The Dodgers are just two games into Spring Training exhibitions and the injuries have already started to roll in. A pair of $20 million players were setback with minor injuries on Thursday, pitcher Zack Greinke and left fielder Carl Crawford.
Prior to the day's matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Crawford was held out of workouts after reporting tightness in his quadriceps. He apparently felt the pain during Wednesday's game when he scored the Dodgers only run.
He believes it is just a small setback.
"I'll be back out there tomorrow," he said.
It just goes to show the value of having four players with starting potential in the Dodger outfield, because with Crawford's injury history, a nagging quad injury can turn into so much more before we know it.
Zack Greinke, the starting pitcher of Thursday's game, threw a grand total of four pitches before being taken out of the game.
Dodgers trainer Stan Conte visited the mound after Greinke landed awkwardly on his follow-through, and pulled the pitcher from the game for "precautionary reasons."
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The injury is being called a "mild right calf strain." Greike said that he would have pitched through it on a normal day, but there is no reason to take risks like that during pre-season exhibitions.
Anxious Dodger fans are already fearful that these superstar ballplayers will spend the season back and forth from the Disabled List. There is no way to calm this fan base when it comes to injuries, despite reassurance from coaches and players that Thursday's setbacks are minor.
Friday brings another day of Spring Training, and the most anticipated news of the day will come from the results of Matt Kemp's MRI. If the results are negative the center fielder will start running for the first time since last September.
