If you are a Los Angeles Dodgers, and you were hoping to watch Andrew Heaney pitch soon, well, we have some bad news for you.
The left-hander landed on the injured list last week with left shoulder discomfort.
Shoulder injuries are perhaps the worst for a pitcher, so the Dodgers are expected to be extremely cautious with their pitcher, who signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal early in the offseason.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed on Wednesday that they are going to be very careful not to rush their pitcher back.
“Dave Roberts said they’re going to be ‘pretty conservative’ with how they bring Andrew Heaney along from his shoulder issue. Hasn’t picked up a ball yet,” Fabian Ardaya, who covers the Dodgers for The Athletic, tweeted.
Dave Roberts said they’re going to be “pretty conservative” with how they bring Andrew Heaney along from his shoulder issue. Hasn’t picked up a ball yet.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 27, 2022
The Dodgers Aren’t Going To Rush Heaney
It’s something of a contradictory statement as a week ago, the Dodgers said they didn’t expect Heaney’s injury would be long-term.
Both things can be true, of course, but if they are going to be “pretty conservative” and he is not even throwing yet, this has the potential to be a long-term absence.
Heaney, who had a really rough time last season between the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees, appeared to find his place in the world with the Dodgers, at least in the early going.
He had pitched 10.1 scoreless innings to open the year, with only three walks and 16 strikeouts.
That’s why the injury is so untimely: he was doing great and looked poised for a rebound year.
It will have to wait, as the team makes sure his shoulder is 100 percent before having him pick up a ball and restart his throwing program.
