Dodgers News: Scott Kazmir Exits Start With Injury
Monday was not the start Scott Kazmir was looking for.
In his second start of the spring, Kazmir exited early in the second inning with hip tightness. He immediately had an MRI, though the seriousness is unknown. Kazmir was plagued by hip soreness last season.
Left hip tightness for @scottkazmir19 . Heading for precautionary MRI. #Dodgers
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) March 6, 2017
Scott Kazmir said he felt tightness in his left hip and all down his left side during warmups. Couldn't generate any power.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) March 6, 2017
.@scottkazmir19 said frustration is through the roof with all of the exercises he's been doing, but "I've come back from worse".
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) March 6, 2017
Kazmir didn’t ask to leave the game, per Alanna Rizzo. But hip problems were the source of his previous injury bug, and the team will be cautious.
He said he couldn’t maintain any power or direction. The injury admittedly surprised him, and in a post-game interview he disclosed his frustration.
“It’s something we’ve been working on all spring,” Kazmir said.“To try to get that flexibility, to keep that flexibility. It’s just something where, you know, you kind of scratch your head. We’ve been on it constantly. To be able to throw something like a 30-pitch bullpen, and the next day it’s tight, really restricted; it’s just something we try to stay on top of. It just tightened up on me today.”
A minor injury is one thing, but the hip soreness is a recurring theme with Kazmir. He’s been nicked up throughout his roller coaster career. He, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu are competing for rotation spots, but all are haunted by their struggles to stay on the mound.
Kazmir earned a free agent deal with Los Angeles after a resurrection with the Oakland A’s. He’s since disappointed, pitching to a 4.56 ERA in his inaugural season with the Dodgers.
[graphiq id=”hnpxJ9pVu9n” title=”Scott Kazmir” width=”600″ height=”674″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/hnpxJ9pVu9n” ]
Kazmir said he hopes to make his next scheduled start in five days. He’s currently slotted to fill one of the backend rotation spots if healthy.
[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-news-hyun-jin-ryu-will-make-spring-training-debut-friday-gb1293/2017/03/06/”]Hyun-Jin Ryu returns Friday[/button]
