As the Los Angeles Dodgers remain hopeful their bullpen will soon begin to round into form, Tony Cingrani remained sidelined by ongoing trouble in his left shoulder. He was said to be healthy as Spring Training began but the issue resurfaced shortly after.
The 29-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list with an impingement in his throwing shoulder when the Dodgers set their Opening Day roster. Cingrani was on a rehab assignment suffered a setback, which prompted an MRI this week.
The Dodgers have not announced the results, but it’s clear the relief pitcher is not near a return. “He’s kind of waiting, he’s not at a point where we’re thinking about any type of baseball activities,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“Just being in shut-down mode. As far as course of action, I don’t know right now.”
After being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds at the 2017 trade deadline, Cingrani turned his season around and became a key member out of the Dodgers bullpen. He avoided arbitration that winter by agreeing to a one-year contract.
However, Cingrani’s first full season with the club was marred by injury. He dealt with the shoulder trouble that limited him to just 30 games and effectively shut the left-hander down for all of August and September.
After making just two relief appearances during the final month of the regular season, Cingrani was not included on any postseason rosters as the Dodgers made a second run to the World Series. Cingrani again avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal.
With Cingrani unavailable, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has relied on the likes of Scott Alexander, Caleb Ferguson and Julio Urias as lefty options out of the bullpen. Ferguson began the season on a positive note but began to struggle and currently is with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
All signs point to Roberts again not having the luxury of using Cingrani for at least much of the remainder of the season.
