I knew something was up when I arrived at Lake Elsinore last night for the Quakes vs. Storm game and Ted Lilly was nowhere to be found. Lilly had been scheduled to make another rehab start for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, yet he was not there.

When I asked Quakes manager Juan Bustabad what was up, he had no idea either. “I just found out a few minutes ago that he’s not coming and they didn’t say why” Bustabad said. Lilly had pitched for the Quakes just days earlier and did quite well.

“Ted’s rehab isn’t going as smoothly as we had hoped.” – Don Mattingly (Photo credit – Michael Macor)

During Monday’s pre-game press conference in the Dodgers dugout, I asked Mattingly about Lilly’s missed rehab start at Rancho Cucamonga, to which he said “Teddy’s rehab has been kind of up and down and I know he’s going to see the doctor tonight and we’ll see where that goes.” That was as far as Mattingly would go on the subject.

A short while later, I caught up with Dodgers head trainer Sue Falsone and asked her the same question and got almost the same answer. “Ted’s rehab isn’t going real smooth. He’s going to see a doctor later tonight so we’ll know more later,” said Falsone. I asked Falsone if Lilly might have some type of muscle disorder to which she said that he hasn’t shown any symptoms of anything like that.

Being suspicious by nature (and by former career), I would be surprised if Ted Lilly isn’t shut down for the remainder of the season, however this is pure speculation on my part.

Stay tuned…