As the countdown to opening day ensues, the Dodgers have been struggling to make it out of the Cactus League with some composure. They are currently 13-18, 1 game behind Colorado in the Cactus League, and hold 11^th place in the pre-season (The Angels lead the league at 23-6). They have lost the last 4 straight games (Kansas City, Chicago, San Diego, and Oakland), and are scheduled to play Arizona today at 1:30 PM. The Dodgers last win was an 8-6 victory over the Rockies on March 26^th.

The Dodgers recently picked up lefty reliever Will Ohman, who signed a one-year minor-league contract with option. Manny Ramirez re-signed a 2-year contract with Los Angeles on March 4^th, which is probably leaving Joe Torre sighing with relief after all of the chaos surrounding Manny’s “Should I stay or should I go now?” attitude. He hit his first pre-season homer in an 8-6 loss to the Mariners.

The Dodgers have also been hit with some injuries throughout pre-season play. Pitcher Chad Billingsley sprained his right groin in their game against the Angels, but will potentially return for the Dodgers’ April 8^th match-up against San Diego. The same game, 3^rd baseman Blake DeWitt and 2^nd baseman Mark Loretta retired early due to a sore right quad and a mild groin strain. Looks like our boys’ haven’t been stretching…Dodgers’ minor league short stop, Ivan De Jesus, may be out for the season with a broken fibula despite a successful surgery on March 3^rd. In regards to Pitcher Jason Schmidt’s supposed injured status (he was recovering from shoulder surgery) he made a startling appearance in the Padres’ game where his fastball reached a speed of 90 MPH. Not bad for a pitcher that was assumed to be out for the season.

In other Dodgers news, previous Dodgers manager, Tommy Lasorda, spoke out in defense of Mike Piazza’s reputation. The former Dodgers’ catcher and others were recently accused of steroid use in a recent publication by SI columnist and author, Jeff Pearlman. Tommy immediately had this to say, “I wouldn’t comment on it if I didn’t feel strongly about it. He has too much to lose. And he’s such a nice young man. He goes to church; he’s got a nice family. I know him. I know what kind of man he is and I just don’t believe it.” Well Tommy, as admirable as your defense is, it might not be enough if the accusations prove to be correct. It’s disappointing already to think that one of the most respectable players in baseball was cutting corners, but, if the allegations hold true, it’s going to be much more disappointing to the fans they lied to.