The Dodgers have some decisions to make, and they are running out of time. The deadline to set 25 man rosters for the start of the season is Sunday, and opening day is on Monday. The Dodgers need to figure out what they are going to do with their extra starting pitchers, who’s going to make up the bullpen, and which player gets the last spot on the bench.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

So how will the Dodger roster shake out?

Starting rotation:

The Dodgers have too many starting pitchers. That is what we like to call a high quality problem. Everyone else has been calling it the surplus. The Dodgers have eight starters entering spring camp, and with only five spots to fill, the Dodgers have to decide which guys to put into the rotation, which starter or starters to stash in the bullpen, and which guys could be possible trade bait.

The Dodgers already have announced they have filled four of the five spots. Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Josh Beckett will make up the first four spots. The fifth starter slot, which has generally been problematic  for the Dodgers in the past, is still up in the air just five days before opening day. The Dodgers must choose between lefties Chris Capuano, Ted Lilly, and right hander Aaron Harang.

The choice may have been made easier with the fingernail injury to Chad Billingsley. Bills figures to be in the rotation once he is healthy. As of right now he is unable to throw a curveball because of the nail injury. There’s no point in sending Bills out there when he can’t throw an off-speed pitch. The Dodgers want to hold him back for a week or two so he can work on those curveballs.

Ted Lilly however has had a terrible spring. He’s only pitched 6.2 innings because of the flu and general rustyness. He’s allowed eleven runs, and 11 hits in just three games, and he has only started once. It is very unlikely he can begin the season on time, and I expect him to be placed on the disabled list once the season starts next week.

So if Lilly and Bills are on the DL, then what about Aaron Harang? The Big Show looks to be on the trading block, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Dodgers trade the big right hander in the next few days. There is no reason why other teams shouldn’t be interested in Harang. The big show is a fly ball pitcher and would do better in bigger ballparks. His walk rates get out of hand, but overall for a back of the rotation guy you could do a lot worse. He’s workhorse as well, and should give any team plenty of innings. He gave the Dodgers 180 innings last season. We also learned that Harang could have a visions problem.

At this point we are pretty sure the Dodgers are going to stash Chris Capuano in the bullpen, but they could buyout both Cappy and Harang before opening day. Both pitchers have 2 two million dollar buyout clauses in their contracts. Lilly has a no-trade clause for this season, so it’s doubtful the Dodgers would trade him.

Again my guess is, Bills and Lilly to the DL, Cappy to the bullpen, and Harang to the trade block.

The Bullpen

The Dodgers came into spring training with four or five of the spots in the pen already spoken for. This has made it pretty darn hard for non-roster guys like Moylan and Gregg to make team. Obviously Brandon League, Kenley Jansen, and Ronald Belisario are locks. You can throw in recently signed lefty specialist J.P. Howell, and that makes four. I wish this wasn’t the case, but you can bet Matt Guerrier will make the team as well, since he is under contract. That leaves two spots left. One should go to Chris Capuano, and the last bullpen spot could go to a number of guys. Peter Moylan, Josh Wall, or even Paco Rodriguez. But my best guess is that it goes to right hander Keven Gregg. It pains me to say this but I am hearing through the grapevine that he might make the club.

It’s somewhat frightening, but maybe he’ll turn out to be another Jamey Wright and pleasantly surprise us. I’m not real enamored with Gregg. After all the Dodgers picked him up as a non-roster invite on a minor league contract. Normally relievers who don’t get offered major league contracts, don’t get offered for a reason. Gregg is on the wrong side of 30, (he’s 34) and his astronomical walk rates are terrifying. He’s had a good spring, which has impressed the Dodgers. He’s pitched nine spring innings, in nine games, and only allowed one run on three hits. You should never base your evaluation on only nine innings. Hello small sample size! You know if he just cut down on his walks he could be pretty good. He actually didn’t walk anyone this spring, so maybe there is hope for him. He puts up pretty decent strikeout numbers, and rarely allows home runs. But knowing the Dodgers love for veteran middle relievers who can’t throw strikes……yeah, he’s making the team.

The Outfield

No surprises here. Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier. Enough said. Crawford should be ready to go by opening day. Which is great news for the Dodgers.

The Infield

Here is where the Dodgers always seem to have problems. The left side of the infield has been a huge issue, but now things are a bit messed up because of the thumb injury to Hanley Ramirez. The Dodgers had already decided that Ramirez would play shortstop, and Luis Cruz would play third base, while Dee Gordon plays in Albuquerque. But then Hanley tore his thumb during the World Baseball Classic while playing for Team Dominican. Gordon worked hard during spring and improved his plate discipline, but he still needs a lot of work on both sides of the ball. The Dodgers decided to put Gordon in Albuquerque, slide Cruz over to short, and then rotate three scrubbies at third base. If it were up to me, I would much rather have Gordon at short, and Cruz at third, and the scrubs on the bench until Hanley comes back, but it’s not my call. Juan Uribe, Nick Punto, and Jerry Hairston should all see playing time at third base. Rotating bench players for two months is not going to go well for the Dodgers. But hey, they’ll find out that nugget of knowledge soon enough.

Catcher

The Miracle man A.J. Ellis will be behind the plate for his second season as the Dodger’s starting catcher. We already know how awesome A.J. is. A.J. excels on both offense and defense. His plate discipline is amazing. He gets on base at a record clip. He can hit a home run every once in a while, and he has a strong throwing arm. Don’t forget about his 34% caught stealing percentage last year. AJ is beloved by all Dodger fans. Time Federowicz also known as Fedex will provide insurance in a backup role. Fedex looks to be a solid catcher, with good hands, strong throwing arm and a decent bat. No complaints here.

The Bench

This is the area that is going to be a problem. Not that the Dodger bench is horrible, it’s just that none of the players can hit. The bench is so important for a National League team. Think about it. How many times does a National League team need to go to a pinch-hitter each game? Two or three times maybe? You need guys who can come off the bench and collect hits, and or hit home runs. Pinch-hits are going to be few and far between this season.

Two spots are going to go to Skip Schumaker and Jerry Hairston. I like Schumaker. He’s versatile on defense, and he may be the best hitter of the bench group. Expect Schumaker t o mostly play the outfield, but he should see time at second base. Hairston will see a lot of time at third base while Hanley is out. Jhair had a terrible spring, and his shoulder injury that prevented him from throwing properly from third base last year may be bothering him again. The rest of the spots should go to Juan Uribe, Nick Punto, and Fedex is the backup catcher. Punto and Uribe will see plenty of time at third base as well. There are three other Dodgers that are fighting for one of the spots on the bench. Outfielder Alex Castellanos, who has had an impressive spring, belting four home runs, utility infielder Alfredo Amezaga who has also looked good, and all around rover Elian Herrera. I like Castellanos, and Amezaga has looked useful, but Herrera is my favorite. He can play nearly every position, except pitcher and catcher, has great plate discipline, and if given the chance could be a surprise.

Check out my predictions on how the roster shakes out below. We’ll see how close I get. Weigh in with your roster predictions in the comments. What do you think the 2013 Dodger roster will look like on Monday?

Dodger 25 man roster

Starting rotation.

The Bullpen

The starting lineup

The Bench

On disabled list

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

The Dodgers wrapped up their Cactus League play Wednesday as they packed up and headed home to Southern California. They left Camelback Ranch in Glendale with some questions answered while a slew of questions still remained with mere hours until Opening Day arrives.

Yasiel Puig may make his Dodger Stadium debut on Friday. Photo: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Tomorrow the Dodgers will play an interesting split squad game with half the team playing in Rancho Cucamonga while the other half opens the Freeway Series in Anaheim. At 6:05 p.m. Stephen Fife will pitch for the Dodgers against Chris Reed who will be representing the Quakes at The Epicenter. Over in Anaheim, the 7:05 p.m. game will feature Ryu Hyun-Jin against former Dodger Joe Blanton.

After both games conclude we can expect some roster cuts to be made. The Dodgers still have some decisions to be made, and time is running out. They will have to decide what to do with their eight starting pitchers and which hurlers will be part of the Opening Day bullpen. They will also have to shore up the bench and decide between Elian Herrera, Alex Castellanos, and Afredo Amezaga.

Yasiel Puig will be playing in the Rancho Cucamonga game, and he will be available for Friday’s Freeway Series game at Dodger Stadium as well as Saturday’s Anaheim game. Dodger fans will have one more opportunity to watch the promising prospect play before he heads out to Chattanooga to play as a Lookout. He may even hit his first homerun at Dodger Stadium!

The Rancho Cucamonga squad will be managed by Tommy Lasorda for Thursday’s game. Stephen Fife will get the nod, and he will be joined by Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Luis Cruz, and Jerry Hairston Jr. The rest of the Major Leaguers will be with Don Mattingly in Anaheim as Ryu Hyun-Jin makes his first start in Southern California in preparation for his Dodger debut on April 2nd.

Alex Castellanos is my pick for the last bench spot. Photo: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Although the dueling Dodger games will be fun tomorrow, the reality of Opening Day and the looming cuts will be weighing on everyone’s minds. The biggest decisions yet to be made are first: who will clinch the last bench spot? We now know it won’t be Yasiel Puig (insert big sigh here) or Dee Gordon since they were both sent to the minors to begin the season. That leaves Alex Castellanos, Elian Herrera, or Alfredo Amezaga. Amezaga and Herrera are both very versatile and can play numerous positions. Alex Castellanos has showed some power this Spring with 4 homeruns and 11 RBI. Amezaga isn’t on the 40-man roster, so he most likely will not be added. Castellanos should get the call, but Herrera is still in the running.

The second decision will be: who will end up in the Dodger bullpen? Mattingly has said that he feels Ted Lilly is not ready right now since he missed some time with the flu and such. The Dodgers will probably send him to the minors, but Lilly has said he wants to pitch for the Dodgers even if it’s in relief. It’s still possible that the Dodgers will trade either Chris Capuano or Aaron Harang, although Harang was doing his darnedest in his last start not to impress the on looking scouts. The Dodgers seem most intrigued with non-roster pitcher Kevin Gregg. Even though a better choice would be Paco Rodriguez in my opinion. It is almost certain that Gregg and Matt Guerrier will be blowing leads out of middle relief for the Dodgers this season.

Lastly, what on Earth are the Dodgers going to do about all of these extra starting pitchers? If Lilly accepts a stint in the minors, and either Cappy or Harang get traded this weekend, then the other shall be stowed in the pen. Let’s hope Harang is the one shipped out.

Are you excited for the Dodgers homecoming this weekend? Are you attending any of the Freeway Series games or the Rancho Cucamonga game? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Go Blue!

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

Chad Billingsley pitched a normal bullpen session on Monday which included seven curveballs, and he looks on track to make the April 2nd start for the Dodgers versus San Francisco. Like I said back in December, Chad Billingsley’s health will be a very important factor in the success of the 2013 Dodgers. Even though the Dodgers currently have a surplus of pitching (although it looks as though they might move Chris Capuano or Aaron Harang soon), a healthy and strong Billingsley is more potent in the rotation than any of the starters not named Kershaw or Greinke.

Chad Billingsley says he feels fine after bullpen session on Monday. Photo: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Even Zack Greinke had a rusty showing on Monday evening as the Dodgers took on Kansas City. The right-hander made 64 pitches over three innings while allowing 5 runs on 6 hits. He struck out 2 and walked three batters. The Dodgers are still prepared to start him on April 5th. Greinke has not pitched much at all this Spring, and that is why Chad Billingsley’s seemingly triumphant comeback after suffering a partially torn elbow is one of the biggest accomplishments for the Dodgers out of Spring Training. After we heard the news last season that Bills tore his elbow, I think most every Dodger fan felt their heart sink a little. Yet here we are with a week to go until Opening Day, and Bills is set to start game number two.

Interestingly enough, Chad’s elbow wasn’t even the only health concern for him this Spring. A sore groin and a bruised right index finger plagued Chad during camp.

After his Monday bullpen session Billingsley said, “I’m good. Everything felt fine.”

Don Mattingly is planning to start Billingsley on April 2nd over Hyun-Jin Ryu only if Billingsley can throw all of his pitches including his curveball. He is scheduled to pitch in one of the Dodgers split-squad games either in Anaheim or in Rancho Cucamonga. But the concern is that if he does pitch in one of those exhibition games, the Dodgers would not be able to back-date a disabled list stint if necessary. The game at The Epicenter has a paid attendance and is considered a Major League game. He wouldn’t be able begin a 15-day DL trip until March 29th. Mattingly has already said that Ryu will start the first Freeway Series game in Anaheim, which by the way will pit the Korean lefty against the former Dodger Joe Blanton. Josh Beckett will start Friday at Dodger Stadium, and Greinke will return to face his former team in Anaheim on Saturday. An alternative plan would be to have Chad pitch a simulated game on Thursday.

A Dodger since June 15, 2006, Chad Billingsley is one of the longest-tenured Dodgers at the moment. He is one of the core players we have grown to love watching play. He has overcome one of the worst scenarios a pitcher may face in his career, and so far he has been lucky enough to avoid Tommy John Surgery.

His elbow seems fine, but his fingernail leaves us hanging.

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

The Dodgers lost to the Arizona Dbacks yesterday afternoon at Camelback Ranch 5-3. That wasn’t the headline news though. The game featured Carl Crawford’s first live action and first hits as a Dodger. In his first game back from Tommy John surgery recovery, Crawford went 2 for 3 with two singles, and two RBI. Those were his first two RBI as a Dodger. That wasn’t the only good news. We also learned from the club that Zack Greinke will start on Wednesday for the Dodgers, as he continues his recovery from a stiff elbow.

Crawford singles in yesterday’s game against Arizona. Crawford was 2 for 3. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Crawford looked good, and even impressed Mattingly with his throwing arm. The left fielder has been practicing his throws, and was able to reach up to 90 feet on Monday. The goal is to get Crawford up to 125 feet, so he can hit a normal MLB shortstop cut-off man. Crawford should be able to reach that by opening day. It looks like, Crawford should be on the active roster and ready to play by opening day.

Josh Becket had the flu, and had to be scratched from yesterday’s start, so Josh Wall got the nod in his place, and didn’t fare very well. (Beckett did pitch in a simulated game) Although the guy who followed him Peter Moylan, a right hander, fared even worse. Wall allowed one run on four hits through two frames. He was followed by Moylan who served up two runs on two hits through just one frame. By that point the Dbacks were leading by a score of 3-0. Eventually they would go on to win 5-3.

In the top of the second, Aaron Hill and Miguel Montero had led off with singles, and with two outs, Eric Hinske singled home Hill, to give the Dbacks their first run of the game. In the second frame, there was an RBI triple by Adam Eaton. Paul Goldschmidt’s solo home run in the top of the fourth, made it a 4-0 game.

The Dodgers would score two runs in the fifth, and tack on one more in the seventh frame. Elian Herrera singled and stole second base. Dee Gordon reached on a bunt single, and then stole second himself. With runners at second and third, Crawford singled sharply to left to score both runs, and cut the Arizona lead to 4-2. The Dodgers scored their third run on an RBI single from Miguel Rojas. Despite the late scoring, the Dodgers still lost by a score of 5-3. The Dodgers are now 8-13-3 in Cactus League play.

Randall Delgado, the opposing pitcher, went five frames, allowing two runs on six hits and whiffing three, to pick up the win. Wall took the loss, as the Dodgers pounded out 12 hits on the day. Adrian Gonzalez had two hits in the losing cause.

This is very encouraging news on both Crawford and Greinke. Crawford is back in the lineup today again as a DH, as the Dodgers take on the Oakland A’s at Camelback Ranch. Only three regulars are in the lineup today. Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Mark Ellis at second base. Otherwise the rest of the B-team gets the start in today’s lineup. I don’t understand it. Why are we playing the B-team with less than two weeks until opening day? The regulars need to be getting playing time so they are prepared for the regular season. It’s pretty simple. You can’t tell me there is any reason to be playing Nick Punto at shortstop, and Juan Uribe at first base at this point in the spring. There really isn’t any reason to be playing the scrubs, but there they are in the lineup again. But hey it’s not my call. What can you do?

We do get a treat though. Yasiel Puig is playing today in left field. So look out for more Puig alerts this afternoon. The game will also feature opposing Oakland Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes, who is batting cleanup for Oakland today. Cespedes is also playing left field.

Dodgers Lineup vs. A’s

Chris Capuano vs. Dan Straily

Left hander Chris Capuano gets the start for the Dodgers. Oakland will counter with Dan Straily. Cappy will be followed on the mound by Brandon League, J.P. Howell, and Mark Lowe. The game starts at 1:05 PM. Be there or be square! Go Blue.

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

Wow, imagine if you are one of the three other guys I mentioned above.  That’s how you know you are very low on your team’s depth chart, when someone mentions you as “other guys”. If anything, it’s a quick reminder that we can’t know everything about every player who signs. Sometimes the players that are signed are so obscure it’s nearly humorous. Because let’s be honest, these guys don’t have a prayer of a chance of ever even sniffing a major league uniform in their lives. but hey I don’t mean to be mean here. You never know I guess.

Dashenko Ricardo has signed with the Dodgers

The Dodgers have signed four more international players to minor league contracts. One player they have signed is the catcher from the Netherlands team that has made it to the semifinals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Dashenko Ricardo is his name I believe. He is a right handed hitting catcher with the Netherlands team. He is 23 years old, and originally signed by Baltimore. He spent about three years in the Baltimore organization, and apparently is now with the Giants franchise. He’s never played above the A ball level. He has a career .229 average in six minor league seasons. He has hit only four home runs, and has a career .562 OPS, and .262 OBP. Those are pretty frightening numbers, but I guess he’s young enough to improve. Interestingly enough, Ricardo pitched three games while with the Arizona League Giants in 2011. What I am hearing, or rather reading through the grapevine is that the Giants were considering moving him from Catcher to the mound. The Dodgers could do the same thing considering that is exactly what they did with fellow Netherland teammate Kenley Jansen. Remember, Jansen was also a catcher converted to pitcher. Oddly enough, Jansen also hit a crappy .229 at catcher as well. This guy must have a pretty strong arm. The Netherlands are still very alive in the World Baseball Classic, so we should be able to get a couple of more looks at Ricardo before the WBC ends.

The other three guys signed, are just that, they are other guys. The three players are all from the Dominican. They signed two shortstops, and a left handed pitcher. The two shortstops are Carlos Aquino, and Dennis Santana, and the lefty pitcher is Cesar Romero. I really can’t find much if any information on these three players. That’s how unknown they are. Honestly I would rather not waste anymore time looking up info on Carlos Aquino, and Cesar Romero. No offense to those guys. Let’s just say these guys have Chattanooga, or Ogden for that matter written all over their faces, and leave it at that.

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

Birdman Zack Greinke, played catch again for the second consecutive day on Saturday. According to the Dodgers, everything went well, with Birdman not experiencing any pain. If all goes well, Greinke will pitch a bullpen session tomorrow, and possibly get into a game by sometime next week.

Greinke has been hampered by a sore right elbow, that has been bothering him since March 1st. That was when he first began to experience the reported stiffness in the right elbow. Greinke missed a bullpen session, and was finally scratched from his last start after the discomfort seemed to resurface. The Dodgers decided to get Greinke’s elbow checked out, and ordered him back to Los Angeles to receive an MRI, and run some tests. The Dodgers called this, precautionary measures, and considering how much money the Dodgers are paying him to pitch, you can understand why. There is no reason to take chances with his health. Fortunately all of the tests came back ok. There was no structural damage, or ligament tears. The official diagnosis for Greinke was elbow inflammation, or in other words, a sore elbow.

Mar 14, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (left) and center fielder Matt Kemp (27) walk to the dugout before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers ordered Greinke to rest his elbow for several days, and then resume playing catch this weekend. The Dodgers are worried about the possibility that Greinke may not be ready to make his first start of the season on April 2nd against the Giants. The latest news of him playing catch without problem is very encouraging. Stan Conte called the session “a good day”.

The Dodgers are hoping to avoid a DL trip for Birdman, but it’s still a possibility. The Dodgers very well could place Greinke on the DL to begin the season, but make it a retroactive DL stint. What that means is they can backdate the DL trip to March 21, which is the first day the Dodgers discovered the injury. That would put Greinke in line to return on April 5th.

The Dodgers are worried that even if Greinke is healthy, that he may not have enough time to prepare for the start of the season. With opening day just two weeks away, Greinke would only have time for two or three starts. Greinke has only pitched in five frames this spring, and has only made two starts.

The Dodgers will have Greinke pitch a bullpen session tomorrow, and see how he feels. It is possible he could be pitching in a game by Wednesday at the earliest. That would be the best case for the Dodgers. The Dodgers signed Greinke this winter to a record six year, 147 million dollar contract, and of course he will be hurt to begin the season. The Dodgers will see how Greinke feels after his session tomorrow, and then go from there.

Let’s not think negatively here. Greinke is pain free, and was able to play catch the last two days. Remember pitchers get sore arms all the time, especially during spring training. We are all worried about Birdman not being able to begin the season on time. We must remember though, that even though it may be annoying having him start the year on the DL, his overall health and longevity are much more important in the long run.

The Dodgers will be holding their collective breaths tomorrow afternoon when Greinke throws that bullpen session. If all goes well, he could be pitching in a live game by next week. For the Dodgers, that is probably the best they could possibly hope for.

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

The Dodgers are enjoying a much needed off-day today. After losing yesterday 6-2 at Goodyear park, to the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers are licking their wounds as they return home to Camelback Ranch for the day. The big question now has turned into, Can the Dodgers stay healthy enough just to start the season? There wasn’t much good news yesterday in Dodger town. Sure Josh Beckett looked good during his 4.1 innings yesterday, but otherwise that was it. The Dodgers have many things to consider before the season begins on April first.

August 28, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp (27) stretches while manager Don Mattingly (right), head trainer Sue Falsone (center), and another team trainer leave the field after Kemp suffered an injury during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

It never fails that as the season draws near, the Dodger injuries begin to mount. For whatever reason, the Dodgers just can’t seem to keep their players healthy. But why? Somehow the evil Giants have figured out the answer. They have somehow figured out how to keep their players healthy. They did it last year, while more than half of the Dodger roster was on the disabled list. Is it their conditioning programs? Better Training staff? Or is it just plain old bad luck?

Whatever reason you want to believe, the Dodgers just seem to have a harder time keeping their players healthy. I’m not just saying that because of Zack Greinke’s elbow problem, but because of the team’s history with injuries. For a while everything seemed ok, but now, multiple injuries are threatening to make opening day a lot more difficult.

1. The flu bug. – First it was the flu bug, that yet again, worked it’s way through Camelback Ranch this spring. It struck again yesterday, this time hitting Adrian Gonzalez, who had to leave early after just two at-bats because he had the flu. We all remember what that dam little bug did to Clayton Kershaw on opening day. We do not want that to happen again.

2.The groin strain. If you remember, last year was the season of the hamstring pull. This year, it is the year of the groin strain apparently. Yes that’s right, multiple Dodgers have experienced the groin strain. Chad Billingsley, Javy Guerra, and Justin Sellers, have all had the very annoying groin pull. I don’t know what it is with the groin pulls this spring. By the way, Chad Billingsley is pitching a simulated game this afternoon to test his sore groin area.

3.The sore elbow. Now the sore or stiff elbow is dominating Dodger camp. First it was Carl Crawford and his surgically repaired left elbow. Crawford still isn’t ready to play or face live pitching yet, although he has finally started to hit off of a tee. He started that a few days ago, and is still doubtful for opening day. He isn’t slated to miss much time, but it is possible he could still miss the first few weeks of the season.

Greinke has joined the sore elbow club, and believe me this is a club you don’t want to join. We are kind of in the wait and see pattern with Greinke’s injury. We still don’t know how much time he may miss, but manager Don Mattingly seems to think it’s minimal. So far it is only some inflammation and as far as we know, Greinke should start throwing again after a few days of rest. This may turn out to not be as bad as everyone originally thought. After all, all pitchers get sore arms and elbows and shoulders. Even during spring. Besides Greinke has said he has experienced soreness like this before during spring training. Is that all it is though? Only time will tell us.

You can also add Billingsley to the sore elbow club. I think we forget that his elbow could snap at any moment. So far his arm has been fine this spring, fortunately, but you never know. It’s a worry we will all have at the back of our mind throughout the season. In the meantime he is also in the sore groins club. Better his groin than his arm right?

4. We can also add Scott Elbert in the mix of having elbow problems. Well actually, Elbert has elbow problems every season. This time he is recovering from yet another elbow surgery, and isn’t expected to be back until May at the earliest. He has resumed his throwing program.

5. More injuries. Chris Withrow threw out his back, and hasn’t pitched at all this spring. Newly signed minor league pitcher Matt Palmer, tore his knee up just from walking. From walking!

March 8, 2013; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (8) talks to Matt Kemp (27) in the first inning during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. The game was canceled in the second inning due to weather. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

We can only pray that this ends the long list of injuries. Actually the funny thing is, this is still less injuries than the team had last season. The team does have a new head trainer in Sue Falsone. Of course we can’t blame her for the piles of injuries. There were more injuries than this well before she came aboard. I pose the question to you guys. Why do the Dodgers have so much trouble keeping their players healthy? Do you think it’s a problem with their conditioning? Is it their trainers and team physicians? Or just bad luck?

The Dodgers return home to resume their Cactus league schedule. They will play the Cubs tomorrow afternoon at Camelback Ranch at 1:05 PM. Left hander Chris Capuano will take the mound for the Boys in Blue. With the injuries to Birdman, and Billingsley, it looks like we may need Capuano after all.

So while we are enjoying a much needed day off, I would like to pose some more questions in a poll below. Which Dodger injury has you the most concerned? Is it Greinke’s elbow? Carl Crawford? Matt Kemp’s shoulder? Or is it Chad Billingsley’s elbow? Lot’s of elbows in there. Let us know what you think and make your voice heard. Enjoy the time off Dodger fans, and we will see you tomorrow.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.

While the Dodgers are playing the Rockies this afternoon at Talking Stick Park, right handed pitcher Matt Palmer will not be participating. Get this guys, Matt Palmer blew out his knee, just by walking! I am not kidding, and as the Dodgers report, he should be out anywhere from 6-8 weeks. According to the Dodgers, Palmer tore the medial meniscus of his left knee, and will require surgery to repair. Apparently Palmer was just walking, and playing catch on Saturday when his knee tore. The tore was discovered after he had an MRI done. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Brian Shafer in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Matt Palmer won’t be doing much walking for another six weeks or so.-Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Palmer is a 33 year old right hander the Dodgers signed back on December 18 to a minor league contract. Palmer wasn’t expected to make the big league roster, but was expected to fill out the Albuquerque Isotope’s rotation. Palmer has been utterly atrocious this spring during his short stint with the club, but perhaps that was due to his knee injury. Palmer has pitched in five frames this spring, and allowed nine runs on nine hits, while walking five.

Palmer is originally from Memphis Tennessee. He was drafted by the Giants in the 31 round of the 2002 amateur draft. He didn’t make his MLB debut until 2008 while with the Giants. Palmer pitched three seasons with the Angels from 2009-2011, and then pitched in only two big league innings last season with the Padres. Overall Palmer has pitched in 63 major league games, and logged 185.1 major league innings under his belt. Palmer had his best season back in 2009 for the Angels when he was 11-2 with a 3.93 ERA. However injuries unfortunately have cut his career short.  All total Palmer’s major league totals show him as posting a 13-7 record, with a 4.56 ERA, and 98 whiffs against 94 walks.

Manager Don Mattingly said he wasn’t aware that Palmer’s knee injury had anything to do with his poor performance this spring, while attempting to spin doctor the injury. When asked about it, Mattingly only said, “He didn’t seem that wild.” Yeah, right I don’t think so Don.

Post Author: Dodgers: Fansided Lasordaslair.