After an inconsistent 2018 season, Scott Alexander went into this year projected to fill a key role for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alexander’s importance was magnified as Tony Cingrani worked to return from shoulder trouble before undergoing season-ending surgery.
However, Alexander struggled himself through the first month of the season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was hopeful hamstring trouble that had compromised his mechanics was at the root of those issues.
On June 11, he was placed on the 10-day injured list due to left forearm inflammation. Although it was considered a relatively minor injury, that wound up marking the beginning of the end for Alexander.
He suffered a thumb injury as a rehab assignment neared and that wound up stemming from a nerve issue in Alexander’s left arm. As the Dodgers welcomed back players once active rosters expanded, Roberts said Alexander’s season had come to an end.
Now the 30-year-old has undergone surgery to address his nerve trouble, according to Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
Reliever Scott Alexander underwent a “left forearm nerve decompression procedure” in Los Angeles on Thursday, according to the Dodgers.
As Alexander failed to make much progress in his recovery, he was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Aug. 2. Though all the paper move technically did was delay a potential return by just more than a week.
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“Scott right now is still in the mode of trying to let the nerve heal up,” Roberts said at the time. “There’s no throwing, so he’s kind of in a holding pattern right now.”
Alexander was limited to 28 appearances in his second season with the Dodgers, going 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA, 5.07 FIP and 1.39 WHIP with nine strikeouts and seven walks in 17.1 innings.
He was the team’s primary lefty specialist, and the Dodgers addressed the void created by his injury by acquiring Adam Kolarek at the trade deadline.
Caleb Ferguson and Julio Urias are other lefties the Dodgers have used out of the bullpen at various points this season.
