Scenes from Spring Training: A decision to make - MLB

Not that there is anything on the planet truly worth complaining about down here in Arizona — life is grand, and don’t think for a moment I have forgotten that — but I do face a bit of a conundrum this morning. Here’s the entire Cactus League schedule for the day:

Rockies vs. Diamondbacks 1:10, Salt River Fields
Dodgers vs. Angels, 1:05, Tempe Diablo Stadium
Dodgers vs. Giants, 1:05, Scottsdale Stadium

I wouldn’t mind actually watching the Rockies, but I really don’t think I can take a third straight day of the Dbacks. I do want to see the Dodgers when I’m here. But I was with the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium yesterday, and given that Tempe Diablo Stadium is literally right next to my hotel — like, if walking places was’t a Class A felony in the State of Arizona I could totally hoof it over there — I should probably see the Dodgers-Angels thing.

The only reservation I have is that I tend to think that in doing so I’ll be getting the short end of the Dodgers’ split squad. Mattingly and his bench coach Trey Hillman will be in Scottsdale. The group facing the Angels will be run by Albuquerque manager Lorenzo Bundy. On the bright side, Davey Lopes will be with him, and maybe he’ll go crazy and let everyone steal.

As far as players go, Hiroki Kuroda will pitch here in Tempe, and that’s better than Tim Redding vs. the Giants. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier will be here too. Casey Blake, Rafael Furcal and Juan Uribe won’t be in either place because they’re veterans and it’s Saturday and veterans don’t get on buses on Saturday, even in the Cactus League. Frankly, I think this all boils down to the Angels. They’re home and it’s their first day, so they’ll probably have way more starters playing than any of the teams involved.

That cuts it: I’m going down the hill to Tempe Diablo Stadium this morning. And I’m going to walk. I expect the police and several county-employed mental health experts to intercept me on the way, wondering what has gotten into me.

Dispatches from the Dodgers-Angels later today, my friends.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”