Dodgers News: Stripling’s MRI Results Delayed, Fear Ligament Injury

Pitching prospect Ross Stripling was expected to come to Los Angeles Dodgers big league camp with the expectation of showing the coaching staff he deserved a promotion shortly.

He was on the mound for two innings in the team’s Cactus League opener, but complained of elbow pain following his outing. Stripling underwent an MRI and results were going to be released today; however, the process is taking a bit longer.

According to Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com, the Dodgers may have to wait a few extra days for the final results from the MRI and are fearing the worst:

Dodgers still awaiting MRI results on pitching prospect Ross Stripling, fearing an elbow ligament injury. Might not get one until Monday.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 1, 2014

The 24-year-old later revealed that he felt some pain earlier in camp, but didn’t mention anything to the trainers. After the game on Wednesday, he finally notified the staff of his pain. Now, the team is fearing the worst for their former fifth round selection. If the injury turns out to be a ligament, it’ll likely be the UCL, which is usually fixed with Tommy John surgery.

The Dodgers already have a few pitchers recovering from TJ surgery and it would take Stripling off the field for at least a year. Right-hander Chad Billingsley and left-hander Scott Elbert are currently recovering from Tommy John.

Last season, Stripling went 8-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 127.2 innings between Advanced-A and Double-A. He’s considered one of the team’s top pitching prospects and losing a year in development would be devastating to the young right-hander. Stripling and the Dodgers will be hoping for good news come Monday that’ll keep him out of the operating room.

Once the results are finalized, the Dodgers can take the next step in helping him return to the mound.

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