Andy LaRoche hurt his thumb and is out for 2 months. I guess this means the third base job is no longer in question. Garciaparra is also hurt, but just day-to-day. The Dodgers will begin the season with Nomar at third, with Martinez and Abreu backing up.

This injury to LaRoche gives Nomar a chance to show if he's over the power failure from last year. If he succeeds, keep him in when LaRoche is healthy. If Nomar falters, then LaRoche should be given a chance to improve production at the position.

This is bad news, in my opinion. I really doubt that Garciaparra has much left in the tank... and the fact that there's nobody pushing him for playing time for the time being may remove whatever fire he may have had.

Here's hoping to a speedy recovery for LaRoche!