When the Dodgers finally admitted there was something wrong with Jonathan Broxton -- the Dodgers, by the way, were the last sentient creatures in the solar system to admit this -- they supposed he would miss two or three weeks.
Jonathan Broxton’s Sore Elbow Still Barking
That was in early May. A few days later, the prognosis became six weeks rather than two or three. And indeed, after (roughly) six weeks Broxton did pitch again. Sure, in the minors. But he was pitching, and racked up five strikeouts in two innings.
But as the Minnesota Twins' front office will giddily explain, strikeouts aren't everything and in this case Broxton's five strikeouts were masking more pain. Monday, Broxton had another MRI on his sore elbow. Tuesday, there's word from Dylan Hernandez that Broxton will be completely shut down for another three weeks.
Let’s see ... that means Broxton won’t do much of anything except ride a stationary bike until late July, then there’s rehab and maybe if everything goes perfectly he’ll be pitching for the Dodgers in early August.
There is some good news, though. One, somehow Broxton’s still going to draw his paycheck at the end of this month, which is a good motivator for him during these difficult times. And two, Don Mattingly’s getting some really good on-the-job training, just in case he someday has to manage another bullpen that’s cursed.
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