The Los Angeles Dodgers begin the season with an astounding 10 players on the disabled list; eight of which were additions that coincided with the club announcing their 25-man active roster for Opening Day of the 2016 season.
Grandal underwent arthroscopic surgery on the AC joint in his left shoulder. He was diagnosed with inflammation in the non-throwing shoulder last September, and adjusted his batting stance as a means to alleviate some of the pain.
As expected, Grandal made a full recovery in time to participate in Spring Training, reporting with his fellow catchers. However, the 27-year-old catcher was slowed by lingering forearm soreness as camp progressed.
The nagging issue forced Grandal to miss time in March, as he went one week between playing in Cactus League games. Upon returning March 16, he managed to appear in four games before again dealing with the soreness.
Grandal was removed after two innings on March 21, and sent for further tests on his forearms. An MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, but his level of activity was limited in the days that followed the examination.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated last Thursday that Grandal was recovering well and crossing the necessary hurdles to be with the club on Opening Day. However, the switch-hitting catcher didn’t come away completely healthy after playing in consecutive Minor League games at Camelback Ranch.
Grandal’s DL stint is retroactive to March 25. Assuming he’s able to make a full recovery over the next few days, Grandal will only have missed five games at the time he’s eligible to be reinstated.
Grandal batted .375/.412/.688 with one home run, two doubles and three RBIs in 17 plate appearances over eight games this spring. He avoided arbitration with the Dodgers over the winter by agreeing to a one-year, $2.8 million contract.
