Brett Anderson looking to be key part of Dodgers success
The Los Angeles Dodgers near historic rash of injuries has been well documented. With 26 players landing on the disabled list this season, they’ve had to overcome more games lost from key players than any other team in baseball.
It hasn’t been easy for them all season, but there might be a sign of hope on the horizon. On Saturday, ace Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to throw a light bullpen session in Cincinnati. If that goes well, it could be a big step in his recovery from a herniated disk in his back.
That’s a silver lining. However, the goal to reach the postseason — they currently hold the NL wild-card by two games — still depends heavily on those currently healthy and carrying the load.
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That brings us to Brett Anderson. The 28-year-old left-hander had occupied a spot on the disabled list all season with a bulging disk in his back. He’s back now though, and the Dodgers need him to remain healthy and to contribute down the stretch. He’ll make his second start of the season on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. You’ll have an opportunity to see how he looks as that game will be featured as the Free Game of the Day at Yahoo Sports.
You can stream the game at Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index and video home beginning at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Both Anderson and the Dodgers will be searching for something positive after his season debut quickly fell apart last Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In one inning of work, Anderson gave up five runs on five hits, two of which were home runs. He needed 30 pitches to escape, and actually left the game with a new ailment when he suffered a mild left-wrist sprain diving for a ground ball.
“It feels like I’m kind of snakebit … it’s like a nightmare you hopefully wake up from,” Anderson said after the outing. “You never expect to dive and hurt your wrist, especially with all the time you put in to get back to a big league mound.
“And then to have it happen in the first inning, you just kind of say, ‘What the heck do I have to do? Be the boy in the bubble or something?’ It’s crappy, but the small silver lining was that I got out there, not for very long, but hopefully I’ll come in, feel better and pitch better next time.”
File that start under disaster. Saturday is a new day though and a new opportunity for Anderson to make a mark.
Here’s what we know about Anderson. In a career-high 31 starts last season, he posted a respectable 3.69 ERA. We also know that was the first season he made more than 19 starts since his rookie campaign in 2009, when he started 30.
It’s a career that has been more defined by missed games and missed opportunities than production. He’s still only 28, and he still has a legitimate chance to change the narrative. It has to start soon though or he’ll run out of chances. With that in mind, Anderson should be hungrier than ever to show what he can do. Like so many of his teammates though this season, somehow managing to stay out of his own way or at least stay healthy might be the main physical and mental hurdle he must overcome.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
