The Los Angeles Dodgers recently received some bad news when Tony Cingrani suffered a setback while on rehab assignment trying to work his way back from a left shoulder issue that resurfaced during Spring Training.
The Dodgers acquired Cingrani from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline in 2017 and he quickly became an essential part of the team’s bullpen, although his 2018 season was also cut short due to shoulder trouble.
Cingrani was limited to just 30 games last year and he did not appear during the postseason. He was deemed healthy heading into Spring Training but underwent an MRI on the troublesome shoulder last month.
It was determined surgery was necessary, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the 29-year-old will miss the remainder of the season after an operation on the labrum in his throwing shoulder, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
Left-handed reliever Tony Cingrani underwent labrum surgery last week and is done for the rest of the year.
The Dodgers bullpen has been their biggest weakness so far this season, particularly from the left side. Julio Urias has developed into their best left-handed reliever, but Scott Alexander and Caleb Ferguson have largely been inconsistent, with the latter recently being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Cingrani was expected to bolster the bullpen upon returning, but that of course is no longer an option for the Dodgers. L.A. presumably will scour the market for relief pitchers prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
Cingrani avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract over the winter and now will become a free agent this year. While a return to the Dodgers could be possible if he proves he is healthy and recovered from the shoulder surgery, it might be unlikely.
Cingrani went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA, 2.11 FIP and 1.09 WHIP 52 games over parts of two seasons with the Dodgers.
