It's a good thing the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for starting pitcher Joe Blanton on Friday, because it looks like Ted Lilly won't be returning anytime soon. Lilly was scratched from his scheduled rehab start on Friday with Class A Rancho Cucamonga, with left shoulder pain.
"It wasn't getting to where I can draw my arm back without it catching," Lilly said.
Lilly, who last pitched for the Dodgers on May 23, threw two scoreless innings for Rancho Cucamonga in his first rehab start. He was scheduled to throw two more rehab starts, then possibly return to the Dodgers as soon as August 13. But that won't happen now.
"Some of the similar pains were coming back," said manager Don Mattingly. "I kind of knew the other day that Teddy wasn't feeling quite right."
Lilly said he hopes to throw a bullpen session in the next couple of days, though he admitted that he was frustrated at his latest setback, which casts some doubt over whether or not Lilly will pitch again this season.
"It can drive you a little crazy. Guys deal with it all the time. I'm not the only one," Lilly said.
Though relieving this season hasn't been considered yet as a viable option for Lilly, he said he would not be opposed to the idea if it meant helping the team.
"I would do whatever they asked me to do," Lilly said. "I would do whatever they felt gave us the best chance to win the division, then to go on and continue to win from there."
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