Although there is little doubt that Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have been looking to acquire starting pitching help all season long, there is now zero doubt that it is absolutely imperative.

In the bottom of the first inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson, who has been nothing short of brilliant since taking over the number three spot in the Dodgers rotation for Hyun-jin Ryu, suffered what is being described as irritation of the left Achilles tendon.

“I felt it at the last play of the first [inning],” Anderson told reporters after the game. “[Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons] hit the chopper and I kind of jumped off the mound there and just felt a little something.”

The 27-year-old Midland, TX native stayed in the game and tried to play through the discomfort, but when he again had to come off the mound to field a slow grounder in the third inning by Braves left fielder Jonny Gomes, he kicked the ball and had to chase it down in front of the Dodgers’ dugout, with Gomes reaching first safely on the infield single. This time, however, when Anderson returned to the mound, he summoned Dodgers Vice President of Medical Services Stan Conte and manager Don Mattingly and he was immediately removed from the game.

Stan Conte examines Brett Anderson’s left ankle as his teammates and manager look on.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

A short while later an updated report was given stating that Anderson’s left Achilles tendon was (thankfully) not torn and that he will be checked out further on Wednesday morning, when he will undergo an MRI to determine the extend of the injury.

As he often does, Anderson posted on Twitter from the Dodgers clubhouse with a photograph of his left foot in a walking boot. He added that he doesn’t think the injury is too serious.

(Photo courtesy of @BrettAnderson35)

Although Mattingly wouldn’t come right out and say that Anderson is headed for the disabled list, it’s hard to imagine that he isn’t. During his seven big league seasons, Anderson has avoided the DL in only one of them – his rookie season with the Oakland A’s in 2009.

Prior to Monday night’s game, the Dodgers optioned right-hander Brandon Beachy back to Triple-A Oklahoma City to create a spot on their 25-man roster for returning outfielder Carl Crawford, who had been out since April 27 with a torn oblique muscle. In his two starts since returning on July 11 from his second Tommy John surgery, Beachy was less than effective going 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in his eight inning of work prompting the move. But if the Dodgers are unable to acquire outside pitching help between now and next Sunday (Anderson’s next scheduled start), Beachy’s stay in Oklahoma City could be very short.

So how does Zaidi see this latest setback?

“I don’t know that we could ratchet up our search for starting pitching any more,” said Zaidi. “But this emphasizes the need to add.”

There is another possibility – one that will probably appeal to most Dodgers fans. It has been widely speculated that Dodgers 2010 first-round draft pick Zach Lee was being penciled in to fill Beachy’s spot in the rotation on Saturday when the Dodgers take on the Mets at Citi Field. And while Mattingly was more than just a little aloof about this during his pre-game media briefing on Tuesday when pressed about it, it now seems to be pretty much a sure thing; unless, of course, Lee himself is part of a pending trade to acquire the likes of Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto – among a couple other big names being tossed around before the rapidly-approaching July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

In his 12 starts with the OKC Dodgers this season, Lee is 7-3 with a team-leading 2.36 ERA and really doesn’t have much more to prove at the Triple-A level. The 23-year-old Plano, Texas native was called up to the Dodgers on Saturday as the 26-man for a (sort of) doubleheader after Friday night’s game was suspended due to lighting issues at Nationals Park. Lee, however, was not called upon to pitch in either game and was sent back to Oklahoma City immediately afterwards. He started (and won) for OKC on Monday night, which puts him on the exact rotation schedule that Beachy was on – so you can see where this is going.

But regardless, losing Anderson even for one start is a huge blow to the team and has now put the Dodgers rotation into what Don Mattingly described as “disarray.” It also forces Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi to go back over their list of potential trade partners with hopes of acquiring some desperately needed pitching help… and fast.