Dodgers: Disappointments and Surprises 3 Weeks Into the Year

Brandon McCarthy’s Resurgence:

If you have been as frustrated as I have with Kenta, then I hope you have been as pleasantly surprised with Brandon McCarthy’s comeback season as I have.

Back when Brandon McCarthy got his $48 million deal, I was very happy with the signing. The happiness was short-lived however, as Brandon required Tommy John surgery 23 innings into his Dodger career. Last year, he returned after taking over a year off to rehab the injury and looked okay, but left us with small expectations for this season.

Now, four starts into his 2017 season, McCarthy has looked spectacular as he boasts a 2.25 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. McCarthy has always been a solid pitcher when healthy, but the Dodgers knew the risks when they offered him the contract.

In Brandon’s most recent outing against the Diamondbacks, he gave up two earned-runs on one Paul Goldschmidt swing. Other than the one mistake, McCarthy pitched seven strong innings and helped end the Dodgers’ pitching struggles (for now) and take home a victory after losing five of the previous six.

I keep expecting McCarthy to get knocked around because that just seems like the Dodgers’ thing to do at this point, but every fifth day, he goes out and gives the team the start that they need.

Behind Kershaw and McCarthy, the Dodgers’ rotation has been a mess, and without the contributions of the 33-year-old veteran, this team would have serious issues to deal with. For the time being, McCarthy is the second best pitcher on this team, but hopefully that won’t be the case all year.