One week ago, the Dodgers placed OF-L Dave Roberts on the disabled list. Roberts first injured his right hamstring during L.A.'s April 25th game in Pittsburgh, leaving the game in the second inning. He rested for a week with the exception of one pinch hit appearance. The 30-year-old was then able to start for a week before continued soreness caused him to start missing games again, prompting the Dodgers to send him to the DL to rest and allow the injury to fully heal. While on the disabled list, he plans to work on strengthening his hamstring to help prevent future problems. Recent reports indicate that he's feeling healthy and ready to begin a short rehab assignment before rejoining the team within a few days of when he's first eligible to leave the disabled list on June 1st.

If he's given the leg sufficient time to heal, he shouldn't have any further troubles with it after he returns. Consequently, Roberts should be able to continue stealing bases at a steady rate. When he hit the DL, he held an 18/20 SB% over 135 AB. I expect him to swipe over 60 before the season ends, as his success rate makes giving him a green light a winning proposition for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers filled Roberts' roster spot by activating RHP Paul Shuey from the disabled list. I was rather frustrated trying to find a description of how Shuey originally injured his knee until I read a report that claimed Shuey himself wasn't sure how the injury occurred. Regardless, he appears fully recovered from the injury and is once again looking sharp.

LHP Troy Brohawn hit the DL on May 14th with tendinitis in his left rotator cuff. The Dodgers planned to have him rest for 10 days before thinking about having him throw again and so far, he's kept to that schedule. L.A.'s pen continues to run smoothly, so they won't rush his return. Provided they don't discover any structural damage, Brohawn should rejoin the team around the second week of June.

The Dodgers recalled LHP Steve Colyer to replace Brohawn on the roster and in the rotation. We discussed Colyer early this year, as he broke camp with Dodgers to compensate for Guillermo Mota's suspension. At the time of this call-up, Colyer had compiled a 21:4 K:BB with 9 H allowed in 16.1 IP for a 1.10 ERA over 15 appearances at AAA. The one area of concern in Colyer's past numbers has been his walk rate, but he now appears to have developed improved control skills, indicating he probably deserves a regular job as a lefty reliever in the majors. However, LHP Tom Martin is pitching great, so the Dodgers haven't even used Colyer in a game since he replaced Brohawn. Additionally, Brohawn is out of options and would need to pass through waivers to stay in the minors after he finishes his DL trip, while Colyer could arguably benefit from additional AAA time, so Colyer's unlikely to steal Brohawn's job.

L.A. placed C-S Todd Hundley on the disabled list on May 4th after catching in the rain during the Dodgers' May 2nd game against Pittsburgh aggravated a chronic back problem. Hundley is suffering from an inflamed sciatic nerve in addition to muscle problems in his lower back. He's received two epidurals to ease pain that was radiating down his right leg and will rest with the exception of minor exercises for another two weeks. The 33-year-old will then need to begin a rehab process that likely will last close to a month, including a rehab assignment. Setbacks are possible along the way, so he isn't expected back much before the All-Star break. After seeking the advice of other players with a history of back problems, he is determined to address this with rehab, avoiding surgery.

The Dodgers called up C-R David Ross to replace Hundley on the roster, while also demoting UT-R Jason Romano and calling up 1B-L Larry Barnes. L.A. considered carrying Ross in addition to C-R Paul LoDuca and Hundley when they broke camp with the idea that Hundley would spend some time at first base, but they decided they didn't want to limit the bench in that way. LoDuca and Hundley are both signed through 2004 and prospect C-S Koyie Hill has already reached AAA. Consequently, Ross may never start for the Dodgers, though many teams field less productive starting catchers. However, Ross will be on the roster whenever one of the Dodgers' catchers is injured and he should be uncontested in his bid for the back-up job in 2005. Hundley's back problems may prevent him from even a part time job behind the plate, allowing Ross to hold the back-up job indefinitely. The 26-year-old walks at a steady rate and possesses considerable power upside, indicating star potential if he ever improves his contact rate.

After dipping during his two seasons with AAA Salt Lake, Barnes' walk rate has rebounded with AAA Las Vegas this year. The 28-year-old also continues to hit for power beyond what the hitter-friendly parks of the PCL provide, so he would probably be productive as a bench player if he had more position flexibility. However, with CI-R Ron Coomer and CR-R Mike Kinkade on the roster, the Dodgers aren't really in need of dedicated back-up for 1B-L Fred McGriff. Last week, L.A. reversed the Romano/Barnes move, so that they'd have a little more flexibility in the outfield while Roberts is out. Romano likely will return to the minors when Roberts comes off the DL, but he'll be up periodically throughout the year.