Mota Disabled, Thome's Role, Kuroda's Rehab, And A Player To Be Named Later

I didn't even notice that the Dodgers put Guillermo Mota on the 15-day DL to clear room for Ronnie Belliard.

The Dodgers sacrifice Guillermo Mota to the roster gods, placing him on the 15-day disabled list with an ingrown toenail while making room for Ronnie Belliard to join the 25-man roster. None of this affects Mota's postseason eligibility.

Is it just me or does this seem invented?

Ned Colletti said Jim Thome won't be playing first base, but Joe Torre left it open to possibility.

Ned Colletti said on Prime Ticket's Dodgers Live postgame show that he and Jim Thome spoke at about 8:30 p.m. tonight, right before his trade to the Dodgers was officially completed, and Thome said that he is eager to contribute but that "playing first base is probably not going to be an option."

"I'm not saying you won't see Jimmy at first, but I want to talk to him. I haven't had that opportunity yet. The most important thing to me is the threat he brings to the table."

It sucks if he can't be used at first, because he's a far superior offensive weapon to James Loney. It's still a good trade anyway though, since it costs the Dodgers basically nothing.

Hiroki Kuroda will make a rehab start today, which possibly puts him in line to make his return to the rotation on Sunday.

About two and a half weeks after he was struck in the head by a line drive, Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda will make a rehab start for Class-A Inland Empire on Tuesday.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said before Monday's game that Kuroda could be a consideration to start Sunday if his rehab appearance goes well.

I've been critical of the Dodger medical staff in the past, but I must say that they handled this situation extremely well. Best of luck to Kuroda in his rehab start, because brain injuries and their mental effects are always scary.

Steve Gilbert says that Tony Abreu might be the player to be named later.

Word among some #Dodgers players is that the PTBNL in Garland trade is INF Tony Abreu. He would have to clear waivers to be dealt.

I don't necessarily believe that Abreu is a lock to be a regular in the future, but I do believe he's a potentially valuable player, which makes trading him for an unnecessary piece in Garland all the more confusing to me.

If that trade were to occur, I wouldn't really be upset or anything, just puzzled once again. You have to figure that 5-6 cost-controlled years of any halfway decent young player is gonna be worth significantly more than 1 month of a league average veteran, even if it is for free.

Regardless, why would Abreu even clear waivers in the first place? It would seem like some team would love to take a chance on him.