Edgardo Henriquez, the latest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen to be bitten by the injury bug, was spotted wearing a walking boot in the Dodgers' clubhouse Tuesday at spring training.
Dodgers fans' worst suspicions were later confirmed when manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Henriquez had a "mishap" in which suffered a metatarsal injury in his left foot and would be out 4-to-6 weeks, meaning he would not be healthy in time for Opening Day. Roberts declined to reveal how the injury occurred, however, saying he wasn't "ready" to answer questions about what happened.
On one hand, it could be that Roberts simply hadn't yet been briefed by the Dodgers' medical staff on the full extent of the injury. On the other hand, it could be that the "mishap" occurred while Henriquez was behaving irresponsibly. Admittedly, the latter is probably the more likely scenario of the two (unless he kicked a salad, the Dodgers pitching staff's kryptonite).
Regardless of how it happened, the injury is a tough blow for the Dodgers, whose bullpen has already been ravaged by injuries this spring. The 22-year-old Henriquez joins fellow relievers Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Michael Grove among those not expected to be ready for Opening Day.
Edgardo Henriquez's mysterious long-term injury is a huge blow to Dodgers' bullpen
Henriquez, one of the most exciting young pitchers in the Dodgers organization, made his Major League debut late last season – ironically, as a result of the many injuries plaguing Los Angeles' pitching staff at the time.
Henriquez had only pitched 3 1/3 innings in the regular season before making his postseason debut for the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. By the end of his debut campaign, he had pitched more innings in the playoffs (5) than he had in the regular season.
Despite his relative in experience in the big leagues, Henriquez had an inside track to the Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen in 2025. The Venezuelan right-hander pitched to an ERA of 2.72 in 53 innings across four levels of the Dodgers' minor league system in 2024, recording 88 strikeouts and surrendering just 29 walks.
In the meantime, though, Henriquez will join the growing list of Dodgers pitchers who won't be ready for the start of the season. Maybe one day, Roberts will be "ready" to tell us why.
