As if things couldn’t get any worse for the already-fragile Los Angeles Dodgers, catcher Yasmani Grandal was removed from Monday’s game after just two innings due to forearm soreness.
While initially reported as a routine substitution thanks to a previously scheduled doctor’s appointment, it was later revealed by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts that Grandal was expected to play five innings and get three at-bats — a plan that was cut short due to increased soreness.
For many, Grandal is a role player on a team with lofty expectations. His last name is not “Kershaw,” “Puig,” “Seager” or even “Ethier,” “Pederson” or “Jansen,” and so he falls into a category — for many — with the likes of Carl Crawford, Kiké Hernandez and Justin Turner.
The only problem with that, if the Dodgers have any hope of making a deep run in the postseason this year, Grandal is going to need to play a major part.
In the first half of last season, Grandal was far and away the best offensive catcher in all of baseball. In 213 at-bats, he batted .282/.401/.586 with 14 home runs. To put that in perspective, his on-base plus slugging percentage was over 50 points higher than the next catcher: Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants.
Of course, all of this is forgotten in large part due to Grandal’s miserable second half. While the explanation is he was playing through shoulder pain (which makes sense considering he had surgery immediately following the season), Grandal’s numbers point to a player who probably shouldn’t have seen the field.
After the remarkable first half, Grandal slashed just .162/.280/.218 in 142 at-bats as his season sputtered to a finish. Now, with the Dodgers preparing for Opening Day, the question must be asked: if healthy, which Grandal can be expected?
While it may be optimistic, my belief is a healthy Grandal will consistently put up numbers far closer to the first half of 2015 than the second.
When the Dodgers acquired the switch-hitting catcher in the December 2014 trade that sent Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres, Grandal was lauded as a complete player noted for his pitch framing as well as his offense.
If that Grandal is the one who’s on the field in 2016, the Dodgers lineup once again becomes a force to be reckoned with. No longer will all the pressure firmly be planted on the young shoulders of Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig, as it instead will be spread across to Grandal and Adrian Gonzalez, among others.
When clicking, Grandal has the ability to be a player who posts a minimum of a .400 on-base percentage, with 25-plus home runs. Add in excellent pitch-framing abilities, and it’s easy to see why the Dodgers shipped Matt Kemp out of town.
Now, the Dodgers just have to hope Grandal can get — and more importantly, remain — healthy.
