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Zack Greinke has a fractured left collarbone following a bench-clearing brawl in last night's Dodgers-Padres match-up.
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There's no word yet on how long Greinke will be out, though Miami Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis had a similar injury in spring training and was said to be out at least six weeks.
The brawl started after Greinke plunked Carlos Quentin in the shoulder. Quentin -- the most hit-by-pitch guy in the majors over the last two seasons -- charged the mound and all hell broke loose. Greinke lowered his left shoulder, took the charge and repelled him. Quentin came back for more and the benches cleared. Observe:
This isn't the first brush with missed-time Greinke faces this year. Greinke, 29, was scratched from his last spring start so the Dodgers could have his right elbow examined due to discomfort. He returned from the examination with the all-clear, made his next three spring starts (Mar. 20, 25, 30) and made his debut April 5, pitching 6 ⅓ innings of 0.00 ERA-ball.
The Dodgers started with a full bevy of potential starters in the spring, among them Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang. Now that Greinke's hurt, and with Lilly still on the disabled list, Capuano is in the bullpen (and according to Eric Stephen of True Blue LA, they like him there), and Harang has been traded twice (first to the Rockies and then to the Mariners), that leaves the following starters for the next six days:
Kershaw, Ryu, Beckett, Billingsley, ________, Kershaw. Lilly threw 90 pitches in a minor-league rehab game Wednesday, so he makes the most sense for a spot replacement until the Dodgers can maneuver further.
