Dodgers Way Quick Hits: Jansen, Machado, Urias, Santana

The Dodgers lost the second of three games to the Angels on Saturday, July 14 and the final blow that ultimately lost the game for the Dodgers was a tenth inning home run. The Dodgers lost the game 5-4. Here is the rest of the news from Saturday.

Kenley Jansen was the pitcher who gave up the home run to the struggling Kole Calhoun however, it was Calhoun’s third home run in the last two games. The storyline from the game was not Calhoun or his late-inning heroics, it was not even the loss, it was Jansen’s velocity and performance. Throughout the season we have seen two types of Kenley Jansen. The first, appearing in April, was the struggling Kenley, one who’s velocity sat between 89 and 91 miles per hour on his signature cutter.

The other is the Kenley of the last few weeks- velocity in the mid-90s with unhittable life on the fastball. On Saturday night, we saw the old Kenley, the one who struggles. Jansen’s location of pitches was poor and his velocity back down to the 89-91 range. His cutter was also flat. While this is not quite worth reading into, Jansen’s struggles on Saturday and more specifically his velocity, are well worth noting.

Other notes…

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• The Manny Machado trade rumors have been all over the place over the course of the last few weeks. The favorite to land the slugging shortstop has changed by the day and at this point, it is just safer to wait and see what happens rather than guess. But, what is worth watching, are the teams that are involved or uninvolved in the potential trades. The Dodgers are said to be involved according to multiple reports and have stayed towards the front of the pack in terms of offer strength. The Dodgers would immediately benefit from a trade with the Orioles and depending on the cost, the Dodgers are probably prepared to pull the trigger.
• Julio Urias has thrown two simulated games in Arizona and is well on the path to a return for the first time in almost a year. The 21-year old southpaw went down last year with anterior capsulitis which required a repair surgery in that area. Urias, according to Dave Roberts, will be built up as a starter but could wind up pitching from the bullpen.

Next: A trade for Scooter Gennett would help the Dodgers now and later

• Dennis Santana threw from 60 feet on Saturday. He made 30 total throws, all of which were pain-free. Santana is also on the mend and his return will give the Dodgers another option out of the pen or the rotation. More updates on Santana’s production can be found in Quick Hits articles.