For those who have been trying to calculate exactly when Dodgers right-hander Brandon League must rejoin the Dodgers once his rehabilitation assignment began – some say 30 days, others say 20 – you can throw your calculators out the window.

“We’re already there,” said League after his final rehab game with the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Tuesday night – his first back-to-back appearance since his rehab began on June 7. “I just know I’m being sent to Chicago (June 21-24). From here I go to Oklahoma City for two outings, Friday and Sunday.”

Asked if there would be another back-to-back outing before rejoining the team, the 32-year-old Sacramento native said no.

“This is my only back-to-back. Friday is one inning, Sunday is two innings and that’s it,” he said.

League has not allowed a run through his first five rehab appearances.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

On Tuesday night League once again was in the 92-MPH range with his fastball and the upper ’80s with his slider – both of which appeared to be very sharp.

“I’m about right where I should be. This is like my normal spring training velocity,” League said. “I’m worried more so about location and movement. I’m getting ground balls, that’s the only way I can really tell.”

Judging by the results thus far, he needn’t worry. Through his five rehab innings, League has not allowed a run and has given up only five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. But more importantly, he is completely pain free.

“No issues, no discomfort,” he said.

Well played, Brandon.

When League rejoins the team in Chicago the Dodgers will obviously have to make a roster move, which could prove interesting. Because League cannot be sent to the minor leagues without his consent – which is highly unlikely – someone has to go. The most likely candidates are right-handers Josh Ravin or Yimi Garcia or left-hander Adam Liberatore – all of whom still have options remaining. The problem is that Ravin and Liberatore have both been very effective out of the Dodgers bullpen while Garcia has struggled a bit lately. As such and in all honesty, a stint back down in the minors could do a world of good for the hard-throwing Garcia.

When League does return to the team, you can bet that there will be some serious breath holding going on by the Dodgers brass (and Dodger fans). He was shut down during spring training after experiencing shoulder inflammation and opted to go with rest and rehabilitation over arthroscopic surgery to clean up his shoulder – an understandable choice considering that he is in the final year of a three-year / $22.5 million contract with the Dodgers and surgery would have most likely caused him to miss most (if not all) of the 2015 season. But as Dodger fans know all too well, the rest and rehab thing over surgery hasn’t worked out too well for the Dodgers – most notably with Chad Billingsley and more recently with Hyun-jin Ryu.

But regardless of who stays or goes, the addition of a healthy Brandon League to the bullpen could be an absolute blessing for the Dodgers who, through the first three months of the season, still do not have a defined set-up man to closer Kenley Jansen. Should League become that guy, the Dodgers already good bullpen could very well become an even better bullpen.