Spring Training Daily: ST Daily: Anderson Ailing

As the old adage goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

So it goes with Brett Anderson‘s health. After making 30-plus starts last year for the first time since his rookie year in 2009, the southpaw is set to miss three to five months after it was decided he’ll need arthroscopic surgery for a bulging disk in his lower back. It’s the second surgery to repair the same disk in the last two years for Anderson.

Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said the reoccurrence is “a bit of bad luck,” but it’s hard to be too surprised. Anderson has made just 112 starts in his seven-year career due to injury, surpassing the 20-start plateau just twice.

One of those seasons was last year, when Anderson made 31 starts while going 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA. A free agent, the Dodgers extended Anderson a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer, an offer that Anderson accepted in lieu of exploring the open market.

Now, the club will be forced to seek alternatives to fill Anderson’s absence. Zaidi said the team will likely look to internal options first, with manager Dave Roberts naming Brandon Beachy and Mike Bolsinger as the leading candidates for the vacancy. Zaidi, though, left the door open for external help as well.

“We’re not on the phone or anything,” he said. “But we’re always looking to improve.”

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the free agent market is fairly barren at this stage. Tim Lincecum is arguably the highest-profile free agent starter left out there, and he comes with well-known warts. Kyle Lohse, Brandon Morrow and Justin Masterson are a few of the others without homes, but none offer much in the way of comfort for a team hoping to win a World Series in 2016.

Spring training is in full swing, so be sure to keep refreshing Rotoworld’s constantly-updating player news page for all the latest. And while you’re at it, follow @Rotoworld_BB and @nate_grimm if you are on Twitter.

Capps To Visit Dr. Andrews

The Marlins’ closer competition may not be much of a contest at all.

Carter Capps, who, along with A.J. Ramos, was expected to vie for the Marlins’ closer gig this spring, will visit Dr. James Andrews on Monday to have his sore right elbow checked out. Capps was shut down earlier in the week after experiencing discomfort in the elbow.

It’s not the first time Capps has had issues with the elbow. He visited Andrews in 2014 but avoided surgery — Andrews is often the final stop before Tommy John surgery for pitchers — and despite appearing in 50 games last year, the 25-year-old was shut down last August with a right elbow strain.

“On the mound, stuff comes out good,” Capps said Thursday. “It’s just it’s really painful right at the end right now.”

If Capps is indeed out of the picture, it eases the path for Ramos to once again save games in Miami. The right-hander racked up 32 saves last season as the Marlins’ closer, posting a 2.30 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. On a team expected to be decent, Ramos will be a must-own in fantasy leagues if Capps misses significant time.

Maybin (Wrist) Out 4-6 Weeks

Another oft-injured player is among the first seriously injured this spring as well.

Cameron Maybin, who has appeared in more than 95 games in a season just three times in his nine-year career, will be out four-to-six weeks after a CT scan Thursday morning revealed a non-displaced hairline fracture of his left wrist.

Fittingly enough, the injury happened in Maybin’s first at-bat of spring. The center fielder took a pitch off his left wrist Wednesday in the Tigers’ Grapefruit League opener against the Yankees.

The outlook means Maybin won’t be ready to rejoin the Tigers until early-to-mid April, but manager Brad Ausmus offered a longer timetable Thursday.

“Generally, that means 4-6 weeks for it to heal before you start participating in baseball activities,” Ausmus said.

In the meantime, Anthony Gose will get the lion’s — er, Tigers’ — share of playing time in center field, with Tyler Collins likely serving as the backup. Gose got off to a tremendous start last year before falling back to earth, finishing the season with a .254/.321/.367 line, 73 runs scored and 23 steals in 140 games.

Maybin was expected to man the right-handed hitting side of a platoon in center with Gose after being acquired from the Braves in November. Maybin enjoyed a quietly decent season in 2015, batting .267/.327/.370 with 10 home runs and 23 stolen bases for the Braves.

Now, he’ll undergo follow-up X-rays in two weeks.

Quick Hits: Everyone’s favorite situational speedster will be missing in action for at least six weeks, as Jarrod Dyson was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right oblique strain. Dyson suffered the injury in his first Cactus League at-bat and is expected to start the year on the disabled list as a result … Josh Reddick could be the next player to receive a long-term extension this spring, as Athletics general manager Billy Beane said the club is working on a deal with the outfielder. Reddick has put a deadline on talks, saying he doesn’t want to negotiate during the regular season … Andrelton Simmons has “a little arm issue” keeping him out of Cactus League games, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. It sounds minor at this point … Jurickson Profar started at shortstop for the Rangers on Thursday, finishing 1-for-2 with a single, walk and a run scored. He also showed no issues throwing after shoulder problems have kept him out most of the last two seasons … A.J. Pollock (arm) took live batting practice Thursday. He’s expected to make his Cactus League debut Friday … Anibal Sanchez (triceps) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday. It will be a big test for the right-hander, who has just been playing catch in recent days … Wilson Ramos left camp to travel back to Washington, D.C., Thursday to undergo LASIK eye surgery. The recovery is expected to hold Ramos out of spring action for at least a week but shouldn’t affect his readiness for Opening Day … After feeling some back discomfort Wednesday, Brian Matusz‘s return is “not imminent,” according to Orioles manager Buck Showalter. The results of an MRI taken Thursday should be known soon … Another Oriole, Jimmy Paredes, is sidelined as well. Paredes has been diagnosed with a sprained left wrist, and X-rays Thursday evening were expected to shed more light on a potential timetable for the infielder’s return … The Padres signed Matt Thornton to a minor league contract. The southpaw pitched very well for the Nationals last season, so it’s hard to figure why he was without a job to this point … With Jose Reyes‘ outlook very cloudy, Trevor Story could find himself in position to start at shortstop for the Rockies on Opening Day. He certainly made a strong opening statement Thursday, mashing a three-run bomb against the Diamondbacks in a Rockies win.

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