Under The Knife 9/9/24

Rounding Third

Let’s get right to it today:

GAVIN STONE, SP LAD (strained shoulder)

At some point, I’m just going to write “Dodgers” and put up the DJ Khaled “another one” gif. It feels like it at this point here and I can’t imagine what it feels like for the Dodgers. Actually, talking to people there, I have an idea, but to have so much talent - even on the lower end, succeeding until it doesn’t, unexpectedly - fall apart, all at the same time has to be heartbreaking in a very “rich guy’s Ferrari breaks down” kind of way.

Gavin Stone is the latest to hit the IL, after significant inflammation in the back of his shoulder happened after his start on Saturday. A source tells me Stone has had normal soreness over the course of the season, but that this was both quick-acting and well more than normal. He had pain, point tenderness, and there’s likely to be more imaging and exams over the next few days, though there’s enough for the Dodgers to have a very good idea that Stone is done for the season. I can’t confirm the exact injury, but the location is problematic.

At 140 innings, an increase over his previous season and career high, Stone was likely dealing with both game to game and seasonal fatigue, something the team is going to seriously have to look at with their minor league plan. Stopping pitchers at 100 has cost the team significantly over the last two years. The problem is that cake is already baked for 2024. Looking at the Dodgers’ top prospects - at least the ones they weren’t forced to use - are all around the same number. Jackson Ferris is at nearly 120, but he’s the only one among the Dodgers top pitching prospects over that or on track to go over 100.

The Dodgers pulled Justin Wrobleski back from Oklahoma City and don’t have the option to really protect him any more. While there’s still hope of getting Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow back before the end of the season - and don’t forget Shohei Ohtani has been on a mound - the Dodgers are very likely heading into the playoffs with Jack Flaherty, an underrated acquisition, as their number one.

TEOSCAR HERNANDEZ, OF LAD (bruised ankle)

It’s not just the pitchers populating the Training Room in LA. Teoscar Hernandez fouled a ball hard off his ankle and despite a pad, he was in significant pain. Images have shown no break, though there’s significant pain and bruising. Hernandez had multiple kinds of imaging done and while that hasn’t been confirmed, there’s indications he had a CT, which would be most accurate at finding a small fracture.

Assuming this is just a painful bruise and there’s no weird complications like Kyle Tucker - very rare, mind you - Hernandez should be back in a matter of days. They’ll play a man down but have plenty of flexibility in the lineup with Andy Pages, Tommy Edman, and Chris Taylor all available, as well as Mookie Betts moving back to right. (I’d still love to know what analytics the Dodgers got that told them this configuration was the best.) Assuming a normal recovery, Hernandez should be back in the lineup by mid-week and playing normally.