The demise of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Hardly six months after playing in the seventh game of the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have fallen on hard times.

The DL is as crowded as the waiting room at the free clinic and players that had breakout years in 2017 are having breakdown years in 2018.

All-star shortstop Corey Seager is out for the year with a bum elbow, ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw is out with a sore biceps muscle and hasn’t seen his fastball lately, saddled with a 1-4 record.

Cody Bellinger, last year’s Rookie of the Year, is struggling through a sophomore slump and the once-vaunted bullpen has disintegrated before our eyes. Justin Turner played his first game of the season this week after breaking his wrist in spring training. Logan Forsythe was on the DL as well, nursing a bad shoulder.

Things are bad.

Whispers have started about Dave Roberts’ job.

Baseball writers are calling the Dodgers the biggest bust of the year, the team with the highest payroll and nothing to show for it.

Arizona has laid claim to the National League West and the Dodgers are floating near the bottom of the division standings with the likes of the San Diego Padres. LA is 8.5 games out of first place with no indications things will improve anytime soon.

Not that there haven’t been a few bright spots.

Matt Kemp, once thought to be trade bait, is hitting north of .300 and is playing an inspired left field. Rookie Walker Buehler is a flame-thrower, hitting the gun in the mid to upper 90s and showing flashes of brilliance. Yasmani Grandal is getting most starts behind the plate because he started with a hot bat. Grandal has cooled to a .270 clip but remains a better option than Austin Barnes, struggling at .222.

Then there’s the kids. Alex Verdugo had a long cup of coffee and showed he will hit in the bigs. Kyle Farmer and Max Muncy got a little playing time as well, and showed they are not far away from playing in the Show every day.

But guys like Chris Taylor (.234), Joc Pederson (.237), Yasiel Puig (.210), Kike Hernandez (.216) and Chase Utley (.250) are not putting it all together.

Starting pitching has not been any better. Hyun-Jin Ryu has been a bright spot at 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA and Buehler is 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA. Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood have been disappointing.

The big controversy in Los Angeles the last few years has been how many people couldn’t catch the Dodgers on television because a dispute with the cable company.

That issue may die down this year.