For as much as he tries to account for the unexpected, even Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman could not have predicted the several challenges the organization has faced this season.
Since players reported for Spring Training in February, injuries have haunted the Dodgers, with Clayton Kershaw and Joc Pederson the latest to be ailing. Los Angeles began the 2016 season with 10 players on the disabled list, and have shuffled players on and off through the first three months.
As a result, the Dodgers’ roster and organization depth has been tested. That’s primarily translated to Ross Stripling, Trayce Thompson and Julio Urias playing much larger roles than could have been predicted for 2016.
While the club has suffered from inconsistency, Friedman recently told Andy McCullough of the LA Times he is optimistic with the general direction of the club despite some points of frustration:
“When you put it in that perspective, we feel good about where we are looking forward,” Friedman said. “But there’s certainly been some aspects of the season that have been frustrating.
“So much of what we focus on is looking ahead. The past does portend a lot into how things will play out. But we expect to have more of our guys that are on the DL back in the fold. Our most consistent baseball has yet to be played.”
Friedman’s optimism stems from rehabbing pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu appearing to be on the verge of returning, plus veterans Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick and Justin Turner shaking off their respective slow starts to the season.
What’s compacted matters for the Dodgers is the San Francisco Giants being in the midst of a historic run that has them six games ahead in the National League West.
