The NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers received some bad news on Saturday, as the team’s official Twitter account reported pitcher Paul Maholm‘s MRI revealed an ACL tear:
Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller has an update on Maholm and the Dodgers’ corresponding roster move:
Maholm suffered his injury on Friday during an 8-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. In the early hours on Saturday morning, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported the injury as it happened:
After the game, manager Don Mattingly feared the worst during a press conference, via Michael Lananna of MLB.com:
“Paul’s is the one that’s pretty serious, it seems, like the way he came off the field and was moving around. He felt it the step before he got to the bag. He was walking good, but then we he got to the steps, it kind of gave out.”
Now, roughly 13 hours later, the pitcher’s season is all but over.
In his first year with the Dodgers, Maholm hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. He’s currently holding a 4.84 ERA, allowing 82 hits and 44 runs while striking out 34 batters in 70.1 innings pitched. He started eight games this season, earning a record of 1-5.
The injury comes at a terrible time for Los Angeles, as the team is already thin in the pitching department. Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register sure thinks so:
Despite Maholm’s struggles, this injury should quickly put the Dodgers on the market for another southpaw reliever, should he opt for season-ending surgery, while the team continues on its bid for the postseason.
For Maholm, it will be a long road back to full fitness following such a devastating injury.
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