Editorials

Dodgers News: Yasmani Grandal Admits To Being Timid At Nationals Park

Alex Brandon-AP Photo
Alex Brandon-AP Photo

UPDATE (July 20, 2:35 p.m. PT): According to David Vassegh of AM 570, Yasmani Grandal is sitting Monday’s game out and will see how he responds Tuesday:

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Suffice to say Yasmani Grandal has been a catalyst in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup. Enough so to earn him a spot on the National League All-Star team, which was the first time in his career he earned All-Star Game honors.

Grandal’s production was briefly slowed when he returned from a concussion suffered in May. On Sunday Grandal suffered another scare as a Michael Taylor foul ball struck him square on the bottom of his face mask. Grandal immediately called for trainers to come out and he was promptly removed from the game.

After the game Grandal explained his removal was tied to feeling his jaw move in a rather unnatural way, according to J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News:

It’s hard to bite down,” he said. “I don’t usually get out of games. I’ve gotten hit more than enough times in my jaw and taken a lot of hard hits. It’s basically what the jaw did more than anything else — it went back and to the side. I felt more like a crack.”

Additionally, Grandal explained he’s still dealing with memories of tearing his ACL at Nationals Park:

I just got scared, just because when I messed up my knee I messed it up here,” Grandal said, referring to the torn ACL he suffered in July 2013. “When I play here, my anxiety is out of proportion. I’m trying not to do anything crazy just so I can get out of here healthy.”

Of the Dodgers’ 93 games, Grandal has played in 71 of them and has been quite effective both at the plate and behind it. He has just one error (a throwing error) and is known as one of the best pitch-framers in baseball.

Offensively, he has been a great improvement from Dodgers catchers over the past few seasons. Grandal’s runs above replacement (RAR) is 24.6. His 160 wRC+ also leads all active Dodgers, just above Justin Turner (158) and Adrian Gonzalez (153).

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