Dodgers News: LA Close to Getting 2 Key Players Back from Injured List
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of their best month of the season.
They've gone 24-4 in August -- good for the best mark in MLB -- and have seen their NL West lead swell from three games to a dominant 14 game cushion, and they look like they'll be clear World Series contenders this October.
Their success coincides with the team getting largely healthier with the postseason just over one month away.
And now the Dodgers are due to get two key players back soon.
All-Star designated hitter J.D. Martinez is set to go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City shortly, and he's expected to join the Dodgers next week when they travel to Washington D.C. to play the Nationals from September 8-10.
Relief pitcher Shelby Miller should be activated even sooner, as he's on his way to Los Angeles to join the team, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.
Miller has had a strong first season in LA, posting a 2.40 ERA in 25 appearances before being placed on the 60-day injured list because of neck pain.
The 32-year-old has been another revelation for the Dodger bullpen, as they signed the former starter turned reliever to just a one-year, $1.5 million contract in December.
The Dodgers have gotten more than their return on investment for both, as Martinez turned a one-year, $10 million deal into an .856 OPS and 25 home runs in just 92 games, while Miller went from a flier to a bullpen arm increasingly used in high-leverage situations.
Los Angeles has found their stride at the most opportune time, and getting Martinez and Miller back before the postseason will only serve as even more help for one of MLB's best overall teams.
