Los Angeles Dodgers Update: The Return of Hiroki Kuroda, and Other Facts

The Return of Hiroki Kuroda   As if the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (80-55) didn’t have enough options in the starting rotation already, Joe Torre has announced that Hiroki Kuroda would start for the team on Sunday, at home against the San Diego Padres.   Kuroda suffered a frightening, gruesome looking injury on August 15 in Arizona, being beaned in the head by a line drive off the bat of the Diamondbacks’ Rusty Ryal.   Initially, anyone watching—or even reading about it the next day—immediately feared the Japanese righty was done for the season. There were also hidden fears about his career being in the balance.   After all, Ray Chapman was killed by a baseball traveling at what was surely a similar speed.   Miraculously, Kuroda never lost consciousness. A subsequent CT scan was negative, and uncovered no bleeding or fractures. Though he had a concussion, Kuroda surely experienced the best-case scenario for such ...