Whereas the Los Angeles Dodgers received reinforcements on the position-player side with the recent returns of David freese, A.J. Pollock and Corey Seager, they haven’t been quite as fortunate on the pitching side.
Rich Hill remains sidelined — likely into September — by a flexor strain in his left forearm, Dylan Floro was placed on the 10-day injured list last week because of neck inflammation, and Scott Alexander continues to be dogged by a nerve issue in the thumb of his left hand.
Of the three, Floro figures to return first, and he took a step forward Wednesday by facing batters from the Dodgers’ Arizona League affiliate.
“Flo threw 23 pitches today, and it was really good, actually,” Roberts said. “He said he felt good, the execution was there, his body feels good. We’ll see how he responds tomorrow.”
Should Floro not experience any setbacks, he could join High-A Rancho Cucamonga for a rehab assignment this week. Roberts said that would likely only be one inning of work, unless Floro felt the need for a second appearance with the Quakes.
He is eligible to be reinstated from the IL on Monday, when the Dodgers begin a three-game set at Coors Field. “That’s the goal,” answered Roberts when asked if the expectation was to activate Floro on Monday.
“But the main thing is, with the injury, how he’s feeling, how he responds, how he’s throwing the baseball, all that stuff, so to take the time and get him right, we really don’t have a hard date in mind. But I think that some time in that Colorado series makes sense.”
Meanwhile, Alexander has yet to resume throwing. “Scott right now is still in the mode of trying to let the nerve heal up,” Roberts said. “There’s no throwing, so he’s kind of in a holding pattern right now.”
Alexander initially was placed on the injured list June 11 due to left forearm inflammation. He was temporarily shut down and upon beginning to throw, began to deal with a thumb injury that was going to delay a return until after the All-Star break.
Amid a slow recovery, it was then revealed Alexander was suffering from the nerve trouble. His absence, along with Caleb Ferguson’s struggles and Tony Cingrani already being lost to season-ending surgery, have limited the Dodgers to one viable left-handed relief pitcher in Julio Urias.
