Elbow surgery on a pitcher is rarely a good sign. Having it done again, four months after it was done the first time, is generally not a better sign. Unfortunately, that’s what Scott Elbert is dealing with now, given the surprising news that he underwent an arthroscopy today on the same left elbow that originally went under the knife in September, though the team says it’s “a new area of cartilage damage”.
According to the Dodgers, Elbert will be able to begin a throwing program in six weeks, which would put him on the sidelines until the first week of March. That doesn’t absolutely mean he won’t be healthy for Opening Day, especially given that he’s a short reliever and not a starter, but it’s also going to put him well behind the curve.
The presence of fellow lefties J.P. Howell & Paco Rodriguez — and perhaps Ted Lilly, depending on how the rotation excess shakes out — also means the team has less cause to rush him back.
