Last spring, Andre Ethier was well on his way to securing an everyday spot in the lineup. What’s more, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts named Ethier among the candidates to bat leadoff. That came to a grinding halt when Ethier fouled a pitch off his leg, sustaining a fractured tibia.
The injury was initially diagnosed as a lower leg contusion, and true extent of it wasn’t determined until additional testing conducted after Ethier didn’t show any signs of improvement. Although he was projected to miss 10 to 14 weeks, Ethier didn’t come off the DL until last September.