LOS ANGELES — As if there wasn’t already enough for players and managers to think about during a game, MLB implementing the ABS challenge system has added a new strategic element to the game this season.
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The Dodgers have been more conservative with how often they challenge pitches, but they have had success when they do.
The Dodgers’ hitters had only challenged 52 pitches this season through Thursday, which ranked 25th in the majors but they rank fifth in the National League in successful challenges at a 50% clip.
Will Smith ranks third among NL catchers with a 66.7% success rate in his challenges, and the Dodgers rank ninth in MLB in challenge success rate (56.5%).
“I think our catchers have done a great job,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s no one way to do it. I’m a huge proponent of it. (Some) teams certainly are more liberal using them than other teams. It’s been a good add for our game.”
The Dodgers prefer to save their allotted challenges for later in the game, but they encourage their players to use them in high-leverage situations. The coaching staff is regularly having conversations with players regarding the best times to use the valuable challenges.
“You don’t want to exhaust them too early, but if it’s a leverage spot and it’s worth it, we are always talking about educating our guys on what’s leverage and what’s not,” Roberts said. “We have a postmortem, should we have done it there, should we not have, all that kind of stuff. Those conversations are good.”
Players seem to have the green light to challenge when they feel it’s necessary, but younger players are conscious of possibly saving challenges for the veteran stars of the team.
Alex Freeland, who has been up and down between the Dodgers and the minor leagues this season, sometimes prefers to save the challenges for the veterans.
“There’s moments to do it, there’s moments not to do it,” Freeland said. “In the moments you aren’t supposed to do it, you have to be 120 percent certain it’s going to be a ball. For somebody like me, a younger guy, should I be taking challenges away from Freddie (Freeman), Mookie (Betts)? Probably not, but if the game is dictating it’s a good time for it, I’ll do it.”
The Angels’ hitters are more liberal in challenging pitches and rank seventh in the majors with 67 challenges, but they rank 25th in challenge success percentage.
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“Get it right every time. That is the strategy,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said with a laugh. “We tell guys to really think about the situation, but we understand things get rolling and every pitch is a big pitch for these guys. We trust them that they are going to make the right decision.”
MUNCY FINE AFTER COLLISION
Roberts said third baseman Max Muncy is feeling well after his violent collision with Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas in Thursday night’s 3-2 loss.
Muncy has a bruise on his nose and has some soreness, but he is expected to be in the lineup on Saturday and Sunday against the Angels.
Roberts did not say if Muncy would be available off the bench on Friday night, but he mentioned it would depend on how Muncy responded to swinging a bat before the game. The Dodgers did not take batting practice on the field on Friday after arriving home late Thursday night from Arizona.
INJURY UPDATES
Left-hander Blake Snell played catch on Friday for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow on May 19.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner is on the 60-day injured list and isn’t eligible to return until mid-July at the earliest, but playing catch was a big step in his recovery.
“When a guy is, obviously, coming off surgery is different than an offseason, but the buildup is like any season,” Roberts said. “There’s the rehab part of it, but the progression, I don’t know about the timeline. But it’s gonna be a ways. We’re gonna make sure that we kind of take care of him, but I know Blake’s gonna want to speed this process up.”
Right-handed reliever Evan Phillips made his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, exactly one year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Phillips allowed one hit, one walk and had one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. He retired the first two hitters of the game and was pulled after throwing 17 pitches.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz, 2-4, 5.23 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-4, 2.86 ERA), Saturday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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