Okay, I admit it – I almost bought into Dodgers manager Don Mattingly’s belief that right-hander Brian Wilson isn’t concealing an injury, that he just needs more work because of the Australia-shortened spring training (what I affectionately call ‘The Australian Jinx’). I was even beginning to think that Wilson was finally coming around after a couple of good outings lowering his ERA from a horrid 18.00 to a… well, slightly less horrid 10.29.

And then came Saturday night’s game against the Miami Marlins when the former Giants closer turned a 7-3 Dodgers laugher into a 7-6 nail-biter after hitting a batter, walking a batter and then giving up a devastating 3-run home run to Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna.

Wilson threw 21 pitches of which only 11 were strikes in 0.2 innings. His ERA did a u-turn and is back up to an ugly 12.91. On the year Wilson is 0-2, has allowed 11 earned runs on 10 hits, has given up two home runs, has issued seven walks, has hit three batters and has struck out eight – all in only 7.0 innings of work. Opposing batters are hitting a ridiculous .303 against him and he has an atrocious WHIP of 2.22.

You fooled me once but you’re not going to fool me again. Brian Wilson is hurt – most likely something related to the “elbow tenderness” that landed him on the DL after only two appearances of the new season. Keep in mind that we’re talking about an elbow that has undergone not one, but two Tommy John surgeries.

Brian Wilson is hurt but no one will admit it – not even Brian Wilson.
(AP photo)

Even DodgerTalk Radio host Kevin Kennedy noticed that Wilson is not right – this in spite of Wilson not allowing a run in his three previous innings of work before Saturday night’s debacle.

“He’s throwing strikes but they’re mistakes,” said the former MLB manager. “Last year he had command and could put the ball wherever he wanted it. If he wanted it away, he pitched away and got the strike. If he wanted to throw a backdoor slider to a left-hander, he threw a backdoor slider and got the strike. This year his catchers are calling for pitches low and away and he’s pitching them middle in. He may be getting strikes but they’re not where they’re supposed to be, they’re mistakes. That’s not command of the strike zone,” Kennedy added.

Why all the smoke and mirrors? Why does Mattingly insist on protecting a guy who needs to get right – both his arm and his head? Why not take Wilson off the grid for a while by putting him on the DL and allowing him to pitch in low pressure situations at Triple-A Albuquerque (since rehabbing at High-A Rancho Cucamonga didn’t work). Give him some time off to get back on track. Prolonging the inevitable is… well, prolonging the inevitable.

Wilson is doing no one any good with his continuing failures – especially to himself.