Dodgers Rumors

NL West Notes: A-Gon, Pollock, Nunez, Arroyo, Espinoza, Padres

By Mark Polishuk | July 4, 2017 at 4:09pm CDT

Adrian Gonzalez’s season and possibly even his long-term playing future have been threatened by his recurring back problems, but the Dodgers first baseman tells Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that he intends to return to the field in September even if his back is still bothering him. “Put it this way: Even if I’m not quote-unquote 100%, I’m still going to go in September because what I have is what I have,” Gonzalez said. “If it doesn’t get better with all this time off, it’s not going to get better, so I might as well learn to play with medication.” If he isn’t healthy enough for regular play, Gonzalez said he is happy to take a pinch-hitting role or to cede playing time to Cody Bellinger since “I’m just here to win. It’s not about, ‘It’s my position,’ or, ‘It’s his position.’ It’s about winning as a team.” The piece is well worth a full read, as Gonzalez also discusses how his back problems have raised the question of retirement.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

Outfielder A.J. Pollock has officially returned to action for the Diamondbacks, with the club announcing that he has been activated from the 10-day DL after a lengthy absence owing to a groin strain. Arizona hasn’t encountered any real troubles in his absence, but the return promises to make for an even more compelling roster. The surprising D-Backs not only seem a shoe-in for a Wild Card spot, but currently sit just two-and-a-half games out of the NL West lead.
Eduardo Nunez didn’t play in a scheduled rehab game on Sunday due to continued discomfort in his ailing hamstring, and the Giants infielder may not return to action until after the All-Star break, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Nunez, who has been on the DL since June 24, is perhaps the Giants’ clearest trade chip as the club prepares to be deadline sellers. If he can’t return until after the break, Nunez will have just over two weeks to keep up his solid pre-injury production and prove to interested trade suitors that he is healthy, or else the Giants will have trouble gaining full value in a deal.
Christian Arroyo suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch in minor league action on Saturday, and the Giants prospect is in danger of missing the rest of the season, MLB.com’s Chris Haft writes. Manager Bruce Bochy said he was hoping Arroyo would be healthy in time to be a September call-up for the Giants. Arroyo made his big league debut earlier this season and hit just .192/.244/.304 in 135 plate appearances, though San Francisco obviously wants to give one of its most highly-touted young players more experience in the Show. Arroyo’s development has already been stalled by another hand injury in June; in fact, Arroyo’s first game back from that prior injury was Saturday’s contest.
Padres relievers Craig Stammen and Kirby Yates are under-the-radar candidates to be moved at the deadline, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune write as part of a reader mailbag. Stammen has a 4.53 ERA in 45 2/3 IP, a number that is somewhat inflated by a few bad outings; 10 of Stammen’s 23 earned runs this year came during a three-game stretch in April, plus he allowed a grand slam in his last game. Yates, meanwhile has an outstanding 2.08 ERA, 14.2 K/9 and 5.13 K/BB rate over 26 IP since being claimed off waivers from the Angels in April. Neither pitcher is likely to net the Padres a big return in a trade, though as Lin notes, San Diego has little in the way of healthy trade chips aside from Brad Hand.
Also from Lin’s mailbag, he reports that star pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza is playing catch but hasn’t yet thrown off a mound. Espinoza has yet to pitch at all this season after suffering forearm tightness in early April, and then additional soreness in May that led to a shutdown. The Padres, as you might expect, are taking it slow with Espinoza’s recovery given his long-term value to the organization. Lin notes that Espinoza might possibly not pitch at all this summer, as it will still be a while before the young righty is ready for game action.

Orioles Acquire Matt Wotherspoon, Jason Wheeler

By Connor Byrne | July 2, 2017 at 4:19pm CDT

The Orioles have made a pair of trades, according to a team announcement. They’ve acquired right-hander Matt Wotherspoon from the Yankees and left-hander Jason Wheeler from the Dodgers, surrendering international signing bonus slots for both players. Wotherspoon and Wheeler will report to Triple-A Norfolk.

Trading international money for players is nothing new for the Orioles, who took that route before Sunday to acquire the likes of Damien Magnifico, Paul Fry and Alex Katz earlier this season. Their aversion to spending on the international market has led to criticism from Baseball America’s Ben Badler, who laid into O’s ownership back in April for their “antiquated” approach.

The 25-year-old Wotherspoon has mostly served as a reliever in the minors since the Yankees chose him in the 34th round of the 2014 draft. He debuted at the Triple-A level last season and has been quite effective since, having logged a 2.10 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 34 1/3 innings.

Unlike Wotherspoon, Wheeler comes with major league experience. An eighth-rounder of the Twins in 2011, the 26-year-old made his debut earlier this season with Minnesota. He fared poorly over three innings, though, yielding three earned runs on six hits and four walks, with no strikeouts. The Twins then traded him to the Dodgers on June 2, but Los Angeles designated him for assignment on June 18. Wheeler pitched exclusively with their Triple-A affiliate, recording a 10.38 ERA over 8 2/3 innings. Overall, Wheeler owns a 4.74 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 281 Triple-A frames and 51 appearances (48 starts).

The Dodgers and Yankees both began Sunday, the opening of the 2017-18 international signing period, with $4.75MM available. LA is unable to sign anyone for more than $300K, however, while New York ate into its total by agreeing to deals with Venezuelan outfielder Everson Pereira and shortstop Roberto Chirinos for a combined $2.4MM. The Yankees are also likely to sign Dominican shortstop Ronny Rojas in August for a projected $1.05MM.

West Notes: D-backs, Angels, Dodgers

By Connor Byrne | July 1, 2017 at 10:35pm CDT

The fractured right hand shortstop Nick Ahmed suffered this week could force the Diamondbacks to address the position prior to the trade deadline, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. With Ahmed out for the foreseeable future, general manager Mike Hazen indicated that he’s open to acquiring a shortstop. “I felt like we had a clearer path,” Hazen said. “I do think, as you take on injuries, those things do change a little bit. I think over the next month, we have to be somewhat flexible given what may happen with the major-league team. I do think we have areas, like I’ve said before, that we’re going to at least focus in on to see if there are ways to improve the club.” Piecoro names the Reds’ Zack Cozart, the Tigers’ Jose Iglesias and the Phillies’ Freddy Galvis as potential targets, suggesting that each are likely defensive upgrades over the Diamondbacks’ in-house tandem of Chris Owings and Ketel Marte.

More from the majors’ two West divisions:

When Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery a year ago, general manager Billy Eppler was unwilling to rule him out for all of 2017. Now, there’s a good chance Heaney will indeed take the hill this season, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Heaney threw a 90-pitch simulated game Saturday and could embark on a rehab assignment later this month, and manager Mike Scioscia believes the 28-year-old has made “remarkable” progress. “I would say that his rehab has gone as well as you could hope for,” Scioscia said. “For him to throw the ball the way he did this afternoon, on the one-year anniversary of his surgery, is incredible. It’s very promising where he is.”
Mike Trout’s return from the disabled list later this month could create a dilemma for the Angels, who might have to decide between fellow outfielders Ben Revere and Eric Young Jr., writes DiGiovanna. Revere is the far pricier player, raking in $4MM to Young’s minimal salary; however, Young has slashed .275/.353/.418 with three home runs and 11 steals in 104 plate appearances to trump Revere’s output (.223/.237/.311, one homer, five steals over 152 PAs).
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez won’t return until after the All-Star break, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). The back troubles Gonzalez has dealt with for years continue to pose a problem, and he still hasn’t resumed baseball activities since going on the DL in the first half of June. “He’s not where he wants to be,” noted manager Dave Roberts.

NL Notes: Phillies, Mets, Cards, Dodgers

By Connor Byrne | July 1, 2017 at 9:18am CDT

While the Phillies will shop players with expiring contracts leading up to the trade deadline, team president Andy MacPhail also suggested Friday that general manager Matt Klentak would at least listen to offers for all of their big leaguers, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “He needs to keep a wide spectrum, wide horizon, and any opportunity that makes sense for us going forward, he should explore,” MacPhail said of Klentak. The Phillies own the majors’ worst record (26-52), but they’re not devoid of intriguing, controllable players who might pique teams’ interest in the next month. Outfielders Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera stand out in their group of position players, while Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Hector Neris are among their cheap pitchers who could be on clubs’ radars.

Trade Chatter: A’s, Giants, Yankees, McCutchen, Avila, Dodgers

By Steve Adams | June 29, 2017 at 9:02pm CDT

Though Sonny Gray has garnered most of the headlines in Athletics trade rumors, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Jed Lowrie, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson are all drawing interest as well. The A’s are hoping to move Lowrie to clear a spot for prospect Franklin Barreto to play in the Majors on a full-time basis, she notes. Barreto is currently getting at-bats, but Oakland also has Marcus Semien on the mend and returning perhaps in a week or more. Doolittle and Madson are both in the midst of strong seasons, although the injury-prone Doolittle has been limited to 14 2/3 innings. Madson, meanwhile, looks even better than he did in his 2015 comeback; he’s averaging 9.8 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9 with a 54.4 percent ground-ball rate, leading to a 2.35 ERA. Of course, he’s also earning $7.5MM this year and next, and his contract calls for incentives for finishing games, which could make the price even more steep. The Rangers, Cubs, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Braves and Astros have all been scouting Oakland recently, according to Slusser.

Some more trade chatter from around the game…

The Giants aren’t looking to rebuild so much as they’re looking to reload, president Larry Baer tells Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. Baer acknowledged that the 2017 campaign hasn’t been anything close to what the organization had hoped, but he also indicated that even if the front office moves some veterans this summer, the ultimate goal will be to return to contention in 2018. “Directionally it’s, ‘How can we get right back there in 2018,” said Baer. “It’s not how can we get right back there in 2022 or 2021.” Pavlovic notes that it’s possible the Giants could try to trade Johnny Cueto and still re-sign him this winter if he exercises his opt-out clause with a new team, and Baer wouldn’t rule out that possibility, simply stating that it was “possible” but declining to speculate too heavily.
The Yankees are looking for bullpen help “right now,” writes FanRag’s Jon Heyman as part of his weekly American League Notes column. The duo of Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances is formidable in the late innings, but the recent struggles of Tyler Clippard and others have GM Brian Cashman on the lookout. Cashman told Heyman that the Yankees aren’t looking for a first baseman at the moment, though recent injury news regarding Tyler Austin and Greg Bird, of course, could change that line of thinking in a hurry.
There’s been no serious talk between the Pirates and other clubs regarding Andrew McCutchen just yet, reports MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Part of the reason for that is the parity that exists in Wild Card races, as many teams that could eventually add some veteran pieces remain uncertain that they’ll be in the hunt a month from now.
Also via Morosi, Tigers catcher Alex Avila is “on the radar” of the Cubs and the Blue Jays. Avila has had a staggering turnaround in his return to Detroit, hitting a ridiculous .315/.431/.586 with 11 homers while earning just a $2MM salary on a one-year deal. While many fans are understandably skeptical of Avila’s turnaround, I’ll point out that Avila’s 57 percent hard-hit rate leads all players with at least 190 plate appearances, and he entered play Thursday tied with teammate J.D. Martinez for the third-highest average exit velocity in baseball (93.7 mph), trailing only Aaron Judge and Miguel Sano. Avila has always had a massive walk rate, as well, and that’s been the case once again in 2017 (16.4 percent). There’s some regression coming, of course, as even with his batted-ball profile he’s probably not going to sustain a .426 BABIP.
One more from Morosi, who notes that the Dodgers’ primary focus remains on starting pitching at this time. They’re considering controllable options rather than rental pieces, with Morosi linking Los Angeles to the the Tigers’ Justin Verlander, the Athletics’ Sonny Gray, the White Sox’ Jose Quintana and the Pirates’ Gerrit Cole.
For those still looking for more trade-related content to peruse, Heyman penned a column highlighting nearly 100 possible trade candidates, ranging from valuable-but-unlikely-to-move names (e.g. Josh Donaldson, Gerrit Cole) to bad contracts that current teams would like to escape in a potential salary dump (e.g. Junichi Tazawa, Matt Cain). There are some quotes from scouts, general managers and other league execs mixed in throughout.

Injury Notes: Castro, Werth, Rodon, Finnegan, McCarthy

By Jeff Todd | June 27, 2017 at 8:34am CDT

Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro left last night’s game with a right hamstring strain, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes. The severity of the injury isn’t yet clear — he’ll head for an MRI today — but Castro did say that he hopes he can avoid a DL stint. If a roster move is needed, though, it seems that the club may give a shot to young infielder Tyler Wade. The 22-year-old, who’s slashing .313/.390/.444 at Triple-A, was pulled from his own game in case he’s needed in the majors.

Here’s the latest on some health issues from around the game:

It seems there’s some optimism within the Nationals organization that outfielder Jayson Werth is ready to move towards a return from his bruised left foot. As Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com reports, it’s possible that Werth could make it back by mid-July. In his absence (and that of Chris Heisey), the Nats have relied upon a combination of Brian Goodwin and Ryan Raburn. Both have hit quite well, making it an easier decision for the team to allow Werth to heal fully. Goodwin, a former top prospect, had scuffled at Triple-A but seems to have found his power stroke in the majors; the left-handed hitter could spell Werth and split time with Michael Taylor in center if the Nats don’t add another option up the middle at the deadline.
Prized White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon is scheduled to make his first MLB start of the year tomorrow, as Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com reports. He has been brought along slowly by the rebuilding team, and has struggled in his rehab outings, but will finally return — leaving the Sox with some roster questions. Chicago will need to bump someone from the rotation, which currently features Mike Pelfrey, James Shields, Derek Holland, and the surprisingly effective David Holmberg behind top starter Jose Quintana. Righty Miguel Gonzalez is also still around, though he’s on the DL.
Reds lefty Brandon Finnegan left his first start back from the disabled list with what the team is calling a triceps strain. As Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes, the club is waiting to decide whether he’ll need to return to the DL until he’s examined today. While it’s promising that the new problem isn’t related to the teres major muscle strain that recently shelved Finnegan for an extended stretch, the organization will obviously look to exercise caution with the 24-year-old.
The Dodgers have announced yet another DL placement for a starter, this time involving righty Brandon McCarthy. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times explains, right knee tendinitis is the cause for the move, though it’s also notable that McCarthy struggled with command in his last outing. That raised some comparisons to the veteran’s problems in 2016. Regardless, it seems the hope is that McCarthy won’t miss much action and that he’ll be able to return to the strong form he has carried thus far in the current campaign, over which he has thrown 72 innings of 3.25 ERA ball. In corresponding moves, righty Brock Stewart and outfielder Trayce Thompson were elevated, with right-hander Ross Stripling being optioned to open the additional roster spot.

Quick Hits: Seager, Rangers, Young, Morse

By Mark Polishuk | June 24, 2017 at 11:24pm CDT

Corey Seager won’t be in the Dodgers starting lineup for what could be several games due to a mild right hamstring strain, as reported by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other media. Seager suffered a Grade 1 strain, the lowest level of hamstring injury, and the team is hopeful Seager can avoid a DL stint; Seager said that this current issue isn’t nearly as bad as hamstring injuries he has suffered in the past. Manager Dave Roberts suggested Seager could be available for key pinch-hitting situations, and the team will wait until Tuesday or Wednesday before deciding if the disabled list is necessary for the star shortstop.

Here’s more from around baseball….

Relief pitching will be a deadline priority for the Rangers at the deadline, though the team is still committed to Matt Bush as the closer, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. “We’ve got to continue to develop Matt in that spot. One of the challenges is finding him consistent work in different situations,” manager Jeff Banister said, noting that Bush is still pretty new to pitching in his professional career. The Rangers also want to see what they have in Ernesto Frieri and Tanner Scheppers before deciding on their specific deadline needs for the bullpen.
Veteran right-hander Chris Young tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he intends to continue his career after being released by the Royals. “Physically, I feel good,” Young said. “My arm feels good. I don’t foresee this being the end. I’m still capable of competing at a high level. Possibly a change of scenery might help.” Young, who turned 38 last month, has suffered through a pair of rough seasons in 2016-17, posting a 6.52 ERA over 118 2/3 IP. Young also praised the K.C. fans and the Royals organization, noting that GM Dayton Moore told him the news of his release in person.
Mike Morse is still suffering from lingering symptoms almost a month after going on the seven-day concussion DL, the veteran slugger tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Morse has openly talked about this stint with the Giants being something of a last ride in his career, though what could potentially be his final season has been hampered by a hamstring injury and now this concussion. Morse has a .556 OPS over 40 PA for the Giants this year, and he isn’t sure when he’ll be healthy enough to return to action.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Cueto, Puig, Adams, Blevins, Chatwood

By Mark Polishuk | June 24, 2017 at 8:51pm CDT

Some hot stove buzz from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, courtesy of two Full Count videos (link one, link two)…

A rival general manager describes Johnny Cueto’s potential trade value as “lower than a rental’s” due to the added complication of Cueto’s opt-out clause, which could make it hard for the Giants to find a trade partner. If a team were to acquire a normal pending free agent at the deadline and that player got injured or performed poorly, the two sides would likely just part ways after the year. If such a scenario happened to Cueto, however, he might not opt out, so the new team would be taking on a potentially diminished asset for the remaining four years/$84MM on Cueto’s contract.
The offseason trade buzz about Yasiel Puig has died down since he is playing well, so it doesn’t seem like the Dodgers would move the controversial outfielder unless they get full value in return. Interestingly, Rosenthal notes that Puig’s clubhouse reputation is still a work in progress, as “many” Dodgers teammates view Puig “as an annoyance.”
Matt Adams is drawing trade interest, which isn’t a surprise given how he has been crushing the ball since joining the Braves. Whether Atlanta looks to move Adams or not will depend on whether Freddie Freeman is capable of playing third base, thus allowing Adams to stay at first base. Moving Adams into a corner outfield spot is problematic since the Braves would then have to deal Matt Kemp or Nick Markakis, not to mention the defensive shortcomings Adams displayed while playing the outfield for the Cardinals earlier this season.
While the Mets are reportedly open to dealing veterans, Rosenthal says that Jerry Blevins is maybe the least likely of those players to switch teams. Blevins is enjoying his second consecutive excellent year in the Mets bullpen, and since the team plans to contend again in 2018, exercising the $7MM club option on Blevins would be a good way to lock up some reliable left-handed relief.
A Tyler Chatwood trade “would be difficult for the [Rockies] to make,” a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Rosenthal. If anything, Colorado will be looking to add pitching rather than move a solid rotation arm. Chatwood has a 4.08 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and a very strong 57.6% ground ball rate over 90 1/3 IP this season. He is a free agent this winter and he has a strong track record (career 3.10 road ERA) away from Coors Field, plus he may not be a prime candidate for a long-term deal given that Chatwood has twice undergone Tommy John surgery. Despite those factors, Chatwood probably has more value to the Rockies as a player than as a potential trade chip as the team battles in the competitive NL West.

Injury Notes: Alvarez, Nunez, Duffy, Smith, Freeman, Perez, Hatcher, Bailey

By Jeff Todd | June 24, 2017 at 10:43am CDT

Former All-Star righty Henderson Alvarez put on a showcase yesterday, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). There’s no word yet on how it went, though it’s certainly promising that he was able to take the mound at all. Alvarez, who only just turned 27, is said to be to full health. He last appeared in the majors early in the 2015 season, before a string of shoulder problems intervened. About half of the MLB clubs were represented at the showcase, per Heyman; it’s not surprising to hear of the interest given Alvarez’s young age and track record of success — including a sterling 2014 campaign in which he placed 12th in the NL Cy Young voting.

Here’s more on some injury situations from around the game:

Giants infielder Eduardo Nunez is heading to the 10-day DL with a hamstring injury, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. That placement opens space for Conor Gillaspie to return from his own stint on the disabled list. It doesn’t seem to be a major injury, as the club has given Nunez time to try to work through the issue, but clearly the hope will be that he can return sooner than later. Nunez seems like the most obvious trade piece on the San Francisco roster, and he’ll need to be in top form at the deadline to maximize his return.
Rays skipper Kevin Cash says that infielder Matt Duffy had a procedure to “remove a pea-sized calcium deposit” from his problematic left heel, as Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). The hope is that doctors have identified the cause of Duffy’s ongoing pain, which has lingered much longer than anticipated. Cash says he expects Duffy to return to action this summer, which could represent a nice boost.
There’s still no clarity on the status of Red Sox righty Carson Smith, who has been working back from Tommy John surgery. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager John Farrell weren’t exactly brimming with confidence yesterday, as Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports. It has now been ten days since Smith last threw, and he’ll be evaluated by medical personnel before picking up a baseball again. At this point, there’s no clear timetable for Smith to make it back to the majors, though Farrell says the organization has “not closed the book in a sense on anything Carson can contribute this year.”
While his potential shift to third base has drawn all the headlines, it’s also notable that Braves slugger Freddie Freeman has made major strides in the healing process for his broken wrist. As David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links), Freeman says that doctors have seen dramatic improvement over the last week. While he says he can still feel some pain in the surgically repaired joint, he stressed that “it’s pain, it’s not hurt” at this stage.
Rangers lefty Martin Perez is headed to the 10-day DL with a fractured right thumb, per a club announcement. Fortunately, that’s his non-pitching hand, so it seems likely he won’t require an extended absence. (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the story on the injury, which was caused by a rogue hotel door.) Texas will also welcome back southpaw Cole Hamels, who is slated to take the MLB mound on Monday.
The Dodgers announced yesterday that righty Chris Hatcher will head to the 10-day DL with thoracic inflammation. The 32-year-old has struggled to a 4.66 ERA, with seven home runs clouding his stat sheet though he also carries a strong 10.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. He has been replaced on the active roster by fellow right-hander Ross Stripling.
And finally, the Reds have officially activated righty Homer Bailey. That move was expected at this point, but it’s still plenty notable. The high-priced righty has made just eight MLB starts since the beginning of the 2015 season, and will be trying to reestablish himself as a healthy and productive big leaguer. Young outfielder Jesse Winker was optioned to create roster space.

Julio Urias To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

By Jeff Todd | June 23, 2017 at 6:10pm CDT

Young Dodgers southpaw Julio Urias will require anterior capsule surgery on his left shoulder, according to a team announcement. It’s a major operation that clouds the future of the 20-year-old hurler.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says that the expectation is Urias will require an absence of between twelve and fourteen months, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports (links to Twitter). It’s even possible that Urias could pitch in the majors in 2018, he emphasized.

Though the procedure is a scary one for any pitcher, there are some mitigating factors here. Friedman says that Urias suffered the injury in an acute manner and is not dealing with any other injuries in his shoulder. That makes for a relatively more constrained problem than many prior pitchers have dealt with.

Still, it’s hard not to cringe when looking at the list of pitchers who have gone before Urias — though Friedman did specify that none were truly direct comparables. The most famous case is that of Johan Santana, who never really made it back. This 2012 piece from Adam Rubin of ESPN.com talks about the history (before Santana’s ultimate fate was known). And this deep dive from Jon Shepherd of Camden Depot covers the nuts and bolts.

It’s notable that the injury — so far as is presently known — occurred while Urias was on optional assignment. That would mean he will not accrue MLB service time during his recovery. Service-time considerations were only part of the picture for the Dodgers as they handled Urias with care over the past several seasons. Even as he showed immense aptitude for his age, the team took great care to limit his workload and ease him towards the big leagues.

The Mexican prodigy cracked the majors last year at 19 years of age, turning in 77 impressive innings of 3.39 ERA pitching with 9.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. It seemed he’d be ready for a more-or-less full season of work in 2017, but struggled early and ended up back at Triple-A. While he was seemingly on track to sort things out and make it back up, Urias apparently suffered the injury in his most recent outing for Oklahoma City.

While Los Angeles can do little but wait and hope that Urias responds well, the news does have near-term ramifications. The Dodgers will no longer be able to count on a boost from the lefty down the stretch, making it seem all the more likely that the team will consider adding a starter at the deadline. Though the rotation goes at least six deep, with other options standing by, the Dodgers are facing a steep test in the NL West and are no doubt aware of the injury risks carried by most of the members of the current staff.

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