Greinke said the elbow pain "comes and goes" and is similar to the issue he had during spring training in 2013. Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers already have placed five pitchers on the disabled list this month and plugged two holes in their rotation with trades for veterans Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia.
Now they will try to avoid another problem by pushing right-hander Zack Greinke’s next scheduled start back two days. Greinke has been dealing with elbow discomfort for “the last month or so” and will not make his scheduled start Thursday against the San Diego Padres. He will start Saturday instead.
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw will take Greinke’s start on Thursday on regular rest thanks to a day off Monday.
Greinke said the elbow pain “comes and goes” and is similar to the issue he had during spring training in 2013. That time, an MRI revealed inflammation in the back of his elbow. He received a PRP injection (platelet-rich plasma) and was shut down temporarily during training camp.
Another MRI recently revealed no structural damage, he said.
“There’s nothing wrong with the ligament. It’s just something that comes and goes,” Greinke said. “I can’t guarantee it’ll be good from here on out, but I don’t plan on having any issues with it.”
Four days off in the next three weeks will allow the Dodgers to give Greinke (who leads the team with 157 1/3 innings pitched) extra rest. But he would make no promises that the extra rest would make the issue go away.
“I can’t predict the future,” Greinke said. “I expect to be able to pitch at 100 percent level. But I don’t expect to feel 100 percent while I’m doing it.”
