On Monday the Dodgers announced the signing of free agent right-hander Dustin McGowan as an additional piece to their reconstructed bullpen.

“He’s another guy with high upside as a reliever, still has power stuff,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s a guy who creates competition in camp and gives us another option.”

But much like the signings of Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson and more recently Brandon Beachy, signing McGowan has its risks. McGowan, who will be 33 on March 24, has a history of injuries – a lot of them:

• 2004 – Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer
• 2008 – surgery to repair a fraying labrum in his right shoulder
• 2009 – surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee
• 2010 – surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
• 2012 – arthroscopic shoulder surgery
• 2013 – strained right oblique

Dustin McGowan is a low risk – potential high reward signing for the Dodgers.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But in spite of McGowan’s lengthy injury résumé, Mattingly is optimistic that all of that is now behind him.

“We’re hoping we can catch lightning in a bottle with him,” Mattingly said.

During his seven-year MLB career – all with the Toronto Blue Jays – McGowan has been used almost exclusively as a starting pitcher with a career mark of 25-27 and 4.57 ERA. His best season was in 2007 when he was 12-10 with a 4.08 ERA in 169.2 innings pitched. He struck out a career high 144 while walking 61. But at 33 years of age and with his lengthy injury history, the Savannah, Georgia native has come to grips with the fact that his starting days are over.

“I gave it a shot last year one more time and it didn’t work out,” McGowan admitted. “After going through all the surgeries, I was having a hard time recovering. The first few starts weren’t too bad, I could recover a day or two in. After the fifth and sixth it started getting pushed back a day for recovery even more. By the last start, it was pitch then recover all the way up to the next start.

“As a starter you have to pace yourself a little bit, you can’t really go full throttle,” McGowan added. “As a reliever you come in for one inning and let it go.”

When asked how he feels now, McGowan made it very clear that he is 100 percent healthy.

“I feel great, I’ve felt great for the last two and a half years, no arm problems for that long,” McGowan said. “Physically, I’m not 24 anymore but I can still get [my fastball speed] up there the same as I did before.”

McGowan’s contract with the Dodgers is a one-year deal at the MLB minimum of $507,500, however, he can make an additional $1 million if he makes the Dodgers 25-man roster out of spring training. Is he up for the challenge?

“You always have to have that mentality,” McGowan said. “There are very few players that have it given to them. You have to earn it.”