Dodgers are already fed up with 6.56 ERA-pitching, excuse-making Mat Latos - MLB

Mat Latos has been awful for the Dodgers since they acquired him from the Marlins on July 30 to bolster the back of the rotation, going 0-2 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts.

Thursday night he lasted just four innings, as manager Don Mattingly gave Latos a quick hook and pinch-hit for him in the fifth frame. Latos gave up two runs in each of the first two innings and a total of eight hits in four innings.

And then afterward when speaking to reporters he made excuses for himself and blamed Mattingly’s quick hook, all in one juicy quote:

It’s hard to get into a rhythm. I kind of settled in, put up two zeros up on the board, found my release point. By the time I do that, I’m already out of the game. … Not being able to get deep in games, being on a quick leash, it’s hard to get into a rhythm whenever you get yanked real fast.

Here’s the thing, though: Mattingly has Latos on a short leash because Latos has done absolutely nothing to warrant not being on a short leash. In addition to a 6.56 ERA in five starts for the Dodgers he had a 4-7 record and 4.48 ERA in 16 starts for the Marlins.

And here’s the other thing: Latos is now on his fourth team in five seasons and everywhere he goes the consensus seems to be that … well, let’s just say he’s not a lot of fun to be around.

Mattingly seems to already be fed up with Latos. When asked after Thursday’s quick hook how much longer Latos will be in the Dodgers’ rotation, the manager replied: “I’m sure it’s something we talk about.”

Maybe things will be different with his fifth team.

Follow @AaronGleeman

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.