Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 Reasons Injuries Could Be a Blessing in Disguise

Los Angeles Dodgers fans have gone into full-scale panic mode after a series sweep at the hands of hated rival San Francisco Giants.

Los Angeles was shutout in all three games of the series—extending their scoreless innings streak to 24—and found themselves in a tie for first place in the NL West, after leading the division outright for much of the season’s first three months.

Following last night’s 3-2 loss to the New York Mets, the Dodgers are now alone in second place, a game behind the Giants who posted their fourth consecutive shutout while defeating the Cincinnati Reds 5-0.

The Dodgers came into the 2012 season with quite a few question marks in their lineup and starting rotation, so despite posting a 40-28 record after the All-Star break in 2011, this is not a team that was expected to be a playoff contender, let alone the best team in the majors for much of this year.

A historic April by center fielder Matt Kemp and surprising performances from unexpected sources like catcher A.J. Ellis and left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano were largely responsible for the hot start.

But a sudden rash of injuries—highlighted by Kemp being limited to only 23 games due to a hamstring injury—have revealed some major deficiencies in the Dodgers’ makeup.

In addition to Kemp, starter Ted Lilly has been on the disabled list since May 24^th with left shoulder inflammation, and right fielder Andre Ethier is set to miss a couple of weeks with a strained oblique.

Second baseman Mark Ellis has also missed about six weeks of action with a leg injury and is just now set to begin a rehab assignment. Third baseman Juan Uribe and first baseman/left fielder Juan Rivera have also missed time with injuries.

Although the team is in the midst of a dry spell that has led to nine losses in their last ten games, here are three reasons why the Dodgers' injury woes could be a blessing in disguise heading into the season’s second half.

Greater Incentive to Make Trades

The Dodgers sprinted out to a 42-25 start that left them with the best record in all of baseball as recently as June 17^th. Despite the team’s strong play after the All-Star break last year, not many people expected them to contend for the NL West title, let alone the National League pennant.

At the start of the season, the Dodgers had legitimate reasons to question what type of production they’d get out of left field and every infield position other than short stop (where rookie Dee Gordon was expected to ignite the offense from the top of the lineup.)

Despite surprising offensive contributions from catcher A.J. Ellis and second baseman Mark Ellis, all of those concerns have come to fruition as no regular has emerged in left field and incumbents James Loney and Juan Uribe have provided little production from the corner infield positions.

The assorted injuries, along with the team’s recent slide, have highlighted just how thin the Dodgers are in their everyday lineup and bench, and should lead general manager Ned Colletti to explore a few options to upgrade the roster in the coming weeks. 

Opportunity to Evaluate Young Talent

Although the Dodgers’ minor league system has failed to produce a lot of high-ceiling, major league talent over the past several years, the injuries have allowed the organization to evaluate a few young players and their futures at the big league level.

Outfield/first base prospect Scott Van Slyke got a brief taste of major league life with a 17-game audition in May. While he struggled with the bat during his brief stay, it prepared him for a more extended look later in the season, one that may have begun with last night’s start in right field in place of the injured Andre Ethier.

Nate Eovaldi has gotten an extended look in the starting rotation, making six starts so far while filling in for the injured Ted Lilly. With no set timetable for Lilly’s return, this is a great opportunity for the Dodgers to decide whether they consider Eovaldi to be a better option in the rotation or the bullpen (the results seem to suggest that he may be best suited as a closer).

The Dodgers have also found a diamond in the rough in career minor-leaguer Elian Herrera. The 27-year-old is certainly not a great long-term solution in the everyday lineup, but he’s proven to be a valuable player for Los Angeles.

He has a knack for getting on base (a respectable .342 OBP despite a .257 batting average) and can play multiple positions (he’s started primarily at second base but has also filled in at third and in the outfield) making him a nice utility option down the stretch. 

Fresh Bodies for the Stretch Run

Major League Baseball’s 162-game regular season schedule is easily the most grueling of the four major North American sports leagues. As the calendar turns to July, we are approaching what is commonly referred to as the dog days of summer, a tough time for most major leaguers.

While 27-year-old Matt Kemp has traditionally been one of the more durable players in the majors—playing in at least 155 games in each of the past four seasons—every other Dodger regular that has missed time with injuries is at least 30.

The injuries may be taking their toll on the roster and in the win-loss column. But the end result could mean fresher players taking the field in the second half, which would definitely benefit a push for towards the NL West title and a potentially long playoff run. 

Follow Geoff on Twitter @snglemarriedguy and read more from him at popflyboys.com