Dodgers Sign 16-Year-Old LHP Julio Urias From Mexico

The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their international spending Thursday with the signing of 16-year-old Mexican left hander Julio Urias, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Here's Badler's read on Urias:

"Some scouts considered Urias, whose rights were transferred from Mexico City of the Mexican League, to be one of the better pitching prospects on the market. He has touched 92 mph and shown good feel for pitching for his age."

The terms of Urias signing have yet to been released, but MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that teams had a feeling that Urias would sign for "more than $1MM and maybe close to $2MM." According to Badler, not all of what the Dodgers paid for Urias will count against their 2012-13 allotted $2.9 million international bonus pool, with his rights being transferred from the Mexican League.

For all your Los Angeles Dodgers news, head on over to True Blue LA.

Andre Ethier Injury: Dodgers OF Plays Through 'Monster' Blister

Andre Ethier had been struggling of late, but after adjusting his swing before Wednesday's loss to the Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder admitted he'd been struggling with a "nickel-sized" blister on his right hand.

"This thing is huge, it's not a little blister," said Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly. "This thing is a monster."

And Ethier is winning the battle against the monster.

Ethier broke out of a mini-slump by going 2-for-4 with a couple of runs scored in the 8-4 loss to San Francisco. With a pad taped to his hand, Ethier was able to hit a double on Wednesday to become the first Dodger player to record 30 doubles in six consecutive years.

The blister trouble began on Sunday, when a smaller blister that had developed on the edge of a callous burst open.

"This is going to be something that will nag a little bit," Mattingly said. "It will limit the amount of work he is going to do."

To combat the pain that has made batting practice "interesting," in Ethier's words, he adjusted his hand placement on the bat, choking up so the affected area wouldn't rub on the wood so much.

Ethier has a .278 batting average on the year with 12 home runs and 69 RBI.

For more on the Los Angeles Dodgers, check out True Blue LA or take a peek at Baseball Nation for more on MLB.

Jerry Hairston Injury: Dodgers Utility Man To Have Hip Surgery, Ending His Season

Jerry Hairston Jr. will miss the remainder of the season, as the utility man for the Los Angeles Dodgers will undergo left hip surgery in the coming weeks. The recovery period is expected to be four to six months.

Hairston hit .273/.342/.387 in 78 games for the Dodgers, starting games at second base, third base, and left field. He left the game on August 11 in Miami against the Marlins with left hip tightness, and was placed on the disabled list two days later with left hip inflammation.

He went to Arizona to rehab at the Dodgers' training facility at Camelback Ranch, but Hairston's hip condition did not improve.

"We originally felt this was going to be 15 days, but right now Jerry hasn't responded very well," manager Don Mattingly said on Tuesday. "He's still having a lot of pain."

Hairston still has one year remaining on his two-year contract, and will make $3.75 million in 2013.

For more on the Dodgers, head to True Blue L.A.

Dodgers Vs. Giants Game Recap: Giants Complete The Sweep With 8-4 Win

The San Francisco Giants completed their three game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday with an 8-4 win.

Matt Cain picked up the win for the Giants after he tossed seven innings, allowing just one run while striking out five. Cain improved his record to 13-5, including his first win against the Dodgers this season. San Francisco gave Cain plenty of run support, led by Joaquin Arias who went 3-4 with 5 RBI.

Chris Capuano took the loss for the Dodgers, allowing six earned runs over five innings. The Giants scored three runs off Capuano in the first inning then plated three more in the sixth inning. The six earned runs were the most Capuano has allowed since he allowed six on July 26 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Capuano has now lost four of his last five decisions.

In the midst of the loss, Andre Ethier made some Dodgers history. He doubled in the sixth inning and by doing so, he became the first Dodger with six straight 30-double seasons. The game also marked the return of Dodgers reliever Rubby De La Rosa. He has not pitched in the Major Leagues since July 31 of last season De La Rosa, who had Tommy John surgery last season, allowed two runs in 2/3 innings pitched.

With the loss, the Dodgers now trail the Giants by two and a half games in the NL West.

For more on the Dodgers, head to True Blue L.A.

Dodgers Shuffle Pitching Rotation: Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw Start 1st Two Game Against Marlins

The Los Angeles Dodgers have an off day on Thursday, and they are utilizing it to move up their two best starting pitchers. Chad Billingsley will start Friday, followed by Clayton Kershaw on Saturday against the Florida Marlins at Dodger Stadium.

The move was made before Wednesday's series finale with the San Francisco Giants.

Billingsley has won his last six starts, with a stellar 1.30 ERA during that span, and has an active streak of 15 consecutive scoreless innings. He starts the opener against Miami on regular rest, as does Kershaw, who has five straight quality starts. Kershaw has 18 strikeouts and no walks in his last two outings.

The rotation shuffle pushes Aaron Harang back to Sunday for the series finale, putting him on a full seven days rest.

The Dodgers trail the Giants 6-0 in the sixth inning Wednesday, staring down the barrel of a two and a half game deficit in the National League West.

For more on the Dodgers, head to True Blue L.A.

Former Dodgers Closer Eric Gagne Named Pitching Coach For France In WBC

Dodgers Vs. Giants Game Preview: L.A. Looks To Avoid Sweep

The Los Angeles Dodgers began this series with the lead in the NL West, but could be well behind the San Francisco Giants after Wednesday if they can't manage to avoid being swept.

Matt Cain (12-5, 2.90) will take the bump for San Francisco, looking to build on his recent success. He's allowed three runs in his last two starts combined, earning the win in both. Cain has been solid against L.A., allowing three runs in seven innings against them on July 27 as part of a 5-3 loss in extras at AT&T Park, but is 3-2 with a 2.94 ERA in his last eight starts against them.

As for the Dodgers, they'll send out Chris Capuano (11-8, 3.14), who has been solid all year at Dodgers Stadium. He gave up three runs and five hits in 7.1 innings of work in a 4-3 loss to Atlanta on Friday, but owns a 2.17 ERA at home, the NL's third best so far this year. This will be Capuano's first taste of the heated Giants vs. Dodgers rivalry.

Keep and eye on Matt Kemp as well, who is 1 for 20 in his last six games. He may not get any relief on Wednesday either as he is 2 for 16 against Cain since the start of 2010.

First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT with coverage on KCAL and Fox Sports L.A. 570 AM.

For more on the Dodgers, head to True Blue L.A.

Dodgers Vs. Giants Game Recap: Joe Blanton's Struggles Continue As L.A. Loses, 4-1

Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants bested Joe Blanton and the Dodgers on Tuesday night, winning by a score of 4-1. The win moves the Giants to 1.5 games up in the National League West with one more game remaining in the series.

Lincecum was effectively wild on the mound, working 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He never quite had full command and threw only 87 pitches, scattering five hits and a walk. He struck out four. Blanton also tossed 5.2 innings, although he surrendered four runs on 10 hits and two walks.

Buster Posey continued his red-hot hitting with a two-run single in the first inning. Brandon Crawford singled home another run in the third with a blooper to left field to score Gregor Blanco. Angel Pagan followed in the fourth inning with an RBI-double to center field to push the deficit to 4-0 for L.A.

Matt Kemp drove home the lone run of the game for the Dodgers with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. Kemp singled with one out in the ninth to start a potential rally, but he was quickly erased on a game-ending double play from Andre Ethier.

Los Angeles will look to salvage one game in the series on Wednesday. They'll turn to Chris Capuano, while the Giants will counter with Matt Cain. First pitch is schedule for 7:10 p.m. from Dodger Stadium.

For more on the Dodgers, check out True Blue LA. Head to McCovey Chronicles for Giants news.

Dodgers Injury Notes: Matt Guerrier Continues Rehab, Justin Sellers To Have Back Surgery

The Los Angeles Dodgers got some good news and some bad news on the injury front on Tuesday, as relief pitcher Matt Guerrier continued his rehab assignment while infielder Justin Sellers found out his season is over.

Guerrier, who has been sidelined since April 19 with right elbow inflammation, pitched a scoreless inning in his third rehab game for Class A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday night. Guerrier struck out one, and also induced a ground out and a fly out. Guerrier said on Monday that he has not experienced any elbow pain during his minor league assignment, and that he expects to be activated from the 60-day disabled list once rosters expand in September.

The news isn't nearly as good for Sellers, who has been out since May 23 with a bulging disc in his lower back. Sellers will undergo surgery on his lower back on Thursday in Los Angeles, to be performed by Dr. Robert Watkins. Sellers made his first opening day roster this season and hit .205/.286/.386 in 19 games.

For more on the Dodgers, make sure to check out True Blue LA.

Ted Lilly Injury: Dodgers Pitcher Returns To Mound In Bullpen Session

The Los Angeles Dodgers hope to have Ted Lilly back when rosters expand in September, but the longtime starter will likely be in a relief role. The good news is that Lilly is close to returning to a mound after getting scratched from a rehab appearance Sunday.

Lilly, on the disabled list since May 28 with left shoulder inflammation, was examined Monday by team doctors, and cleared to throw a bullpen session. Lilly will throw another bullpen session on Friday, and then proceed to a few rehab games. If all goes will he will be activated in September, when active roster limits expand from 25 to 40.

The last time Lilly pitched in relief was August 5, 2003. He has started 265 games since then, but he said on Tuesday that he will approach pitching out of the bullpen no differently that he has as a starter.

"It's still about executing pitches," he said.

For more news and notes surrounding the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Giants Starting Lineups: Buster Posey At 1B, Mark Ellis Gets Night Off

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have flip-flopped between first and second place in the National League West three times in the last four days, and the now second-place Dodgers hope that trend continues Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Mark Ellis is getting the night off for the Dodgers, with Adam Kennedy starting at second base, giving the Dodgers another left-handed bat in the lineup against Tim Lincecum. Buster Posey gets the start at first base Tuesday night instead of behind the plate, with Hector Sanchez catching Lincecum.

Here are the starting lineups for the middle game of the three-game set at Dodger Stadium.

Giants (67-55)

Pagan CF
Scutaro 2B
Sandoval 3B
Posey 1B
Pence RF
Sanchez C
Blanco LF
Crawford SS
Lincecum P

Dodgers (67-56)

Victorino LF
Kennedy 2B
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez SS
Loney 1B
Cruz 3B
Ellis C
Blanton P

For more news and notes surrounding the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA. For all of your Giants news, be sure to read McCovey Chronicles and SB Nation Bay Area.

Jerry Hairston Jr. Injury: Dodgers Utility Man Considering Surgery On Hip

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without the services of utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. for some time, possibly for the rest of the season. The left hip injury that has bothered Hairston for a few months and forced him to the disabled list on August 13 has not healed, and he might need surgery that would end his season.

"Jerry has not really responded. He's still having a lot of pain and debating on what his next step is," manager Don Mattingly said before Tuesday's game with the San Francisco Giants. "We originally felt this was going to be 15 days, but right now Jerry hasn't responded very well at this point."

When asked if one of the options considered by Hairston was surgical, Mattingly said, "It sounds like it could be something like that."

Hairston is hitting .273/.342/.387 in 78 games this season, and he has started games at third base, second base, and left field. He is in the first year of a two-year, $6 million contract he signed in the offseason.

For more on the Dodgers, make sure to check out True Blue LA.

Dodgers Activate Rubby De La Rosa From DL

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated right-hander Rubby De La Rosa from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday, one year and 12 days after he went underwent Tommy John surgery.

To make roster space, the Dodgers optioned right-hander Javy Guerra to Triple-A Albuquerque. Guerra appeared in 44 games for the Dodgers, going 2-3 with eight saves and a 2.66 ERA in 44 innings. He had pitched 11.1 scoreless innings in his last nine appearances.

The 23-year-old De La Rosa was a bright spot for the Dodgers last year, going 4-5 with a 3.71 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 60.2 innings before he was shut down with the injury.

De La Rosa made four appearances during his minor-league rehabilitation assignment and was very good, pitching 12 scoreless innings; however, none of those starts came above Single-A ball. He projects as a starter for the Dodgers in the future, but it appears the team will bring him out of the bullpen for now.

For all news on the Dodgers, head over to True Blue LA and join the conversation.

Dodgers Vs. Giants Game Preview: Joe Blanton Looking For First Win With L.A.

Since being acquired a few weeks ago, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Joe Blanton has made both good starts and bad starts for his new team. He's still looking for his first victory with L.A., though, and he'll be taking another shot as the Dodgers continue their series against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

In three starts with the Dodgers this season, Blanton has allowed 14 runs over 15.1 innings, translating to an unacceptably bad 8.22 ERA. The right-hander got crushed in his most recent outing, although he pitched far better in his first two appearances with Los Angeles.

Before the early August trade, Blanton was solid in a Phillies uniform this year, so there's good reason to believe he'll rebound. The 31-year-old had a 4.59 ERA with 115 strikeouts and 18 walks in 133.1 innings with Philadelphia this season.

Coming into Tuesday's game, the Dodgers trail the Giants by just a half-game in the NL West standings, so the remaining two games in this series are particularly important. L.A. has played well of late, winning eight of its past 12 games, but the Giants continue to hang around.

First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT, with the game being broadcast on television by KCAL. To catch the game on the radio, check out 570 Fox Sports L.A. and, for Spanish-speaking listeners, KTNQ 1020.

For more on the Dodgers, make sure to check out True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Giants Game Recap: Madison Bumgarner Bests Clayton Kershaw 2-1

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants sure do know how to make the dog days of summer interesting; the two teams continue to switch places atop the NL West. The Dodgers came into the game in first place of the division and left the game in second place after losing to the Giants 2-1.

It was a pitchers duel between Madison Bumgarner (14-7) and Clayton Kershaw (11-7). Both pitchers went eight innings and had ten strikeouts. The only difference is that Kershaw gave up two runs and Bumgarner gave up zero.

In the top of the first, Giants center-fielder Angel Pagan hit a lead-off double to deep-center field. He was moved to third by a sacrifice from Marco Scuttero. Pagan would be brought home by a Pablo Sandoval sac-fly. That would be it for the scoring until the sixth inning when the Giants struck again. With two outs, it would be the same trio of Pagan, Scuttero and Sandoval, all with singles, that would increase the Giants lead to 2-0.

Newly acquired Dodger Hanley Ramirez would score LA's only run with a two-out home run in the bottom of the ninth. It was too little, too late. Giants win 2-1.

Starting pitcher Joe Blanton and the Dodgers look to take back the division on Tuesday night against struggling San Francisco pitcher, Tim Lincecum.

For news and analysis on the Dodgers, visit True Blue LA and SB Nation Los Angeles. More information on the Giants can be found at McCovey Chronicles and SB Nation Bay Area.

Dodgers Vs. Giants Starting Lineups: Juan Rivera Starts At 1B Against LHP Madison Bumgarner

The Los Angeles Dodgers don't have much volatility in their starting lineup these days, not since the acquisitions of Shane Victorino and Hanley Ramirez. For the most part their regular eight position players have been stable, and that continues in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants.

Juan Rivera and James Loney are in a straight platoon at first base, which means Rivera gets the start Monday night against the left-handed Madison Bumgarner. The only real question is at third base, but that isn't much of a question with Luis Cruz red hot and Jerry Hairston Jr. on the disabled list. Cruz has started 35 of the last 42 games for the Dodgers, with 33 of those starts coming at either shortstop or third base.

Here are Monday's starting lineups from Chavez Ravine.

Giants (66-55)

Pagan CF
Scutaro 2B
Sandoval 3B
Posey C
Pence RF
Arias SS
Belt 1B
Blanco LF
Bumgarner P

Dodgers (67-55)

Victorino LF
Ellis 2B
Kemp CF
Ramirez SS
Ethier RF
Rivera 1B
Cruz 3B
Ellis C
Kershaw P

For more news and notes surrounding the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA. For all of your Giants news, be sure to read McCovey Chronicles and SB Nation Bay Area.

Dodgers Vs. Giants: Pitching Matchups, Game Time, TV Info & More

The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants in what should be a pivotal series between the two West Coast rivals. The Dodgers currently lead the Giants by a game and a half and will host them in a crucial three-game swing.

Clayton Kershaw (11-6, 2.90 ERA) starts the opener for the Dodgers, facing Madison Bumgarner (13-7, 2.97 ERA) on Monday night at 7:10 p.m.. You can watch the game on ESPN2 or Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket.

On Tuesday, it's Joe Blanton (8-11, 4.96 ERA) taking to the mound to face Tim Lincecum (6-12, 5.45 ERA) on Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m.. This game should be available on KCAL.

Also on KCAL will be the series finale on Wednesday, when it's Chris Capuano (11-8, 3.14 ERA) facing Matt Cain (12-5, 2.90 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. from Dodgers Stadium.

The game should also be available on radio on 570 AM and 1020 AM for all three contests.

The Dodgers will still have to play the Giants in two more series (each of which is also three games), including the last three games of the year in Los Angeles.

Talk about the series with Dodgers fans over at True Blue LA, and with Giants fans at McCovey Chronicles.

MLB Standings: Dodgers Take Over First Place In NL West, With Giants Looming

The Los Angeles Dodgers (67-55) lead the San Francisco Giants (66-55) by 0.5 game in the National League West entering their game on Monday.

In what has been a back and forth battle throughout the season, the Dodgers pulled back into first place just in time for the two clubs to begin their pivotal three-game series in Los Angeles.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are still fighting to stay with the top two teams in the division as they sit at 62-59, 4.5 games out of first place. The San Diego Padres (14.5 games back) and the Colorado Rockies (19.5 games back) have long been out of contention.

The Dodgers have won seven of their last 10 games and winning this series against the Giants is key in continuing that momentum. The Dodgers are 5-4 against the Giants this season but Baseball Prospectus has the Dodgers finishing second to the Giants with a 49% chance of making the playoffs at season's end.

For more on the Dodgers, check out True Blue LA.

Los Angeles Dodgers Vs. San Francisco Giants: Clayton Kershaw Starts Series Opener

The Dodgers lead the Giants by a half-game heading into their three-game series at Dodger Stadium.