Rival’s injury a wake-up call
PHOENIX — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has never been spelunking. He never yearned to explore caves, but he also understood the danger. During his 10 years as a player, he recalled, his contract explicitly forbade the activity, along with other risky endeavors such as skydiving or riding a dirt bike.
“I never spelunked, but I contemplated it,” Roberts said before Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Roberts was speaking in the wake of a devastating injury to the best player on his team’s chief rival in the National League West. San Francisco Giants lefthander Madison Bumgarner landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career after suffering a sprained left shoulder and bruised ribs in a dirt-bike accident during an off day Thursday.
Bumgarner, a four-time All-Star, could be sidelined for two months or longer. The injury occurred amid a teamwide stumble that has left the Giants several games below .500.
Roberts made light of his own lack of adventurism as a player, but he felt no need to gloat about the situation. The Dodgers learned to survive in 2016 after Clayton Kershaw suffered a herniated disk in his back and was sidelined for six weeks.
“It’s unfortunate, Madison’s situation,” Roberts said. “It’s a reminder to all players what can happen. That’s why they’re called accidents.”
For his part, Kershaw indicated he does not ride dirt bikes. “Even if I did,” he said, “I wouldn’t tell you.”
Short hops
Andre Ethier (herniated disk) still has not been cleared to resume baseball activity, Roberts said . ... Scott Kazmir (hip tightness) cut short a throwing session Thursday because of an issue with his hip, Roberts said. He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in front of pitching coach Rick Honeycutt on Saturday. Kazmir still is unable to generate the necessary velocity on his fastball, Roberts said. ... Franklin Gutierrez (strained hamstring) will take at-bats Saturday at Camelback Ranch as he prepares to return from the disabled list. The Dodgers at one time had intended to activate him for next week’s series against the Giants.