3 Things I Overheard at Los Angeles Dodgers Camp: Seoul Series, Injuries, More

GLENDALE, Ariz. — As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to head to Korea later this week to begin their preparations for the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres that will open the 2024 campaign, one Dodgers pitcher won’t be making the trip because of tightness in his hip and shoulder.

Brusdar Graterol is expected to be a key piece of the Dodgers bullpen in 2024, coming off a season where he saw action in 68 games, posting a 1.20 ERA, 3.03 FIP and 0.965 WHIP in 67.1 innings. However, he has seen action in just one spring training game, throwing seven pitches in one frame in a March 2 outing against the Chicago Cubs.

“We’ve slowed him up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s not going to Korea with us because there are only a certain number of guys that we can take and they have to be viable options to pitch or play.”

On Sunday, Graterol told me and other reporters inside the Dodgers clubhouse that he would be missing the Seoul Series in order to focus on being ready for the March 28 encounter against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chavez Ravine.

“He’s not going to go to Korea. He thinks it’s the right decision,” a translator said after Graterol’s comments at his locker. “He wants to be 100 percent ready for the regular season in the United States.”

Graterol said he has been trying to work through the tightness and “loosen it up a little bit.”

He is scheduled to begin throwing again on Tuesday. Roberts added that, with that in mind, he isn’t sure what the timeline for Graterol will be heading into March 28.

James Outman on 2024, Seoul Series

While Graterol won’t be going to Korea, James Outman is preparing to follow up on a 2023 campaign where he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting by slashing .248/.353/.437 in 567 plate appearances. Part of that preparation is dealing with the spring stoppage that comes with the travel and festivities associated with the Seoul Series.

“The best way to deal with it is just to deal with it,” Outman told me. “You understand you’re going to have a shorter clock. I was here a little bit earlier because of it, but (the Dodgers) do a great job of managing our workload.”

While the Seoul Series will be a disruption in the spring schedule, it’s also a chance to change up the routine, Outman said.

“Coming right off the offseason, you’re not used to being on your feet all day long and you’re not used to the long days,” said Outman, named as one of Just Baseball’s 10 best center fielders in 2024. “So it’s about building up that workload and understanding there are days you’re going to be tired, and that’s kind of by design to get you ready for the season.”

Outman came into 2023 spring training looking to find a place on the roster and made an impact with three home runs and 11 RBI in 53 at-bats. This season, however, Outman entered spring with a different mindset after his 2023 success.

“Last year, I was coming in and I was kind of hellbent on making the team,” Outman explained. “Now, it’s more like getting to know my teammates and just having better chemistry, as well as understanding my teammates’ range (in the outfield) and developing that new communication out there.”

Outman said a focus for him this offseason was to become more “mobile” in the outfield.

Good news for Dodgers on Blake Treinen

After taking a line drive to the right side of the chest against the Texas Rangers on Saturday, there was good news from Roberts on Sunday on Treinen’s status.

Roberts said that Treinen has been diagnosed with a bruised lung and did not sustain any fractures.

“How the lung gets bruised and there’s no fracture, it’s a blessing,” Roberts said. “Today, he is going to lay low. He will start playing catch tomorrow and, if that goes well, the hope is that he can throw a ‘pen on Wednesday, so we’ll see.”

Roberts said Treinen’s status for the Seoul Series is still to be determined, adding that Wednesday will be the day when the Dodgers will have to finalize their travel roster.

By the way, there was a Will Ferrell sighting in Dodgers camp on Sunday. The Hollywood star may be getting an at-bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks.