Long bus rides, extreme pressure & playing through pain — welcome to life in the minor leagues

Josh Ravin won’t forget that night in 2012 when he was called into his manager’s office. It was good news – the Cincinnati Reds were going to promote him to Double-A. But his manager had one question for him: “Have you got any (health) issues?” The truth was his groin was bothering him. He’d tweaked …

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Dodgers’ top prospects face big league pressure

Yasmani Grandal knows what it’s like to be a top minor league prospect, and he knows all about the pressure that comes with it. The Cincinnati Reds’ first-round pick in 2010, Grandal signed a major league contract in August of that year and was placed on the 40-man roster, a rarity for a draft pick. …

When top prospects collide

Dodgers media and fans got to see a glimpse of the future when 18-year-old pitcher Julio Urias squared off with 22-year-old outfielder Joc Pederson in live batting practice. Sandy Koufax, Mark McGwire, Rick Honeycutt and Farhan Zaidi were all there to watch, along with a healthy collection of media members. What happened? You can see for …

62 players, one goal at Dodgers’ spring training camp

INSIDE THE GAME GLENDALE, Ariz. – They’re hitting in the cages, throwing batting practice, working on defensive drills and even battling on the clubhouse ping-pong table. They come from Cuba and Korea, the suburbs of New Orleans, the woods of rural Pennsylvania and even from nearby Scottsdale. There are 62 players at a bustling Dodgers …