Dee Gordon

SAN FRANCISCO - The Dodgers gave Dee Gordon their shortstop job last season, and they had to trade for Hanley Ramirez . When Ramirez was injured this spring, they gave the job to Justin Sellers and sent Gordon to the minor leagues. With Ramirez injured again, the Dodgers are giving Gordon what might be his last chance to show he can be an everyday shortstop for them. The Dodgers officially put Ramirez on the disabled list Saturday because of a strained left hamstring, recalling Gordon and inserting him into the starting lineup.

ATLANTA - With Hanley Ramirez and Mark Ellis expected to return from their injuries at some point, the Dodgers figure to hit better in coming months than they are now. The recent activation of Zack Greinke moved a depleted rotation closer to full strength. But the problem that was exposed in an 8-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night could be something that hinders them for the remainder of the season. Their bullpen is a mess. The magnitude of the issue was exposed in the opener of a three-game series at Turner Field, when Manager Don Mattingly was all but forced to leave in left-hander Paco Rodriguez to face National League home run leader Justin Upton with the game on the line.

ATLANTA - With Hanley Ramirez and Mark Ellis expected to return from their injuries at some point, the Dodgers figure to hit better in coming months than they are now. The recent activation of Zack Greinke moved a depleted rotation closer to full strength. But the problem that was exposed in an 8-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night could be something that hinders them for the remainder of the season. Their bullpen is a mess. The magnitude of the issue was exposed in the opener of a three-game series at Turner Field, when Manager Don Mattingly was all but forced to leave in left-hander Paco Rodriguez to face National League home run leader Justin Upton with the game on the line.

The Dodgers had a lot to be thankful for Sunday. They were thankful for the Miami Marlins, one of only two National League teams to begin play Sunday with a worse record. And they were thankful for the schedule makers, who brought the Marlins to town in time to help the Dodgers end their longest losing streak in nearly five seasons. But perhaps most of all they were thankful for Scott Van Slyke, who was in the minor leagues three days ago. Sunday he was at first base at Dodger Stadium, spelling the aching Adrian Gonzalez, and he made the most of the opportunity, contributing a home run, a run-scoring single and two sterling defensive plays in the Dodgers' 5-3 victory.

Well, here we are again. Why do I suspect it's not the last time? Barring an unforeseen trade, for better or worse the Dodgers are currently wedded to Dee Gordon at shortstop. And at the moment, it is for the worst. Right now he looks terrible at shortstop. Dare I say it, he looks like Jose Offerman. Looks like he has lost complete confidence. Every ball hit to him is pure adventure. He was advertised as an exciting player, but don't think this is what anyone had in mind. Then there is Gordon, leadoff hitter, another current disappointment.

Now imagine if Shane Victorino was actually coming off an impressive year. Seems it was impressive enough for the Boston Red Sox, who Tuesday actually signed the 32-year-old outfielder for three years and $39 million. That's a lot of money for a guy coming off a down year. Ah, Shane, the Dodgers hardly knew you. Victorino was one of the Dodgers new owners' first moves last summer, coming over from the Philadelphia Phillies at the July 31 trading deadline to end the parade of left fielders and give the Dodgers a proven leadoff hitter.

HOUSTON — Dee Gordon's struggles at the plate prompted Manager Don Mattingly to bench the young shortstop in Friday night's game against the Astros. "He's fighting it a little bit," Mattingly said of Gordon, the Dodgers' leadoff hitter who was batting .192 overall and had hit .167 in the series the Dodgers just completed in Milwaukee. "You just know what's going through their mind," Mattingly said. "He sees probably .200 on the [video] board and even though it's only 40 at-bats and could change so fast, they still see that number.

The idea, while rebuilding the farm system, is to win right now. To put together the best lineup, rotation and bench possible. So if you're the Dodgers, what does that mean for Dee Gordon? Probably that he's not in their plans for 2013. And that if somebody is interested in the young shortstop and offering something reasonably significant, and usable now, you listen. Not too surprisingly, word has come out of the winter meetings in Nashville that the Dodgers are open to offers for Gordon , though it has to be emphasized that's a long way from trying to move him. The Dodgers still like him, are still interested in how he develops, still think he could be league-leading base stealer.

PHOENIX -- Dee Gordon stole two bases in the Dodgers' win over Mexico on Wednesday. And he stole two more against the Texas Rangers on Thursday. But Manager Don Mattingly would rather not talk about Gordon's blinding speed, but concentrate instead on some of the other things Gordon has done, like his double to left field against Mexico. Or the four runs he scored in the last two days. "The thing that we're asking from Dee this year is we want to see a baseball player," Mattingly said of Gordon, whose first sport in high school was basketball.

PHOENIX -- Dee Gordon looked crushed as he sat in the visiting dugout at Chase Field on Thursday. He had learned earlier in the day that he had a torn tendon in his right thumb that would require surgery. He will sit out for six weeks. The diagnosis came as a surprise to Gordon, who injured his thumb in a head-first slide on Wednesday. He said his thumb didn't hurt. “I thought it was probably like a partial tear and not to where I needed surgery,” he said. Gordon, who has had an up-and-down season, sighed.

The Miami Marlins have the worst record in the National League. Their lineup Saturday night included three position players batting .170 or worse. But a 7-1 victory at Dodger Stadium over this band of fringe major leaguers transformed the Dodgers' clubhouse. Music blared over the sound system. Children ran and screamed. Players were smiling. The eight-game losing streak was over. The last-place Dodgers won for the first time this month, as Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched 6 2/3 innings and Andre Ethier collected four hits.

SAN FRANCISCO - There was no anger or frustration in the voice of Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly. His team had just lost again - - on a walkoff hit, against the rival San Francisco Giants, for the second consecutive night - - and Mattingly sounded surprisingly chirpy. “In a sense, it's encouraging, as much as you can be encouraged from a loss,” Mattingly said. “It's as good as you can feel about a loss.” Guillermo Quiroz hit a walk-off home run off Dodgers closer Brandon League in the 10th inning on Saturday, lifting the Giants to a 10-9 victory over the Dodgers.

SAN FRANCISCO - The Dodgers gave Dee Gordon their shortstop job last season, and they had to trade for Hanley Ramirez . When Ramirez was injured this spring, they gave the job to Justin Sellers and sent Gordon to the minor leagues. With Ramirez injured again, the Dodgers are giving Gordon what might be his last chance to show he can be an everyday shortstop for them. The Dodgers officially put Ramirez on the disabled list Saturday because of a strained left hamstring, recalling Gordon and inserting him into the starting lineup.

Second baseman Mark Ellis figures to be moved to the 15-day disabled list if he isn't ready to play by Friday when the Dodgers open a three-game series in San Francisco. That Dodgers will have to clear a roster spot that day for Clayton Kershaw , who is scheduled to be activated from the bereavement list to make a start. Ellis has missed the last five games with a strained right quadriceps muscle. He said his condition has improved in workouts over the last few days, but he still feels discomfort when he runs.

The team that has scored the fewest runs in the National League West got good news Tuesday when shortstop Hanley Ramirez said he plans to return well before the mid-May timetable set when he had thumb surgery. "Everybody is going to be shocked," Ramirez said. Ramirez said he felt "awesome" after hitting in the cage and taking ground balls, with his right thumb protected by a splint. He tore a ligament in the thumb in the World Baseball Classic championship game March 20. After surgery two days later, the Dodgers said he would sit out eight weeks.

One week from today, it all gets very real. These re-invented Dodgers will take the field for the first time -- remodeled stadium permitting -- to open the season against the evil Orange & Black, who just happen to be the defending World Series champions. Again. By now, of course, most of our questions about this edition of the Dodgers were supposed to have been answered. They came to camp with few, yet seven days from the season opener, they now almost seem to have more of them.

It's not exactly the cavalry arriving, but right now any warm bodies can't hurt. The Dodgers have started calling up additional forces from the farm system, and with the Albuquerque Isotopes' season now over, the parent club added some speed and utility Tuesday with shortstop Dee Gordon and infielder/outfielder Elian Herrera, and another long man in the bullpen in Stephen Fife. With Adam Kennedy and Kenley Jansen sidelined, that leaves Manager Don Mattingly with 32 healthy bodies to play with.

PHOENIX - Dee Gordon will start at shortstop for the Dodgers on Friday when they face the Cincinnati Reds. Gordon and third baseman Luis Cruz are the two players the Dodgers are most seriously considering as potential replacements for Hanley Ramirez, who is expected to be sidelined for the next eight weeks recovering from a thumb operation. “I can't go off what happened to Hanley,” Gordon said. “I was trying to make the team on my own.” Gordon was the Dodgers' opening-day shortstop last season but struggled at the plate.

So been outta action awhile - and don't even pretend you haven't noticed - but now that Hanley Ramirez and I are about to have so much in common, I am bravely attempting to drag myself back to the keyboard. Every single letter I type just for you causes excruciating pain. OK, maybe not excruciating but discomforting. Would you settle for crazy awkward? A couple weeks ago I managed to snap the distal biceps tendon off my right forearm's radius bone. Just all kinds of fun. Medical wizard I am, didn't even know the biceps attached to the forearm.