The 2010 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 121st season for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), their 53rd season in Los Angeles, California, and their 49th season playing their home games at Dodger Stadium. The team failed to defend their back-to-back National League West titles as they played their 53rd season in Southern California, since moving from Brooklyn after the 1957 season.
As of the 2025 season, this was the last time the Dodgers finished with a sub-.500 record or ended up behind the Colorado Rockies in the standings.
Offseason
McCourt divorce proceedings Prior to the start of Game 1 of the 2009 National League Championship Series, the Dodgers announced that the team's owner and chairman Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie had separated. Immediately after the team was eliminated from the postseason with a loss in Game 5, Frank McCourt fired Jamie from her position as CEO of the Dodgers. In the termination letter, McCourt claimed his wife was guilty of "insubordination and inappropriate behavior". He also claimed that he was the "sole owner" of the Dodgers and that Jamie had no claim on the club.
On October 27, Jamie McCourt filed divorce papers with the Los Angeles courts; her filings asked to be reinstated with the Dodgers and that the judge declare "null and void" a marital agreement from 2004 that Frank claims gives him full ownership of the team. The Dodgers responded by filing their own document with the courts on October 28 stating that Jamie had an affair with an employee and that returning her to the team would be an improper interference in team matters. On November 5, the Superior Court ruled that Jamie should not be reinstated as chief executive of the Dodgers.
The trial itself did not begin until the end of August, and was not resolved during the season.
Front office and coaching staff On October 20, 2009, the Dodgers announced a long-term contract extension with General Manager Ned Colletti. On December 7, the Dodgers announced that team President Dennis Mannion would oversee all baseball operations. On November 9, the Dodgers announced that the entire coaching staff would be retained for the 2010 season.
Departing free agents The Dodgers off-season officially got underway on October 16, when the club declined the 2010 option on left-handed reliever Will Ohman, making him a free agent. On November 5, the Dodgers declined the $10 million option on starting pitcher Jon Garland, making him a free agent (the option buyout was paid by the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the trade deal that brought Garland to the Dodgers). Later on November 5, several Dodgers filed for free agency: starting pitchers Randy Wolf and Eric Milton and infielders Orlando Hudson, Ronnie Belliard and Doug Mientkiewicz. The exodus continued on November 6, when five more Dodgers filed for free agency: catcher Brad Ausmus, pinch hitter Jim Thome and pitchers Vicente Padilla, Guillermo Mota and Jeff Weaver. Infielders Mark Loretta and Juan Castro filed for free agency on November 9 and pitcher Jason Schmidt on November 11. The Dodgers chose not to offer arbitration to any of their departing free agents.
Rule 5 draft On December 10, 2009, the Rule 5 draft was held. Dodgers outfielder Jamie Hoffmann was selected by the Washington Nationals with the first pick and promptly traded to the New York Yankees. The Dodgers then acquired minor league pitchers Carlos Monasterios and Armando Zerpa.Yankees take Jamie Hoffmann in Rule 5 draft Zerpa was eventually returned to the Boston Red Sox on March 15. On March 22, the Yankees returned Hoffmann to the Dodgers, who promptly assigned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Trade activity On December 15, the Dodgers traded reserve outfielder Juan Pierre to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league pitchers Jon Link and John Ely.
Free agent signings
On December 17, the Dodgers announced that they had signed free agent infielder Jamey Carroll to a two-year deal. On January 21, the Dodgers re-signed starting pitcher Vicente Padilla to a one-year contract. On January 26, they re-signed Ronnie Belliard and Brad Ausmus to one-year contracts. On February 1, they signed outfielder Reed Johnson to a one-year contract.
Spring training The Dodgers opened their 2010 training camp at Camelback Ranch on February 20, when pitchers and catchers reported to camp. The rest of the position players arrived on February 25 and the exhibition season began on March 5 with an 8–3 victory over the Chicago White Sox. With most of the roster spots set heading into the spring the main competition was expected to be the battle for the Dodgers fifth starter spot among a cast that included Eric Stults, Charlie Haeger, James McDonald, Scott Elbert, Russ Ortiz, Ramón Ortiz and Carlos Monasterios. The Dodgers also needed to pick a starting second baseman from the trio of Blake DeWitt, Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll. Early in the spring, the Dodgers signed veteran outfielder Garret Anderson to a minor league contract and brought him in to compete for a bench role.
The Dodgers suffered their first injury of 2010 when catcher Russell Martin pulled a groin muscle while stealing a base in the first spring training game. The diagnosis was that he would miss 4–6 weeks, which would cause him to miss the rest of spring training and the start of the season. The Dodgers announced that rookie A. J. Ellis would get the bulk of the playing time in Martin's absence. However, Martin returned from his injury earlier than expected and was back in action before the spring training games ended. Relief pitcher Cory Wade also suffered a recurring of a shoulder injury and underwent arthroscopic surgery on March 17.
The Dodgers, led by manager Joe Torre, took a squad of players to Taiwan for a series of three exhibition games against an all-star team from the Chinese Professional Baseball League during the spring. The squad included Manny Ramirez and Taiwanese players Hong-Chih Kuo and Chin-lung Hu. Hitting coach Don Mattingly managed the Dodgers split-squad team in Cactus League games while Torre was overseas.
Setup reliever Ronald Belisario did not show up for spring training as scheduled because of visa problems in his native Venezuela. His visa status was complicated by a driving under the influence charge filed against him in Pasadena. Belisario eventually arrived in camp on March 26 and the Dodgers placed him on the restricted list, meaning he would not be on the opening day roster.
On March 25, the Dodgers announced that Vicente Padilla would be the opening day starter. On March 30, the Dodgers sold starting pitcher Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in the Japanese League. On March 31, they released outfielder Jason Repko. On April 1, the Dodgers announced the knuckleball pitcher Charlie Haeger had locked up the fifth starter position and that Blake DeWitt would be the starting second baseman.
The Dodgers concluded their Cactus League schedule with a record of 11–13–2.
Regular season Season standings National League West
National League Wild Card
Record vs. opponents
Opening Day starters +Opening Day startersName Position Rafael FurcalShortstopRussell MartinCatcherAndre Ethier Right fielderManny Ramirez Left fielderMatt Kemp Center fielderJames Loney First basemanCasey BlakeThird basemanBlake DeWitt Second basemanVicente Padilla Starting pitcher
April The Dodgers opened the regular season on April 5 in Pittsburgh, as opening day starter Vicente Padilla was roughed up in an 11–5 loss to the Pirates. After dropping the second game of the season on a walk-off hit by Ronny Cedeño in the 10th inning, the Dodgers rebounded and avoided being swept by posting a 10–2 rout in the series finale. Ronnie Belliard came up big with a home run, double and triple to back a solid start by Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers traveled to Florida to take on the Marlins in their next series and Hiroki Kuroda started things off by allowing only one unearned run and striking out seven in eight innings as the Dodgers won the series opener 7–3. The Dodgers blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning in the next game, as George Sherrill failed in a save opportunity and they lost 7–6. In that game, Manny Ramirez recorded his 2,500th career hit with a fifth-inning infield single. The team concluded its opening road trip on April 11, Charlie Haeger struck out 12 batters in six innings but the bullpen again faltered and the Dodgers fell 6–5 to the Marlins.
The Dodgers returned to Dodger Stadium for their home opener on April 13. Ramirez, Casey Blake, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp all hit home runs as Clayton Kershaw picked up his first victory since July 18, 2009 in the Dodgers 9–5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The next day, the Dodgers overcame a shaky start by Billingsley and rallied from two down in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings, only to fall to the Diamondbacks in the 11th. In the final game of the series, a throwing error by Stephen Drew helped the Dodgers tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and then they won in the 10th on a walk off hit by Ethier. The Dodgers opened a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants on April 16. Matt Kemp hit his fourth home run in four days and Andre Ethier hit two home runs (including his first career grand slam) as the Dodgers won 10–8. In the second game of the series, Charlie Haeger had control problems from the start and Giants ace Tim Lincecum shut down the Dodgers, as the Giants won 9–0. The Dodgers concluded the home stand on April 18. Kershaw engaged in a scoreless duel with Giants pitcher Barry Zito until the seventh when he gave up a home run to Juan Uribe. Manny Ramirez then hit a two-run pinch hit home run off relief pitcher Sergio Romo in the bottom of the 8th to give the Dodgers the 2–1 win. The Homer was the 548th of Ramirez career, tying Mike Schmidt for 14th place on the all-time list.
The Dodgers traveled to Cincinnati to begin their second road trip of the season. Chad Billingsley only lasted three innings in the series opener against the Reds, as the Dodgers fell behind 9–2 early on. A three-run home run by Matt Kemp keyed a comeback that tied the game at 9, but Ramón Troncoso allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth and the Dodgers lost 11–9. In the second game against the Reds, the Dodgers won 14–6, led by home runs by Kemp and Ethier and a two-run double by Rafael Furcal. Manny Ramirez delivered his 1,800th career RBI with a single in the fifth inning, the 19th player in MLB history to reach that mark. In the series finale, the Dodgers got nine hits and belted two homers (including a pinch-hit two run shot by Garret Anderson) but two costly errors and two blown leads by the bullpen late in the game were too much to overcome, as they lost 8–5 to the Reds. In the series opener against the Washington Nationals, Adam Dunn hit two home runs off Haeger and the Dodgers lost 5–1. On April 24, Carlos Monasterios notched his first career victory and Casey Blake hit two home runs in the Dodgers 4–3 win in 13 innings. Chad Billingsley rebounded to turn in his first quality start of the season on April 25, allowing just one earned run in six innings, but the Dodger offense was shut down by Nationals pitching and the team lost 1–0. The Dodgers next traveled to New York to take on the Mets. The scheduled first game of the series was rained out, forcing the Dodgers and Mets to play a doubleheader on April 27. In the first game, Johan Santana and two relievers shut out the Dodgers 4–0, the Dodgers second consecutive shut out defeat. The Dodgers also lost Game 2, by a score of 10–5 as Haeger and the bullpen were beaten up. In the series finale, the Dodgers lost 7–3 as AAA pitcher John Ely made his Major League debut. The sweep finished off a disappointing 2–7 road trip for the Dodgers.