Is the Dodger left-hander with one of the best Earned Run Averages over the past two seasons hurt? No, I’m not talking about reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw, I’m talking about the guy whose ERA in 2013 and 2014 was only slightly higher than Kershaw’s – left-handed reliever J.P. Howell.

Over the past two seasons Howell has posted a remarkable ERA of 2.19 ERA (compared to Kershaw’s insane 1.80 ERA), but last September during the stretch run towards the Dodgers second consecutive NL West title, Howell struggled. Badly.

During the month of September the extremely popular soon-to-be 32-year-old Modesto, CA native allowed seven earned runs in 5.2 innings for an ERA of 11.12; he gave up the only two home runs he allowed all season; he struck out six, walked two and had only two Holds in the seven September games in which he appeared.

And then came the 2014 NLDS in which Howell appeared in three of the four games, allowed two runs on five hits including a home run, had no walks or strikeouts, had a blown save and finished his 1.1 innings of post season work with an atrocious 13.50 ERA. There’s no kind way to put it – J.P. Howell completely melted down when his team needed him most.

“He simply ran out of gas,” Dodgers broadcaster Charlie Steiner has repeatedly said – ad nauseam.

Towards the latter part of 2014, Howell would occasionally over-exaggerate his delivery. Whether this had anything to do with his late-season struggles is anyone’s guess. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But that was 2014 and this is 2015, and like every other Dodger pitcher, Howell reported for spring training on February 19 full of hope and optimism, with September and October 2014 nothing more than a distant memory – albeit a very ugly one. But regardless of his hope and optimism and almost in spite of it, it appears that Howell’s demons from last fall have followed him to Camelback Ranch this spring.

Although Howell has said nothing about a possible arm injury this spring, the Dodgers might want to look into this. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In the three games in which Howell has appeared this spring, he has allowed five run in only 1.1 innings of work for a horrible ERA of 16.87. He has given up five hits – including a home run – while walking two and striking out one. In other words, he has been anything but effective with a handful of other left-handed relievers fighting for a very limited number of vacancies in the Dodgers bullpen.

But perhaps what is most disturbing is that the normally cheerful happy-go-lucky bearded redhead who talks like a typical (or stereotypical) Southern California surfer dude made an excuse for his disastrous outing on Tuesday afternoon against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium in which he gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in 0.2 innings of work.

According to Dodgers beat reporter Ken Gurnick, Howell blamed his poor outing on his longer-than-normal warm-up in the bullpen while the Dodgers batted around in the top of the fifth inning in which they scored seven runs and sent 11 men to the plate. Howell’s excuse was later backed up by Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

“You don’t want to see a guy wild like that, but we had that real long inning and he looked gassed when he got in there,” Mattingly said.

But from the perspective of those watching the game in person or on television, Howell didn’t look gassed, he simply looked terrible. He constantly missed up in the zone and his normally devastating curveball missed the strike zone entirely. In the simplest of terms, Howell just didn’t look right.

As Dodger fans know, Howell has been dealing with a tight groin muscle that forced him to take a few extra days off earlier this spring. And while it is unknown whether or not this was the actual reason for his poor outing on St. Patrick’s Day against the Rangers, it certainly appears that something is wrong with the hard-throwing lefty. The problem is, Howell hasn’t said anything to anyone about a possible injury which, if this is the case, is not very wise.

As a nine-year MLB veteran Howell cannot be sent down to the minors out of spring training unless he agrees to do so. A more likely scenario is that he would begin the season on the 15-day disabled list and then given several minor league rehab appearances. But here again, none of this will happen if he is in fact injured but tells no one.

While this injury thing is entirely speculation – for now, at least – it tends to explain J.P.’s struggles more so than the excuse that he was “taxed” while warming up. I mean, if he honestly felt that he was throwing too much while warming up in the bullpen, why didn’t he quit throwing or throw less?

Apparently former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti also suspects that Howell might be trying to pitch through an injury. During the SportsNet LA television broadcasts on both Tuesday and Wednesday, Colletti made the comment “If he’s okay” when referring to J.P. Howell.

Obviously, I hope that I am wrong about Howell possibly being injured, but deep down inside I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not – and somehow I think that Mattingly has that same feeling, even if he won’t admit it publicly.