Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier fouled a ball off of his leg during a Cactus League game on Friday. He underwent a bone scan on Monday, which revealed that he suffered a fractured right tibia, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Ethier is expected to miss 10-14 weeks as a result.
This is a huge blow for the Dodgers, as Ethier is coming off of a stellar 2015 campaign in which he hit .294/.366/.496 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI in 445 plate appearances. And it’s yet another injury for the Dodgers, who will open the season without Frankie Montas, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Brett Anderson.
Ethier was expected to face mostly right-handed pitching. With him out of the picture, Carl Crawford is in line for increased playing time in left field. The Dodgers also limited Crawford’s exposure to lefties last season, as he racked up 163 plate appearances against right-handers and only 30 versus southpaws.