Positives and Negatives of the 2015 Dodgers

Apr 2, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers vice president of medical services Stan Conte (second from left)examines right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) as manager Don Mattingly (right) and second baseman Howie Kendrick (47) watch in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Down: Injuries

It’s an excuse, but injuries killed the Dodgers this season. McCarthy and Ryu forced the pitching to struggle. Yasiel Puig only played in 79 games and while Yasmani Grandal continued to play, he pretty obviously wasn’t right for the last couple months and according to the OC Register, is scheduled to have shoulder surgery on Wednesday.

According to ManGamesLost.com, the Dodgers lost a total of 1,196 games to the DL, which was the fifth most in baseball. This is a common theme with the Dodgers, as since 2010 they have had the second-most games lost to injury.

It’s hard to tell what this can be attributed to. Head Athletic Trainer Stan Conte resigned on Saturday, but it feels weird attributing a horrible stretch of health to the trainer. Maybe the players aren’t preparing their bodies right? Maybe they’re just signing/acquiring injury-prone players? McCarthy is quite prone to injury, but nothing he’s had before screamed “Tommy John candidate”. Maybe the baseball Gods just hate the Dodgers and are smiting them as best as they can?

Either way, watching players blow hamstrings and mess around on the bench rather than playing is less than ideal. The depth that the Dodgers were able to add helped them survive the blow, but it’s also annoying to wonder what could have been if Puig, Grandal, Ryu and McCarthy were healthy in the postseason.

Next: Overall, Not Too Shabby