L.A. Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig Named NL Player Of The Week

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Los Angeles Dodgers rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig has been named the National League Player of the Week.

The Dodgers called up Puig last Monday from Double-A Chattanooga. In his first seven big-league career games, the 22-year-old batted .464 with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

Los Angeles signed Puig out of Cuba last summer to a seven-year contract worth $42 million. He is the first Dodgers rookie to win the award since Andre Ethier in 2006.

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Dodgers GM Ned Colletti Not Worried About Spending

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The Dodgers are loaded in Los Angeles with a payroll sitting at $214.8 million for 21 signed players next season.

After their signing last weekend of Zack Greinke for a $147 million, six-year contract, the Dodgers could snap the New York Yankees streak of 14 years of baseball’s biggest spenders.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti spoke about the big size wallet he’s been carrying around all off-season.

"Our payroll a year ago was $90 [million]," Colletti said in an interview on ESPNLA 710. "We're up over $200 [million] now. If you added it all up, it might be up over 300 [million] over two years. Had we been at 150 last year and 150 this year, nobody would be saying a word, right?

The team traded for Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford last season and already have Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp aboard.

Grienke will join a pitching staff that already features Clayton Kershaw and Josh Beckett.  

Colleti was asked if manager Don Mattingly will be able to guide this team through the season and into serious October baseball next season.

"Donny's used to pressure," Colletti told ESPN Radio on Wednesday.  "He played a long time in New York, a city that every day is the Super Bowl.  I think he's ready for it, he embraces it."

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Dodgers Place Outfielder Andrew Ethier on the DL

Jason Wise/MLB Photos via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- As Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp works his way back, the team may have lost another key outfielder for an extended period of time. The team announced they have placed outfielder Andre Ethier on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.

Ethier had hoped to make a return to the Dodgers lineup this week, but while taking some practice swings on Tuesday he re-aggravated the injury. He's been out of the lineup since June 27 against San Francisco on a check swing.

"We just thought it was the wise decision at this point," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "The best-case scenario was getting to be Friday and we have a day game on Saturday and Sunday, which you wouldn't ask him to do after coming off this, so it didn't seem to make any sense."

Ethier was off to a strong 2012 season before getting hurt. In 75 games played, Ethier hit .291 with ten home runs and 55 runs batted in.

The Dodgers currently rank 26th in Major League Baseball in runs scored.

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Ethier to Sign Five-Year Contract Extension with Dodgers

Jason Wise/MLB Photos via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Andre Ethier is staying put. He and the Dodgers have agreed on a five-year, $85 million contract extension. The team is expected to announce the deal Tuesday.

The 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .287, with 10 home runs and a National League leading 53 RBIs.

The deal will earn Ethier $13.5 million in 2013, $15.5 million in 2014, $18 million in 2015, $18 million in 2016, $17.5 million in 2017, $17.5 million or $2.5 million buyout in 2018.

Ethier will be the second big signing for the Dodgers in the last seven months. They signed Matt Kemp in November to an eight-year, $160 million extension.

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Dodgers, Ethier Agree to Deal

Jason Wise/MLB Photos via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and right fielder Andre Ethier have avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year deal worth $10.95 million.

Last season, Ethier was slowed by a knee injury, but did win his first Gold Glove and had a 30-game hit streak earlier in the year.  For the 2011 season, Ethier hit .292 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs.

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