The Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfield depth is going to be tested, as Andre Ethier will miss the next few months to recover from a fractured tibia he suffered on March 18. He earned more playing time in the Dodgers’ crowded outfield thanks to his consistent play and he was headed in the same direction this spring as manager Dave Roberts had been pleased with his progress. The veteran outfielder won’t need surgery, but the Dodgers say he will not return for 10 to 14 weeks.
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Roberts mentioned that Ethier was wearing two different shin guards at the time of the injury, and that both pads allowed only a three-inch gap where the ball could have hit in order to cause the injury.
The team scheduled Ethier to have a bone scan taken Monday.
Per ESPN.com’s Doug Padilla, Ethier had an X-ray “immediately” after suffering the injury and it came back negative, leading to him being diagnosed with a contusion. “He was really looking forward to this season”. “That said, we’re excited about the guys we have on hand”. We’ve got a lot of good players. The way he’s swinging the bat, the hard contact, seeing good pitching.
Thompson, hitting.200/.250/.422 this spring, starts in left field on Tuesday night against the Royals.
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Early in camp, Roberts told Ethier that he would be the team’s first option in left field after a strong 2015 season – a. 294 batting average, .366 on-base percentage and a. 486 slugging percentage in 142 games. So far this spring Guerrero has been limited to the hot corner or designated hitter.
