Say hey, baseball: Alex Guerrero is hitting and Don Mattingly is cranky

Friday morning’s baseball includes Don Mattingly’s annoyance at his own team’s success, Yordano Ventura and the Royals in yet another tense moment, and the Red Sox may be gearing up for a trade or two. Subscribe for your daily Say Hey!

by Marc Normandin

Apr 24, 2015, 12:27 PM UTC

Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

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Forgotten in all of the talk about where Cuban free agent Hector Olivera was going to play for the Dodgers, was where their previous Cuban free agent, Alex Guerrero, was going to play. Guerrero is up in the majors now after spending most of 2014 at Triple-A, and he is mashing: Guerrero has four homers in nine games and just 20 plate appearances, and is batting .474/.450/1.211. You would think this would make Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly happy, but nope, he seems pretty cranky about potentially having another production option to turn to in times of need.

Speaking with reporters before Thursday’s game, Mattingly basically complained about how Guerrero’s success meant it could be harder for Justin Turner to get into the lineup, and “snapped” at the suggestion that Guerreo could be the starting third baseman going forward with the way he’s been hitting. He wants to focus on the long-term, which is fine and admirable, but come on, Don, is that supposed to include Turner? You’re not fooling anyone but yourself if you think Justin Turner is actually a guy who can reliably bat .340 for you again and again.

Guerrero’s ultimate role and production are up in the air, and he’s certainly not going to hit like this forever, or even for much longer, but he can play an important part in the Dodgers’ season. It is a bit funny, though -- and maybe it’s why Mattingly is so annoyed -- that after somewhat solving the outfield logjam, the Dodgers’ new bosses went and created an infield one. Too many good players is a good problem to have, unless you’re the guy who has to find playing time for them all.

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