Welcome Nathan Eovaldi

It looks like Tony Jackson’s tweet from last Tuesday has come true… sort of.  Jackson predicted that Nate Eovaldi would start next Tuesday.  He will have his major league debut today instead.  More from Tony about Eovaldi on his blog, ESPN/LA.

I did not know much about Eovaldi until I read an introductory post about him on Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness.  MSTI relayed a scouting report by Mike Newman of Scouting the Sally that included these notes:

  • Excellent size; Eovaldi looked closer to 210 lbs. than his listed weight of 195
  • Well-proportioned frame; Size through the quads and shoulders; Athletic pitcher’s frame
  • Fluid delivery with good pacing; Generates easy velocity
  • High 3/4 arm slot; Limits movement on his fastball
  • 94-96 MPH 4-seam fastball
  • 4-seamer lacked movement; Worked pitch in-and-out effectively
  • Maintained velocity throughout the start; Still touching 95 MPH in the 5th
  • 91-92 MPH 2-seam fastball; Some arm side run
  • 84 MPH slider; Best breaking ball; Used as out pitch
  • Pitch featured late cut; Depth improved throughout the course of the game
  • 78 MPH curveball; Threw sparingly; One CB was thrown behind RHH to backstop; Below average offering
  • 83-84 MPH Changeup; Threw sparingly; Slowed arm action

From a velocity standpoint, Eovaldi nearly matched Rubby De La Rosa pitch-for-pitch. As impressive as that statement is, Eovaldi’s fastball lacked the movement to make the offering elite. Add to this a plethora of breaking pitches in need of further refinement, and Eovaldi is on his way, but not ready for Los Angeles yet. As one of the youngest pitchers in the Southern League, he has plenty of time to improve and become more than a fastball/slider pitcher.

Welcome to the show Nate.

This Day in Dodgers History

On August  6, 1981 –  The players approved a split-season format necessitated by seven-week strike. The Yankees, A’s, Phillies and Dodgers are declared the first-half champions and will be automatically qualified for the divisional series.

66 Responses to Welcome Nathan Eovaldi

  1. trublu4ever says:

    Sounds good to me! Just hope Bunnynutts doesn’t screw him up too much!

  2. trublu4ever says:

    After watching lst nights game, I’ve come to realize that no lead is ever safe! However, it was a nice win and I’m glad the guys are playing hard. So, let’s do it again today!

  3. DodgerZona says:

    Hello,

    From what i’ve been reading it look’s like we are stuck with McBroke for next year to 😦

    This guy is like a gnat

    Go away McBroke and take Ned with you

  4. DodgerZona says:

    Nice catch by Trayvon last night….Thanks Ned

  5. trublu4ever says:

    One of the best things about last nights game was watching the gnats game in between innings….Krud & Krap were keeping a very close watch on our game, while, their team was being blown out by the Phillies!

  6. nedisajerk says:

    Nathan Eovaldi will replace him in the rotation, making his major league debut on Saturday against the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers officially announced the decision after their 7-4 win over Arizona on Friday night.

    Eovaldi’s story is different than those of most pitchers but is becoming less unusual. He had the surgery in 2007 during his junior year at Alvin High in Texas.

    Yes, in high school.

    Dr. James Andrews, who will perform the surgery on De La Rosa, said a few years ago that from 2004 to ’07 he performed the surgery on 588 pitchers, including 146 who were in high school or youth league players.

    “I never had any arm problems in high school or anything,” Eovaldi told Chattanooga TV station WDEF earlier this year. “(The injury came) just kind of out of nowhere. Just threw a pitch, and it didn’t feel right. … I was back on the mound in like seven months. No problem at all. Still to this day, I don’t have any problem with my elbow.”

    That’s good news for De La Rosa as he prepares for surgery and the long rehab. His injury came out of nowhere on one pitch as well.

    De La Rosa will be joined by Carlos Monasterios, who had the ligament-replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago. They will rehab together at the Dodgers’ spring training complex in Arizona.

    Plenty more on the Dodgers’ pitching staff can, and already have, shared their experience with the elbow surgery to De La Rosa.

    Closer Javy Guerra did the rehab in 2005, when he was inspired and motivated by Hong-Chih Kuo, who was working back from his second Tommy John surgery. Guerra called De La Rosa to share his experience and provide optimism.

    By The Numbers: 10—Dodgers hitters who came to the plate in a six-run third inning. The last time the Dodgers had that many hit in one inning was June 12, when 10 batters faced Ubaldo Jimenez in a five-run third inning highlighted by a James Loney grand slam. Even during the 15-0 win over the Twins on June 27, only eight batters came to the plate in any inning. The Dodgers will have their work cut out over the next five games. They face Joe Saunders, Ian Kennedy, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Vance Worley. That fivesome is a combined 53-23 with a 2.96 ERA.

    Quote To Note: “You just want to let him know to go out there and pitch your game. You don’t want too many information in their mind or thinking too much. Just do what you do well. Pitch to your strengths. If you have quality stuff, like I’ve heard he does, you’ll have a good chance to win.”—Catcher Rod Barajas(notes), on what he will say on Saturday if he’s catching Nathan Eovaldi in his major league debut.

  7. lbirken says:

    Welcome to the show, Nate. Good luck. Here’s hoping tonight is the first of many big league games for you.

  8. trublu4ever says:

    Getting ready to watch the Gints lose again to the Phillies and, then, hopefully, another win for our boys in blue!

  9. messagebear says:

    Welcome to another of the really young guys! At least something to root for in this otherwise pukey season. Somebody like De LaRosa and Eovaldi is at least likely to still be around as a Dodger once the McCourts have finally departed. Unfortunately with the slow moving court process that’s not likely for at least another season or two. I’m sure Frank was counting on that when he opted for the bankruptcy. At least it should be fun seeing how far fewer season tickets are sold this winter.

  10. nedisajerk says:

    Wow Lucille Ball would’ve turned 100 years old today but to bad she not with us no more but those I Love Lucy rerun are still going on.

  11. trublu4ever says:

    All right big #50, do your thing! Hope we can get you lots of runs so you can relax and enjoy yourself.

  12. selltheteam says:

    RBI ground out by ‘Dre ties it up!

  13. trublu4ever says:

    Damn, Gordon got hurt!

  14. nedisajerk says:

    I hate to say this but can Zambrano played 1st bases? I wonder if they would swap Loney with Zambrano. Zambrano just hit career HR’s #23 and 7 against the Reds.

  15. selltheteam says:

    Nice hit by Miles – we have the lead!

  16. selltheteam says:

    Nice first game, Nate! I hope the bullpen has got your back!

  17. trublu4ever says:

    Carroll, with RISP……..pathetic!

  18. trublu4ever says:

    Way to go Dre!

  19. nedisajerk says:

    I want more runs and I hate that they didn’t push him for 1 or even possible 2 more innings.

  20. trublu4ever says:

    Oh, no, not GrrRear!

  21. vl4eccjr says:

    UGH! Grrear! I hope he’s on a VERY short leash. . .

  22. trublu4ever says:

    WTF, GrrrRear!

  23. trublu4ever says:

    Vinny says GrrRear is the work-horse on the team….I think he needs to be put out to pasture!

  24. trublu4ever says:

    Just heard that Ned’s reject, Trayvon, went deep! F*ck you Ned!

  25. trublu4ever says:

    Damn!

  26. trublu4ever says:

    He was out at 3rd!

  27. trublu4ever says:

    Whew!

  28. vl4eccjr says:

    Well!! Elbert made that interesting!

  29. trublu4ever says:

    Glad you got your first win, Nathan!

  30. selltheteam says:

    Just nine games back now!

  31. It’s amazing to think that even with this piece of shit team this season, and all the injuries and stuff of the like, we still have the outside, minute possibility that we make the playoffs. If we sweep the gnats and d’backs rest of way and they go on losing streaks and split each of their own. way they been playing, it could happen.

    Amazing to think that even with less than 25,000 people showing up to the games, it would be the 1st time a team would play infront of empty seats in a playoff game, if the dodgers make it.

    Man, here’s to the end sprint but for reals, we’re limping right now, bleeding and such, and yet with this weak ass division, we can still win..simply amazing..

  32. nedisajerk says:

    Geez yahoo proofread your crap no reason to make this mistake.

    NOTES: Eovaldi is the sixth Dodgers player to make his major league debut this season. The 221-year-old also is one of six Los Angeles players 25 or younger. … Arizona C Miguel Montero failed to reach base for the first time in 16 games. … Dodgers SS Dee Gordon left the game in the bottom of the third after landing awkwardly on his right shoulder while tagging out Kelly Johnson in a rundown. He remained on all fours for a few minutes before walking off the field without assistance and was replaced by Jamey Carroll. Dodgers medical staff ruled out a shoulder separation and said Gordon is day-to-day. “They told me I should have (thrown to Eovaldi covering first) but I play hard, man,” Gordon said. “I felt like I could catch him.”

  33. 32and53fan says:

    Great to see a nice debut by Eovaldi. I hope he can keep it up.

    Congrats to Travon… too bad your first homer wasn’t for the Dodgers. Who were those awesome players we got for you?

  34. JhallWally says:

    Good job and welcome to the show Nate. Definately needed some sort of uplifting news after the incredibly stupid trade of TRob and the seeming non progress by the courts and MLB on removing the McCourts from ownership.
    Frank should fire Ned immediately for his latest trade debacle. He should have been gone after the Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre signings. With the fans on a boycott and not a whole lot to get excited about this season, bringing in TRob to play LF would have been a positive diversion and at least some reason for optimism going forward in these dark ownership and GM times.
    Just look at the buzz Sands created back in May. It certainly would not have hurt attempts to get higher attendance and there is a better than average chance that we would have found a viable option for LF for the next 5 years.
    On another note, I don’t think it is a coincidence that the team has been playing much better now that Uribe is out of the lineup and Loney is not the everyday 1B.
    Now we need the courts and MLB to get the lead out of their asses and eradicate Frank McCourt before we lose Kemp to FA after next season.

    • trublu4ever says:

      Very well said, Jhall. And, I’m glad you are back 😉

      • trublu4ever says:

        Why do’t you write a new post for today? Or, perhaps, you can coax Beav to come out of retirement and write one.

        • JhallWally says:

          LOL!! I know better than to mess with a sore Beaver. I think you should give it a shot Tru. Besides, I’m just not feeling it these days. Truth be told, if it wasn’t for you and most of the bloggers here, I would not give it much time or thought. I’ve come to accept the fact that the Dodgers that I grew up with and came to love left with the O’Malleys and the changing times. Too much ego and greed, both on and off the field.

      • JhallWally says:

        Hi’Ya Trumom!! Thanks. Just needed a little time away from the Frank and Ned debacle. That and with the current state of our team and the nice weather, there are just too many other and better options for entertainment.

        Hope all is well with you. Go Dodgers and Go Phillies. I love to see the G’aints lose.

  35. grizzy says:

    As I posted on that other place, I don’t really get what happened to Loney. Since Mattingly was a similar type of player, you’d think they would have gotten it figured out by now. Still, I would not give up on him completely yet. I would offer him the same money, if he went to winter ball to get this straight. He is capable of .300, gap power with 85-90 rbi’s. I do not think Ethier is the only one that has been affected by this mess. Pretty disappointing, though, to see Martin and now Loney go backwards. It would be about right to get rid of James and have him make the all star team, too. Along with the kid we just shipped to Seattle.
    *
    I think about the state the team is in and how we got here. This is beyond belief. There really are no words for this.

  36. JhallWally says:

    Ned Colletti has done as much to destroy the Dodgers on the field as Frank has to destroy them off the field. Even with the McCourts raping the team for their own personal interests, the team could have remained respectable and competitive on the field if we had a good/real GM and not a castoff G’aint and Cub PR guy.

    Unfortunately, it looks like it is going to take a long time to fix the ownership and financial problems now that it is in our court system. However, a good first step in starting the resurrection of the Dodger franchise is immediately available.

    FIRE NED COLLETTI!!!!

  37. grizzy says:

    Unacceptable it is, jhall. I was never eager to jump on the get-rid-of-Ned band wagon, but at this point, what else can you do. This kid up in Seattle was the final for me. We could not have used him?

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