On the Mend: Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley Take Positive Steps on Road to Recovery

The Los Angeles Dodgers have received encouraging news on the respective recoveries of Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley during the past week:

The health of both of these key pieces of the Dodgers’ 2014  roster has actually been a source for concern since the 2012 season, when Kemp first suffered what would become a nagging hamstring injury, as well as a left shoulder injury that eventually required surgery (we detailed Kemp’s injury struggles in an article  last month). During that same season, Billingsley tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, and unsuccessfully attempted to rehab the injury in lieu of immediately having Tommy John surgery. He eventually had the surgery in 2013, and is hoping to return before the end of May.

It appears that the Dodgers have taken a cautious approach to both players’ respective rehabilitation schedules–Kemp has been slowly progressing over the course of several months from physical therapy, to some baseball activities, including batting practice, to now running, and of course, Billingsley has been slowly progressing through the fairly structured post-Tommy John surgery regimen, which can last anywhere from 9 to 12 months (if not longer). With both players turning 30 this year, they’re also reaching a point in their respective careers when health and body maintenance become much bigger priorities. If either player rushes through this rehabilitation process, it could permanently derail a career that started off with such promise–back in 2006-2008, both players were considered to be part of the Dodgers’ core of the future. That core primarily included Russell Martin, James Loney, Jonathan Broxton, Andre Ethier, and starting in 2008, Clayton Kershaw.

During the bulk of his eight-year career, Billingsley has been a No. 2 starter in the rotation. Now, with Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-jin Ryu in line to be the first three starting pitchers in the rotation, Billingsley can hopefully team with Dan Haren, by late May, to form a formidable 1-2 punch at the back-end of that rotation. Fortunately, the Dodgers have created a safety net in case Billingsley has any setbacks or isn’t able to regain his pre-surgery form–Josh Beckett, who’s been on the road to recovery himself, from a 2013 surgery to relieve pressure on a nerve in his neck, showed promise in his first Spring Training appearance last weekend. The Dodgers also signed Paul Maholm, who’s been a very reliable back-of-the-rotation starter for the past three seasons now (for the Pirates, Cubs, and Braves).

After all of the injury problems that plagued the Dodgers in 2013, General Manager Ned Colletti did well to keep his four ‘starting’ outfielders, as well as beef up the starting pitching rotation depth. As has been suggested many times during the off-season, health is probably THE biggest concern for the Dodgers in 2014. A fully-healthy squad with the level of talent the Dodgers possess has the capacity to return to the NLCS, and finally get this franchise back to the World Series. Kemp and Billingsley certainly hope that, unlike last season, they can be around to finally get the Dodgers over the hump.