According to ESPN Los Angeles' Tony Jackson, Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly won't publicly approve re-signing their oft-injured closer Jonathan Broxton when he becomes a free agent this offseason.
Mattingly spoke to the media after their 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night, and had less than optimistic things to say about Broxton retuning to the Boys in Blue next year:
"It's hard to encourage anything at this point,'' Mattingly said. "We don't know anything. Anybody who signs Brox at this point ... they will look at his medical records and look at his past, and it's a risk/reward thing.''
The former All-star underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow this past Monday, removing a bone spur and a few other loose bodies floating around in there. He likely will face six to eight weeks of recovery before getting started on any rehabilitation necessary, which should give him enough time to be ready for Spring Training in 2012, if he can find somewhere to land that is.
"It's not really the kind of season you want to be coming off of (with free agency awaiting)," Mattingly acknowledged.
Ouch.
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