The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of another excellent stretch, having gone 17-9 during the month of June while posting a 7-3 record over their last 10 games. More impressively, the club has achieved these results despite being shorthanded.
The Dodgers have been bit by the injury bug as of late, losing a handful of key contributors to the 10-day injured list. This has particularly been evident in regards to their pitching staff, where Rich Hill stands out as the most significant loss.
The left-hander suffered a flexor strain in his most recent start nearly two weeks ago and is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future. Hill nonetheless maintained confidence that he will be able to return to the mound at some point this season.
The Dodgers’ bullpen has also suffered a bit of a hit in recent weeks. Tony Cingrani was ruled out for the year earlier this month after undergoing season-ending on the labrum on his left shoulder.
Josh Sborz, a promising prospect who recently made his MLB debut, was also placed on the 10-day injured with lower back soreness. He joined Scott Alexander, who had been nursing a forearm injury.
The southpaw was making strides in his recovery, recently throwing off a mound for the first time since being placed on the 10-day injured list. His progression led to optimism that he would be able to begin a Minor League rehab assignment in the near future.
However, those plans have been scrapped for the time being. Dave Roberts revealed that Alexander has been hampered by a thumb injury and is not expected to rejoin the team until after the All-Star Break, via Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
Scott Alexander is dealing with a minor thumb injury, according to Roberts, and is not slated to return until after the break.
With just eight more games remaining in the first half, the Dodgers figure to be in position to weather the storm without Alexander and hope he is able to return for the start of the unofficial second half.
In 28 appearances this season as the club’s go-to left-handed specialist, Alexander has posted a 3.63 ERA, 5.03 FIP and 1.39 WHIP with nine strikeouts against seven walks over 17.1 innings pitched.
Without Alexander, the Dodgers have primarily relied on Caleb Ferguson and Julio Urias as left-handed options out of the bullpen. However, Ferguson was recently optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in favor of Zac Rosscup, who tossed a scoreless inning of work on Friday.
