Corey Knebel was off to a solid start in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers before suffering a right lat strain in late April.
Knebel was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 24 and transferred to the 60-day IL on May 2. While Knebel did not need surgery, the Dodgers prepared to be without him for a few months.
After Knebel suffered his injury, manager Dave Roberts said they expected to have him back the season.
“I just feel really bad for Corey because it was such a long road for him to get back and he was throwing the heck out of the baseball,” Roberts said. “To kind of have a speed bump in the middle of the season, I know he’s disappointed.”
Now, nearly two months later, Knebel shared an update regarding his rehab via his wife Danielle Knebel’s Instagram story during a Q&A as they were driving:
“So far, so good.”
Knebel was one of the two primary setup men for the Dodgers, along with Blake Treinen.
He appeared in eight games this season and only allowed runs in his final two outings. His ERA of 4.50 did not reflect the way he was pitching during his small sample of games as he also posted a 1.65 FIP and 2.80 expected ERA while striking out nine hitters and walking three.
Knebel also saved two games as the team’s backup closer to Kenley Jansen.
An All-Star in 2017 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Knebel missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and only pitched 13.1 innings in 2020. He was designated for assignment by the Brewers on Dec. 2, 2020, and traded to the Dodgers.
Seager making progress
Corey Seager is recovering quicker than expected from his hand fracture suffered on May 16, according to Roberts.
“You’ve got a young body that certainly heals pretty quickly and an eager player, so that kind of lends itself to that,” Roberts said about Seager’s recovery.
While there is still no set timetable for his return, once he ramps up his baseball activities he could return quickly.
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