Scott Elbert Injury: Dodgers LHP Will Have Elbow Surgery, Out For Season

Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Scott Elbert is now scheduled to undergo an operation Wednesday that will "clean up" his throwing elbow and effectively end his season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.

The surgery will be preformed by a team physician. Elbert is expected to be good to go by the start of 2013 spring training.

Elbert was placed on the disabled list with elbow soreness on August 27, ten days after he came off the DL for a related elbow inflammation injury. He pitched in a simulated game this past Friday but manager Don Mattingly explained that he was feeling "the same thing" following his test run.

The loss Ebert leaves the Dodgers with two lefties in their pen: Randy Choate and Paco Rodriguez.

Elbert had a 2.20 ERA with 29 strikeouts across 32.2 innings pitched in 2012.

For more information on Dodgers baseball, head on over to True Blue L.A.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Game Recap: St. Louis Wins 5-2 In Extra Innings

The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals entered Sunday's series finale tied for the second wildcard spot in the National League. On a day Stephen Fife and Adam Wainwright started, it was the Cardinals who came out on top after 12 innings, 5-2. With the loss, the Dodgers sit one game back of a wild card spot and are 7 1/2 back in the NL West.

Fife pitched well over five innings of work. He surrendered just two runs in the first inning, settling in nicely after that. He struck out nine and scattered four hits and a walk. Fife's ERA is down to 2.49 this season.

Wainwright was equally impressive, with his lone mistake coming on a two-run homer to Ethier in the third inning. He worked six innings on the mound, giving up five hits and two walks. Wainwright struck out four on the afternoon.

The score remained tied after plenty of offense early. Allen Craig doubled in the first inning to plate the first run, and then Matt Holliday came around to score on a wild pitch. Ethier tied the game with his two-run blast in the third, his 19th of the season.

With the score tied 2-2 in the 12th, Jon Jay doubled down the right field line to give St. Louis a 3-2 lead. Craig singled home another run, and then Yadier Molina walked with the bases loaded to make it 5-2. Los Angeles went down in the bottom half of the frame without scoring, with Ethier flying out to left for the final out.

The Dodgers are off on Monday before beginning a big three-game series with the Nationals, who have the best record in baseball.

For more on the Dodgers, be sure to check out True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Starting Lineups: Shane Victorino Back To Leadoff

The Los Angeles Dodgers look for their third straight win on Sunday afternoon as they host the St. Louis Cardinals in the finale of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly changed up his lineup again, moving Shane Victorino back to leadoff.

Victorino batted leadoff after getting traded to the Dodgers, but after struggling was moved to second, then sixth, especially against right-handed pitchers, earlier this week. But on Sunday Mattingly moved leadoff man Mark Ellis down to seventh and put Victorino batting first, with Andre Ethier hitting second against Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals.

Here are Sunday's starting lineups, with the winner assuming the lead in the battle for the second wild card in the National League:

Cardinals (76-70)

Jay CF
Beltran RF
Holliday LF
Craig 1B
Molina C
Freese 3B
Schumaker 2B
Kozma SS
Wainwright P

Dodgers (76-70)

Victorino LF
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Gonzalez 1B
Ramirez SS
Cruz 3B
Ellis 2B
Treanor C
Fife P

For more Dodgers coverage, check out True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Game Preview: Stephen Fife Starts As L.A. Seeks 3rd Straight Win

Without ace Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers send Stephen Fife to the mound Sunday to take on the St. Louis Cardinals as Los Angeles looks to take three of four from the Cardinals in Los Angeles.

Fife, a rookie, had been in Triple-A most of 2012, but was called up earlier in the season for three starts, during which he compiled an 0-1 record with a 2.16 ERA. Fife and the Dodgers will look to send the Cardinals to their ninth loss in their last 11 contests.

The Cardinals counter on Sunday with Adam Wainwright, who has struggled in his last three starts, posting a 8.56 ERA over the three appearances.

The meeting between the two clubs as the season enters its home stretch is their 11th and final showdown. The Dodgers have taken six of the 10 previous meetings, including a home sweep of the Cardinals in May.

First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. PST.

For more Dodgers coverage, check out True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Final Score: L.A. Rallies For 4-3 Win, Wild Card Tie

Three consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the ninth gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers and Cardinals are now tied for the second wild card spot in the National League.

Down 3-2 with two outs in the ninth inning, Andre Ethier opened the rally with a single, then was pinch ran for by speedster Dee Gordon. Even though Yadier Molina is tough to run on behind the plate, Gordon managed to steal second base to get into scoring position for Luis Cruz, quickly becoming a fan favorite in Los Angeles.

Cruz added to his growing legend with a double over the head of John Jay in center field to tie the game, then pinch runner Elian Herrera scored when Juan Rivera hit a ball just out of the reach of Daniel Descalso at second base. The ball caromed off Descalso's glove, and as he scrambled to get the ball Herrera scampered home with the winning run.

Ronald Belisario recorded the final four outs for the Dodgers, earning his sixth victory of the season.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Dodgers vs. Cardinals series. For more insight and analysis, check out Dodgers blog True Blue LA.

Clayton Kershaw Will Miss Sunday Start, See Hip Specialist In New York Tuesday

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without Clayton Kershaw this Sunday, as the Dodgers ace will miss his scheduled start with hip pain. Kershaw had an earlier start pushed back due to the same issue. He will see a hip specialist in New York while the team travels to Washington for a series against the Nationals.

Stephen File will take his place on Sunday, according to David Vassegh of KLAC-570.

Kershaw missed his start at San Francisco last Sunday, but after a cortisone shot he was able to pitch two days later at the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made a strong showing there but took the loss despite only giving up one run over seven innings.

Kershaw has been key for the Dodgers this season, and he leads the league in strikeouts (206), WHIP (1.016), innings (206 2/3) and has the second lowest ERA (2.70).

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Dodgers vs. Cardinals series. For more insight and analysis, check out Dodgers blog True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Preview: Los Angeles Can Pull Even For Wild Card With Win

With two games against the St. Louis Cardinals remaining, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a chance to seize one of the two National League Wild Card spots. The Dodgers are only one game behind St. Louis in the standings after Friday night's 8-5 win.

Joe Blanton (9-13, 4.98 ERA) takes the hill for Los Angeles. He struggled in his last outing, giving up four runs on six hits in 5⅓ innings against the San Francisco Giants. The Cardinals will send Jaime Garcia (4-7, 4.41 ERA) to the mound. He's fared worse than Blanton lately, losing five of his last seven, including allowing four runs on seven hits in three innings in his most recent start, an 11-3 loss to the San Diego Padres.

The next two games are the Dodgers' last chance to play someone directly ahead of them in the NL Wild Card standings. Their strongest chance of a postseason run involves making the most of the opportunity.

Game Time: 6:10 p.m. PT
Television Coverage: FSMW, FSPT
Streaming Coverage: MLB.tv

Stick with this StoryStream for more coverage from the Dodgers vs. Cardinals series. For more analysis and commentary, check out Dodgers blog True Blue LA. For the St. Louis perspective, check out Cardinals blog Viva el Birdos.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Game Recap: Dodgers Win 8-5 To Pull Within One Game Of Wild Card

The Dodgers are back within one game of the NL wild card after topping the Cardinals 8-5 in on Friday.

Andre Ethier and Luis Cruz hit home runs to bail out a struggling Chris Capuano and the Dodgers held on for the win.

Capuano only lasted 4.1 innings and gave up four runs off of three home runs by Matt Holiday, Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina. He was removed in the fifth inning with the Dodgers losing 4-3, but the Cardinals bullpen couldn't hold the lead.

Cruz hit a three-run homerun in the sixth inning off of Edward Mujica as the Dodgers took a 6-4 lead. Adrian Gonzalez added a two-run double in the seventh inning for some insurance runs and the Dodgers moved within one day's striking distance of the wild card.

The Giants won as well on Friday night so no progress was made on the NL West front. The Braves won as well, but the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to create a little bit of breathing room in for the Dodgers. They sit one back, and the Pirates and Phillies are three back from the wild card.

For more on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. You can also check out everything we have to offer at Baseball Nation.

Don Mattingly Will Return To Dodgers In 2013

The Los Angeles Dodgers will bring back manager Don Mattingly next season regardless of how the team performs the rest of September, according to general manager Ned Colletti. The club has struggled in recent weeks following a couple of blockbuster trades that brought Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez and others to L.A., although they remain in the thick of the National League wildcard race.

Here is Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles with quotes from the GM:

"I think he's done a really good job of keeping it together and there's never an excuse. He doesn't give any and he doesn't take any," Colletti said. "I don't have any doubt that our efforts every day are there, and I think that's one of the main jobs of a manager, to make sure guys are into it.

"You know that if you get beat, it's not a happy room, it's not one people take lightly and are cavalier. It means something to everybody and that's a credit to him and his staff."

It seemed likely that Mattingly would return regardless of the Dodgers' postseason fate, although to hear Colletti confirm the news just about makes it a done deal. You would be hard pressed to find someone around the club who isn't happy with what the former Dodger has done with the team this season.

For more on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. You can also check out everything we have to offer at Baseball Nation.

Clayton Kershaw Questionable For Sunday Start With Hip Pain

Clayton Kershaw might miss his scheduled start on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals because of a balky hip, manager Don Mattingly said on Friday.

Kershaw's last start was delayed by two days because of inflammation in the hip. He was his usual ace self on Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks, giving up one unearned run over seven innings in a 1-0 loss.

Following the start, his hip inflamed enough that the Dodgers cancelled Kershaw's Thursday bullpen session. He also missed most of practice on Friday because of the injury.

Kershaw is having yet another great year. He is 12-9 on the season with a 2.70 ERA and 206 strikeouts. Rookie Stephen Fife is the most likely starter if Kershaw is scratched on Sunday. Fife has made three starts for the Dodgers this season and is 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA.

For more on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. You can also check out everything we have to offer at Baseball Nation.

Ted Lilly Injury: Dodgers Pitcher Done For Season

Ted Lilly was scratched from his start on Friday night and instead headed to the doctor to have his left shoulder examined yet again. The shoulder had kept him out since May, which has put the Dodgers at a disadvantage with their starting rotation. After some evaluation this afternoon, Los Angeles has decided to shut Lilly down for the rest of the season.

Here is Eric Stephen of our Dodgers blog, True Blue LA.

Ted Lilly is shut down for the year

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 14, 2012

The news comes as the Dodgers enter the final two weeks of the season. The club enters Friday 7.5 games back of the Giants in the National League West and two games back of the Cardinals for the second NL wild card spot.

There was a chance Lilly could pitch a game or two before the season ends, but that is no longer the case. Don Mattingly will now have to adjust accordingly and use off-days in the schedule to help cover up some of the rotation's shortcomings.

For more on the injury and Dodgers updates throughout the year, be sure to check out True Blue LA.

Cardinals vs. Dodgers Lineups: Chris Capuano Looks To Put Dodgers Back On Track

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to end a four game losing streak when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals Friday in a crucial game for their playoff hopes. The Dodgers are slipping out of the NL West picture quickly but remain only two games behind the Cardinals for a spot in the NL Wild Card.

Dodgers lineup:
1. Shane Victorino LF
2. Andre Ethier RF
3. Matt Kemp CF
4. Adrian Gonzalez 1B
5. Hanley Ramirez SS
6. Luis Cruz 3B
7. Nick Punto 2B
8. A.J. Ellis C
9. Chris Capuano P

The Dodgers will send out starting pitcher Capuano to try and right the ship. Capuano will be looking to build off his last start against the San Francisco Giants in which he went seven innings and gave up two runs in a no decision. Prior to his last start, Capuano had struggled a bit in his previous three starts, giving up six runs in two of them. He is 11-10 with a 3.59 ERA on the year.

1. Jon Jay CF
2. Carlos Beltran RF
3. Matt Holliday LF
4. Allen Craig 1B
5. Yadier Molina C
6. David Freese 3B
7. Matt Carpenter 2B
8. Pete Kozma SS
9. Joe Kelly P

The Cardinals will send out rookie pitcher Kelly, who has had a decent September so far. In his last two starts he has lasted at least six innings and only given up two runs. Kelly has faced the Dodgers once, back on July 23, and he came away with the loss after pitching six innings and giving up three runs (two earned).

For more news and notes on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Ted Lilly Scratched From Simulated Game

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly was scratched from a simulated start Thursday, according to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.

Lilly has been trying to work his way back from a shoulder left ailment that has held him out of action since May. After being scratched, Lilly paid a visit to team doctors but the team has yet to put out an official statement on his status.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly refused to call this turn of events a setback but he still had some cryptic words to say on the subject:

"Teddy's been trying to push through and get ready, but he starts to weigh the options of what's worth it."

The Dodgers only have 18 regular season games left on their schedule. Lilly was looking to come back as a reliever sometime this month but after this scratch it seems the odds are now against him.

Lilly was quite effective in his eight starts this season, compiling five wins in eight starts to go along with a 3.14 ERA.

For more information on Dodgers baseball and continued injury updates, head on over to True Blue L.A.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Game Preview: Chris Capuano Looks To Stop L.A. Skid

After dropping their fourth straight game Thursday night in a 2-1 loss to St. Louis, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to rebound Friday in Game 2 of their series against the Cardinals.

The game -- and series as a whole -- is crucial for both the Dodgers and the Cardinals as they compete against each other for a wild card spot in the National League. With Atlanta (81-63) sitting on a solid five-game lead over St. Louis (76-68), the Dodgers (74-70) are trying to make a dent in their two-game hole to the Cardinals.

But in order to make any run at the postseason, the Dodgers will need to slip out of their current funk. In addition to losing their last four outings, Los Angeles has dropped seven of its last eight games.

Chris Capuano (11-10, 3.59 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers tonight and will face Joe Kelly (5-6, 3.51 ERA).

For more on the Dodgers, make sure to check out True Blue L.A. For the Cardinals side of the story, check out Viva El Birdos. For more on the league in general, please make your way over to Baseball Nation.

National League Standings: Dodgers Now 2 GB Of Cardinals

Runs are still at a premium for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who dropped their fourth straight game on Thursday night, a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The loss dealt a blow to the Dodgers' fledgling playoff hopes.

The National League West is essentially done, as the Giants gained a game on Thursday without even playing.

The Dodgers' loss to St. Louis gave San Francisco its biggest lead of the season and pushed its magic number to just 12 to clinch their second division title in four years.

The Dodgers lost the opener of a four-game weekend series at home to the Cardinals, who remain ahead of them in the race for the second National League wild card.

The Cardinals gained a half-game over the idle Pirates as well, as St. Louis now leads Pittsburgh by three games.

The idle Brewers lost a half-game as well, but the Cardinals gained a full game over the Philadelphia Phillies, who managed to give one away in Houston.

A two-run double by Jed Lowrie in the eighth inning on Wednesday turned the tide for the Houston Astros, who pulled out a 6-4 win over the Phillies. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for Philadelphia, who dropped to four games back of the Cardinals.

Here are Friday's relevant games (all times PT):

• 11:20 a.m. - Pirates (James McDonald; 12-7, 3.93 ERA) at Chicago Cubs (Chris Rusin; 0-2, 5.73)
• 4:35 p.m. - Washington Nationals (Ross, Detwiler; 9-6, 3.23) at Braves (Kris Medlen; 8-1, 1.64)
• 5:05 p.m. - Phillies (Cole Hamels; 14-6, 3.03) at Astros (Edgar Gonzalez; 2-0, 1.64)
• 5:10 p.m. - New York Mets (Jon Niese; 10-9, 3.47) at Brewers (Mike Fiers; 9-7, 3.05)
• 6:40 p.m. - Giants (Matt Cain; 13-5, 2.96) at Arizona Diamondbacks (Tyler Skaggs; 1-1, 4.43)
• 7:10 p.m. - Cardinals (Joe Kelly; 5-6, 3.51) at Dodgers (Chris Capuano; 11-10, 3.59)

For more news and notes on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Game Recap: L.A. Bats Quiet Again In 2-1 Loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers continued to suffer through their offensive slump on Thursday night, dropping the opening game of their four-game weekend series with the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1 at Dodger Stadium.

The loss dropped the Dodgers two games behind the Cardinals for the second wild card in the National League.

Los Angeles struck first in the opening frame with an RBI double by Adrian Gonzalez for a 1-0 lead. It was the second straight game the Dodgers scored in the first inning on an RBI double by Gonzalez, after going 14 games without a first-inning run.

But the Dodgers repeated themselves on Thursday night by not scoring any runs for the final eight innings, just as they did Wednesday night. The Dodgers have scored three runs in their last four games.

"It's been a lot of the same game over and over, and we have got to get over that hump," said manager Don Mattingly. "I don't know really know how to identify where that hump is, but we have to get across it.

Lance Lynn struck out seven in his six innings for his 15th win of the season.

Paco Rodriguez allowed one run in relief in the seventh inning, taking his first major league loss, in his third major league appearance.

Chris Capuano starts for the Dodgers on Friday night, facing Joe Kelly for St. Louis.

For more news and notes on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Dodgers Expect Kenley Jansen, Scott Elbert Back Soon

The Los Angeles Dodgers will get a boost to their bullpen soon with Kenley Jansen and Scott Elbert both close to returning from injury.

Jansen has been out since the end of August with an irregular heartbeat. He is scheduled to meet with team doctors on Friday, hoping to be taken off the blood thinners he's been taking. If all goes well, Jansen could travel with the Dodgers on their 10-game road trip and would be eligible to pitch on Tuesday.

Elbert has been has been on the disabled list since August 29 with elbow inflammation. He is scheduled to throw his second simulated game on Friday and if all goes well he could be activated this weekend according to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

"If he's good, we'll probably roll with him," Mattingly said.

For more on the Dodgers, make sure to check out True Blue L.A. For the Cardinals side of the story, check out Viva El Birdos. For more on the league in general, please make your way over to Baseball Nation.

Cardinals Vs. Dodgers: Josh Beckett, Lance Lynn Square Off In Game 1

Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals are in the thick of a playoff hunt, as well as being fresh off sweeps at the hands of NL West opponents. Now these two square off at Dodger Stadium looking to make up the ground they lost during the week.

Josh Beckett (1-2, 3.86 ERA) takes the mound for L.A., looking for his second-straight strong showing at home. The veteran righty gave up a solo homer along with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work en route to a 2-1 victory over Arizona back on Sept. 1. He is 2-2 with a 5.11 ERA in six starts against St. Louis, but hasn't faced them since 2005.

Lance Lynn (14-7, 4.04) gets the start for St. Louis, returning in place of the injured Jake Westbrook after being demoted to the bullpen for the past few weeks. Lynn went 0-1 with a 6.56 ERA in his last five starts before his move to the pen, though he won his first five outings of the year and was an All-Star for St. Louis.

The Dodgers are currently seven games back of the Giants in the NL West, and one back in the Wild Card race. The Cardinals are tied for the lead in the NL Wild Card.

First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT with coverage on Prime Ticket.

For more on the Dodgers, make sure to check out True Blue L.A. For the Cardinals side of the story, check out Viva El Birdos. For more on the league in general, please make your way over to Baseball Nation.