Dodgers News Round-Up: Corey Seager, Bellinger, Prospects

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Pitchers and catchers are in camp and position players are quickly following suit. The Dodgers will play their first spring training game on Feb. 23, and everything is beginning to feel right in the world.

With every day of camp, there will be more and more news regarding players, free agents and potential trades. We will be pushing as much content as we can with regards to that news and make sure that you are constantly updated on the happenings of the Dodgers.

Dave Roberts wasted no time in the news world, dispersing some important tidbits on the very first morning of spring training.

Without further ado, here is your first lineup of spring news.

Perhaps the biggest storyline this season is one that tracks back to the beginning of the 2018 campaign: Corey Seager is nearing full health thus, he is almost ready to return the lineup.

Dave Roberts shared on Tuesday morning that Seager is “tracking” to be ready for Opening Day and added that he has progressed well through his Tommy John and hip surgery recovery.

Roberts did, however, add that Seager would not yet be ready to join the major league team in full force spring workouts. He shared that the plan was for Seager to start on the back fields at Camelback Ranch where he would take part in workouts catered towards his recovery. He also said that Seager would need 50 to 60 at-bats before being able to play in a game.

Regardless of pace, this is great news. Seager is a key to the Dodgers success and his absence was noticeably felt from the day he hit the shelf in 2018. His return, whenever it may be, will certainly be welcomed.

But, there is more to this. Seager’s return to the big league diamond cannot, under any circumstance, be rushed. The Dodgers’ decision to put him on the backfields to start camp shows that they are in that mindset but it still bears repeating.

Seager is coming off of a serious injury and surgery. Getting him back to playing speed will need to happen at his own pace and should that happen the Dodgers have a lot to look forward to in 2019.

If you have been following the Dodgers closely over the last few years, paying attention to the minor leagues, in particular, you would have noticed one young prospect quickly slingshot his way through the system. The young catcher, Keibert Ruiz has worked his way from a 17-year-old in rookie ball to Double-A as a 19-year-old.

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Now, just 20 years of age, Ruiz finds himself with the big kids, with a locker in Camelback Ranch’s big league side and a spot amongst the major league top-100 prospect rankings.

Now if you followed the progression the next step should be Triple-A and based on his rate of advancement it would not be unreasonable to predict a 2019 debut for the oft-discussed Ruiz.

Not so fast.

Dave Roberts said on Tuesday morning that Ruiz would take a slower pace to the major leagues. He said the Dodgers are looking at the long term with Ruiz and a 2019 call-up is not likely.

With his counterpart, the 23-year-old catcher, Will Smith, a 2019 debut may not be so far fetched.

Roberts said that Smith could catch in the big leagues right now but needs some “offensive improvement” before that happens.

By the sound of things, I would not be surprised to see both Smith and Ruiz start the season at the same level they ended 2018 in. For Smith that is Triple-A and for Ruiz it is Double-A. Regardless, the safe pace for both of them is the way to go.