As most Dodgers fans know by now, popular 22-year-old Dodgers right-hander Dennis Santana was scratched from his second major league start this past Thursday literally minutes before he was scheduled to take the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The initial report was that the 6′-2″ / 160-pound San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic native had suffered a lat strain, but a subsequent MRI revealed that it was far more serious than that.

As it turned out, Santana had a strained right rotator cuff and he was immediately placed on the Dodgers 60-day disabled list.

The Dodgers would go on to with the game, doing so by using a franchise record-setting nine relievers.

But for as bad as Dodger fans feel about the young right-hander, there is no one who felt worse than Santana himself, who posted this on Twitter on Saturday afternoon:

Although this was yet another blow to the Dodgers already decimated starting rotation, it most certainly could have been worse. As most fans know, the words ‘rotator cuff’ are quite often followed by the word ‘surgery’, but in Santana’s case, they were followed by the word ‘strain’. As such, instead of going under the knife, Santana is going to Arizona.

Late Saturday evening, ThinkBlue LA learned that Santana would be departing LAX early Sunday morning for Phoenix, where he will begin his (estimated) six to eight-week recovery at Camelback Ranch under the same medical and training personnel who are currently overseeing the rehabilitation and recovery of 21-year-old left-handed phenom Julio Urias. Ironically, and under the category of ‘just in the nick of time’, the young Culiacan, Mexico native is expected (hoped) to be ready to rejoin the Dodgers shortly after the 2018 All-Star break (July 16-19).

Santana will begin his rehab and recovery at the Dodgers spring training facility at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, where he spent spring training 2018 with the major league club.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Now … if only the Dodgers can only make it to the All-Star break without anyone else going down.