Dodger pitching staff battles attrition

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Ted Lilly can’t take a step forward without a step back. Scott Elbert is on the disabled list. Chad Billingsley might be out for the season. And now Kenley Jansen’s irregular heartbeat needs attention that could keep him sidelined.

The continued loss of those pitchers would leave the Dodgers with the arms in the chart below for the challenging final 31 games, unless they dip deeper into the minors for someone who hasn’t pitched in Los Angeles this year, or step outside the organization once again.

  • http://veryolddodgerfan.blogspot.com/ veryolddodgerfan

    It’s all bad karma coming back to haunt the dodgers because they’ve become the evil empire

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

      I’m pretty confident the Dodgers have had significant pitching injuries before 2012.

      • http://veryolddodgerfan.blogspot.com/ veryolddodgerfan

        darn it. thought i had something.

        • Anonymous

          Karma is apportioned by the cosmos!

      • Anonymous

        >> I’m pretty confident the Dodgers have had significant pitching injuries before 2012.

        Jason Schmidt agrees.

        • http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

           So does Sandy Koufax.

  • Anonymous

    Do the Red Sox have any more lousy contracts the Dodgers can buy up in a panic?  John Lackey, maybe?  He has grit. 

    Roger Clemens, perhaps?  He has clutchiness!

    • Anonymous

      You say that as a joke but Daisuke is actually available, as is, presumably, Lackey.

  • Anonymous

    Kershaw
    Capuano
    Harang
    Beckett
    Blanton

    I hate to be a pessimist but it’s going to take a lot of runs to make that group successful.

    • Anonymous

      What a difference from the start of the year.

      • Anonymous

        Only 40% different.  And you expect your fifth starter to change a lot from month to month, so really, you’re only talking about one pitcher difference.  And had Bilz not gotten hurt, you’d be looking at a starting 4 that stayed consistent from April to August.  Not that it was ever Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz to begin with. 

  • Anonymous

    I hope I’m wrong, but as the injuries and medical issues to key players continue to mount, I’m getting the feeling that this is simply not the Dodgers year.
    Would love to be wrong on this, but we’ll see – sure hope the doctors can help Jansen overcome his heart problems – not just for the good of the team, but for his daily and future wellbeing.

    • Anonymous

      I agree on Jansen.  This is long term and goes way beyond the Dodgers. And, I still believe Beckett has a lot to offer.  Let’s go back to June and ask if the fans would have traded Billz straight up for Beckett — probably yes.  Yesterday was a solid start from Blanton.  Cappy and Harang are giving the team exactly what they would be expected to give.  This team is a long way from dead.

  • Anonymous

    why did mattingly move billz up a day (to friday) to pitch in harang’s spot anyway?

    • Anonymous

      Cuz he’s better.  Use the off day (Thursday) to skip your fifth starter.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/MW2R2Q72LP22HKPEXB2ZZPHSZM dud dew

    IIRC, Lilly was available the same time as Jason Schmidt.
    The latter was a non-starter for me, loud and clear.  Ted was
    the semi-prize I would have signed from that bunch (Google has them
    both inking on 12/08/2006) – but whose re-signing this time around
    would not have been my choice, for reasons he now demonstrates
    clearly (GMs HAVE TO MAKE calculated guesses about long-term
    health when giving long-term contracts.  Part of the job description.)

    I’m surprised Chad has not been hurt more often, though it’s certainly
    been enough.  That’s why I thought his re-upping, while not anywhere
    near the worst judgment by the front office in the last decade, was not
    a good use of what, at that time, was scarce capital.

    If y’watched Beckett late last year and early this, the choice to acquire him
    for Chad would have been a difficult one.  Lotsa negatives for each….

  • foul tip

    A bit OT, but no time to look this up.  I need someone to edjukate me on aspects of what the team did with with RDLR and Sands after the trade deal was done.

    You’d think almost surely they both were shut down to avoid chance of injury–particularly RDLR–and screwing up the deal.  But that likely would hurt ABQ in its playoff pursuit.  So, just too bad for ABQ?

    If one did get hurt before donning red stockings, what would happen?  Back to the PTBNL negotiating table?  Or is Boston locked into taking them no matter what?

    • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

      Well Rubby is in Chattanooga on a ‘rehab’ assignment where so far he has just pitched one inning. Seems like they don’t want him to throw too much having just come back from Tommy John surgery. Though Sands is in ABQ still playing every day as I don’t think the Sox are too worried about him getting hurt and would like hime to continue to get at bats.

    • Alex Chavez

      foul tip,

      here’s an article about Sands preparing for the playoffs despite all the trade talk.
      He’ll just keep playing, and at some point Boston will make it official if he’s who they want or not. If he gets hurt, Boston has the option of selecting a different player from the agreed-upon list of PTBNL, or simply take him anyways.

       http://www.theherald-nc.com/2012/08/26/24164/jerry-sands-stays-focused-on-triple.html

  • Anonymous

     I refuse to say “wait until next year,” but I do want Kuroda back then.

    • foul tip

       Age has to be of a bit more concern now, even tho he’s mostly been very effective for NYY.

      If the Dodgers agree with you but Yanks don’t, could cause an interesting bidding war…NYY v “NYY West” as the media likely would play that…

  • Anonymous

    Is it finally Ely time?

    • Anonymous

      Hard to pick whom he would replace.  Blanton threw well yesterday..

  • Anonymous

    Anybody got a take on this extension for Kershaw being bounced around?

    • Anonymous

      No details, but I’m for it.

  • Anonymous

    Just when you think a kid as young as Trout is remarkable, you run into a story like this:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raheem_Sterling

    • Anonymous

       No hand-eye coordination required.

    • Anonymous

      Much Adu (sic) about nothing.  

      • Anonymous

        Except the part where Adu never got to the big leagues.  The US is kind of high A relative to the mlb that is bigtime euro soccer.

        • Anonymous

          Adult was the victim of a marketing campaign which inflated his image. Nonetheless he is a very talented player.

    • Anonymous

      I wonder if the broadcasters covering his games say, “GOTTTTTTT RAHEEEEEM!!!”

      • Anonymous

         I’m not a fan of anglo culture, but I’d assume they at least don’t have the equivalent of Hawk.

    • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

      Really not that odd for english football, Cesc Fabregas debuted for Arsenal at age 16 to much more fanfare than this kid.

  • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

    Punto starting tonight at second batting lead-off… I really hope he takes a lot of walks. Also Kemp still out, Victorino in center.

  • Anonymous

    Cubs win! with three off K-Rod in bottom of ninth. Keep it up over the next few days, Cubbies.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    NPUT

  • Anonymous

    I would not want to hurt Kemp any more than he already is but the Dodgers sure need him.