The Los Angeles Dodgers held their final workout that was mandatory only for pitchers and catchers, as position players are due to officially report Sunday. A familiar face in Chase Utley was back on the field for the first time this spring as he finalized his two-year contract with the club.
True to form, Utley quickly got to work as he took batting practice along with Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and others. Seager was among the players to voice his excitement over having Utley back for a fourth season with the organization.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained Utley’s role this season will be a carryover from last year.
Despite some of the struggles he endured, Logan Forsythe remains the team’s starting second baseman. Roberts believes it was an outlier year for Forsythe, and anticipates he will be improved in 2018.
The Dodgers pitching staff continued to get their work in on the mound, as Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen threw for the second time this week.
Once the Dodgers get their entire roster in camp, the first full-squad workout will take place Monday morning. That gives them just under a handful of days to prepare for the Cactus League opener against the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
Roberts has mentioned on multiple occassions that the plan is to ease a lot of guys, specifically veterans, into Spring Training this year since the team played all the way into November last year.
