Dodgers Injury News: Cody Bellinger, Zach McKinstry, David Price & More Updates
The Dodgers are mired in a horrendous slump the likes of which the team hasn’t since the start of the 2018 season. That team was without the services of Justin Turner for the first month-plus of the season as he recovered from a broken wrist and the lineup couldn’t tell its head from its ass from time to time.
After a 16-26 start, JT made his return by mid-May and the team took off, eventually making it back to the World Series for a second consecutive year.
Flash forward now to the 2021 Dodgers and we can pick on a few little similarities here and there. Health has been a concern and the team has been without the services of MVP outfielder Cody Bellinger for most of the season. While they started out hot with a 13-2 record (mostly picking on the lowly Rockies), the injuries have lead to multiple players in roles they shouldn’t be in.
And, unfortunately, the cavalry doesn’t appear to be all that close to helping.
The Updates
Cody Bellinger
The latest update on Cody Bellinger isn’t overly promising if you’re looking for his return any time soon. He’s rehabbing and recovering at the club’s spring training complex in Arizona but still isn’t running full speed or with full body weight on his fractured left fibula.
Once he finally gets healed up, he’ll still have to go on a rehab assignment for a week to 10 days (prognosticating here), putting his return several weeks away at best.
Zach McKinstry
According to Dave Roberts, the utility infielder is now moving without pain as he recovers from an oblique injury. However, with side injuries being so finicky, the Dodgers are erring on the side of caution with McKinstry. When he’s ready, he too will see some time with Triple-A Oklahoma City on a rehab assignment.
Brusdar Graterol
The Dodgers dodged a bullet with the righty flamethrower. He’s shut it down after experiencing right forearm tightness. An MRI came back clean, so the plan will now be to wait for the pain to subside before his picks up a baseball again. Brusdar will head to Arizona this weekend and ramp up a throwing program as soon as his arm is ready to go.
Joe Kelly
The only bit of good news on the injury front comes from Joe Kelly. The right-hander is set to rejoin the club as they play the Angels this weekend. He’ll likely be activated as soon as Friday afternoon.
The Los Angeles hurler had a previously undisclosed operation in the offseason that he recently revealed to a Boston radio network. The now Dodger and not Boston Red Sox reliever is in the final year of a 3-year deal he inked in the winter of 2018-2019.
David Price
The veteran left-hander is working his way back from a hamstring injury he suffered in a game on April 25th. He’s progressed to throwing off a mound and could be a candidate to return sooner rather than later.
Tony Gonsolin
Gonsolin is in the midst of building up to join the LA rotation as soon as possible. Still, the team is exercising caution with the right-hander as he returns from shoulder inflammation that has held him out all season. He threw a 35 pitch bullpen session earlier this week and will need to build up to about 75-80 pitches before rejoining the big club.
He’s another candidate for a Triple-A rehab assignment.
Dustin May
The right-hander will undergo Tommy John Surgery on May 11th in Los Angeles.
Edwin Rios
Infielder Edwin Rios just hit the injured list with what the team called “shoulder inflammation.” Dave Roberts had this to say on the injury and how it relates to his struggles this season.
I think that, as I talked to Edwin and kind of got more color on it, I think [the shoulder] had a big part to it. He’s not an excuse maker, so he’ll never use it as an excuse. But I certainly believe that the shoulder affected performance largely.
In the interim, Matt Beaty and Sheldon Neuse will likely see more playing time.
NEXT: Clubhouse Going Through Some Understandable Frustration
Almost 20% of the season has been played and this is the first Roberts knows that Rios’ shoulder is injured? Trainers and/or Rios has some explaining to do.
They certainly do. And if that’s now the case with Rios, he should not have had the recent AB,s and playing time he got while Beatty sits.
Clubs put struggling to perform players on the injured list even though their fine all the time due to many factors. Some of these are players who have no options left but teams don’t want to release or put them on waivers. Rios did a nice job in limited playing time last year but this is the Big Leagues and you can’t go 0-30 and play crap defense and expect to be given chance after chance and can’t produce. Dave Roberts fails when it comes to exercising managerial common sense and continues to play guys who simply don’t deserve to play ie Kenley Jansen. To Paul’s point you have Beatty who just came off a four hit seven rbi game in Milwaukee sat the entire double header against the Cubs a couple days ago???? What was that all about??
Lastly, and this is more of a commentary than anything else but ball players today are such pussies and teams are so quick to put players on an injured list and then exercise caution and keep these players rehabbing while your team loses 14 of 17 games. Where are the Steve Garvey’s and Johnny Bench’s of today? Those guys played hurt all the time and managed to win mvps and championships. Player contracts such be based on performance and not what you did last year. If this were the case you be amazed on how many players would keep their mouths shut and tell skip to pencil them in everyday. Lastly, Last, the tie breaker rule isn’t working and seven inning games are for kids and not big leaguers making millions of dollars per year. They’re cheating the fans and players alike. Stop this nonsense!
I doubt his shoulder is injured. This is Roberts way of saving face for Edwin. Makes up an injury to give him an extended break. I don’t know why most people are shocked that Rios can’t hit. He doesn’t put the ball in play & strikes out a ton. You get an occasional tape measure HR from him.
Thanks Clint for a timely uodate. With all these injured players in various kevels of recovery it’s hard to keep track of. Teo other players you could have added are Ferguson and Kahnle. Kahnle suggested he might be ready late this season and Ferguson is nearing the 12 month mark.
I doubt his shoulder is injured. This is Roberts way of saving face for Edwin. Makes up an injury to give him an extended break. I don’t know why most people are shocked that Rios can’t hit. He doesn’t put the ball in play & strikes out a ton. You get an occasional tape measure HR from him.
If Edwin is truly injured, I hope he gets over it soon and maybe they will send him either to the alternate site or to OKC where he can get more at bats and get his stroke back. When Matt Beatty went down he came back doing well so maybe he can do the same.
I believe Edwin has it in there, if the coaches can just get it out. I believe he works hard and his heart is right. He is the kind of individual we need in the line up. Good luck Edwin
Unfortunately the Dodgers are toast. The bullpen can’t keep runners from scoring and now it looks like Kelly and Jensen are both at the end of their careers. Losing Keke and Joc is already showing to be a problem.