The pending decisions regarding the crowded Dodgers bullpen became a little clearer on Wednesday morning when former closer Brandon League was shut down after experiencing shoulder discomfort while throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday. Although visibly disappointed. League doesn’t believe the injury is serious.

“If it was serious I wouldn’t be able to pick up a ball,” League told reporters on Wednesday morning. “It’s not painful, it’s just hindering.”

The Sacramento native, who turned 32 years old on March 16, was scheduled for an MRI later Wednesday morning in Phoenix. He said that the shoulder discomfort feels a little different than the shoulder discomfort that cause him to be shut down after his last appearance on March 9 when he allowed five runs on three hits with a walk in 0.1 innings of work. It was only the second appearance of the spring for Leagues, who now has an atrocious ERA of 33.75 in 1.1 total innings pitched.

Brandon League is expected to begin the 2015 season on the disabled list.
(Photo credit – Paul Sancya)

Although nothing will be definite until after the results of the MRI are known, there is zero doubt that League will begin the season on the disabled list with only 11 spring training games remaining.

“He hasn’t pitched in a while,” said Dodgers manager Mattingly. “He’s been having recurring symptoms, it’s just time to find out. You guys can do the math.”

Even when League returns to health, he is going to have a difficult time getting back into the Dodgers bullpen, this in spite of the $7.5 million owed to him in 2015. League also has a vesting player option for 2016 based on the number of games he finishes in 2015. The option is worth between $7.5 and $9 million. He needs a total of 55 games finished between 2013 and 2015 for the $9 million figure. He already has 47 of them.

During the off-season it was rumored that the new Dodgers brass was looking to trade League but there was never any movement towards that end.

League was initially acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2012. He was lights out in the 28 games in which he appeared with the Dodgers in 2012 posting a 2-1 record with an excellent 2.30 ERA. So good was he that then Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti signed the former Mariners closer to a three-year/$22.5 million contract during the off-season. But in 2013 League was anything but effective. Although he finished the season with a 6-4 record, and a hefty 5.40 ERA, he had five blown saves in 19 opportunities.

League finished the 2014 season with a very good 2.57 ERA in 63 appearances in 2014 but allowed 12 inherited runners to score – tops among all Dodger relievers. He did, however, pick up the Dodgers lone win in the 2014 NL Division Series – thanks to Matt Kemp’s dramatic eighth-inning home run in Game-2.

Results from League’s MRI should be available on Thursday or Friday and as soon as we hear anything, we will pass it on to you.