Alex Guerrero Set To Make His Albuquerque Debut

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

With Dee Gordon off to the torrid start that he’s on, batting .405/.439/.541, we almost forget about the Dodger who was slated to become the starting 2b this offseason, originally. Yep, Alexander Guerrero. Gordon putting up a .427 wOBA and adding half a run above average in terms of baserunning has been so key for the Dodgers this season. He’s been a catalyst of the offense, and we’ve almost gotten to a point where Gordon batting leadoff is acceptable. I personally never thought Dee would get to that point. And yeah, that’s a beautiful thing but there is a problem here, Alexander Guerrero is around and he’s coming off the DL.

Guerrero has been dealing with an intercostal muscle strain. And if I could quickly bring some of my personal knowledge on that.

*looks up intercostal muscle*

“intercostal muscle strain from coughing”

Nope not funny. Not even a little bit.

This will happen to me one day, during some inexplicable moment, no doubt. Perhaps during finals at college, or while i’m up in a ladder. Something like that. I’ve accepted this. I’m already a pretty violent cougher and sneezer, my mechanics are all out of wack. My inverted U plus my recoil from both of these motions cause me to be set up for significant intercostal muscle strainage.

So that really, really must have sucked for Alex Guerrero. And according to Don Mattingly in relation to the injury:

"Mattingly wasn’t sure about the specifics of the injury, but said “it sounds like it was instant."

Not fun.

So Alexander Guerrero is back and could conceivably get the only thing that he really needs at this point to get used to the American game. American games. And despite the ominous last sentence of the first paragraph, it’s really good news that the Dodgers have this problem. When’s the last time you remember the Dodgers having infield depth at second base? Potential legitimate starting caliber middle infield type players? It’s been awhile. I for one do not like starting Skip Schumaker in the event of Mark Ellis‘s annual leg failure like last season.

Injuries will happen, roster shuffling will happen, baseball will happen. Three reasons why the Dodgers will need Alexander Guerrero this season at the big league level.