Dodgers Injury Report: Colletti Discusses Timetables For Injuries

Spring Training is just over a month away and the Los Angeles Dodgers have a handful of players coming off injuries heading into the 2014 season.

Dodgers’ GM Ned Colletti took time to discuss the timetables for the players and all reports have been very positive thus far. According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Colletti updated the statuses of a number of players:

Elbert and Billingsley targeted for July and June, respectivelt.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) January 8, 2014

Matt Kemp has begun hitting. Expected to play during spring. Beckett should be ready for start of spring.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) January 8, 2014

Scott Elbert is recovering from Tommy John surgery and would give the Dodgers a third left-hander available out of the bullpen. The left-hander last threw in 2012, when he appeared in 43 games and had a 2.20 ERA for the Dodgers. Bullpen depth has become one of the team’s strengths this winter and Elbert may find himself in the minors when he returns.

Right-hander Chad Billinglsey is also coming off Tommy John surgery and should be ready by midseason.  Billingsley partially tore his UCL at the end of the 2012 season but tried to pitch through it last season, lasting just two starts before undergoing surgery.

Outfielder Matt Kemp is coming off ankle surgery and has been limited the entire off-season. He’s recently began hitting and Colletti mentioned that the 29-year-old was looking very strong. Kemp is working hard to participate in Spring Training and will be ready for the season, barring any setbacks. The other pitcher coming off surgery is right-hander Josh Beckett, who underwent a procedure to remove a rib to relieve pressure on a nerve. Beckett will be ready and is slated to be the team’s fifth starter in the rotation as of now.

The Dodger GM also spoke about two players that played through injuries in the postseason via Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:

"Nothing but positive" reports on Ethier, Ramirez.

— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) January 8, 2014

Ethier and Ramirez both played through injuries in the playoffs last season and are expected to be completely healthy by the spring. Ramirez was hit with a pitch that fractured his rib in Game 1 of the NLCS and missed just one game in the six-game series. Ethier didn’t start a game in the NLDS but played through an ankle injury in the NLCS. He’ll be 100% heading into the spring and is still mentioned as the odd man out in the Dodgers’ outfield logjam.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

ICYMI: The Dodgers and Don Mattingly agreed to a three-year extension