13:38.929 --> 0:13:41.490 for four. And for everybody to say, ha ha ha, look, 0:13:41.530 --> 0:13:45.280 he's good. He is the future. He's going to win MVPs. 0:13:45.660 --> 0:13:47.459 He's going to win rookie of the year next year. 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:49.819 He's our guy. We're going to build all around and 0:13:49.860 --> 0:13:52.140 look at this guy go four for four, four home runs. 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:54.950 Doesn't need to do that. He can bat seventh or 0:13:55.050 --> 0:14:01.000 eighth in the lineup tomorrow and do just fine. going 0:14:01.100 --> 0:14:04.220 one for four, getting on base a couple times, getting 0:14:04.380 --> 0:14:06.280 eased into the big leagues, but at the same time, 0:14:06.770 --> 0:14:08.890 no pressure on him to be the guy that's got 0:14:08.910 --> 0:14:12.290 to carry this team also into October. There's going to 0:14:12.309 --> 0:14:14.190 be eight other guys in that lineup who have been 0:14:14.210 --> 0:14:16.860 with this team either all season long or pretty close 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:19.140 to this all season long. that are going to be 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.780 right around Josue DePaula and let him know he doesn't 0:14:22.820 --> 0:14:24.740 have to be the offensive guy to carry this team. 0:14:25.300 --> 0:14:28.080 Just go out there, do your thing, pass the baton, 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:31.690 be the guy who hands it off to Teoscar Hernandez, 0:14:31.950 --> 0:14:33.729 be the guy in the lineup who then hands it 0:14:33.790 --> 0:14:36.250 off to Hunter Froduscia, who then flips the lineup back 0:14:36.310 --> 0:14:39.310 up to Tommy Eben. Wherever he's batting in the lineup tomorrow, 0:14:39.830 --> 0:14:42.470 that will be perfect. 0:14:43.170 --> 0:14:44.100 No pressure, no pressure. 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.050 Can just ease into the big leagues, but at the 0:14:47.110 --> 0:14:49.030 same time, he's going to be asked to play every day. 0:14:49.390 --> 0:14:52.170 He's not here just for looks. He's not here just 0:14:52.190 --> 0:14:54.890 to observe. He's not here just to watch and to 0:14:55.030 --> 0:14:57.640 soak in what being a big leaguer is all about. 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:02.800 Josue DePaulo is here because the Dodgers and Andrew Freeman 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:06.650 and Brandon Gomes and the coaching staff believe he's He 0:15:06.670 --> 0:15:09.950 can help this team continue to win the final 15 0:15:09.950 --> 0:15:12.470 games of the season, and he can help get this 0:15:12.550 --> 0:15:15.270 team a number one or number two spot in the 0:15:15.310 --> 0:15:17.650 National League and get that first round by going to 0:15:17.670 --> 0:15:21.170 the wildcard round. Will Josue Depala be on this team 0:15:21.190 --> 0:15:21.830 in October? 0:15:22.430 --> 0:15:22.850 You know what? 0:15:23.170 --> 0:15:23.850 We'll find out. 0:15:24.470 --> 0:15:28.670 He's got almost three weeks to prove himself. Roster spots 0:15:29.450 --> 0:15:34.660 are tight. You only get 26 in the postseason. There's 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:38.400 only so many bench players you can have. The Dodgers roster, 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:42.340 for the most part, is set. The everyday lineup, when 0:15:42.420 --> 0:15:46.300 all healthy, is pretty much set. So where does he 0:15:46.370 --> 0:15:47.380 fit into October? 0:15:48.030 --> 0:15:48.450 You know what? 0:15:48.750 --> 0:15:51.990 Earn yourself into the roster, young man. Fight for a 0:15:52.010 --> 0:15:57.010 spot in October. It's a short runway here for Josue DiPaola, 0:15:57.530 --> 0:16:00.130 but I'll be the first person to tell you, he's 0:16:00.250 --> 0:16:03.660 got the tools to be really special. He has got 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:08.160 the talent oozing out of him to be a major 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:12.360 league hitter. He can hit for power. He can get 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:16.560 on base with his speed. The one thing that maybe 0:16:16.620 --> 0:16:19.180 is not major league ready, and this is just from 0:16:19.220 --> 0:16:23.350 what I hear, this is just from my observations, is 0:16:23.410 --> 0:16:27.730 his defense. And maybe having him as a designated hitter 0:16:27.970 --> 0:16:33.020 alleviates that worry that, you know, nerves that he's going 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:34.540 to have to go out and play in the outfield 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:39.890 in a big league ballpark in Miami surrounded by 5,000 non-screaming, 0:16:40.450 --> 0:16:43.610 barely audible fans at Home Depot Park or whatever they're 0:16:43.630 --> 0:16:46.320 calling it down there in Miami where the Marlins play now. 0:16:46.860 --> 0:16:48.180 That's also a good thing. How about that? 0:16:48.620 --> 0:16:50.750 Don't have to go to a place where you have 0:16:50.750 --> 0:16:53.410 35,000 screaming fans at you, like in Atlanta or somewhere 0:16:53.430 --> 0:16:53.830 like that. 0:16:54.450 --> 0:16:55.150 Or Milwaukee. 0:16:56.030 --> 0:16:58.350 Nice little runway here to start your Major League career 0:16:58.390 --> 0:17:01.300 in Miami, of all places, against the Marlins. 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:06.020 866-987-2570 is the number. Big day tomorrow. 0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:11.640 Josue DiPaola will make his Major League debut. Shohei Otani 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:14.080 going on the injured list. We'll hear from Josue DiPaola 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:18.700 coming up. We'll also get into why Shohei Otani going 0:17:18.740 --> 0:17:21.889 on the I.L. is actually a good thing. It's a 0:17:21.910 --> 0:17:26.850 blessing in disguise for the Dodgers and for Shohei himself 0:17:27.550 --> 0:17:32.580 at this point of the season. 866-987-2570. We'll get to 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.720 your phone calls. We'll hear from Josue DiPaola as the 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:40.080 Dodgers and off night tonight in Miami tomorrow. Winners of 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:44.440 seven in a row as they look to get ready 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.860 for October baseball. Their magic number to clinch the division 0:17:48.420 --> 0:17:52.770 is six. Tim Cates, off night Dodger talk continues right 0:17:52.810 --> 0:17:53.850 here on your home of the Dodgers. 0:17:53.970 --> 0:17:57.790 AM 570 LA Sports live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 0:17:58.810 --> 0:18:02.170 Off-night Dodger talk rolls on on this Thursday night. Tim 0:18:02.190 --> 0:18:03.950 Cates with you here until the top of the hour. 0:18:03.990 --> 0:18:05.050 Thanks for being with us. 0:18:05.190 --> 0:18:08.410 As the Dodgers in Miami, they'll start a seven-game road 0:18:08.430 --> 0:18:13.920 trip tomorrow against the Marlins as the Dodgers sit atop 0:18:14.020 --> 0:18:18.300 the NL West at 89-57 overall on this season. The 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:23.060 Dodgers cruising to another NL West title, their magic number 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:25.900 to clinch the division for the 13th time in 14 years. 0:18:27.850 --> 0:18:30.909 is down to six games. So they could do it 0:18:30.990 --> 0:18:33.710 on this road trip if they can win and see 0:18:33.730 --> 0:18:36.219 the Padres lose a couple of games. So it is 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:39.500 in sight to see what the Dodgers are able to 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:42.920 do winning another divisional title. It's just a matter of when, 0:18:43.000 --> 0:18:46.659 not if, they clinch the NL West. And odds of 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:48.940 the Dodgers number two right now in the National League 0:18:49.340 --> 0:18:51.090 as they are three and a half games up on 0:18:51.550 --> 0:18:54.470 the Atlanta Braves, who have the third spot, and the 0:18:54.510 --> 0:18:57.570 Milwaukee Brewers second. leading the way with the best record 0:18:57.800 --> 0:18:59.740 in the National League and best record overall. 0:19:00.210 --> 0:19:01.170 In Major League Baseball. 0:19:01.190 --> 0:19:04.470 How about Yoshinobu Yamamoto last night? Seven innings, one run, 0:19:04.510 --> 0:19:07.770 three hits, ten strikeouts. He now ties his career high 0:19:08.109 --> 0:19:12.949 with his 13th win of the season. Yamamoto will get 0:19:12.990 --> 0:19:14.800 a couple more starts, so he's got a chance to 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:18.919 get to 15, maybe 16 wins on the season if 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:21.160 he can get the run support that he got last night. 0:19:21.180 --> 0:19:23.980 Now he's going to get 14 runs next couple of starts. 0:19:24.660 --> 0:19:26.560 No, the Dodgers haven't scored 14. 0:19:26.380 --> 0:19:30.840 Runs in a long time, but Certainly nice to see 0:19:30.859 --> 0:19:34.419 the run support for Yamamoto, who since coming to the 0:19:34.460 --> 0:19:36.820 big leagues two years ago, now in his third full season, 0:19:37.540 --> 0:19:39.909 he's been the victim more times than not of a 0:19:40.030 --> 0:19:42.170 lack of run support. I mean, there has been a 0:19:42.310 --> 0:19:45.290 lot of games which Yamamoto has pitched into the sixth 0:19:45.330 --> 0:19:48.590 or seventh inning and leaves with a tie. 0:19:48.330 --> 0:19:49.970 Game or leaves the Dodgers. 0:19:50.340 --> 0:19:54.020 Down two to nothing one to nothing three to two 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:56.980 he's just not getting the offensive support like other Dodger 0:19:57.020 --> 0:19:59.739 pitchers have over the years but nice to see him 0:19:59.780 --> 0:20:01.720 get the support last night and he went on did 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:04.989 his work as well with the seven strong innings to 0:20:05.050 --> 0:20:07.670 pick up the win. Well, we mentioned it. Shohei Otani 0:20:07.710 --> 0:20:09.610 going on the injured list. We're going to hear from 0:20:09.930 --> 0:20:12.850 Josue DiPaola coming up in just a couple of minutes. 0:20:12.890 --> 0:20:16.640 But Shohei Otani going on the injured list is not 0:20:16.700 --> 0:20:20.010 a shocker. I mean, Shohei Otani probably should have gone 0:20:20.030 --> 0:20:23.169 on the injured list five or six days ago. He 0:20:23.230 --> 0:20:25.440 came back and played in a game, and that reset 0:20:25.859 --> 0:20:28.480 when they could have retroactively put him on the injured list. 0:20:28.900 --> 0:20:32.400 So playing in one of the last seven games reset 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:35.260 that to two nights ago. And when a two-way player 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:37.540 like Shohei Otani goes on the injured list... It is 0:20:37.580 --> 0:20:40.610 not a 10-day stint. It is a 15-day stint. So 0:20:40.940 --> 0:20:43.649 if you look at the calendar retroactive two days ago, 0:20:44.670 --> 0:20:47.090 he is eligible to come off the injured list on 0:20:47.190 --> 0:20:50.889 the 23rd of September. And that would be a series 0:20:50.930 --> 0:20:54.850 against the Padres. And that would give him five more games. 0:20:54.910 --> 0:20:56.710 If he were to come off the IL on that day, 0:20:57.060 --> 0:20:59.359 he would get five more games to come back as 0:20:59.420 --> 0:21:02.140 a designated hitter for the Dodgers. to end the regular 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:05.730 season and then get ready for postseason baseball. Here's manager 0:21:05.750 --> 0:21:08.149 Dave Roberts last night after the Dodgers went over the 0:21:08.210 --> 0:21:11.370 Reds announcing the decision about Shohei Ohtani and answering some 0:21:11.430 --> 0:21:15.050 questions about why it's important for him to go on 0:21:15.070 --> 0:21:16.170 the IL right now. 0:21:16.450 --> 0:21:20.200 We're going to IL Shohei. I think it's, you know, 0:21:20.240 --> 0:21:25.820 talking to Shohei, the doctors, the training staff, it's the 0:21:25.880 --> 0:21:28.760 right thing to do. I think that, You know, we 0:21:28.780 --> 0:21:31.000 tried to kick the can as much as we could, 0:21:32.420 --> 0:21:35.120 but we are going to bring Josue. He'll make his 0:21:35.380 --> 0:21:40.919 major league debut on Friday as a designated hitter. And 0:21:40.940 --> 0:21:45.619