Last year two very significant events happened that would end up determining the fate of the 2012 Dodgers – the first something good, very good in fact; the second not so much.

After starting of the 2012 season at an MVP pace, Matt Kemp injured his hamstring and landed on the disabled list, as did Mark Ellis with an extremely serious calf injury that very well could have cost him his left leg were it not for the keen eye of Dodger head trainer Sue Falsone. When these injuries happened, the Dodgers assembled a M.A.S.H. unit of replacement players from their bench and even a couple from Triple-A. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle – the Dodgers began winning… a lot. In fact, they not only led the NL West for almost a month, but for a couple of weeks they actually had the best record in all of baseball.

Although the Dodgers sorely missed Kemp and Ellis, the mood in the clubhouse was not only upbeat, it was magical. These second and third stringers kicked, scratched and fought their way to victory and had baseball analysts scratching their heads – and Matt Kemp had a lot to do with it. Although Kemp couldn’t help his team on the field, he was their biggest cheerleader from the bench. The Dodgers developed a “we’ll show you” attitude and the mood and confidence of the team was positive and contagious.

…and then the second event happened.

In only his second game back from the DL, Matt Kemp not only re-injured his hamstring, but actually suffered a second separate tear in it. This time there would be no miracle  M.A.S.H. unit. This time the very spirit and heart of the Dodger team was lost. And even though Kemp would eventually make it back after the All-Star break, the magic that had fueled the team through his first absence was gone and the Dodgers would finished the 2012 season in second place in the NL West with a lackluster 86-76 record and would miss the newly created second Wild Card berth by one game.

When Matt Kemp injured his hamstring the first time, the Dodgers rallied behind him and went on an incredible winning streak, but when he re-injured it on May 30, 2012, it was a blow to the team from which they never fully recovered. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

After a series of major off-season acquisitions, the Dodgers gave every indication that 2013 would be their year. In addition to landing top free agent starting pitcher Zack Greinke, the Dodgers also signed Korean superstar left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu and would have a healed and healthy Carl Crawford as their everyday left fielder – something that the Dodgers have been without for more than a decade.

The Dodgers began the 2013 season by beating the hated Giants (followed by two losses) and then swept the Pirates in three at Dodger Stadium. They then headed down the I-5 for a three-game series against the Padres. Unfortunately, in the final game of the series, the indiscretions of deranged Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin took out Dodger co-ace Zack Greinke when Quentin charged the mound after being hit by a pitch that was clearly unintentional – clear to everyone except Carlos Quentin, that is.

Without question, Zack Greinke’s injury was a blow to the Dodger team reminiscent of Kemp’s injury last season.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

The very instant that Greinke’s collarbone was broken in that benches-clearing brawl, so too was the Dodgers spirit. It was the exact same feeling that occurred when Matt Kemp re-injured his hamstring the year before. And though everyone knows that the games must go on without their right-handed ace, a huge void has been created in the very heart and soul of the 2013 Dodger team; the result of which was losing five of their next six games, including the recent three-game sweep at the hands of those very same San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

Enter Hanley Ramirez.

As we all know, Hanley Ramirez suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb in the final game of the World Baseball Classic – an injury that required surgery to repair. And even though early projections as to his possible return date were mid to late May, Ramirez is single-handedly (no pun intended) proving that his claims of returning to action much sooner are very real.

Within two weeks of his surgery, Ramirez began taking grounders (albeit one-handed) and began hitting off of a tee and taking soft-toss batting practice in the newly remodeled indoor batting cage at Dodger Stadium earlier this week. But no one, absolutely no one expected that he would be taking live batting practice a mere three and a half weeks after his surgery, yet this is exactly what he did on Wednesday afternoon before the series finale against the Padres. And while you might expect Ramirez to take it easy in his first return to live BP since his injury, he actually hit several BP home runs – to the amazement of everyone.

For those who think that Hanley Ramirez is a slacker – think again. Ramirez has been working extremely hard to get back into the Dodger line-up. (Photo credit – Jake Roth)

In spite of the fact that Dodger manager Don Mattingly is a bit skeptical about Hanley’s claims that he will “shock” everyone by returning way ahead of schedule (if there even is a schedule), I am now convinced… 100% convinced that Ramirez will be in the Dodger line-up on or perhaps even before Tuesday, April 30 – which just so happens to be Hanley Ramirez bobble head night.

At a time when the Dodgers need a serious dose of good news, it appears that Hanley Ramirez is the right medicine at exactly the right time.