Dodgers News: Yasmani Grandal Set For Shoulder Surgery

During the first half of the 2015 regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers received significant returns on their trade of Matt Kemp as Yasmani Grandal slugged his way to the All-Star Game.

However, as the season carried on, Grandal was unable to shake free of lingering pain in his left shoulder. The Dodgers sat him for a handful of games, and Grandal altered his batting stance by September. Neither seemed to completely set the catcher pain-free.

That should come in the offseason as according to Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA, Grandal is slated to have shoulder surgery in the upcoming week:

.@YazmanianDVL08 set to have shoulder surgery on Wednesday. Not expected to be able to swing a bat until at least January. #Dodgers

— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) October 16, 2015

In terms of timing, the decision couldn’t make any better sense. The ability for Grandal to nurse the injury throughout the offseason is a major advantage. The notion that he cannot swing a bat until January may cause problems with his timing, but is something that can return once players report to Spring Training. Coming off a season in which he hit .234/.353/.403 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs, but slumped after the All-Star break, Grandal went 1-for-10 in the National League Division Series with two RBIs and one walk. He started three of the five games despite the bothersome shoulder, which he appeared to aggravate in his final at-bat in Game 3. Once Grandal has the surgery, the Dodgers should release a timetable for his expected return.