As is usually the case, when pitchers and catchers officially reported for spring training this past Tuesday, nearly all of them were not only already at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, but most had been there for several days and in some cases a week or more. So, too, were many (most) of the Dodgers position players and all of the 21 non-roster invitees.

It’s not that the pitchers, catchers and position players felt that they needed more time to get ready, it’s just that just like every baseball fan on the planet, they simply can’t wait for the new baseball season to begin.

But while the focus around camp is indeed about getting the pitchers and catchers into game-ready condition as quickly as possible, the big buzz – or question – around camp is whether or not Dodgers All-Star shortstop Corey Seager will be ready for Opening Day on March 28, 2019 after missing nearly all of the 2018 season for Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on May 4 and subsequent left hip surgery on August 7.

“Corey is running around, I wouldn’t say he’s running at 100 percent, but just seeing the video and talking to trainers, the eye test, he looks really good and looks really strong,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday. “The arm, I think he’s up to like 90 feet and he’s not throwing across the diamond yet, but we’re tracking for him to be ready Opening Day.”

When might the 24-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native and Dodgers first-round draft picked in 2012 out of Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina be ready to play in a spring training game?

“That’s kind of a TBD-type thing,” Roberts answered. “There’s kind of a rough schedule for Corey but obviously it’s kind of going to be on the backfields, kind of take some at-bats, and then as far as hitting to an A-game over here, to start, to play, to get three at-bats, that’s down the road.”

How many at-bats will the former National League Rookie of the Year, two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner need to be ready for live-game action?

“That’s a good question. I think as far as at-bats, whether you’re getting them over here or on the other [minor league] side, I think for Corey – didn’t play last year, every player is different – but for me, 50 to 60 is something that sort of makes sense right now, and that can obviously [change], depending on how Corey feels.

“And as far as innings, that’s something else because to be able to just stand in the infield and to have your legs, so we’re going to have to kind of create some situations and see how many innings, defensive innings that he can log because arguably that’s going to be harder than the at-bats,” Roberts concluded.

When asked where Seager is at in the recovery process, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters this on Wednesday:

“It’s kind of exactly what we thought in terms of a best-case as we got to this point, and each checkpoint is going to be so important,” answered Friedman. “But at this point, I know he has done everything that he possibly could to be back and will continue the progression and see where that takes us.”

Stay tuned…

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