Injuries to key players can devastate a team.

Throughout the 2012 season, the injury list was filled with multiple players for the Dodgers.

When it rained, it poured. Key players from the lineup, starting pitchers, to relievers, all were caught with the injury bug that plagued the 2012 Dodgers.

One of the biggest injuries to the team was when Ted Lilly went down in late May. He was off to the best start of his career until a shoulder problem caused him to miss the rest of the season, eventually forcing him to get surgery.

Another huge injury the Dodgers had to face was when Chad Billingsley went down after he had won his last six starts. He was the hottest pitcher in the league during that time, but the injury caused him to sit out during the stretch run.

Even Clayton Kershaw was out for a while during September.

Javy Guerra then went down, needing arthroscopic right shoulder surgery.

Todd Coffey signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles, but spent almost the entire season just watching, after needing Tommy John Surgery.

Add Kenley Jansen to that list, as his heart problems sprung up again late into the season.

Even though all of those injuries played a big role in the past season, none of them were as big as the injuries to Matt Kemp.

First came the hamstring pulls that began in May. Then came the shoulder problem, where he just ran full-speed into the center field wall in Colorado.

After those injuries, Kemp and the whole team just didn’t seem the same anymore. Thankfully, Kemp is starting to get back into shape just in time for Spring Training.

Other injuries that weren’t mentioned include: Matt Guerrier, Adam Kennedy, Shane Victorino, Jerry Hairston Jr., Andre Ethier, Justin Sellers, Mark Ellis, and Blake Hawksworth.

Yeah, it seemed like Dodger Stadium was becoming a hospital with all of those players going down.

You can make a real strong case that injuries were the cause of the Dodgers’ troubles throughout the year, but 2012 is in the past.

As we look forward to the 2013 campaign, staying healthy will be at the top of the Dodgers’ goals in mind.If they are able to do so for most of the season, they should be in really good shape for a post-season run, come October.

Even though things have already started on the bad side with Scott Elbert likely to miss the entire season — knock on wood, and wish the Dodgers injury bug  away.