LOS ANGELES -- There are countless shadow coaches out there and when Major Leaguers struggle, they often seek out their "go-to guys."
Dodgers reliever Paco Rodriguez's "go-to," though, isn't a guy.
Cindy Larco is a physical therapist in Miami. She treated Rodriguez for elbow stress when he was a 16-year-old and has been treating him ever since, at every level, for every injury. And she has become so familiar with his delivery and mechanics that Rodriguez sought her out over the winter to help him refine his unconventional style.
As a result, Rodriguez has gone from the Triple-A shuttle he was on last year to a late-inning key in Don Mattingly's mix-and-match April bullpen, sharing lefty duties with J.