Heading into Game 5 of the National League Division Series, there was some question as to whether Yasmani Grandal would be available to the Los Angeles Dodgers in their winner-take-all match against the New York Mets.
Grandal has battled soreness, inflammation and fluid in his left shoulder since August, and re-aggravated it in his final at-bat in Game 3. He sat Game 4 with A.J. Ellis catching Clayton Kershaw, but managed to return for the series finale.
Following the Dodgers’ elimination loss, Grandal said he was scheduled to undergo an MRI on the bothersome shoulder early next week, and would determine if surgery was necessary soon after.
According to SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo, who was conducting exit interviews on Friday, Grandal will indeed undergo surgery:
.@YazmanianDVL08 set to have shoulder surgery on Wednesday. Not expected to be able to swing a bat until at least January. #Dodgers
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) October 16, 2015
The 26-year-old catcher was the centerpiece of the Dodgers’ return from the San Diego Padres in the Matt Kemp trade. Grandal unseated Ellis as the club’s primary catcher, and hit .282/.401/.526 with 14 home runs, 36 RBIs, a .399 wOBA and 159 wRC+ over 69 games (61 starts) in the first half of the season.
However, after earning his first trip to the All-Star Game, Grandal began to decline, in large part due to the ailing shoulder. He adjusted his batting stance in September to alleviate some of the discomfort, but still struggled at the plate.
Grandal hit .162/.280/.218 after the All-Star break, and saw his wOBA and wRC+ drop to .237 and 49, respectively. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said heading into the NLDS he would utilize both catchers, which unfolded as Grandal making three starts in the series to A.J. Ellis’ two.
Grandal went 1-for-10 over the five games with one walk, two RBIs and six strikeouts. Ellis finished 2-for-8 with two strikeouts and had his 12-game postseason hitting streak, a franchise record, snapped in Game 5 as he struck out after replacing Grandal in the ninth inning.
