The Dodgers got MRI results on Jon Garland, and the pitcher is expected to miss four to six weeks with a strained left oblique, and will almost certainly start the season on the disabled list. Tony Jackson of ESPN LA has the details:
"I'm always going to hold to that hope [of avoiding the DL]," Garland said. "But the Vegas odds aren't looking too good right now."
Jackson also quoted Garland as saying of his injury, "I have been told a month, month and a half." Garland has started 32 or 33 games each and every year for the last nine seasons, and hasn't been on the DL since 2000. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com has a few more notes, including a quote you never want to hear:
"Last night I sneezed and it hurt pretty bad," [Garland] said. "I have to give it time to let it heal."
Garland said he was told his tear wasn't major or minor, but somewhere in between. A major tear, in which the muscle can separate from bone, can take months to heal.
It sounds like the Dodgers will play it cautious with Garland, allowing him to fully heal before bringing him back. Which means John Ely and Tim Redding will spend the next three weeks likely fighting for a spot on the team in April. The Dodgers don't need a fifth starter until April 12, so they will likely have an extra bench spot (or possibly, an eighth reliever) on the 25-man roster for the first 10 games of the season.
On the field today, Clayton Kershaw makes his third start of the spring, as the Dodgers host the Padres at Camelback Ranch. Kershaw has yet to allow an earned run in seven innings this spring, with two walks and six strikeouts.
Lineups
| Padres | Dodgers | |||
| CF | Maybin | SS | Furcal | |
| RF | Denorfia | 3B | Blake | |
| LF | Cunningham | RF | Ethier |
|
| 3B | Guzman | 2B | Uribe | |
| DH | Salazar | 1B | Loney | |
| 2B | Hoffpauir | LF | Thames |
|
| 1B | Rizzo | C | Navarro |
|
| C | Johnson | DH | Barajas | |
| SS | Cabrera | CF | Robinson | |
Dodgers scheduled to pitch behind Kershaw are Jonathan Broxton, Matt Guerrier, Mike MacDougal, Carlos Monasterios, and Scott Elbert.
Wade LeBlanc starts for the Padres, and will be followed by Simon Castro, Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, Evan Scribner, and Rob Musgrave.
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Game Time: 12:05 p.m. PST
TV: Prime Ticket (DodgerTalk hosts Joe Block and Josh Suchon will call today's game); the game will be replayed tonight at 8 p.m. on MLB Network, outside of the L.A. area.