Dodgers News: Injury Updates on Ethier, Ryu and McCarthy

The Los Angeles Dodgers began this season with a ridiculous amount of players on the disabled list. Three of them were outfielder Andre Ethier, left-handed pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu, and right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy. As each one attempts to make their way back this season, it was learned that they’re all progressing quite well.

The good news throughout all of this is that the Dodgers will indeed get healthy sometime after the All-Star Break, and that’s something that should be able to boost the team enough to win their fourth straight National League West division crown. Individually, the players are good, but collectively they provide a level of production that will certainly help.

From Doug Padilla, staff writer for ESPN dot com:

The latest news is that Andre Ethier is in town to have the fracture in his right leg reexamined. Manager Dave Roberts said Ethier is moving around better these days, but his original timetable of 10-14 weeks for a return still has him more than a month away from coming back.

One key player who could end up back before Ethier is left-handed pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Saturday. The left-hander could end up facing live pitching as soon as next week, but his return remains unclear.

Another pitcher set to throw a bullpen on Saturday is Brandon McCarthy. The right-hander, who had Tommy John surgery last year, is still aiming for a return around the all-star break.

Let’s break this down in sections. First, Andre Ethier. It has been five weeks since Ethier broke his right tibia after fouling a ball directly off of it during a spring training game. He still sounds like he is right on schedule to return in about another five weeks, which puts him at the beginning of the timetable that was set.

Secondly, Hyun-jin Ryu could be facing live pitching next week which means he could get out there for a rehab assignment in the minors by the middle of May. That means he could be back sometime in June, and that’s awesome news. Lastly, Brandon McCarthy is still on pace to return around the All-Star Break, which would only bolster the pitching depth.

Help is on the way. It’s just going to take some time to get to Los Angeles. There are a slew of valuable players currently sidelined by injuries, and the hope is that they’ll get back in time to help the team make a push to the playoffs. The injuries are taking a toll, and patience is something that’ll be preached nonstop before help arrives.