*** UPDATE ***
Padilla will undergo arm surgery on Thursday after going through a series of tests on Tuesday. Because he is going through this procedure now, the hope is that he will be back in weeks instead of months.
***
That didn't take long.
Once again, the injury bug appears to have bit Vicente Padilla. A mere few days into Spring Training, Padilla is experiencing soreness in his right arm and will receive an MRI. Yes, that would be same arm that DL'd him last year with a similar injury.
Padilla was brought back to the Dodgers this season to serve as the ultimate swingman. He can be a spot starter, throw multiple innings in relief, or possibly get a few big outs at the end of games. However, he recently said how he'd like to compete for the fifth starting spot, currently occupied by Jon Garland.
This news, though, reminds everyone just how fragile his arm can be. When he's on, he can really be on. We all remember how red hot he was to end the 2009 season, quickly becoming the Dodgers' ace that postseason.
After starting Opening Day last year (and getting bombed in Pittsburgh), it was a roller coaster ride from there on out. He ended up 6-5 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, but in only 16 starts. Again, he showed how good he can be when healthy, but that seemed to be few and far between.
The hope here is that the Dodgers have caught the injury ahead of time, unlike last year. Wait and see.
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