Lose a Key Player, Win a Game

Mark Ellis injuries quad while running out ground ball (photo capture Fox Sports Prime Ticket)

It’s the latest trend with the Dodgers.  Have a key player go down with injury...win the game.  Zack Greinke, Chris Capuano, and now Mark Ellis.  Same old story, same old song and dance.  All three being major components to the roster, with Ellis being the most productive hitter in the lineup.  Now would you swap last night's win for a loss if coming out of it, Mark Ellis was healthy?

Today we still wait for word on his Ellis’ condition but based on the post game comments of Don Mattingly last night, it looks like he may be out of action for a while.  The Dodger manager said, when asked about Ellis' condition: "Usually when you see a guy come out (of the game), pull up like that...usually it's not something that only be a day or two."

Don Mattingly during last night's post game press conference (photo capture, Fox Sports Prime Ticket)

And speaking of injuries.  Why is it that when injuries are announced, it’s always a “strained” something or other? Strained groin, strained quad, strained hamstring.  I swear, the bone could be sticking out for all the world to see and the Dodgers will come out that the injury sustained was a strained something.

So just as I’m writing again about the mounting injuries, I "strained" my eyes to read this press release from the Dodgers:

DODGERS PLACE FIFE ON 15-DAY D.L., RECALL RHP MAGILL

Los Angeles-The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-handed pitcher Stephen Fife on the 15-day Disabled List with right shoulder bursitis retroactive to April 22 and recalled right-handed pitcher Matt Magill from Triple A Albuquerque.  Magill will start and wear no. 36 in his Major League debut tonight vs. Milwaukee.

Twenty-three games in to the season and the Dodgers have used nine starters.  This is undoubtedly the deepest starting staff in baseball.  Someone  needs to let the pitchers at Rancho Cucamonga know that there’s a pretty good chance they’ll be in the big leagues this season.  Pick the number you want right now, and try to keep it in double digits, because at the rate they're going, they'll be out of those numbers soon.

At least the announcement on Fife wasn’t a “strained” something.  It appears that the Dodgers knew something was up with Fife as long as five days ago when they ordered Magill's start in Albuquerque to be limited to four innings.  Magill was quoted as saying  in Albuquerque that he could have continued pitching but that he was removed early from the game due to orders from the big club.