The Los Angeles Dodgers received more bad injury news on Tuesday: outfielder Andre Ethier will be out a minimum of 10-14 weeks with a fractured tibia.
As the above tweets from the team detailed, Ethier fouled a ball off his shin last week in a spring training game and underwent a bone scan on Tuesday.
This is obviously a big blow for the Dodgers, as Ethier had managed to put himself back into the picture on the strength of a 2015 season that saw him hit .294/.366/.486 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs — good for a 2.7 WAR.
This continues the Dodgers’ injury woes. Their pitching staff is going to be put to the test in the wake of Brett Anderson‘s back surgery, Brandon McCarthy‘s Tommy John recovery, and the fact that Hyun-jin Ryu doesn’t yet have a clear timetable for a 2016 return.
Shortstop/future of the organization Corey Seager, meanwhile, is nursing a sprained knee that might put his Opening Day status in jeopardy.
Ethier now being out of the outfield mix for the first few months of the season (at least) puts added pressure on Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford to not only stay healthy but also be consistent offensive performers as well. Ethier’s absence may also elevate the importance of Scott Van Slyke, Alex Guerrero, and Joc Pederson to the team’s 2016 prospects.
Needless to say, this Ethier update was not a good development for the Dodgers. But they are aware of the realities of baseball:
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