The Los Angeles Dodgers will likely be losing one player for the rest of the 2015 season, but they'll be gaining another.
Starting pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu, who has been sidelined since spring training with shoulder inflammation, has elected to undergo surgery to "clean up whatever is causing the inflammation," according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Earlier in the day both Saxon and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports cited a report from Korea that suggested Ryu would be going under the knife.
However, the Dodgers have yet to confirm the surgery. The latest news regarding Ryu was that his rehab was slowed down after he experienced a setback and there was no set timetable for him to begin throwing again. He was about a week away from throwing live batting practice in early May, but the setback came shortly after and he was shut down.
If he does undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, the Dodgers could ramp up efforts to seek starting pitching outside the organization and rumors will begin swirling. Brandon McCarthy was already lost to Tommy John surgery and the team doesn't know if Brett Anderson, Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias can consistently perform or stay healthy for the entire season.
On the other hand, Cuban infielder Hector Olivera passed his physical earlier today and is flying to Arizona to spend a few weeks at the Dodgers' training facility before starting in the minor leagues, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Los Angeles signed Olivera to a six-year, $62.5 million contract back in late March.
There were rumors that suggested Olivera had a damaged UCL in his throwing elbow, but Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says his elbow is fine. The 29-year-old, who was once one of the most productive hitters in Cuba, will likely play third base for Los Angeles once he joins the team. He owns a career slash line of .323/.407/.505 with 619 runs scored, 96 home runs and 433 RBIs in 642 games in Cuba's Serie Nacionale.
"This is an extremely proud moment for me, and I'm looking forward to showing everyone the type of player that I am," Olivera told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "I'm feeling great and very comfortable in the organization, and now, it's time for me give the best I have, focus on baseball and helping the Dodgers win games. I know I am going to do a good job and continue to put Cuban baseball in a good light like the others who have come before me."
We'll be keeping updates on both Ryu and Olivera in the coming days as more news surfaces about their statuses with the Dodgers.
UPDATE: The Dodgers have confirmed Ryu will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, according to Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
