The Los Angeles Dodgers transferred Corey Knebel to the 60-day injured list in order to call up and place Mike Kickham on their 40-man roster. Dustin May being placed on the 10-day IL was the corresponding move to then adding Kickham to the active roster on Sunday.
Knebel suffered an injury during his appearance on April 23, and an MRI the following day revealed it to be a right lat strain that forced him to the IL. With the paper move Knebel now is not eligible to return until the final week of June, though even that may be unlikely.
“It’s going to be a few months looking out,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at the time of putting the right-hander on the IL. “I don’t want to be specific to a timeline, because I just don’t really know. I don’t think anyone knows.
“Our hope, our expectation is that he will pitch again for us this year.”
While Knebel is facing a long-term recovery, there was some relief he did not suffer an elbow injury after previously undergoing Tommy John surgery. “Certainly a silver lining right there,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers acquired Knebel from the Milwaukee Brewers at the deadline before for players to be tendered contracts. Milwaukee reportedly planned to non-tender Knebel before working out a deal in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, who wound up being Leo Crawford.
Knebel began his Dodgers career with seven strikeouts over 5.1 innings across seven appearances. He then was charged for a combined three runs in games against the San Diego Padres that came one week apart.
Dodgers pitching injuries
All but two of the several injuries the Dodgers have endured this season have come on the pitching side. The bullpen has been particularly impacted, with the likes of Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Knebel and David Price currently on the IL.
So too are Caleb Ferguson and Tommy Kahnle, but they weren’t active to begin the season anyhow and are considered unlikely to pitch this season.
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