Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers reported to Camelback Ranch on Friday for the start of Spring Training without a hitch. Then on Saturday, the group held their first workout — composed of bullpen sessions and bunting work for pitchers, and defensive work for catchers.
On top of this spring being the first in the past five years without Don Mattingly as manager, it’s also the first time the Dodgers are without Zack Greinke since 2013. In his place, Los Angeles signed Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda to offset the production lost and lengthen the club’s starting rotation.
For Kazmir, camp provides his first opportunity to get acclimated to life in the National League, while Maeda must adjust to the rigors of pitching more frequently in the Majors when compared to the Japanese League.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged it will take Maeda some time to find the routine(s) that suit him best.
While much of the focus is currently on pitchers and catchers, a handful of position players are already in camp. Justin Turner has been a regular at Camelback Ranch as he continues to rehab from microfracture knee surgery, and Kiké Hernandez and Corey Seager were on hand on Friday.
According to Andy McCullough of the LA Times, Yasiel Puig reported on Saturday:
Yasiel Puig has arrived at Dodgers camp.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) February 20, 2016
The official date for position players to be in camp is Wednesday, Feb. 24. The Dodgers’ first full-squad workout is scheduled for the following day. Puig is looking to rebound from a down 2015 season in which multiple hamstring injuries limited him to a career-low 79 games.
He spent the offseason shedding weight, at Friedman’s request, and is expected to be a significant contributor this season. The Dodgers’ faith in Puig led to the club refusing to entertain trade calls on the dynamic outfielder over the winter.
