TEMPE, Ariz. >> Austin Barnes dug in, swung hard, put his head down and ran. It so happened that the result this time was a no-doubt home run against Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, but Barnes’ facial expression gave no clues. He’s probably a good poker player.
Maybe that’s an asset for the 26-year-old from Riverside. On paper, he’s been dealt a poor hand as the Dodgers’ third catcher behind a pair of established veterans, Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis. No matter what Barnes does between now and Opening Day, he seems to be ticketed for Triple-A Oklahoma City for the second straight year.