If you were to look up ‘Hard Luck’ in the dictionary you will undoubtedly see Scott Elbert’s picture. I mean let’s face it, the kid has had it tough every step of the way.

Elbert, who was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2004 First Year Player Draft (17th overall pick), made his MLB debut on August 29, 2008 and appeared in 10 games, all in relief. He finished the 2008 season with an 0–1 record and an unsightly 12.00 ERA.

The extremely likable Joplin, Missouri native spent most of the 2009 season splitting time between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Albuquerque and was selected as the Dodgers “Minor League Pitcher of the Year” after finishing the season with a combined 4–4 record and excellent 3.84 ERA in 18 starts. He received a late season call-up to the Dodgers and appeared in 19 games posting a 2-0 record and 5.03 ERA. He also made an appearance in Game-3 of the 2009 NLCS where he faced three batters, walked two of them and uncorked a wild pitch.

Elbert’s only postseason appearance was in Game-3 of the 2009 NLCS..
(Photo credit – Jeff Zelevansky)

Elbert began the 2010 season as a starting pitcher at Triple-A Albuquerque and was promoted to the Dodgers on May 28. The next day he was brought in to relieve a struggling Hiroki Kuroda and walked three consecutive left-handed batters. He was promptly optioned back to Albuquerque immediately after the game. After making one start for the Isotopes Elbert vanished – literally. He simply disappeared without telling anyone why or where he was going. He eventually returned several months later and in a show of confidence the Dodgers selected him to pitch in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, where he earned a trip to the AFL’s Rising Stars Game.

Elbert began the 2011 season back at Triple-A Albuquerque where he was used exclusively as a reliever – and he flourished. He was recalled by the Dodgers on May 11 and appeared in 47 games, usually as a LOOGY (Left-handed One Out Guy). He finished the season with a very impressive 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched with 34 strikeouts and two saves. It appeared that Elbert’s career was finally on track.

In 2012 Elbert was the ‘go to’ guy out of the Dodgers bullpen, primarily as a situational lefty. In 43 games he posted an outstanding 2.20 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched.

…and then the bottom fell out.

After a series of trips to the disabled list for left elbow issues, Elbert was shut down and underwent season-ending surgery on September 19, 2012 to remove some scar tissue. Four months later he was still experiencing pain in his left elbow and underwent a second elbow surgery on January 23, 2013 for “debridement of cartilage” in a different area of the elbow but it, too, did not work. Elbert finally underwent Tommy John surgery on June 10, 2013 and, as such, was lost  for the entire 2013 season.

And if that wasn’t enough, Elbert had to have an emergency appendectomy in January of 2014, and in March he received Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment on his thrice surgically repaired elbow which further delayed his recovery.

Finally, on June 18, 2014, the (now) 28-year-old Elbert returned to the mound for the first time in 21 months in a rehab assignment with the Ogden Raptors of the short-season Pioneer Rookie League. It did not go well. Although Elbert came out of the outing healthy, he allowed three runs on three hits (including a home run), walked one and struck out one in 0.2 innings pitched.

The Dodgers decided to bring Elbert back out to California where they could closely monitor him and this past Saturday evening he made his second rehab start with the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Not only did it go well, it went very well. Limited to one inning or 20 pitches (whichever came first), Elbert induced a leadoff pop up and struck out the next two batters he faced. Although he didn’t have the 95-97 MPH fastball that he once had, he consistently hit 90 and once bumped 91. He also threw several 86-88 MPH sliders, an 83 MPH change-up, and a couple of 74 MPH curveballs.

Elbert pitched a perfect inning on Saturday night with the Quakes that included two strikeouts.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In all likelihood Elbert will make several more rehab starts with the Quakes and at some point he will (hopefully) throw a few back-to-back innings. When this happens the Dodgers will undoubtedly give serious consideration to returning Elbert to a struggling Dodgers bullpen and provide some much-needed rest for an overworked J.P. Howell.

Say what you will about Scott Elbert and his incredible journey, he definitely isn’t short on courage.