SURPRISE -- Lost amid the devastating news that Andre Ethier would miss 10-14 weeks with a broken leg, it was bad news Tuesday with various minor infirmities thrown into a growing pot of frustration stew.
The first involves Mike Bolsinger, and was pretty much known from the moment the word "oblique" was mentioned. He won't be ready to start the season.
"With Bols, I'm pretty sure it will definitely affect the start of the season," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said on Tuesday. "The question is how far in, but we don't know the answer to that yet."
The Dodgers need a fifth starter on April 8, their fifth game of the season, but thanks to off days on April 11 and April 18 can maneuver the roster to delay their fifth starter a few days the next few times through the rotation.
"It's very unlikely that Mike will make that first turn," said manager Dave Roberts.
That April 8 start will either be made by Zach Lee, Carlos Frias or Brandon Beachy, Roberts said.
Lee was optioned to minor league camp on Sunday, but will likely rejoin the Dodgers at some point before breaking camp. Frias, who made 13 starts for the Dodgers in 2015, was stretched to three innings on Sunday. Beachy, dealing with tendinitis and inflammation in his right elbow, is expected to throw on Wednesday at Camelback Ranch on the club's off day.
But for any starts after that first time through, there are too many variables at this point to project that far ahead.
Notes
Yasmani Grandal is still dealing with right forearm soreness, the same injury that sidelined him for a week earlier in spring. He left Monday's game early after just one at-bat and two innings behind the plate, but told reporters on Tuesday that he would be ready to catch Thursday night against Cleveland.
Friedman said he didn't expect Grandal's injury to affect the start of the season.
Yasiel Puig was originally slated to start on Tuesday night but was scratched, right about the time the Ethier news broke. But this was no injury, both Roberts and Friedman said. Rather, this would have been Puig's third start in a row and the club wanted to give him an off day, coupled with Wednesday's full team off day.
Thankfully it wasn't because of an allergic reaction by Puig to his new facial cream.