GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Dodgers will be without one of their best relievers when they open the season in Korea on March 20.
Right-hander Brusdar Graterol has been nursing two issues – tightness in his left hip flexor and some shoulder discomfort that might or might not be related. Graterol has appeared in just one Cactus League game this spring and won’t be on the active roster for the games in Korea.
Meanwhile, right-hander Blake Treinen had X-rays and a CT scan after being hit in the right side by a line drive during Saturday’s game. The exam revealed no fractures but a bruised lung.
Treinen is expected to play catch on Tuesday then throw a bullpen session on Wednesday before the Dodgers leave for Korea. But he is expected to be on the Dodgers’ active roster for the games in Korea.
“How the lung gets bruised with no fracture – it’s a blessing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“He didn’t dodge a baseball. But we dodged a bullet. How about that?”
Graterol said he has been “trying to work through” the discomfort in his hip but has been limited to plyo-ball work. The shoulder soreness has been “not a lot,” Graterol said, but he didn’t want to risk making it worse.
“I felt some tightness with my hip and I wasn’t able to land the way I wanted to,” he said through an interpreter.
“I’m just trying to prevent something major from happening.”
Graterol said he is “confident” he can work through both issues before the home opener on March 28. He could start a throwing program as early as Tuesday but won’t be on the plane to Korea when the Dodgers can take 31 players. Twenty-six will be active for the games against the San Diego Padres.
Graterol tied for the team lead (with Caleb Ferguson) with 68 appearances last season, posting a 1.20 ERA and 0.97 WHIP and collecting seven saves
Veteran reliever Daniel Hudson is now likely to be on that active roster with Graterol sidelined.
“The quick look is obviously Hudson as someone who makes sense given how he’s throwing the baseball and how he’s feeling,” Roberts said. “But I don’t know exactly yet how it’s going to play out.”
Hudson re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor-league deal this winter after his past two seasons were cut short by knee injuries. He has a March 15 opt-out date if he is not going to make the Dodgers’ roster.
ALSO
Shohei Ohtani is not scheduled to play Monday but is expected to be in the lineup for the Dodgers’ final two Cactus League games on Tuesday and Wednesday. …
Right-hander Emmet Sheehan threw a bullpen session on Sunday. Sheehan was shut down for a week earlier in the spring with shoulder soreness and is expected to open the season on the Injured List. …
Infielder Miguel Rojas was scratched from Sunday’s starting lineup with lower leg discomfort. It is not considered a serious problem.