The Dodgers set aside the potential distractions of pitcher Joe Kelly’s recent suspension and growing concerns as COVID-19 outbreaks continue to grow among MLB teams to go 3-1 in their road series with the Diamondbacks.
The series followed the Dodgers’ two-game sweep of the Houston Astros which included a heated confrontation between Kelly and the Astros after he threw at Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa and taunted them as he left the mound at the end of the inning.
The confrontation resulted in an eight-game suspension for Kelly and one game for manager Dave Roberts and has turned Kelly, who was not even a member of the 2017 Dodgers roster which faced the Astros in the World Series, into a fan favorite for many.
Related: Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts, Pitcher Joe Kelly Suspended After Bench Clearing Confrontation
Kelly appealed the suspension, but the outside noise has not slowed the Dodgers down as they outscored the Diamondbacks 20-5 in their three wins.
In the Dodgers’ single loss off the matchup, a three-run double from Christian Walker put the Diamondbacks in the lead late, 4-3, and the Dodgers couldn’t find an answer as they went on to lose 5-3.
While the Dodgers 7-3 start to the season is enough to have them tied for first in the NL West, they have dropped some questionable losses to teams expected to find themselves towards the bottom of the standings in 2020 in the Giants and Diamondbacks.
However, the biggest question that looms over the Dodgers’ season and the entire league is that of the growing concerns over the early COVID-19 outbreaks the league has experienced.
The league had already been forced to postpone several games in the wake of an outbreak among Miami Marlins players and personnel, and another outbreak among St. Louis Cardinals players was reported Saturday.
The growing concern over the outbreaks had led to speculation that the MLB season was potentially in danger of being canceled entirely going into this weekend.
However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred issued statements to the contrary according to ESPN.
“We are playing,” Manfred told ESPN’s Karl Ravech. “The players need to be better, but I am not a quitter in general and there is no reason to quit now. We have had to be fluid, but it is manageable.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, none of the teams which have experienced outbreaks or have played a team that has experienced an outbreak are on the Dodgers’ schedule as of Monday.
But the 2020 season has shown there are ways to lose players from the roster without an outbreak, as more players have taken the opportunity to opt out.
Some of the most recent players to opt out include San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, Milwaukee outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Miami Marlins second baseman Isan Díaz.
As of Monday, the only Dodger to opt out of the season was pitcher David Price, who joined the club in the trade that brought Mookie Betts to the organization from Boston.
If other teams across the league continue to experience COVID outbreaks, more players may reconsider joining him.
The Dodgers will have to continue to keep their focus if they want to finish their road trip on a high note as they travel to San Diego to face the Padres for a three-game series before they return home.
Santa Clarita residents can tune into all Dodger home games live on KHTS Radio, FM 98.1 and AM 1220.
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