When Adrian Gonzalez reported to Spring Training this year he was suffering from what was considered a minor case of right-elbow inflammation, or as it’s more commonly referred to, tennis elbow. The injury put Gonzalez at risk of missing the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
He recovered in time to appear in two Cactus League games for the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to joining Mexico for the WBC. Gonzalez re-aggravated the injury on a check-swing soon after re-joining the Dodgers, and has battled the issue thus far in the regular season.
According to Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times, the veteran first baseman is also suffering from a herniated disc:
Adrian Gonzalez is dealing w/ herniated disk. He aggravated it two weeks ago. He says it's less severe than 2016, when he got an epidural.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) May 3, 2017
The injury is one Gonzalez has suffered from for several years. He’s explained the matter is about pain management and avoiding activities or actions that lead to neck and back trouble.
After receiving an epidural last May to alleviate back pain, Gonzalez batted .355/.412/.484 with one double, one home run and three RBI in the first eight games (seven starts). There was a span from May 17-20 where Gonzalez did not start in four consecutive games, failing to appear in the first three.
In light of Gonzalez’s lack of power and subpar production through the first month of this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was trusting the first baseman’s claim of being able to play on a regular basis. Gonzalez has never been put on the disabled list in his 14-year career.
Roberts indicated the club would not make such a move without gaining approval from Gonzalez. The disc injury, coupled with Cody Bellinger’s emergence, may be enough to sway the veteran into taking some time off.
Gonzalez is batting .267/.340/.322 with 11 RBI, and his only extra-base hits are five doubles. The 34-year-old is in Wednesday’s lineup against the San Francisco Giants.
