March 21st, 2017 at 1:04 pm 
by Ron Cervenka There was some good news and some bad news out of Dodgers spring training camp today. The bad news is that the back soreness experienced by soon-to be 35-year-old Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is the result of a “mild herniated disk” in his lower back, for which he received an epidural injection and will be completely shut down completely for a week to 10 days. The good news is that according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, it isn’t as serious as was Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw‘s mild disk herniation last season.
“As far as a timetable, we really don’t have one right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday morning at Camelback Ranch. “I just know we’re going to have a week to 10 days where we’re going to let it calm down, let that epidural take. We’ll kind of re-evaluate then.”
According to Roberts, Ethier’s mild disk herniation isn’t as serious as Kershaw’s was last season … so there’s that. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
You don’t have to be a math genius to figure out that Opening Day is exactly 13 days away, or a physical therapist to realize that the Dodgers’ longest-tenured player will need some time to get back into game shape.
“We’re really trying to get past the idea of Opening Day as a drop dead date,” Roberts said. “The number one thing is we have to get him back healthy and feeling good. Whenever that is – if it’s prior to Opening Day or not – that’s our goal.
Fortunately and as most Dodger fans know, the team still has an abundance of outfielders in camp. Add to this the fact that Roberts said as recently as this past week that they have every intention of including recently-acquired veteran outfielder Franklin Gutierrez on their Opening Day roster. Although he got off to a painfully slow start with his new team, the 34-year-old Caracas, Venezuela native has heated up considerably over the past few games. He is currently hitting .147 on the spring with one double, one home run and six RBIs, but is 5-for-15 (.333) in his last five games.
After a slow start, 11-year MLB veteran Franklin Gutierrez appears to be heating up – and not a moment too soon. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
There is also 26-year-old Andrew Toles, who is also having a decent spring and who many see as Ethier’s natural replacement – at least in the short term. The 24-year-old Decatur, Georgia native is currently hitting .286 with a double, a triple and three RBIs in the 12 spring training games in which he has played.
“There are a lot of guys in camp and we’re evaluating every day,” Roberts said. “I don’t want to name specific names, but there’s an opportunity.”
Stay tuned…
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Toles and Gutierrez platoon seems like a “no-brainer.”
Unfortunately it just seems that Andre cannot stay healthy. It would appear his $17.5M vesting option will not happen.(2018 Vesting Option includes $2.5 million buyout – Option vests with 550 plate appearances in 2017 or 1,100 PAs in 2017-18)
When healthy he is a good player. However, his constant health problems cause roster problems for the Dodgers. They will have to come to resolution with Andre this season re: playing time to create some stability in the left field position.
Ethier was fine for 10 years. Last year was just a bad break and now this. Kershaw came back from a similar injury, but he’s Clayton Kershaw – and he’s younger. I’m hoping with treatment and rehab Andre can play the second half. I have this feeling our depth is going to be tested. Why wouldn’t it be with our age and proclivity to sign high risk players.
Ethier is going through some really tough times. Time will tell just how this is going to work out.
A typical response. #smh
Carpe diem should be Andrew Toles mantra during this stage of his career.
Now if he might shave just an 1/8th inch off that beard he might reduce his drag coefficient, thus making first-to-third a routine occurrence for him.
During a postgame interview in the Dodgers clubhouse last season, one less-than-brilliant reporter asked Toles it he thought that he might be faster if he shaved off his beard. To his credit, Toles kept his cool and answered: “Is that a real question?”
Now that’s too funny right there! Toles is going to be just fine, thank you. He already a fast man.
Carpe leadoff… (there’s no word in Latin for that!)