Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday he does not expect Andre Ethier to come off the 60-day disabled list until September. At various points this season Roberts has projected the veteran outfielder would return by June, which was then pushed back to some point after the All-Star break.
This essentially marks a second consecutive season Ethier has lost to injury. Last year, a tibia fractured sustained during the spring kept him out for all but the final month of the regular season and playoffs.
He played through discomfort but reported to camp this year fully recovered from what was a complex spiral fracture.
However, frustration quickly set in as Ethier was bothered by hip trouble during Spring Training and eventually underwent x-rays and a CT scan.
That revealed a mild herniated disc, and Ethier was expected to refrain from baseball activities until early April. Once Ethier was able to begin those, the Dodgers anticipated a timetable for his return would become clear.
In late April, Ethier called his recovery a ‘week by week’ process. One month later he was still unable to run without feeling discomfort.
While the bulk of the rehab process has been completed at the Camelback Ranch facility, Ethier has been with the Dodgers at various stretches and is with the team on their current homestand.
Although there may be some disappointment with Ethier’s timeline again getting pushed back, his returning once active rosters expand does prevent the Dodgers from potentially needing to make a difficult decision in order to active the 35-year-old.
Los Angeles holds a $17.5 million club option and $2.5 million buyout on Ethier’s contract for next season.
