It has been a special 2014 season for the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, but they received some unfortunate news Friday regarding starting pitcher Josh Beckett. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com filled fans in on the latest:
Gurnick made note of another injury as well:
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly believes Beckett could pitch again this year.
“It’s a possibility,” Mattingly said, per Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. “At the point we’re talking about, 10 days or two weeks of rest and then starting the (recovery) progression. I anticipate that he will be able to pitch again this year.”
This is a difficult break for the team and Beckett as the Dodgers prepare for the stretch run in their National League West race with rival San Francisco. In 20 starts this year, Beckett sports a sparkling 2.88 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He has quietly turned in a solid season while fellow pitcher Clayton Kershaw grabbed most of the headlines.
If Beckett is forced to retire, he will likely be remembered for his postseason prowess. He is 7-3 in his playoff career with a 3.07 ERA, but he was particularly impressive in 2003 (2.11 ERA with the Florida Marlins) and 2007 (1.20 ERA with the Boston Red Sox).
As for the Dodgers, they will have to make do with Kershaw and company as they look toward October. ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Mark Saxon provides details on the move the team made to bring in Roberto Hernandez from the Phillies on Thursday:
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired veteran right-hander Roberto Hernandez from the Philadelphia Phillies for two players to be named later, the teams announced Thursday. The Phillies will receive two “lower-level minor leaguers,” a major league source familiar with the transaction told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
Hernandez, who is starting Friday, will get a chance to fill the Beckett void as the Dodgers look to finish the season strong and maintain their position heading into October.
Check back for updates as they develop.
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