The Dodgers pitching staff has seen better days

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As much as we might wish to hasten the arrival of Opening Day, the long months leading up to April 3 have their perks: Instagram reunions between teammates, garish new uniforms, wayward batting practice home runs and, in the Dodgers’ case, extra rehab time for some of their most prized starters. Although there’s little cause for concern on a rotation headed by Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers are expected to kick off the season without right-hander Brandon McCarthy or southpaw Hyun-jin Ryu. McCarthy has been sidelined since last May after undergoing Tommy John surgery, while Ryu is recovering from a serious shoulder injury that derailed his entire 2015 season.

Patience is the name of the game here, and thankfully, the Dodgers have a plethora of backup candidates ready to slot in when necessary. McCarthy landed on the 60-day disabled list on Friday to make room for newly acquired reliever Louis Coleman, and likely won’t rejoin the team until the All-Star break. The timetable for Ryu’s return, on the other hand, is much shorter, but the club stressed that its top priority will be getting Ryu back to full strength, even if it means he’ll miss the first few weeks of the season. Until then, the Dodgers will have seven weeks to run through their list of potential No. 5 starters, including Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood.

While it’s not an ideal way to begin a new season, it will take more than a couple of injured pitchers to keep the Dodgers out of the running for the NL West title. What they lack in Zack Greinkes, Brandon McCarthies and Hyun-jin Ryus, they make up for in roster depth -- enough depth, Adrian Gonzalez claimed, to cover any potential injury the team might face in 2016. That might be a stretch, but if Ryu returns even a fraction of the command and results he turned out in 2013 and 2014, the Dodgers could have a decent shot at a fourth consecutive postseason opportunity.