Los Angeles Dodgers: Breaking Down Each Big Injury Concern Heading into 2011
Heading into the upcoming season, new skipper Don Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers have not been hit with a slew of injuries.
However, that's no excuse for not being concerned with what injuries they do have.
There are only four of note:
1. Pitcher Vicente Padilla's elbow surgery.
2. Outfielder Jay Gibbons with the flu.
3. Pitcher Tim Redding with an illness.
4. Pitcher Dana Eveland's strained hamstring.
Spring training has just begun; therefore, Dodger fans, let's hope this is as bad as it gets.
Here is a breakdown for each injury/illness and what else to look for as time progresses.
Pitcher Vicente Padilla: Elbow Surgery
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Easily the most concerning of the injuries to the Dodgers.
Now after battling injuries throughout 2010, Padilla only had a record of 6-5, but from 2006-2009 he had three seasons of more than 10 wins and over 25 starts.
Although there's a chance he could be ready by Opening Day, Padilla's absence from spring training could be at least somewhat detrimental.
With Padilla out, starting pitchers such as Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda need to pick up the slack.
The record between all four from 2010 was 46-46.
If L.A. wants a National League contender, all the pitchers need to work on having a record significantly above .500.
However, if Padilla can recover quickly and start off the season strong, his comeback can weave through the clubhouse and influence everyone to pick up the pace.
Outfielder Jay Gibbons: Influenza
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Despite not being called up to the majors until early August of last season, Jay Gibbons played in 37 games for the Dodgers.
After batting .280 and hitting five homers with 17 RBI, Gibbons has potential for a breakout year.
Now although it's only the flu, Gibbons has missed the last two spring training games.
Although Opening Day is about a month away, the sooner he gets back, the better.
As of now the impact of Gibbons being out is not too significant since spring training has some time left.
However, if his illness persists, manager Don Mattingly has a plethora of outfielders to choose from.
These include seasoned veteran Marcus Thames, rising star Tony Gwynn Jr. and the versatile Jamey Carroll, just to name a few.
If worst comes to worst, Dodger fans, and Gibbons doesn't get up to par come Opening Day, he can get warmed up through Triple-A ball and get back to the bigs.
But as the 2011 season gets under way, Gibbons could be a valuable asset to Mattingly.
Pitcher Tim Redding: Illness
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After spending the entire 2010 season in the minors, Tim Redding is out to prove himself once again in the majors.
The best ERA of his career (3.64) came in the 2007 season with the Washington Nationals, but he has only managed to keep it under four one other time.
The minor illness just comes as another obstacle for Redding to overcome.
Now although he is expected to start on Saturday, March 5th, if Redding is to be out, his absence does not appear to affect the team too much.
He is currently on a minor league contract, and if he happens to be out longer then expected, Mattingly can just focus more on his current starting pitchers.
However, if he manages to come back and exceed expectations, Redding could play a fill-in role in the event of an injury.
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Starting Pitcher Dana Eveland: Strained Hamstring
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Now although he's not expected to make the Opening Day roster for the Dodgers, Dana Eveland could provide some depth if any significant injuries occur.
His career record has been lackluster, but in being with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 he faced arguably the best division in baseball.
However, if he is out of L.A. on Opening Day and placed in Triple-A (expected), Eveland will have the opportunity to regain some confidence for 2011.
His absence shouldn't affect the starting rotation, but if he is called up to the big leagues and performs well, it can only help the Dodgers, as they will need all they can to challenge division rival San Francisco.
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