While the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff was hit hard by injuries throughout the first half of the season, the club has now seen the return of Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu, and others may be around the corner.
Brett Anderson underwent back surgery in early March to repair a bulging disc, which was a procedure that called for a three-to-five-month recovery. Anderson began to play catch in June and more recently threw a bullpen session.
That prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to say the southpaw was a candidate to return to the rotation by mid-August.
Roberts was optimistic after Anderson threw another bullpen session and said the 28-year-old is nearing the start of a rehab assignment, via Bill Plunkett of the OC Register:
“Electric might be a word,” Roberts said. “The velocity, the crispness of all his pitches, the depth of his sinker, the arm speed and mechanics.”
Roberts said Anderson (returning from back surgery this spring) could start throwing to hitters “shortly” with a rehab assignment to follow.
Meanwhile, Alex Wood faced batters and is also closing in on starting a rehab assignment:
Left-hander Alex Wood (triceps) has already begun throwing to hitters in Arizona and could start a rehab assignment “sooner rather than later,” Roberts said.
Wood has been on the disabled list since the end of May with what was eventually classified as an impingement in his throwing elbow. The Dodgers transferred Wood to the 60-day DL when Brock Stewart was called up, though the lefty has also been pegged for a potential return in August.
In addition to Anderson and Wood, Clayton Kershaw has made recent strides in his recovery from a back injury and is presumed to return sooner rather than later.
