After torrid first half of the 2015 season, Yasmani Grandal slumped after the All-Star break and into the Los Angeles Dodgers’ matchup with the New York Mets in the National League Division Series. Grandal underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder AC joint after the Dodgers were eliminated.
With the Dodgers closing in on a fourth consecutive NL West title, their starting catcher is once again ailing. Including Wednesday’s rubber match against the San Francisco Giants, Grandal has missed three of the past five games due to a sore right elbow.
He sat out back-to-back games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Though, two of the contests the 27-year-old missed were also tied to Los Angeles facing a left-handed starting pitcher.
Grandal has largely deflected any questions about his health. It appears the balky elbow will be an issue he battles for the next two weeks and during potential postseason games.
“I think it’s something where he feels considerably better than he did four or five days ago, but I think [discomfort] is still going to be there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday.
“I don’t think it will impeded any type of performance. Where we’re at right now, everyone is kind of banged up.” Grandal was slowed throughout Spring Training because of lingering forearm soreness and began the 2016 season on the 15-day disabled list.
Roberts believes the catcher’s latest malaise is related to that. Grandal was simultaneously bothered by a left hand injury and right ankle contusion earlier this season. In June he said he was beginning to feel healthy.
Grandal proceeded to bat .324/.439/.691 with eight home runs and 14 RBI over 21 games (18 starts) in July. It’s unclear when the right elbow became an issue, but he cooled off in August and has struggled thus far in September.
Overall, Grandal is hitting .222/.329/.466 with 25 home runs, 64 RBI, a .341 wOBA and 116 wRC+.
