Injuries limited Josh Beckett to only eight starts in 2013. Here is a look back at his shortened season.
What went right
Beckett was magnificent in his third start of the year, April 14 in Arizona. He struck out nine in his 8⅓ innings, and didn't allow a run until the ninth inning. Unfortunately for Beckett and the Dodgers that run, scored on a bouncer through the right side, was the only tally of the game, and a loss.
What went wrong
Injuries cut short Beckett's season. He went on the disabled list in June with a left groin strain, but as that malady healed Beckett began to feel tingling and numbness in his fingers. He was eventually shut down with nerve irritation and ultimately had surgery in July to remove a rib on his right side to relieve the pressure in his nerves caused by Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
Beckett pitched 43 innings for the Dodgers in 2013, after pitching 43 innings for them after the Punto Trade in 2012. He had 38 strikeouts and 14 walks in 2012, and 41 strikeouts and 15 walks in 2013. But other than that the seasons were quite different, as Beckett allowed nearly twice as many runs in 2013 (30) than he did with the Dodgers in 2012 (16), and allowed eight home runs this year compared to have last season.
After his great start in Arizona, it was all downhill for Beckett, who allowed 21 runs and 44 runners to reach base in 24 innings over his final five starts.
Beckett walked just three of 77 batters faced (3.9%) in his first three starts - one per start, including one of the three walks intentionally. But he walked 12 of his final 118 batters faced (10.2%) over those final five outings.
2014 status
Beckett, who will be 34 in May, has one more year and $15.75 million remaining on his contract. At the moment he is penciled into the Dodgers starting rotation, and is expected to be ready by the start of spring training. But if the Dodgers remain active in the starting pitching market, Beckett could end up as a starter-in-waiting of sorts, albeit a highly-compensated one.