Dodgers Dugout: Team does the right thing for Andrew Toles again

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and we are just hours away from the season opener.

The Dodgers’ front office doesn’t always get things right. They keep fans at arm’s length and generally give the impression of “Aren’t you lucky to be our fan?”

But there’s one thing they get right every year, and they did it again this year: They renewed Andrew Toles’ contract so he can retain his health insurance while dealing with mental health issues.

The Dodgers quietly renewed his contract last week but did not wish to comment on it. It’s classy because many organizations would tout it to show how great they are. Actually, many organizations probably would not have renewed his contract at all.

And if you are wondering, Toles is put on the restricted list, so he doesn’t take a roster spot.

You probably know Toles’ story. He hit .364 in the 2016 postseason for the Dodgers and was off to a solid start in 2017 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament sliding into the wall while trying to make a catch. He sat out the rest of that season but returned in 2018, playing 17 games. He wasn’t at spring training in 2019, and it was eventually learned he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

In 2020, Toles was found sleeping behind a building at Key West International Airport in Florida. He was homeless and taken to a mental health facility.

At last report, Toles was in the care of his father, Alvin, who said Andrew is in a “zombie-like” condition. ”We are having challenges,” Alvin told USA Today in 2021, “but nothing that God and I can’t handle. Schizophrenia, it’s just so tough. I mean, he can’t even watch TV. He hears voices and the TV at the same time, so it’s kind of confusing. I’ve seen him looking at some baseball games on his laptop, but I don’t think he really understands what’s going on. I just want him to have a chance in life. That’s all. Just to be healthy, live a normal life.”

Hopefully, things have improved since then, but the Toles family wishes to remain private, and who can blame them?

When the Dodgers renewed Toles’ contract last year, former Dodgers pitcher Tom Koehler, who signed with the team in 2017 but injured his shoulder in spring training and never pitched an inning for the team, had this to say:

“I love this,” Koehler said. “Saw it firsthand how they treated me when I could provide nothing for them. I am not surprised they are helping Andrew. It’s bigger than sports.”

I would guess that almost all of us have a friend or family member who has dealt with a mental illness. Though it seems unlikely that Toles will ever play in the majors again, let’s hope that he can just enjoy life again. And if things work out perfectly and he’s able to return to Dodger Stadium one day to throw out the first pitch or just wave from the stands, let’s hope there’s a sellout crowd on hand to give him a standing ovation.

The roster in South Korea

The Dodgers’ season opener is against the San Diego Padres at 3 a.m. PDT Wednesday in South Korea, televised on Sportsnet LA with Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser making the call. They also play the Padres at 3 a.m. on Thursday. They will be the road team Wednesday and the home team Thursday.

Here is the roster for the games:

Catchers (3)
Austin Barnes
Hunter Feduccia
Will Smith

Infielders (6)
Mookie Betts
Freddie Freeman
Kiké Hernández
Gavin Lux
Max Muncy
Miguel Rojas

Outfielders (5)
Teoscar Hernández
Jason Heyward
James Outman
Chris Taylor
Miguel Vargas

Designated Hitter (1)
Shohei Ohtani

Starters (7)
Tyler Glasnow
Michael Grove
Kyle Hurt
Landon Knack
Bobby Miller
Gavin Stone
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Relievers (9)
Ryan Brasier
J.P. Feyereisen
Daniel Hudson
Joe Kelly
Evan Phillips
Blake Treinen
Gus Varland
Alex Vesia
Ryan Yarbrough

Brusdar Graterol still has hip and right shoulder discomfort and probably will be put on the injured list. James Paxton is not injured, but he wasn’t going to start in South Korea and wouldn’t be used out of the bullpen, so the Dodgers preferred he remain in Arizona to work out. Grove and Miller started the two exhibition games in Korea, so it’s unlikely they’ll pitch against the Padres.

Who will be the No. 5 starter?

Gavin Stone will be the No. 5 starter for the Dodgers.

“Yeah, Doc told me today that I was gonna be the fifth starter,” Stone said after holding the Korean national team without a run or hit in 3⅓ innings at the Gocheok Sky Dome on Monday. “Just incredibly, incredibly thankful for that and the opportunity they’re giving me.”

Stone had an ERA of 9.00 in 31 innings last season. But he has looked good this spring.

“The thing that stands out most with Gavin is his maturity,” Roberts said. “When you see a young player, you can tell when things speed up. And now, it just seems like things have slowed down more. On the mound, the misses are the right misses. There is much more consistent execution. And the stuff is holding.”

Ohtani plays the field?

Jack Harris is in South Korea with the Dodgers and checked in with some important news: Shohei Ohtani might play the outfield this season. Harris writes:

“In a much more notable development Monday, however, manager Dave Roberts said the two-way talent will begin a throwing program once the club returns from its trans-Pacific trek — the latest significant step in Ohtani’s long road back to the mound following last September’s Tommy John surgery.

The news does not change Ohtani’s chances of pitching in 2024. The right-hander won’t return to the mound until the 2025 season.

But, the resumption of throwing does indicate Ohtani is making strides in his rehab from the Tommy John procedure — which he said hasn’t affected his swing this spring — and could open the door to other positional possibilities during the 2024 campaign.

For now, Roberts said the team’s “only focus is him being a designated hitter.” Yet if Ohtani progresses quickly enough through his throwing program and remains healthy, Roberts left open the possibility of Ohtani eventually being able to play defensively in the field, if the need ever arises.

“We’ll see how that progression goes,” Roberts said. “If his arm is healthy enough, we’ll have that conversation.”

Another opening day starter?

With Glasnow starting on opening day, that makes six Dodgers starters for the last six openers. The others: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Julio Urías.

Ask Mike Scioscia

Received hundreds of questions, some of them variations of the same question. I chose some for Scioscia and the answers should appear sometime next week. Thanks to everyone who wrote in.

Shortstop poll

Last week, we asked “Who should be the starting shortstop for the Dodgers?” After 8,911 votes, the results:

Miguel Rojas, 69.2%
Trade for Willy Adames, 11.5%
Gavin Lux, 7.9%
Mookie Betts, 7.3%
Kiké Hernández, 2.5%
Chris Taylor, 1.6%

Up next

Wednesday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow) at San Diego (Yu Darvish), 3 a.m., Sportsnet LA, ESPN (out of market only), AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Thursday: San Diego (Joe Musgrove) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), 3 a.m., Sportsnet LA, ESPN (out of market only), AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

In case you missed it

Shohei Ohtani to start throwing program soon; Gavin Stone earns spot in Dodgers rotation

Daniel Hudson aims to complete ‘unfinished business’; Dodgers win exhibition in Korea

‘It can be galvanizing.’ How Dodgers’ Korea trip could help bond their new-look team

Dodgers’ minor league team unwittingly rebrands with a NSFW name

Padres aren’t the only challenge for Dodgers in playing series in South Korea

Max Muncy gives tips for a long plane ride and discusses how he is prepping for the first game

Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on playing in South Korea

Hernández: Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s success rooted in a willingness to change

Dodgers renew Andrew Toles’ contract again. He hasn’t played since 2018 due to mental health issues

‘I believe in myself’: Examining the challenges of Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop

And finally

A tribute to Jackie Robinson by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Watch and listen here.