Another injury for the Dodgers’ bullpen? Sure, why not?
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly announced before tonight’s game against the Reds that Vicente Padilla will undergo neck surgery on Thursday. He is expected to miss “an extended period of time”
Padilla was pulled from a minor league rehab assignment earlier this month due to a bulging disc in his neck. The veteran right-hander was shut down last September with the very same injury, though it hasn’t required surgery until now.
Padilla, who re-signed with the Dodgers over the winter, underwent surgery in February to release a trapped nerve in his forearm. He actually found himself closing games upon his return in late-April, but went right back on the disabled list on May 14 with forearm discomfort.