The Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers coach Bob Geren gives the elbow tap to right fielder Mookie Betts (50) during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Los Angeles Dodgers coach Dino Ebel give the elbow tap to right fielder Mookie Betts (50) during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts (50) during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, left, along with Justin Turner, center and Cody Bellinger, right, in the outfield during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Bating practice during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Social distancing stickers are placed around the stadium during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
The Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers Brusdar Graterol, right, walks with Mitchell White during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers coach Dino Ebel during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
The Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren, right, talks with first baseman Matt Beaty (45) during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Ron Porterfield, left, Los Angeles Dodgers Director of Player health talks with managers Dave Roberts #30 during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Ron Porterfield, left, Los Angeles Dodgers Director of Player health talks with managers Dave Roberts #30 during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Ron Porterfield, left, Los Angeles Dodgers Director of Player health talks to players during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May works out during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May works out during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts looks on during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Stan Kasten, president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks across the field during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Stan Kasten, president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Stan Kasten, president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Los Angeles Dodgers first summer camp workout in preparation for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Los Angeles on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
LOS ANGELES >> Like every player in baseball, Clayton Kershaw had a decision to make.
A number of players throughout the league have decided not to risk their health by playing during the coronavirus pandemic. Even the best player in the game, Angels outfielder Mike Trout, said he didn’t “feel comfortable” about reporting for preseason workouts beginning Friday and would “reconsider” if circumstances change.
For Kershaw — father of three including an infant son born in January — the decision came down to placing his trust in the structures established by Major League Baseball.
“I think there’s a trust factor there with Major League Baseball players union, my teammates,” said Kershaw who threw a bullpen session during Friday’s first official day of workouts. “Everybody here has to take accountability for making it as safe as possible. I have trust in that. I have trust that we’re all doing everything possible to do this and play baseball. At the end of the day, I wanted to play.
“For those guys who opt out I understand that. I get that decision. I support that. … We’re going to support that as a team with whatever happens with our guys.”
Justin Turner said the decision to play was probably easier for him than a lot of other players.
“It’s me and my wife at home. I don’t have kids,” he explained. “I wanted to play all along. I know there’s a 111-page document full of regulations and guidelines and procedures to try to help protect us as best as possible. I know the league and the players association has been following closely other leagues and what they’re doing to ensure our safety.
“I think we’re taking all the right steps and procedures to protect players once they get inside the stadiums.”
While there are rules in place for players’ behavior inside those stadiums, MLB has opted to try to play a 2020 season without the “bubble” approach being followed by the NBA. That could put a burden on team leaders like Kershaw and Turner to emphasize the importance of also following proper behavior away from the park.
“It’s on the players to some extent. I think everybody knows that,” Kershaw said. “I don’t know how much different guys have to harp on that just because if you want to see the season through, if you want to play the season, if you want to give it its best shot, you can’t be stupid.
“Some guys are still going to get it and they’re going to be as safe as possible. It’s just not worth the risk. It’s easier for me to say, obviously, I’ve got a wife and three kids I can just go home and go to the ballpark and feel great about it. It’s going to be harder for guys that are single or guys that live in apartments or things like that. I understand that. But if you want to get things off the ground, if you want to play, that’s as good an incentive as I can think of.”
MLB announced the results of 3,185 coronavirus tests leading up to the opening of training camps. According to MLB, only 38 tests (1.2 percent) came back positive. Thirty-one of those were players, seven staffers. Earlier this week, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged there have been members of the organization who tested positive. He would not specify whether the positive cases included any players.
The Dodgers worked out in waves Friday with position players broken into two blocks and pitchers into three. Players were only supposed to be at the stadium during their assigned times, no earlier and no longer.
But not everyone was there. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would say only that “there are guys that are unable to start camp with us for various reasons.” He would not offer any specifics about which players were absent or what those reasons might be.
CROWD NOISE
During a live batting practice session Thursday, the Dodgers experimented with piped in crowd noise. Kershaw called it the better option if the other choice was silence. Turner said it gave him “a little bit of adrenaline” hearing the sound while he batted.
“Nothing is going to replace our fans. They’re the best fans in baseball,” Turner said. “You can’t simulate 56,000 people here.
“It’s way better than having nothing in the stadium, you know, just silence.”
A handful of teams have openly talked about the possibility of putting some fans in the stands — a small percentage of full capacity — at some point this season. Dodgers team president and CEO Stan Kasten said the Dodgers have discussed “various scenarios, if it ever became safe” to allow some fans into the stadium for games. Those scenarios are not likely to happen this season, he said.
“Right now, our local (health officials) just don’t deem it’s safe,” Kasten said. “In fact, I’m not sure there’s any stadium anywhere at the moment whose health department has deemed it. That’s what’s gonna govern any decisions like that. If it was safe, we could do it. But right now, our local officials aren’t thinking it’s safe. And from talking to them I don’t think that’s gonna change in the very near future, if at all this season. But we’ll see.
“Again, the safety and health is going to dictate that, and nothing else.”
DRAFT PICK
The Dodgers reached agreement on a contract with their third-round draft pick, outfielder Jake Vogel from Huntington Beach. Vogel reportedly received a $1.6 million signing bonus, almost triple the slot value. Vogel had been committed to UCLA. He was the only prep player among the Dodgers’ six draft picks this year.
Kelley Wheeler is a Metro reporter covering political issues and general assignments. A second-generation journalist, worked with all major news outlet, she holds a vast expeirience. Kelley is a graduate of USC with degrees in journalism and English literature. She is a recipient of Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism.
