FanPost

The Dodgers need their injured players to replace the bad ones and the ones leaving

Heading into 2016, Corey Seager and Julio Urias were top ten prospects. Both had good rookie seasons. They have both been derailed my arm injuries since. They need to return to top form. So do players like Tony Cingrani.

Seager made the opening day roster and finished third in MVP voting. He was quietly a very dangerous hitter in 2017. He's out for the rest of 2018, but will be back for 2019. I'd be shocked if he doesn't match of exceed his 2017 stats. I'm not worried about him. He will easily be back, and may shift to second if the Dodgers re-sign Manny Machado. That would put Muncy and first and make Bellinger a full-time outfielder. That will cover up Chase Utley's retirement and Brian Dozier's free agency.

Urias is a little more concerning. He posted an ERA under 3.50 in 2016 and got a taste of postseason. He was recalled in 2017 and things started great. In one start, he took a no-hit bid into the 7th and Andrew Toles tore his ACL trying to preserve it. In his next two starts, his ERA ballooned to 5.40 before being optioned to OKC. Then he tore his Anterior Capsule and hasn't pitched in the majors since. He's held opponents to a .205 average in his rehab starts but given up an alarming number of home runs. He needs to step up as a starter next year to replace free agents Ryu and possibly Kershaw, even if that means canceling the plans to have him relieve in September.

Cingrani, even when he's not a young star like the first two, needs to be at his best. I don't want to knock Scott Alexander, because he can be good when he's on. But he's very, VERY inconsistent and while he gets holds, he can't get saves. Cingrani needs to be there to close games when Jansen is unavailable. We need Tony Cingrani to be great in 2019, because we're at the point where out best LHP out of the bullpen is Caleb Ferguson, and he's a 22-year old rookie converted starter.

Which leads me to someone I haven't mentioned yet. Dennis Santana. He and Ferguson were called up when Kershaw, Hill, Ryu, and Maeda all went down. Santana pitched in one game at Coors Field (where he got the win) and strained his shoulder before his second, leading Daniel Hudson to start a game. The day before Santana was scratched, Ferguson couldn't make it out of the second. After three starts, Ferguson was moved to the 'pen and has quietly been one of the top three relievers the Dodgers have (Jansen, Floro, and Ferguson) and honestly, the only reliever I trust more than him is Jansen, who's so good he shouldn't even count. But Santana has only just started throwing off a mound after he went down. I'm assuming he's out for the season, but he could be a very important part of 2019.

This is a fan-written post that is in no way affiliated with or related to any of the authors or editors of True Blue LA. The opinions reflected in this post do not necessarily reflect those of True Blue LA, its authors or editors.