Important Roster Move Looms For Dodgers

The Dodgers have a roster move to make today, but will they make the right one? The Dodgers begin an important three game set against the Giants in the Lion’s den tonight. Clayton Kershaw is due to come off of the bereavement list, and a corresponding roster move has to be made. The Dodgers have had Carl Crawford, and Mark Ellis both sidelined with respective injuries. Crawford has had a tight hamstring, causing him to miss the last two games. However it appears that his injury is very minor, and with the off-day, the Dodgers have felt that he should be ok to play. Crawford is expected to be back in the lineup tonight.

Is Mark Ellis going to the DL today?-Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Ellis is a different story. He has been sidelined for the last four days with a sore quad suffered trying to beat out a grounder running to first base. The Dodgers have said that he feels much better, and after being able to take batting practice, and do running drills the Dodgers feel he won’t be out for weeks, but only days. Still, Ellis told the Dodgers he still feels some stiffness when he runs full speed. There is no way to test how his quad muscle will react when running full speed during a game situation. Will Mark Ellis be ready to play by tonight? Or will the Dodgers pace him on the DL?

The situation has become important since the Dodgers have been playing a man short on the bench. I have been against this strategy from the get-go. You should never play a man short ever. The Dodgers should have made a decision right away. Either place him on the disabled list and call up someone from the minors, or at the least let him pinch-hit.

With the return of Hanley Ramirez, the Dodgers probably don’t need both Luis Cruz, and Justin Sellers. Both players have gotten off to terrible starts with the bat. Sellers is batting .200 (13 for 65) in 22 games. While Cruz has been even worse, batting an un-real .088 (5 for 57) on the season. For all of the Dodgers talk of defense, the Dodgers rank 27 in Baseball in defensive efficiency and team fielding.

What move do you think the Dodgers will make today? I still think the Dodgers will place Mark Ellis on the DL, to clear room for Kershaw. But there are a number of options the Dodgers could do. So I ask you guys. Which roster move do you think the Dodgers will make today? Sound off in the poll below.

Second baseman Mark Ellis has had a hot start, and has been a nice success at the top of the lineup. He is having a great start to the season, and losing him for any amount of time will not only further weaken the Dodger lineup, but it also weakens the defense up the middle. Ellis is batting .342 with two home runs, and 11 RBI in 72 at-bats. If the Dodgers do place Ellis on the DL, it would be a retroactive stint back to the game he hurt himself. This means he would be elligible to come off the DL on May 12. He would miss six more games.

Have we seen the last of Luis Cruz? I’ve always liked Cruz, but I’m not blind to the results. He’s not hitting. Cruz just hasn’t been adjusting, and I think his time with the club is running short. Will the Dodgers send down Cruz? Sellers? Will Mark Ellis be placed on the DL? We’ll have our answers soon. Stick around to find out.