Adrian Gonzalez has been dealing with back pain for the better part of half a decade, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, and the longtime Dodgers first baseman tells Plunkett that if the discomfort doesn’t subside, this could be his final contract.
“[I]f I have to deal with this next year again?” Gonzalez asked rhetorically. “That’ll probably be it. My contract will be over, that’ll probably be it. I won’t play any more. If I can heal it and my body feels good? Now I can go out there and do the things I can do. Then I’ll keep playing.”
Gonzalez has been diagnosed with a herniated disk in his lower back, for which he has received an epidural injection and is on a regimen of anti-inflammatories and physical therapy. Doctors have informed him that surgical repair of the issue would require a process similar to the spinal fusion that Tiger Woods has gone through and would effectively end his career. Gonzalez acknowledges that he hopes to be able to get healthy enough to extend his career by another two to three years after his current deal runs out, but that’s up in the air at the moment. He’s earning $21.5MM in 2017, and his contract calls for the same salary in 2018.
It’ll be another month before Gonzalez is reevaluated, per Plunkett, and there’s no firm timetable on a return to the playing field for the five-time All-Star. The 35-year-old Gonzalez saw his production take a dip in 2016 but still turned in a solid .285/.349/.435 batting line in 633 plate appearances over 156 games. In 2017, however, he hit .255/.304/.339 and appeared in just 49 games (182 PAs) before landing on the shelf with back issues.
The unsettling injury news for Dodgers fans doesn’t stop there, however, as Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times reports that there’s “heightened concern” in the Dodgers organization about the severity of prized young left-hander Julio Urias’ shoulder injury. President of baseball ops Andrew Friedman tells McCullough that the team doesn’t have anything “definitive” to share on Urias, though they hope to have a more substantive update in the near future.
J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group writes that Urias will return to L.A. this weekend to have his shoulder examined. The 20-year-old hasn’t thrown a baseball since June 10, when he was initially diagnosed with inflammation. He could be headed for multiple opinions on the shoulder and further testing to better get to the root of the problem, writes Hoornstra.
Urias made his big league debut in 2016 as a 19-year-old and pitched like a future ace, tossing 77 innings of 3.39 ERA ball with 9.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 43.7 percent ground-ball rate. He’s struggled through 23 1/3 MLB innings this season but still turned in outstanding work in Triple-A: a 2.59 ERA, a 32-to-15 K/BB ratio and a 46.7 percent ground-ball rate in 31 1/3 innings.
” the severity of prized young left-hander Julio Urias’ shoulder injury”
The Dodgers could have had Cole Hamels for Urias but made him as untouchable as Corey Seager.
When are people going to understand the difference in value between a SS prospect like Seager and another teenage arm? Seager was worth at least five pitchers like Julio Urias.
Anytime you can deal an 18 year old pitcher for a Cole Hamels you gladly do it with high-fives.
They wanted seager plus urias. Dodgers weren’t meeting that price. During that time there was a growing sense that he dodgers were willing to deal urias in a hamels deal. Not seager though. I think what phili ended up getting in return for hamels shows that to be true. Hey got quite a haul at the time for hamels.
Phillies of course asked for Seager, but the Dodgers made Urias just as untouchable.
The Dodgers best offer was Yasiel Puig and Jose De Leon. If the Dodgers had put Urias in that they would have had Hamels.
Good thing the Phillies passed on that awful offer.
Apparently pack it up Urias your career is over. Just pack it up. I know you’re only 20. Never mind that Seager was a must for a Hammels package which is why it never was completed. But you’re apparently the sole reason for not obtaining Hammels.
Of course you have no idea whether the Phillies would have accepted that, but hey, hindsight is awesome right?
sure if it was Urias for Hammels, but it works both ways…. No team is going to take a ten age pitcher for a veteran because a teenager must build up his arm before he can ever reach 200 innings
So Urias is 20 and done, is that your argument?
Trading an 18 year old prospect for a 31 year old is insane. Hamels got destroyed in the postseason last year
Hamels is actually a good template for how the Dodgers should handle Urias. Hamels was incredibly fragile in the low minors – he was always hurt. The Phillies treated him with kid gloves, handled him properly, and he’s been pretty healthy throughout his major league career.
I’m a strong believer in TINSTAAPP but I strongly disagree with your rant
What the hell are you babbling about? 20 years old and done? Jesus.
What if ur 18 yr ol P is young Cole Hamels…? Dodgers did exactly what ur talking bout, giving up on real promising young arm way too soon, Lasorda’s painful GM days….kid P was HOFr Pedro Martinez. Plus u lose all those affordable pre-FA yrs, ask Bosox bout payin 4 older proven Ps….how’s Price deal lookin right now….?
Time to eat another $22M, Dodgers. Ade-Gone is Ade-Done. Best case is to ship him to an AL team who pays him $5M or so to DH in his last year.
Time for you to post another idiotic comment
Right on cubs2489!
Gonzales has back pain when he bats, not when he fields. But sure, that will work.
herniated disk, probably has pain when he sleeps…
That might even be true, but pretty clearly the back pain is having a big impact on his swing, not on his ability to field. I haven’t seen anyone claim that his defensive abilities are suffering. Not to be snarky or anything but it’s kind of peculiar to suggest that he should give up on the thing he can still do so he can do more of the thing he can’t do.
I agree, but Gonzalez has already stated what I believe to be the best option, play healthy or not at all.
Sure, that’s what he has to do and what the team will expect from him. Fortunately the ascendancy of Bellinger gives Gonzo and the team that kind of breathing room. In the meantime we can dream about what it would be like to have 100% of Gonzales and Bellinger in the lineup every day.
How would that help his back Mr. Know nothing?
Everyone’s always gotta be so rude on here. How about we have a conversation without Everyone insulting each other
Ok pukelit start the conversation
I like your name.
The Phillies are a bad team.
The astros are good.
Wow it’s so hard to not be a jerk
Hi pukelit
You’re so clever.
– Said no one ever
Partial NTC, upcoming 10-5, a leader in the clubhouse, eating 17M isn’t making you a better team are the reason as to why it won’t happen.
There is absolutely no reason as of right now to rush him back. A healthy Gonzo is still a big piece. His loss of power is evident, yet he’s still a pure hitter. They have stuck with Ethier, who hasn’t stayed healthy in the latter part of his career, because of his clubhouse presence, then they’ll surely be inclined to stick with Gonzo. If they have to eat his contract next year then they’ll stick him on the 60 Day and eat it. The beauty of this team is the flexibility. Gonzo no longer is required to be the power source he once was.
They stuck with Ethier because when healthy he is a better player than anyone they have on the field and because they owe him a huge pile of cash.
Ade-Gon????
I’ve been saying A-Gon this whole time, didn’t know I was saying it wrong
Because the Dodgers are worried about saving $5MM? Would that make your insane comment accurate? He’s hitting above .250 completely hurt. That better than a lot of players in MLB right now playing healthy, how is he done? If you think this is the first year he’s had to play through pain, it’s not. 14 year career while never being on the DL. Give him some credit and stop jumping to conclusions.
Goodnight sweet prince.
Man, I just realized the Dodgers are paying three guys a total of 64 million dollars to not play for them this season. After this year two of those contracts will be done, and that’s good because they’ll need it when Kershaw opts out after 2018.
Admire A-Gon;’s work ethic, but realistically, with an injury you know limits him for which the surgical treatment is career-ending, I wonder who would sign him next year (unless it was a very low base with incentives)
Gonzalez is smart and sees the end of the road. Health should and seems to be his priority over chasing milestones
I find it incredible that A-Gon has been able to do even what he’s done recently. I have a herniated disc as a result of a separate condition, and it makes simple tasks incredibly painful, and sometimes impossible. The fact that he’s managed to swing a bat and do what he does in the majors, is quite amazing.