Dodgers closer Takashi Saito, who underwent an MRI on Monday after leaving Saturday's game against Florida having faced only two batters, will miss at least six weeks after being diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his right elbow. He won't need surgery for now, and he will be re-evaluated near the end of August.
Although fireballing setup man Jonathan Broxton is the obvious choice to move into the closer's role in Saito's absence, it isn't clear who will fill Broxton's eighth-inning role. It also isn't clear whether the Dodgers will pursue a more experienced closer -- a difficult commodity to come by -- between now and the July 31 trading deadline. "We'll get together with (manager) Joe (Torre) and come up with a plan," general manager Ned Colletti said. "Obviously, it is not easy replacing someone like him. As far as trading for a closer, it's a lot like trying to acquire a shortstop. It's a premium position, and most teams don't carry an excess. We also have candidates within the staff. Many times, closers are discovered in times like this."
Given Saito's age (38), this could be a career-ending injury. Because he didn't come to the United States until 2006 after a successful 14-year career with the Yokohama BayStars of the Japanese Central League, Saito is still under the Dodgers' control as a third-year player and is still working off one-year contracts each season.
Because of that, the club incurs little financial risk and has been preparing for Saito's inevitable decline almost from the day he stepped into the closer's role. Saito has 80 saves in his three seasons with the Dodgers.
