Dodgers Add Another Bed in the Infirmary

Vicente Padilla pitching in the first inning against the Florida Marlins on July 6. AP Photo/Gus Ruelas
Who needs medical school when all you need to do is cover the Dodgers? It surely isn’t get any easier for the Dodgers as they place right-handed pitcher Vicente Padilla on the 15-day disabled list with a bulging disk in his neck. The team will be recalling right-handed relief pitcher Travis Schlichting from Triple-A Albuquerque. “It’s a blow,” Torre said. “It’s like that other shoe hitting the floor, you hoped it was going to be better after the last one.”

“He’s had a little bit of left neck pain the last two starts,” head medical trainer Stan Conte said. “After the first couple of innings in his last start it started bothering him again. It kind of bothers him a little bit in the neck, a little bit on the left side in between his shoulder blade.”

Padilla since coming off the disabled list on June 19 with a sore right elbow had been remarkable for the Dodgers before his last two starts having a 1.80 ERA in nine starts with a 4-2 record. He hasn’t fared that well in his last two starts giving up 12 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings pitched - the same amount of runs he gave up in his previous nine starts.

“It didn’t show up in the velocity, but it showed up in his command,” Torre observed.

Dr. Robert Watkins, Jr. performed an MRI on Padilla today and discovered the bulge in one of the disks in the neck.

“It’s not a real big bulge, and it’s not pushing on a nerve,” Conte said. “But it’s a bulge nevertheless and probably the source of where his problem is.”

Padilla most likely will not undergo surgery instead receiving an epidural injection tomorrow to help reduce the inflammation.

Padilla was expected to start in tomorrow’s opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

“It’s going to be [Carlos] Monasterios,” Torre said about tomorrow’s starter. “But again, with the length of the game last night, if we have another long game we told Carlos he would be available tonight.”

So if you see Monasterios in the game tonight, the starter for tomorrow’s game goes up in the air. If not, then he’ll make the start.

Other Injuries. Jeff Weaver threw a simulated game before batting practice on Wednesday and felt fine. “My arm feels good, my knee feels good,” Weaver said. “So far so good.” Torre expects Weaver to begin a rehab assignment in the coming days.

Rafael Furcal underwent a bone scan with Dr. Watson, Jr. this afternoon to rule out any stress reaction in his spine. The results won’t be known until right before game time.

Russell Martin is still on crutches and has shown up to the stadium everyday.

In non-injury news, Matt Kemp took extra batting practice early in the afternoon with hitting coach Don Mattingly.

Lineup

Colorado Rockies

1. Eric Young, LF
2. Dexter Fowler, CF
3. Ryan Spilborghs, RF
4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS
5. Melvin Mora, 3B
6. Todd Helton, 1B
7. Miguel Olivo, C
8. Clint Barmes, 2B
9. Jorge de la Rosa, P

LA Dodgers

1. Scott Podsednik, CF
2. Ryan Theriot, 2B
3. Matt Kemp, CF
4. James Loney, 1B
5. Casey Blake, 3B
6. Reed Johnson, RF
7. Jamey Carroll, SS
8. Brad Ausmus, C
9. Ted Lilly, P