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“DODGERS-EPIDEMIC”
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The Dodgers have done so many right things over the last decade.

But now they have a problem, and it is alarming.

No not Dave Roberts alleged shortcomings as a manager in post season.
No not their 290M-payroll.
No not the deferred contract they gave Shohei Ohtani.
No not the mega trades this big market franchise always makes August 1st

The problem is on the roster.
The problem is on the pitching staff.
The problem is on the disabled list.

There is something very wrong right now at Dodgers Stadium.

The 1-sentence press release talked about hot young rookie pitcher River Ryan, the kid with that (1.33-ERA) in his first 3-major league starts, is headed to surgery.

The real story is the fact he is the 6th young Dodgers pitcher to have major surgery on an elbow or a forearm in the last calendar year.

Walker Buehler has had 2-elbow surgeries and has yet to return to the form that made him an elite starter.

Dustin May has now had 3-surgeries, two on his forearm, the third for a throat condition, and he is 2-years removed from a start.

Emmett Sheehan was brilliant last year at the end of the season, helping in the pennant race, and never got out of spring training this year-because he needed surgery.

Kyle Hurt arrived, and went down this year, and is rehabbing the same surgery too.

Veteran Tony Gonsolin is recovering too from that surgery as well as knee complications.

And now you add River Ryan to a list of young arms, who have to be out 12-to-18 months in rehab.

It’s Tommy John surgery, named after the legendary pitcher.  Sports medicine is fabulous, but there is no guarantee that a blue chip pitcher comes back the same, or better after the procedure and its long layoff-rehab schedule.

Starting in February in spring training, thru today, there have been 51-Tommy John surgeries across MLB, front line pitchers, promising kids, veteran arms.

It’s a bizarre set of circumstances, all those injuries to all their bright stars in LA.

And keep in mind, the total score of pitching injuries.  The long comeback of Clayton Kershaw.  The start and stop debut of Japanese phenom Yosh Yamamoto.  The injuries that put ace Tyler Glasnow on the DL.  The shoulder woes of another hot young arm Bobby Miller, who has yet to return to the rotation after early season success, then setbacks.

And I haven’t really mentioned all the nagging injuries to the wide variety of veteran relievers the Dodgers have had on and off that list all year.

In all the Dodgers have had to use 34-pitcher this season.  They have had a combined 18-pitchers go on the DL for various injuries,including the most serious elbow procedures.  they have  used 12-different starters since June 1st.

And with all that, and with the losses of Mookie Betts-Max Muncy, the Dodgers are still in first place.

But there needs to be a meeting of the minds, because the analytics guys that Andrew Friedman gives carte-blanche to, need to evaluate why virtually every top young arm has had the same injury.

Is it seeking the triple digit 100mph pitch?  Is it the violent arm action to throw a sweeper?  Is it the grips of the ball to get wicked movement?  Is it a need to have pitch counts?  Extra days rest?  What they do in bullpen sessions?

The Dodgers portray their front office as ‘smart guys’.  They better find an answer because this is a bad epidemic at Dodgers Stadium.  And this cannot be solved with a vaccine or holy water.

Smart guys.  They better find an answer.  Not for the fans nor the media.  But for the pitchers who wear that uniform.

The ‘Dodgers Way’ seems to be setting a dangerous trend when it comes to their top pitching prospects.

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